Sacred Fire

Haiku My Heart

March 25, 2011

Haiku My Heart Fridays was started by my friend Rebecca at recuera mi corazon blog. I see where most that participate don’t designate the Friday part any longer. I won’t either. To see more and participate, check out recuerda mi corazon. By the way, translated from the original Hispanic tongue, it means simply to remember my heart.

I love this sentiment. We use our hearts to remember all of life as all that happens becomes part of us. Remember strongly all people with your own heart. Today, I remember.

Gold tips licking air

Soothing embers peaceful thoughts 

Gazing feeling warmth

So many times, in periods of struggle or grief, a fire is lit, and held burning, never allowing the flame to expire. Day and night. The keeper of the fire will tend the embers and sacrifice slumber, and others will help, but it is kept burning to provide light, hope, warmth and remembrance.

I’ve seen this many times. A fire for four days when an Elder passes. A fire for the time of fasting while preparing for ceremony. A fire for the community in times of strife or tragedy. That last one. That’s what is needed now. For those that lost loved ones in Japan. For those that are searching for water and food. For those that cry out for help. For any soul needing light, warmth, comfort, peace or understanding.

The fire will be a sign of someone caring. A beacon of hope and prayer. For the well being, the health and happiness, of the people, all people.

It is said that the wood is an embodiment of the spirit of mankind, as all wood grows in soil, and all the bones, hair, blood and skin of all that walked the earth or is natural of the earth, makes the soil. The spirit of people are in each tree and branch. By burning them, we release these spirits to help us with our thoughts and walk beside us as we live through the hours and days.

A candle might do the job. I believe this to be symbolic as an offering if the protective spirits of the trees. The flame is the focus. My mother used to light candles at the church where she prayed. She’d hear of someone who might have a family member with a sickness and she would light a candle and give it prayers and ask God, as she understood him, to use the prayers for that person or that person’s family.

The Native Elders taught me to offer tobacco to the trees when they appear in any form. That would be the forest, or a fire. When we eat, a spirit plate is offered to the fire, or to the base of a tree when no fire is evident. A small portion of every item brought for consumption, along with a pinch of tobacco, is placed in a bowl or plate and given to the spirits, feeding them, and thanking them for the sustenance.

So be it. Some fire burns somewhere. Here, there is a candle, and more candles will be brought and lit. One will burn for all of mankind, and especially for those affected by the earthquake, tsunami and the man-made disaster aftermath from the nuclear power plants. For the health and happiness of the people, all people. For those blessed and those that feel unblessed or can’t find their blessings, can’t see them through the pain and suffering.

More bombs are dropping, war never ceases as we send help to one land we decimate another, all blamed on the acts of nature and man. I ask for peace to all with the light from the fire. All who might accept it will have peace somewhere in their lives. Maybe it’s right here, right now, peace may exist where they dwell, where their mind might dwell. I pray for this peace with the fire for all of mankind.

Mitake Oyasin