Date: Friday May 24th
Time: 7:oo-8:30 PM
Tickets: $25.
Agni Hotra is an ancient fire ritual performed to purify the environment, reduce pollution and increase an atmosphere of healing. First found in the Vēdic scriptures, practice of the Fire Ceremony blesses Mother Earth as well as the practitioners. We will be chanting the Maha Mrytunjaya Mantra, a mantra to aid in healing on all levels. This simple yet powerful tool is used around the world with amazing results to help transform lives and heal the planet.
Please dress in layers, as the Fire Ceremony will be held outdoors.
I have been practicing Agni Hotra for about 25 years. At first it was as a participant, adding literal fuel to the literal fire, chanting the appropriate mantras and helping to support the group intention and energy in whatever way I could. I remember the first time I was in India and encountering a group of people who did an agni hotra every day, regardless of where they were. It was a group of about 20 people, of all ethnicities and ages. They were part of a larger organization that vowed to have at least someone lighting this healing fire at all hours of the day, across the entire globe. They kindly invited us to join and it was a spectacular experience. Another trip to India I was honored to be invited to lead an Agni Hotra on a farm where they had been performing Agni Hotras just about every day. They claim their lush fields, healthy livestock and abundant harvest, compared to their neighbors, was a result of this practice. Last year in India I was happily surprised to find that the managers of the retreat center we were in were devoted practitioners of Agni Hotra. The two “fire brothers” as we called them were sent to an ashram at the early age of 10ish to study with a Guru whose main practice was this Vedic Agni Hotra. Their father had stumbled upon the practice when he was in the military in India and it had such a profound effect on him, transforming him from an angry violent person, to a serene and spiritual person, that he sought out this Guru and entrusted his two young sons to the Ashram’s care. We were happy to be able to participate in the twice daily ritual with people who had really studied and devoted their lives to this ritual. I was thrilled to once again stumble upon dedicated practitioners and experience a fire lit by them in the same way as it has been done for more than 5000 years.
I have, weather permitting, been doing Agni Hotra in my small yard in the middle of Frenchtown for some time. I can definitely tell the difference in my yard when I am doing it- the birds come more often and the plants grow steadily. I can tell the difference in myself as well. One of the things I love about this beautiful practice as it allows you to participate on a grand scale- sending healing energy as far as you can conceive of (and beyond), a more personal scale (healing for friends and family) and then also the effects are clearly felt ones own body. Energy channels are cleared, the mind is cleared, your vibration is raised, and if all that wasn’t enough, it smells good.
I hope you can come join us for the fire ceremony. Every voice added helps us to bring just a bit more peace and healing into this world which really needs it. We can join in the energy of the others who care deeply about our earth and those who inhabit it, and add our voices, intentions and fires.
