It’s a fairly chilly day here in KC! So we thought it’d be a good day to talk about how we use fire in our personal practices.
Alessandra: I don't burn or use smoke often, only according to certain rituals or rooted into my heritage rituals, which would revolve around holidays, clearing out new spaces, or when someone is feeling a malocchio.
Quinn: With an abundance of Leo energy in my natal chart, working with the element of fire is something that was sneaking its way into my practice before I even consciously realized what I was doing. Coyote and cedar were two energies I felt connected to even before I did my research to discover that they are correspondences of the fire element. When I was a little girl I would dance and howl and play around the giant bonfires we made each year at the equinoxes. In my practice today I find dancing around the fire to be just as meaningful as it was back then.
Laura: Many of my devotional practices involve fire in one form or another. Hestia is a primary focus of my personal practice and as such, tending the flame in both a literal and a spiritual sense are close to my heart. Growing up there were many rules of etiquette (and safety) surrounding fire that my family passed down to me. My Sagittarius sun seems to always be drawn to the flame.
Alessandra’s Favorite Rituals: I do use a lot of candle work, always having a candle going at my altar for my ancestors or certain spells. Usually carving into the candles with sigils, burning messages or wishes. Really my practice is quite fluid and I’m always adding new things that I learn or adjusting to what I feel is right for the occasion.
Quinn’s Favorite Rituals: My favorite rituals are always literally and figuratively centered around the fire. I am a member of an informal sort of coven that meets on top of a hill in the woods of KCK. Gathering with these women in ceremony and offering our fears and insecurities to the fire has been some of the most important release work I’v done. There is something that happens which is more powerful than words when you feed what weighs you down to the flames. Similarly, I love to experience the messages that come through while gazing at any flame be it a bonfire or a candle.
Laura’s Favorite Rituals: I started interpreting burning candles (carromancy) as soon as I was old enough to be trusted with a candle in my own room. Sometimes I dress the candles with oils and herbs. Other times I fill bottles with particular offerings, herbs, etc and use these as candle holders. I also practice fire scrying and clearing and releasing rituals with fire. I have a cast iron bean pot I purchased years ago that I use for most of the non-candle fire rituals. For the last 17 years my Buddhist practice has focused largely on Mahakala and Kinkara, both of which have fire pujas as part of their saddhanas. Burning candles as an offering of light to the world and burning herbs and various natural incenses as an offering of scented beauty are mainstays of my devotional practices.
Alessandra’s Favorite Plants/Herbs: Scents are really important to me and I feel particularly connected to burning palo santo, lavender, and writing messages on bay leaves. I’m drawn particularly to natural incenses. However, I’m studying and trying to move to using more heritage based herbs like olive leaves, etc.
Quinn’s Favorite Plants/Herbs: My favorite plants to use in fire magic are the ones my Celtic ancestors worked with including lavender, rosemary, cedar, juniper and rose petals. Making loose incense blends for different deities and planets allows me to incorporate my passion for symbolism with the magic and power of plants. Learning how to harness my fire is some of my most important work.
Laura’s Favorite Plants/Herbs: For incenses I prefer woods: cedar, pinon, juniper, occasionally sandalwood or palo santo. For herbs I prefer to use what I have grown myself: garden sage, lavender, horseradish leaves, bay leaves, and mint. I will also burn cinnamon and I am a fool for the scent of roses.
We hope this might have inspired some new ideas for your own practice. And remember! Before burning any herbs check to make sure they are not toxic to humans or to your pets. Always attend candles, especially if dressed with herbs and oils because this can make them burn erratically. Place candles, cauldrons, or other fire-holding vessels on fire-resistant surfaces such as heat-proof trivets. When working outdoors be especially careful and respectful of nature.
Do you have fire practices you’d like to share with us? We’d love to hear about them!
