Note from the May 27-28 All Night Fire Circle
The Central Oregon Fire Circle Community had an all-night fire circle on May 27-28 (Memorial Day weekend). We focused our circle on the topic of ‘ancestors’, and had a lovely dialogue about our physical, animal and plant ancestral lineages. Daniel did a fire-as-prayer 'fire poi' (fire dance). We broke up the circle late, with our hearts warmed. Almost all who attended the circle bedded down around the fire in my semi-urban backyard, looking up at the firelight playing with the white skin of the Grandmother Weeping Birch. We took turns keeping the fire going and watching over the sleeping community throughout the rest of the night. Then, as morning came on strong, some of us early risers prepared the communal breakfast and regaled the later risers with a chant and a spontaneous ‘roses are red, violets are blue, breakfast is ready, just for you’ song. This fire was attended by 3 very young members of our community, aged 4, 6, and 8. All 3 participated in the offerings and told great jokes and stories. They bedded down a bit earlier than the rest of us, but I’m convinced that they, as well as the 3 teenagers who attended, have an imprint of a lovely communal time of fun, great good humor, sleeping out under the stars with others who love them, having the fire warm their hearts, and delicious food in the morning! So, the essence was: we not only talked about ancestry, we participated in making multi-generational community come to life. It was a great experiment, and we’ll do it again—maybe make it an annual event! For more information about the worldwide Sacred Fire Community or the Northwest USA Fire Circle Community.
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About Beth Patterson
The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.
One of my favorite hats, among several is: initiated firekeeper in the Sacred Fire Community. Hosting a monthly community fire circle, I'm being taught that the simple act of sitting around a fire with the intent of holding open-hearted space makes for some soulful community!
With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 20 years in end of life care and I currently work in the field of child abuse intervention and advocacy.
Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.
I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.
Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.
Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.