A little more about me...
In 2014, I decided to set myself the challenge of learning the bow drill as a traditional method of lighting fires, and in 2016 I started to spend more and more of my spare time experimenting and practicing.. As the year passed, I naturally started to explore more of why I was learning the methods, and I felt a sense of connection with that something bigger than us (call it Spirit if you wish) and a deeper connection with fire and nature as a whole. It became apparent that it was more than just learning a practical method. Sparks of possibilities started to emerge.... ideas started zipping around my head of where I could take it and in the Autumn of 2016, Sacred Hearth Friction Fire started to evolve (and still is evolving!)
Why "Sacred Hearth Friction Fire" ? The hearth board is fundamental to friction fire and in certain cultures the hearth is seen to be sacred. For example,In ancient Rome, the hearth of the eternal flame in Vesta is very sacred (and it is thought that in the event the flame went out it would be relit through friction fire.). In some cultures\religions such as in Hinduism, the union of the spindle\drill with the hearth board to bear an ember is synonymous with the divine union of Male and Female to procreate new life. I will explore more of that in blog posts. For me, it is also about practicing and teaching friction fire in an authentic way with awareness.
Why "Sacred Hearth Friction Fire" ? The hearth board is fundamental to friction fire and in certain cultures the hearth is seen to be sacred. For example,In ancient Rome, the hearth of the eternal flame in Vesta is very sacred (and it is thought that in the event the flame went out it would be relit through friction fire.). In some cultures\religions such as in Hinduism, the union of the spindle\drill with the hearth board to bear an ember is synonymous with the divine union of Male and Female to procreate new life. I will explore more of that in blog posts. For me, it is also about practicing and teaching friction fire in an authentic way with awareness.
Sacred Hearth and my passion for friction fire has also evolved from my involvement and participation over 20 years in ritual and ceremonial workshops and amongst other things remembering the old ways, being authentic, living with awareness and sacred community. Which I believe is important especially in today's society where we take most things for granted. A lot of ritual and ceremony, commonly involve the 4 elements: earth, air, fire, water. This work sparked my interest to learn how to light fires using a traditional technique, one which may have been used by our ancestors in ceremony. I was a little annoyed with myself that I took fire for granted and could only light a fire using modern techniques, and felt it important to be able to light fires using an "old" way especially in a sacred way (friction fire seen to be sacred by many cultures.)
I decided to teach myself an "old way" of making fire. My wife kindly sent me on a basic bush craft course for one of my birthdays, where I learnt about fire making which included a demonstration of the bow drill. I was aware of the bow drill and it was one method I wanted to learn. The instructor made it look so easy (but I also knew it wasn't!), and so I thought - "that's it!", that's what I will learn!"
With a little knowledge I then embarked on teaching myself the bow drill. One thing I soon realised is that we have lost the knowledge and skills and without it , it takes time to learn these skills. It took me a few months, largely due to limited time and gathering the materials and I also wanted to teach myself rather than going on a course, and I got there and that was the start of this journey......
I had mainly been focussing on the bow drill, and then I started to learn the hand drill during the Summer of 2016, which I now find to be quite a profound experience, and this is when I had a sort of Erueka moment and understood where I wanted to take it, which I now hope to evolve and explore.
If you have the knowledge, the right materials, and time then I believe that the methods can be learnt fairly easily, but it is also a learning process as there are many variations and the key is sourcing the right materials. I also think learning to make the bow drill (or hand drill) is a big part of learning to use it. It depends on how far you want to go with it and why you want to learn these methods. Do remember that it took our ancestors thousands of years to develop fire lighting methods. And for me, it is more than just a practical skill but a practice in itself. It's also important for me to pass on the knowledge and skills to others as this is what is lacking on society today.
If you have the knowledge, the right materials, and time then I believe that the methods can be learnt fairly easily, but it is also a learning process as there are many variations and the key is sourcing the right materials. I also think learning to make the bow drill (or hand drill) is a big part of learning to use it. It depends on how far you want to go with it and why you want to learn these methods. Do remember that it took our ancestors thousands of years to develop fire lighting methods. And for me, it is more than just a practical skill but a practice in itself. It's also important for me to pass on the knowledge and skills to others as this is what is lacking on society today.
I also noticed how my passion for friction fire rubbed off onto my daughters. Here is a photograph of y daughter aged 4 in Spring 2016. Off her own back, she asked me for my fire sticks so she could pretend to make a campfire. Children soak stuff up and can learn alot passively just by being around people so I think it's key to involve children too and hopefully some f it will rub off and they will develop their own interest rather than being forced into it!
For me.... Friction Fire is a journey ... and something I am passionate about and want to share with others.....
Ian
Ian