FIRE WALK
On May, 16, 1998, Grandmother Pa' Ris' Ha, a Cherokee Elder, led a group of approximately twenty people on a Fire Walk. I hope that sharing my experiences on the Fire might assist you in your path.
Grandmother, of course, has walked the Fire and led fire walks countless times, and many of her people who travel with her have walked the Fire numerous times. I, on the other hand, was challenged with my first Fire Walk.
The fire-building ceremony was beautiful and transforming by itself, as are all of the ceremonies led by Grandmother. However, Grandmother also intended that we all participate in the building so that we could see for ourselves that we used real oak logs, real kindling and a real match to start the Sacred Fire. It was very important that we all realized there were no "tricks" involved in this Fire Walk. Oak logs were used because they make red-hot coals that are hard enough to walk on without crushing into ash.
During the two to three hours that were required to allow the tower of logs to sufficiently burn to form a pile of red-hot coals, Grandmother prepared us mentally and spiritually for the walk with great love and patience. We talked about some of the many reasons why walking on the Fire was an important step in realizing that not only are we a part of Mother Earth but we actually have a cooperative relationship with our Mother when we experience sincere love and respect for Her. It was very clear that walking the Fire had nothing to do with being macho. In fact, feeling macho about this would prove to be dangerous! Grandmother also emphasized that those who felt in their heart "this is my Fire" would choose to walk on the fire and those who felt "this is not my Fire today" would choose not to walk. There was absolutely no pressure to do what we were not ready to do. In fact, it was guaranteed that those who chose not to walk the Fire would also be transformed by witnessing the "miracle."
After the tower of logs burned to a pile of coals, we formed a bed of coals about two-feet wide and eight-feet long. The heat was so intense that spreading the coals was very difficult.
After the bed of coals was ready, we danced and sang while moving in a circle around the coals as drums sounded. Within a minute or two, one by one Grandmother's people began walking the Fire. Loud animal calls and hoots were given as each crossed the fire. The air was electric. I was so excited that I could barely contain myself. I was not in some sort of trance, but instead I was more alert and aware of my senses than ever before. As I circled around and approached the entrance to the fire, I suddenly and clearly made a decision to walk the Fire. During the next two to three steps before I set my foot on the coals I was aware of my feeling unsure about what would happen and about what I was getting myself into. In spite of the fear and my feeling unsure, I knew that my intention to complete this task and my decision to do so had never been so clear and definite. My first foot fall felt like I stepped onto a hot asphalt road, but as I saw the love and appreciation for my decision in the faces of Grandmother's people who were standing at the other end of the bed of coals, each subsequent foot fall was increasingly less hot!!! By the time I reached the end of the bed I was feeling no heat!!! I experienced not even the slightest blister, even though I walked the Fire a total of three times that day, one of which was hand-in-hand with my wife, Patricia.
Each person has a unique experience on the Fire, and on a more recent fire walk I learned that each Fire provides a unique experience. A friend from Dayton, Ohio, stated that his experience on May 16 was such that he felt absolutely no heat at all until he looked down to make sure he had not somehow missed the coals. He also suffered no burns.
For me, the Fire Walk is a reminder that even doubt and fear are not powerful enough to create an obstacle to attaining a goal when I have established clear intention and made a definite decision to do so. I have learned that the Fire Walk is not an end in itself but is literally a path for remembering and re-establishing our God-given right to create a reality that benefits ourselves and the entire Human Race.
"...the works that I do you will do also; and greater works than these you will do..."--Jesus.
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought [dreamed]"--Buddha.
Daniel J. Cardona
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