Let Me Tell You a Story

Dear Friends of the Fire:

During the holidays, many of us spent time with our families. We “went home,” or returned to wherever we were raised. For some that may be down the street, but for many of us modern, mobile people that means trekking to another town or perhaps even to another country.

In an era when people move around so, the question becomes:
Where exactly is home?

Maybe not our place of birth and perhaps not the place we happen to park ourselves right now. As the old adage goes, Home is where the heart is. But how many of us truly feel rooted in the land and history of peoples where we live?

I know a wise elder whose healing tradition is based in Mexico, but who happens to live in the States. And his work has required him to move several times. I asked him, Where is home for you? Although he had ties to many places, he replied: I always feel at home when I’m sitting by the fire.

Sitting by the fire, many of us experience a kind of groundedness that is surprising, yet strangely familiar. Like the elder, we can even feel like we have finally–and perhaps for the first time in our lives–come home. Home is where the heart is. Or: Home is where the hearth is.

At their core, all of the offerings of Sacred Fire are about coming home:
Returning to the center that is heart and finding our true place in the world.

Attending a Community Fire, a Lifeways offering, or a Fire Speaks event–all bring us back to our place of origin. Having gathered around the fire for hundreds of thousands of years, that place is something we can carry with us wherever we may find ourselves.

As you gather with friends and loved ones during this holiday season, I invite you to join us in bringing more people home. You can do so through your financial donations, by volunteering your skills, or by exploring the possibility of becoming a firekeeper for your community. Contact me directly if you want to know more.

Happy Holidays!