A MONTHLY ONLINE GATHERING
Living Fire
Many of us arrive hungry to a fire like this — not from belonging, but from the ache of feeling that we don’t belong yet.
THE TEACHING
"We must return to the earth to have a real purpose in life."
— Nan Faviana
WHAT THE FIRE DOES
My teacher, Nan Faviana, taught me that fire is the ear of the cosmos. Between Heart of the Sky and Heart of the Earth, it receives what we bring: our gratitude, our grief, our questions, our prayers — and what we don't yet have words for.
Fire is the teacher of respect, of gratitude, of reciprocity. It teaches compassionate listening, and precise counsel. It lets something larger, something deeper, speak — and the work of the one who tends it is to be a bridge: an intermediary, a translator.
WHO TENDS THE FIRE
I'm Andrés Jiménez.
I tend this fire from Kaukitá, the nature reserve where I live in Pereira, Colombia.
My relationship with ceremonial fire was shaped through nearly five years at Lake Atitlán and through my path as an Ajq'ij in the Maya K'iché tradition.
My role is to tend the fire, care for the circle that forms around it, and carry the teachings of the elders into each gathering.
THE OFFERING
At each fire, we make an offering to the ancestors, the spirits, the earth, the sky, the water, the wind. A gift of gratitude to life.
Copal
Seeds
Herbs
Flowers
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
The fire is for everyone.
You do not need experience with circles, cacao, or ceremony.
You do not need a clear intention.
You do not need to know what to say.
And you will never be required to speak unless you want to.
We begin by arriving through breath and silence. There is space to speak, listen, give thanks, ask for support, or simply sit with others — listening is also a way of participating.
Come with what is true.
IN PRACTICE
Once a month, online
I light a fire here, in Colombia
You light a candle, wherever you are
We share a cup of cacao, if you have it. If not, even a glass of water will do.
Space to speak, or just to listen
NEXT GATHERING
Tuesday, September 22
Autumn Equinox · 1:00 PM ET · Live on Zoom
No recordings · Voluntary contribution · No one is excluded for being unable to contribute at this time.
Here, we can stop performing.
We can be real.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP GOING
Stay with the fire
Each Living Fire is complete in itself. You are welcome to come once, or return whenever the fire calls you back.
If something in your life is asking to be accompanied over time, the fire lit at the equinox will continue through The Autumn Fire Circle — a small, closed circle meeting every other Tuesday from September 29 to December 8.