I led a fire ceremony last weekend at a very special fire ring on the beach of Lake Erie, on one of America’s Great Lakes that my friends and I have nicknamed, Thundering Lake. Erie is an Iroquois word, meaning People of the Long Tail, in recognition of times when the Natives lived among the great cats, cougar and panther, who once roamed freely across the land of the Big River, Ohio.

A beautiful circle of kindred souls gathered together in song, prayer and ceremony to awaken the memory of sacred fires held within our hearts and visions reaching back to times long, long, ago. We gathered special stones, polished by the movement of the lake’s waters and we held them in our hands. These stones carry the stories of the lake, helping us to remember the ages past, where people gathered at this shore to honor their spirits around many sacred fires lit with the intent to celebrate all that is meaningful in each passage of life.

On the web of life we can be assured that all events are connected in what appears at times to be mysterious and magical. Together our fire circle trembled the web of life as we awakened the elemental forces of this land, lake, sky and stars. My friend and partner, Jan West Volpe, a mystical photographer, recorded our gathering with eyes only the falcon of Horus could possibly perceive.

The next morning, upon review of Jan’s photo renderings that captured the essence of our ceremony, she and I sat awestruck at her computer while viewing the images of the divine spark within this dance of light. Words appear small and meaningless when trying to convey the truth captured by a lens, which appeared to move at the speed of light and revealed images beyond the comprehension of the naked eye. The gift of these photos of our sacred fire offered confirmation of the spiritual feeling and harmony we experienced during this empowering ceremony.

Jan, her sister Jill, and I laid the fire with care and intent, placing each piece of wood with a prayer and reverence for its sacredness. We realized that when lit, this wood would be transformed forever by the great elemental force of fire that would burn to ash. I could envision the ash taking flight on the wind with the smoke and embers, foreseeing it becoming a part of the sky, with its scent traveling for miles, melding with the atmosphere and becoming one with the heavens.

While placing each stick with care and attention, I felt in my belly that this fire was truly an outer reflection of an inner configuration. I perceived it as the outer representation of my inner flame of light and divinity. The web of light trembled again with these realizations and the spirits of the land seemed to awaken out of slumber and long restful dreams. The Great Spirit of place opened sleepy eyes, and the physical realm of beach, lake, fire ring and wood tingled with anticipation as we built our sacred fire. Glints of polished sea glass gleamed in the rays of the late afternoon sun along the nearby shoreline and my skin tingled with the recognition of the coming evening’s flames of light. It seemed as though an aura of grace descended from above to protect and honor our intent.

Under a star-studded sky we lit our fire and watched it dance before us with color and intensity and great light. The faces of the many who gathered in circle were aglow with golden countenances of ancient wisdom. The mesmerizing fire played out its wondrous drama before us, revealing images of sacred beings -- faces, animals, angels, and symbols. Letters of light wrote a kind of language in the fire that intrigued and communicated with us at a deep soul level. We honored the power and intelligence we envisioned within this amazing dance of light.

A cocoon of ecstasy enveloped us like a peaceful cloud as we moved deeper and deeper into the meditation of the fire’s animation. All who gathered felt the presence of the outer fire mirroring the inner fire of their being, the flame of truth and divinity that burns within us all. Deeper and deeper we moved into this feeling and realization of the inner fire. We found the reflection of the outer fire living in our solar plexus, the area of the body where the ribcage opens, below the heart and above the stomach. There is an inner sun that resides within us at our solar plexus, which burns with the fire of life force ignited by the divine flame of God’s presence. We felt our inner fire and basked in its brilliance.

The inner fire is a temple within. It is your sacred and special sanctuary from the challenges and problems and conditions of the world. It is an eternal fire that burns without affect from any health conditions or illnesses you may be experiencing. It is the flame of your soul and it burns brightly with a light of golden purity. Nothing can harm it or change it or diminish its eternal flame. Its beauty is you; it is your inner truth.

For each of us the inner temple is unique and it holds the special imprint of our character, values and spiritual essence. Imagine your temple for a moment. What does it look like? You know it has a beautiful fire burning brightly at its center, but what else resides in your special sanctuary, your temple within? Is your temple like an ancient cave of Paleolithic times with drawings of power animals on the walls? Or is it an austere meditation hall, simple in its Zen-like structure? Perhaps it is a great cathedral with intricate stained glass windows etched and painted in graceful colors that dance in the glow of your fire. Take a moment and explore your inner sanctuary of light. Imagine what your inner temple looks like and allow it to take form in the way that feels right to you.

Each of us gathered at the Autumn Harvest Fire of Thundering Lake held the inner vision of our temple within. Prior to our outer fire ceremony we worked with the imagery of our inner temple and within its confines we wrote prayers of Release and Receiving on scrolls we tied with black ribbons of release and gold ribbons of receiving.

Prayers for release of what we wanted to let go of in our life and prayers for receiving, calling to us what we most wanted to create, manifest, and bring into our lives were carried with care to the external fire. We fed our prayers to the fire and looked into the colors that danced before us as our offerings were consumed in the flames. Our prayer scrolls transformed into colors and shapes and the smoke took our offerings to the heavens. With our prayers of release, we felt changed and a lightness of being coupled with a sense of completion. When we offered our prayers of receiving into our life what we most wished for and desired, sparks and ribbons of light would fly as the fire’s power and beauty stoked our dreams of fulfillment. We offered chants and danced our joy and gratitude. We stared into the flames, for fire loves to be watched and when you look into a fire deeply, the fire feels known and appreciated. So we gave back to this fire that gave so much light to us.

There were many mystical moments in our ceremony, too many to recount here. Sacred names were uttered in the winds as beings of light joined our circle with an immeasurable and unforgettable presence. Billowing smoky clouds proffered dreamy images of the ancients and the lake’s depths heard our call. The stones revealed their stories as the fire animated their prose with illustrations of momentary glimpses of hero’s journeys forging footprints upon the shores of Thundering Lake. The web trembled with delight and all time marked as past became present and one in a moment of great light.

Margaret H. Lewis is a highly regarded professional speaker, workshop facilitator, business and personal development consultant, gifted spiritual practitioner and author. For over 20 years she has provided countless training seminars and workshops on a wide range of life management and personal development skills.

Margaret is a graduate of an intensive four-year program of spiritual study, receiving her professional certification and ministerial license. She is continually engaged in many areas of research and study that further her continuing education as a spiritual practitioner.

From 2000 - 2005, Margaret directed Lynn Andrews website where she designed, wrote and taught Online Spirituality Courses with Ms. Andrews. In her role as the Online Course Creator, Margaret oversaw the entire learning environment and curriculum presentation. Margaret has ventured out on her own and is offering many new online courses and learning adventures on her website at www.wisdomwalks.com. Please keep checking the website and new issues of Spirit's Scroll for updates!

In private consultations, Margaret has assisted hundreds of people in releasing the blocks that are holding them back from achieving their goals and visions of fulfillment. To set up an appointment with Margaret, please email her at info@wisdomwalks.com or visit her online store at www.wisdomwalks.com.


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