Fire Tribe Gathering

Winter Solstice 2002 Fire Tribe Gathering

By Abbi "Spinner" McBride

At this moment, I am sitting in Evelyne's office. It's an incredibly beauty-full and magic-all place to be writing in. There are altars everywhere, small sea shells carefully places to bring the eye joy... multicolored feathers in yellow, glass, sun-shaped vases... stones and crystals, candles... a serene and sacred space.

We've arrived here after coming down the mountain from the Fire Tribe Winter Gathering. Together, we were bringing in the sun, after dancing, drumming and making magic with our friends during the longest night. This was my first gathering with these kindred of the family of fire. I believe that it won't be my last. I saw things I've *never* seen before at a firecircle... and considering that I've been at these firecircles for a good fifteen years, now, that's pretty impressive. Thought what's really true is that every fire circle is different, and I *always* see things I've never seen before, and hear things I've never heard before, and that's part of the way I know my brain is growing.

For instance, I saw a man, I would guess fifty-something, long beard--twirling two digeridoos, while dancing and keeping a hula hoop going around his waist... I saw a whole group of women wearing full samba regalia come shakin' and shimmyin' into the circle, with fringes flyin' and feathers in their head-dresses... I saw an older Jewish man davening "shacharit" (morning service) at dawn... so I went to him and asked him to say the "shehecheyanu" (prayer of joy and gratitude) with me..... I heard Hawaiian songs chanted by the whole group.... Oh yeah, and there was the sacrifice.

I saw a beautiful man suspend himself from hooks in his back, and hang there, waiting to see the sun rise, being with his carnal alchemy, transmuting pain into pleasure.... One of the images planted in my brain is of seeing him, on this giant bamboo tripod, hanging and swinging, while holding this giant sun-shaped mirror, which was reflecting light into the circle, just before we could see the actual ball of fire in the sky....

I checked in with some of the people there, asking them if they felt they had learned anything in their time at the gathering. They all said yes, that they were learning, both about themselves and the process of the all night fire.

I saw children engaged in the fire circle in a whole new way here. Ten year old boys who could handle playing the big dundun. Little girls starting chants.... Witnessing the children in our community is a great joy. Getting to dance, at sunrise, with twin girls dressed in pink is a moment I will not soon forget.