Event Type: Retreat and Renewal for Women, Men and Young Adults

Let’s Get Together!

So many of us are starved for the warmth and movement of community. Registration is now open for these upcoming community events, and it’s not too late to join in!

Events featuring an audience with Grandfather Fire:

Restore your spirit at an annual gathering of men or women!

Ukalai: Annual Gathering of Women

Ukilái: Annual Gathering of Men

And there are several other Lifeways events coming up in Australia, Canada, and Oregon: Life Cycle Living, Exploring the Phenomenon of Prayer, Navigating the Challenging Waves of Transition. Please see the last section of this newsletter for a complete listing.

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The Gift of Winter among Men

“I arrive at the healing lands of the Blue Deer, nestled in a valley of the Catskill Mountains, next to the sacred waters of the River that sings her song to all who stop and listen. I am grateful to have beaten the snows that are on their way. I am happy to be here and anxiously waiting to meet the rest of the men. My spirits have lifted, but my heart is still heavy from challenges I am facing at home, in my relationship.

Although it is my third time attending Ukilái: An Annual Gathering of Men, I am taken aback by the power and connection of gathering and doing the work of men at the time of Winter. There is some special alchemy of learning and bonding that my soul craves as a man and as an individual that is nourished by our time together. I appreciate what we have received through the guidance of our leader and elder, David Wiley.”

On the final day, I drive eastward to my home, drinking in the beauty of the lands and a wonderful sunset. I walk through the door at home just after dark, finally able to reach across to my partner and express myself in a way that has been missing for very a long time!”

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Finding Answers around the Fire

“After a period in my life when I was heading in the wrong direction, I turned to exploring spirituality as a path to addiction recovery. Through serendipity, I found myself talking to a woman who, through her intuition, sensed that I would benefit from a drum or fire circle. As I started asking around, a friend of mine led me to the Sacred Fire community fires hosted by Tim and Karla Cole in Poplarville, MS. Once I got there, I realized it was no coincidence that I had been led to this community specifically. I’ve overcome so much through the people I’ve met and the lessons I’ve learned around the hearth there. So many of the answers to my questions in life have come from listening to, or observing the growth in others, around the Fire. For instance, one community member participated in the Sacred Fire Community Annual Gathering of Men. I watched his journey toward claiming his more feminine/emotional side; it wasn’t easy for him at first, but ultimately the transformation was inspiring.”

I’ve come to appreciate the importance of community, and how beneficial healthy communities are to society. I’ve learned the importance of letting go of judgment. And now I’ve found the courage to take a huge leap. In March I will quit my well-paying job, and move to the Pacific Northwest where I hope to start a community-based healing center. I take with me lessons about new beginnings and the wisdom I will need to carry with me, and of the courage it takes to leave things behind.

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Drawing on Feminine Courage and Strength

“I feel as if now I have a deep core strength and courage to draw upon that manifests in the feminine, which has always been there, I just didn’t know it. I appreciate what it means to be a woman more and am able to see this in others also: our beauty, generosity, gentleness, courage, communicative abilities, creativity and more. I appreciate men more and the masculine as it plays out in my two young sons as they grow. I am now seeking out the counsel of women more in my life. I am so grateful to have been able to participate in this experience and have spoken of it to several female friends since. Five years on from the retreat, the experience continues to be a gift that keeps on giving.”

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Sparks: Coming Soon

Around the Fire

Around the Fire is the newsletter of Sacred Fire and is published monthly.

If you’re new to Sacred Fire, here are three ways to learn more:

  1. Find a local Fire and experience it first hand.
  2. Visit our web site.
  3. Subscribe to Around the Fire and discover more about our deep community.
  4. Follow us on social media (see footer of page)

Around the Fire is published by the Sacred Fire Outreach team:

Director
Sharon Brown

Strategic Direction
Karen Fernandez
Lawrence Messerman
Sharon Brown

Editorial Team
Erin Everett
Christine Staub
Linda Azar

Web Publishing
Sally Casper
Britt Espinosa

Graphic Design
Leticia Gamboa
Sylvia Law

Social Media
Erin Everett
Abigail Murray-Nikkel

Database Administrator
Linda Felch

Event Support
Heidi Griswold

Web Design and Development
Malowany Creative
Living Magic LLP

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