| Offerings
to the
Sacred Fire Circle
We have planted the seed and raised
the crop.
The fires have burned and surged; our persons transformed.
Embracing
the Gift and with winter nigh;
Now is the time to bank the fire, to pull from
its glowing bed
those last bright burning Embers
and make of them a Gift
to our Tribe,
The Age Old Promise of Return.
With which to build the Fires
yet again.
A Journey through
our Past,
a Dreamtime sojourn in our Present
and the Gift of the Transformed
...to the Future of The Tribe.
Embers is composed of three
major components.
* The Musical Magic
of The Sacred Fire Circle, often made manifest by rhythm instruments,
but also composed of other music makers and the human voice, spoken and sung.
While the musical component is extremely important and may be the central focus
of other forms of Magic Fire Circle; for Embers it is but one very important part
of the whole.
* The Psycological-Emotive Process
Of Ceremony, is the woven cord that ties together the fabric of Embers.
Beginning Friday night, a series of carefully crafted group ceremonials designed
to draw us all into that Open Space of The Sacred Fire, The Land and The Circle
of Standing Stones. Our symbolic metaphors are the Four Elements of Air, Fire,
Water and Earth; our common language is the lingua franca of Wicca; our intent
is the acknowledgment an expression of the gifts we have received and their return,
through us, to the world.
* Our Offerings
are those acts of Sacred Intent that join together the Sacred Fire Circle with
the Transformation of Group Ceremony. Our personal acts of expression, art and
ritual; freely given to The Fire and Witnessed by our Tribe.
What
do you hold in your heart through the dark winter?
What
gift are you keeping for the promise of spring?
 Offerings
can take many forms.
Drumming and Music
Making from a place of active listening in support of the Sacred Fire
is a needed offering. Bearing in mind that the musicality exists not as an end
in itself, but rather to provide the warm welcome foundation of the Fire Circle;
and in support of all the other forms of personal expression and offering. In
addition to group music making, there is an honored place for the individual to
make specific and personal offerings of instrumental music to the Sacred Fire.
Song,
Speech and Poetry are honored offerings to The Sacred Fire. There are
many songs and chants that now form a corpus of Ceremonial and Fire Circle expression.
And they can be offered individually, as part of a small group; or for the participation
of everyone present. You will find a copy of the Embers songbook on the menu to
your right; offered as inspiration and a point of departure.
Dance
and Movement form a place of dynamic expression and most importantly,
form a critical part of the energetic "circuit" that interconnects the
Music Makers, the Dancers and the Sacred Fire. Often dance is seen as a continuum
with music, but an offering may just as well consist of the individual requesting
space for personal dance; or a small group, dancing with intent together.
Ritual
and Ceremony. Offered by the individual or as a small group to the Sacred
Fire and the Tribe. Let your emotions and creativity flow, embodying Spirit as
it is known to you.
 There
are certainly many ways of making offering to The Fire and to Your Tribe, these
are just a beginning point. But what is central to the process of Embers is the
concept that the individual will take responsibility for themselves within the
Ritual context.
This is not about being "entertained"
as a passive observer, for certainly that is the tradition of our "popular
culture." And we understand that taking personal responsibility and trusting
to the support of others is to step into a place of risk taking. But our
conviction is that everyone, of all levels of experience, has much to offer from
their hearts.
We hope that in preparing for
Embers you will give thought to your own personal offering to The Fire; be it
music, dance, art, song, poetry or ritual acts. That you will prepare a small
Spirit Totem as a gift to the Tribes Spirit Bundle. And that you will trust in
yourself and the Sacred Circle, ...to take the chance and make it real.
Embers
seeks to create the ritual envelope that will make this possible.
It
is intended that the Friday night Fire will provide a place for burning off the
energy of our arrival, and the Friday evening ceremonial will clear the way for
our future work in a traditional manner; by Honoring and seeking guidance from
our Ancestors.
Saturday during daylight hours
is our Dreamtime within the Present. And a most auspicious time to summon
from our memories the message and intent of our future offering to the Sacred
Fire Circle. Through the daylight hours we will hold the Sacred Space of The Fire
Circle, sonically and spiritually; and use that space to conceive and plan for
our offerings for the Saturday Night Fire.
Importantly,
we will create the physical manifestation of our offering. A small, symbolic,
totemic representation of our gift to The Fire. Small enough to be held in the
palm of ones hand, so that it can be placed inside the Spirit Bundle of the Tribe.
There to wait until the bundle is released as our Gift, late Saturday night.
Saturday
night is one of focus and intent; the night of our offering.
In
our music, attentive listening; in our witnessing, supportive; in our actions,
purposeful; in our vision, observant; in our hearts, engaged; in our gift giving,
without condition.
It is the night when the Music
Makers, the Dancers, the Singers and The Fire all work in synergy to support the
ritual gift giving of us all. As we accept the risk and take the chance ...to
step into the Center of The Circle with our offering. And it is in this moment,
this crux, that we can step into ourselves, and beyond ourselves.
 To
the degree possible, this nights' Fire and its' offerings are without formal structure,
without formal facilitation. But there are keepers of the Fire Circle Space and
they are "The Keepers of The Staff of The Dog Soldiers",
a totem that has been present at every Stones Rising since 1997; and represents
the steadfast loyalty and self giving of those who Watch over the Circle in Silence.
It is to the "Staff of The Dog Soldiers"
that the Spirit Bundle totems are presented, as a sign that the giver is ready
to seek the space and support necessary to make their Offering to the Sacred Fire.
And it is "The Keeper of The Dog Staff" that places the Totem into the
Tribes Spirit Bundle, as a sign to all that a new offering is immanent, and as
a request that the ceremonial space be made open for the new offering.
And
thus through the night, in cycles of music, dance and offering; giving and receiving.
Until, in the wee hours, with all of our offering having been made; we process
our gifts as now incorporated in the Spirit Bundle out into the Land...and there
make of them a lasting gift to our future, our Tribe and The World.
Personal
responsibility can be a burden,
it is so much easier to watch and be entertained.
But
for a moment, perhaps we can put the fear aside and
trust, hand in hand, and
there stand together
in The Center of The Circle.
 Saturday-
Dusk
"Offerings to The Sacred Fire"
Energy moves back to the Fire Circle and we begin with
The "Invocation" sung in long duration. Moving to a more structured approach to
music making, the Fire Circle guided by the silent "Keepers of The Staff" in Mask,
Fire Circle becomes a source of Sacred Music.
As we
develop the center of the energetic envelope, individuals and groups present their
Physical Totems to the Spirit Bundle, and then make their creative/ art/ expressive/
ceremonial offering to the Fire Circle. As each offering is made, it is received,
witnessed and acclaimed; and the symbolic Physical Totemn of the giver is incorporated
within the Spirit Bundle of the Tribe.
 "A
Gift to The River"
Ritualists and Witnesses, offerings to the Sacred
Fire and The Tribe; proceed through the night joined with periods of focused music.
In the wee hours, after all offerings have been made and the Spirit Bundle completed,
we enter into our Journey to the Future, a night-time sojourn on The Land. Making
our Gift to the Future, we return to the Fire Circle to finish the night in spontaneity
and music.
* Embers assumes some prior experience in one
of the many flavors of Magic Fire Circle; or a dedication to ritual and ceremonial
workings. You should be prepared to take responsibility for creating and offering
your own contributions to Fire Circle and your Tribe. And to be open and listening;
making space for the sonic and spiritual contributions of others. If you have
questions, please do call Four Quarters.
* Embers
does not use the "Facilitator " or "workshop" model common
to most other Sacred Fire Circle events. However, many of the planners and facilitators
of "Fires Rising" will be in attendance for Embers, including Abbi "Spinner"
McBride. Others participation will be posted as their travel arrangements are
confirmed.
* Embers is the fourth
major Four Quarters event that is being completely planned and developed by our
Members Planning Groups. As a Member, Please join us in this process on The
Embers Members Planning Section of the Four Quarters Forum.
If
not a member, you can still participate through The
Embers Public Forum.
Come,
don't be a stranger.
Join us as we stand together
In
the Center of The Circle!
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