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An Urban Hippy’s Toolkit: Fire

My trip to Peru this past summer was memorable for a million reasons but one of my favourite memories was of us all – a group of powerful and soulful women – gathered around nightly bonfires. We were in the Sacred Valley, surrounded by mountains, water and shooting stars that looked more like big balls of green light flying through the night sky. We even caught a full moon while we were there. I can’t even begin to tell you how magical it was to be able to find our way in the dark by the light of the moon. It was bright enough to have been able to sit outside and read a novel. It was simply stunning.

Those nights by the fire were powerful. We kept warm with the blazing heat, huddled under cozy blankets, all Alpaca-socked, mitted and scarfed-up. We were reminded of how uncomplicated life can be by being outside and appreciating nature, sans iPhone, laptop or television. It reminded me that fire is a powerful creator. I can say for sure that, had it not been for the heat we created, I would’ve been back inside (huddled by the fireplace). Summer nights in Peru are chillier than I thought they’d be!

While I reflected on how fire is a creator, I was also reminded of how it can destroy. On our final night, we tossed in slips of paper that we had written on throughout our trip of the things we wanted to let go of. We watched those things go up in flames and I must say, it felt damn good.

I learned a lot on that trip about letting go through ritual and fire. I’m not a smoker but I now have about half a dozen lighters around the house. If you’re at my home at night and there isn’t a candle burning, I’d be shocked. Incense is now a good friend of mine and never mind the amazing hint of sandalwood in my hair afterwards.

One of my favourite ways to burn away the negative energy is through smudging – or as I like to call it, saging. Smudging is an old Native American ritual that clears your energy, aura, body and surroundings of negativity through the burning of smudge sticks or herbs. In turn, this raises your energy and vibration and I positively swear by it.

I use dried sage and cut it into pieces into a small glass bowl (some people like to use large half shells for this). I light it and let the flames die down to a lingering smoke. I’ll walk around my house with it and let it waft into all the corners. I go so far as to open cabinets and closets to let the smoke in. As I walk around, I use my gut to guide me in what I’m asking for and which areas of my home need a little more attention. Generally, I do this with the intention to clear the air. I want to let go of negativity and allow the good to flow on in, right behind it. How often I sage also has to do with my intuition.

I might have a morning when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, my head swimming with worries about what needs to get done, what I didn’t accomplish the day before, etc., etc. Those are the perfect mornings to bust out the lighter, sage and some music (soca, reggae or JayZ depending on my mood) to enhance the ritual. I might sage my home before people come over or after they leave. Anyone entering my space is better off coming into a place that’s vibrating on a positive level. They may not realize it but I know that their day will be better because they soaked up some of those good vibes.

Much love XXX

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