What is Fire Ceremony?

That which makes us breathe, makes us move, makes us think, makes us speak, the Tantrics call “fire” or “Agni”. In tantra, fire is not a symbol of spirit. It is spirit made manifest. 

When there is simultaneous knowledge, will, and action, there is fire! Can you imagine what might happen in your life if you knew what you needed to know, had an abundance of willpower, and were free to take action? Boom!

The Vedic Fire Ceremony harnesses the sattvic (serene, harmonious, and balanced) quality of Agni. This sacred ceremony is also known as Homa, Puja, or Yajna and is often performed during celestial events, births, marriages, deaths, sunrises, and sunsets. There are also internal fire practices that stoke and propitiate Agni within the body using techniques such as pranayama, bandha, mudra, mantra, and chanting. 

These internal fire practices cultivate Agni at the navel center, a fire bowl within the body. To stoke this divine fire, we have to exert effort, so we build tapas, the heat of transformation through discipline. We practice specific yogic techniques that gently melt physical, mental, and emotional obstacles so that, with grace, our hearts and minds can revel in the splendor of the true self. Ultimately, the spark of the fire arises from surrendering to grace.

The external fire ceremony is beautiful in how it creates a collective, shared experience. It is amongst the most powerful spiritual practices. By seeing the literal fire, we are better able to cultivate it in our manipura chakra (navel center) and internalize the fire’s transformative qualities. The detailed instructions for the fire ceremony were written in the Rig Veda around 1700 BCE and passed down verbally long before then. The instructions need to be followed precisely in order to avoid confusion or harm. It is best to follow the example of thousands of years of experience. 

When taking part in a fire ceremony, we are taking part in the burning of ignorance, obstacles, and delusions that hold us back from knowing and fulfilling our divine purpose. During this ceremony, we invite the deities of our local lands and ancient teachers to join and guide us.

The ceremony begins as soon as you show up at the location with the intention of participating. The act of setting up should be done intentionally and with respect to the powers and support you are calling upon.

A “kunda”, a square pit that faces all four directions, is dug to contain the fire. Once the kunda is dug and adorned with flowers or a yantra, the one presiding over the ceremony will guide the participants to their seats around the kunda and help create a prayerful atmosphere. There is no talking at the fire, and once the ceremony begins, nobody should leave except to get more wood for the fire. The only thing that will go into the fire is the selected wood, ghee, and the samagri, which is the food for the fire (usually local organic grains, herbs, sugar, and black sesame seeds). You will be given a bowl of the samagri which you will hold in your lap until it is time to offer it into the fire. 

The selected wood and kindling are placed at the bottom of the kunda. We use local, non-treated wood from the land we are doing the ceremony on. We also make sure there are no insects or other living beings in the wood. Traditionally, you can give the person presiding over the fire a small bundle of dried sticks to add to the fire. These sticks represent our individual karmas that we are prepared to burn. Once the small sticks are placed in the kunda the one presiding over the ceremony will pour ghee (clarified butter) onto the sticks.  

Before lighting the fire, the one presiding over the ceremony chants a mantra to invoke auspicious forces to join, as rice or other grains are scattered around the periphery. Then they chant a mantra to purify the surroundings as they sprinkle water around the site using a spoon, a flower, or a few blades of grass. Next, they ask negative forces in the surroundings to leave. Followed by chanting a mantra to invite all the forces of nature to circle around the site.  

Finally, the one presiding over the ceremony will light a match as they chant a mantra to light the fire and make sure it is placed appropriately in the kunda. The next mantra brings the fire to life, and the following mantra is chanted to nourish and feed the fire while offering sticks and ghee. 

The next mantra, chanted while offering ghee, is to Agni itself, and this is when the fire really begins to grow and glow and become glorious. One more mantra is chanted for good measure to honor all the presiding divinities and protective forces and to pay homage to all benevolent divinities everywhere. 

Now the fire is ready for the main mantra and for the offerings. The one presiding over the ceremony will chant the main hymn, and at the end of each line, she will say “swaha”, which means “offering to Agni”. When you hear “swaha” you (the participant) will gently toss some samagri into the fire. If the samagri doesn’t make it into the fire, leave it there. What the fire doesn’t consume, other divinities will, and in this way, it will return back to nature. 

The main mantra chanted is the Sri Sukta which invokes the sacred fire and requests it to bring the residing forces of health, wealth, peace, and prosperity to us. It assists in spreading joy, burning karmic ties, purifying the environment of toxins and toxic mindsets, removing fear, and fostering healthy conditions for peace and prosperity.  

To complete the ceremony, the one presiding over the ceremony collects the remaining samagri and gee, stands up, and offers all that remains with a mantra. Commune with the fire for as long as you like, and when you want to leave, back away from the fire and not turn your back on it.

If you are feeling called to journal once the ceremony is complete, that can be a great way to process and understand what this ceremony means to you. Make notes of any things that came up, whether distractions, ideas, or works chanted that held power for you.

This experience is powerful and scared. It should only be facilitated by those who have the proper knowledge and teachings that have been passed on to them. If this is something you feel called to participate in, join the Fall 2023 Elixir of Life Retreat in Cape Elizabeth. All participants of the retreat are invited to a private Fire Ceremony facilitated by Mary Cate. Please reach out with any questions you may have. We would love to see you there, in the light of the sacred fire.