| All you need to perform the
ancient fire spells is any kind of safe surface, or container; it
could be anything at all, even a bowl filled with sand, and it
doesn't have to be big, or even outdoors.
The fire bowl I use for indoor, table top fire
magic at night is no larger than a cereal bowl, made of brass and
stands on three legs, which helps to not burn the table. If you have
a smoke detector in the house, it would be a good idea to turn it
off before you start. There is also merit in opening a window, for
how else will the smoke rise to the heavens and carry your prayers,
or intent?
Next, we need something to burn.
I like to collect twigs from certain trees,
tiny little pieces which dry quickly and burn easily. Different
kinds of wood flavour the smoke differently, and it is fascinating
to experiment and learn for yourself how the scents and flavours of
different woods affect your mood and visions.
We may then also consider to add some herbs
to burn - sage, rosemary, bay leaves, lavender, pine needles, leaves
from a eucalyptus tree - the choice is really completely endless. I
would suggest to start with what you can find naturally in your
environment, be this out of doors, in your garden, or your local
grocery, which often sells different kinds of herbs.
If you are a more experienced magician, you
can begin to match the wood you burn and the herbs you add for the
smoke effect to the purpose of the spell, but actually, for that
true primal feel it isn't necessary at all.
Fire Spell Step 1:
Simply light the fire, look into the flames
and think about what you want to say to the Gods, or what you would
ask of them. Think about it deeply and let the flames hypnotise you.
Fire Spell Step 2:
With a small fire in a bowl, the flames
will burn out soon enough, and then you have glowing embers. It is
at that point you add the herbs, and it is then that the smoke will
begin to rise powerfully, and that's when you state your intent or
say your prayer.
You could say, for example:
Hear me, wise ones, old
ones, those who dwell above;
Hear my call and hear my
voice, hear my prayer:
Send to me the blessings
of joy, of happiness, and of love.
I prefer if you would let words simply come
to you as you were looking into the flames and thinking about what
it was that you wanted. When things come from the heart, and in the
moment, that's the most powerful state for magic there is.
Fire Spell Step 3:
Basically, that's all you have to do.
If you wanted to, you could add an offering
to the powers that be as a sign of respect and gratitude, such as
burning some special herbs such as tobacco; some people like to burn
a bank note but I'm really not in favour of that, personally; some
people add a gift of a few drops of rose oil, frankincense or even
liquor for the offering.
This is an optional step because the gift
you gave was to light the fire in the first place and make contact
with the powers that be; they appreciate your sincere attention more
than anything, and a meaningful, "Thank you for listening" at the
end or words to that effect is quite enough to seal the spell.
More Fire Spell Ideas
The variations on the basic fire spell set
up are pretty limitless, as are so many things in magic.
One variation I have found useful and which
I actually use often is to write short messages on small pieces of
paper and burn them during the smoke stage of the fire spell. These
messages can be actual messages to loved ones far away, loved ones
in the spirit world, notes of gratitude for blessings received,
wishes for the World, or requests for items or qualities that you
might miss in your life.
Fire purifies as well as transmutes; so you
can also use the fire stage to for example burn photographs of
people who you want out of your life, or write their names on a
piece of paper and burn that instead. Likewise, you can write down
things you don't need or want and let that be burned up in the
flames.
* Remember: It isn't the words on the
paper, or the pictures themselves, that make the spell happen, but
it is YOUR INTENT in regards to this object or person that powers
the fire spell.
In conclusion I would say that fire spells
are amongst my favourite kinds of magical activities. It really gets
you close up and personal to the magical inheritance of mankind
across all the ages, all the cultures, everywhere in the world and
is an extremely powerful way to communicate with the spirit world,
and the worlds and dimensions above and below.
SFX July 2007 |
