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My Instagram account (@sacredhearthfrictionfire) has pretty much replaced my use of blog posts now - see below for Instagram feed. And feel free to scroll through all my past blogposts covering sacredness of fire; folklore; ritual and my journey of learning friction fire techniques.
Something a little different - this film demonstrates the fire plough from around 6minutes in. Lets just say there was some artistic license at play! It's a classic.
 Indo-European Fire Rituals: Cattle and Cultivation, Cremation and Cosmogony By Anders Kaliff, Terje Oestigaard (2022)
A book I have just come across - my research into sacredness of fire/fire rituals is very potted and sporadic mainly due to my ADHD - I’m not the type to be able to spend hours at a time reading & researching also I’m not an academic ; have limited time and limited access to research materials so rely on web searches mainly! Maybe one day I shall be able to spend more time researching… don’t think I’ll ever write my own book tho… tho that could be what retirement is for 😀 I do use my website as a kinda scrapbook of stuff I find Anyways this is a recent published book from 2022 - Indo-European Fire Rituals: Cattle and Cultivation, Cremation and Cosmogony Book by Anders Kaliff and Terje Oestigaard “Indo-European Fire Rituals is a comparative study of Indo-European fire rituals from modern folklore and ethnography in Scandinavia and archaeological material in Europe from the Bronze Age onwards to the Vedic origins of cosmos in India and today’s cremations on open pyres in Hinduism. A free downloadable open access version is available from TaylorFrancis.com: Indo-European Fire Rituals | Cattle and Cultivation, Cremation and Cos It does seem to reference other sources I’ve read (e.g James Frazer) but will be interesting to read at some point.
Anyways that led me to the British Newspaper Archive (following thier cited references) which I then found article after article in newspapers across the UK (mostly in the early to mid 19th c) reporting accounts of Neid Fires ! I only got 2 free articles and need to pay for access but this is what I’ve been looking for ! Evidence that this practice was widespread and not just isolated incidents! I had to stop as other things to do but came across at least 49 articles from across the UK - some looked like same article and there may be some red herrings but this just proves the Neid Fires was a thing! one day I will pay for access and spend time going through and documenting. The main reason for the Neid Fires in the 19th c was the belief that the smoke from the new pure fires started through the friction of wood would cure cattle from the murrain. Oh this is a fantastical find 😀 Here are some .....
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ Westmorland Gazette Saturday 19 July 1834 – 1 Saturday 20 February 1841 – letter to the editor Saturday 27 February 1841 – letter to the editor Saturday 21 November 1840 – 2 Saturday 13 March 1841 Saturday 14 November 1846 – letter to editor Saturday 17 March 1866 Saturday 05 May 1877 Kendal Mercury Saturday 14 November 1840 Saturday 28 November 1840 Saturday 05 December 1840 Saturday 13 February 1841 Saturday 27 February 1841 Saturday 20 February 1841 Saturday 04 November 1843 Saturday 24 November 1855 Saturday 31 May 1856 Saturday 04 March 1865 Saturday 25 December 1869 Saturday 07 July 1877 Tuesday 08 September 1812 – Limerick Gazette Wednesday 06 May 1812 - Belfast Commercial Chronicle Monday 27 November 1815 - Leeds Intelligencer Saturday 16 February 1822 - Sheffield Independent Tuesday 26 October 1824 Manchester Mercury Thursday 24 June 1830 - Dublin Evening Post Saturday 13 August 1831 - Staffordshire Advertiser Friday 25 May 1832 - Stockport Advertiser and Guardian Saturday 26 July 1834 - Carlisle Patriot Saturday 28 November 1840 - Berwick Advertiser – Northumberland Thursday 03 December 1840 - Bradford Observer Saturday 05 December 1840 - Carlisle Journal Saturday 02 January 1841 -Saturday 02 January 1841 Wednesday 25 March 1846 - Derry Journal Saturday 14 November 1846 – Hereford Times Wednesday 10 January 1849 - Morning Advertiser - London Saturday 10 March 1866 - East Somerset Telegraph and General Advertiser Saturday 10 March 1866 - Brett's St. Leonards and Hastings Gazette and Visitors' Vade Mecum Sussex Surrey, Suffolk and more! SHFF still continues to smoulder and the odd spark fly into the air .... SHFF is an apprentice of the Ancestral Fire after all
A quick update on SHFF - I'm having a little step back this year but my connection to the ancestral fire and SHFF will continue far far into the future......  SHFF is continuing to evolve - my focus is now on more further encouragement of communal welcoming of fire. I can welcome fire on my own using a variety of methods. I am most passionate about welcoming fire with others.
Traditionally the welcoming of fire has been a communal activity - you only need to look at photos of indigenous peoples - you always see at least 2 or 3 people helping each other. It’s only in this modern society where we have been conditioned to go it alone / challenge one self and we feel that we are failing if we need help. Myself included. Oh the Ego! When I teach people to rub sticks I encourage people to work together e.g make and use bow drill together - which can be challenging as naturally people want to do it on thier own (I do let people do that too😀) but we don’t have to or need to do things as a solo challenge This year I shall be endeavouring to do more communal fire welcoming and less solo rubbing of sticks - I’m not finding it as rewarding as when I engage and guide others and I am finding myself feeling less inclined to go out and practice on my own. (and I’m just going with it and not forcing anything - so atm I’m not rubbing sticks as much as I used to. I feel that I don’t need to. ) I especially would like to encourage and involve people who may not be able to welcome fire on thier own. Traditionally communities worked together. I also hope to communally and ritually welcome the ancestral fire using the fire churn more if the opportunity so arises. It’s a wonderful way to welcome the ancestral fire 🔥🙏 SHFF…rekindling our connection to the sacred - fire, ourselves, our ancestors, the land, our world - through rubbing sticks🔥 Rekindling the Neid Fire-Sacred Practice-Workshops-Ritual Blessings on the ancestral fire 🔥 Ian 🙏 #ancestralfire #sacredfire #ritualfire #alternativebristol #firebyfriction #frictionfire #mindbodyspirit #mindbodysoul #journeywithfire #animism #heathenism #paganism #shamanism #alternativefirelighting #ukfestivals #natureconnection #ceremony #ritual #fireritual #retreats #sacredcommunity #spiritualpractice #holisticliving #ancestralskills #fireapprentice #ritualtheatre #neidfire #folklore
There is always something to learn and something to pass on.
I have been soaking up knowledge and stories ; and exploring my connection with the ancestral fire through rubbing sticks for the last 10 years. I don’t teach friction fire in a bushcraft way (there are plenty of skilled bushcraft practitioners if you are wanting to learn efficient fire methods) but in my own holistic mystic (predictive txt! But i like it!) approach weaving in folklore, stories and the sacredness of fire. Connecting with ourselves, each other, nature, the world around and our ancestors. Encouraging communal traditional ritual fire welcoming and a deeper spiritual connection. If you feel called to my approach (few do thankfully as life is quite busy 😀) and would like to learn about welcoming and connecting with the ancestral fire through rubbing sticks in-person do get in touch, something may just happen at the right time. The universe does seem to connect me with the right people at the right time 🙏 And anyone can be involved in welcoming and connecting with the ancestral fire - that is also my passion to reach out to those who may have been put off from learning to rub sticks - you don’t need to be an avid outdoorsy type ; nor of certain ability ; nor demographic ; it’s not a solo challenge. we work together ; together with nature and the elements ; to welcome and explore and learn and connect. p.s I work in small groups / 1:1 Minds on Fire: Cognitive Aspects of Early Firemaking and the Possible Inventors of Firemaking Kits22/1/2024
I have recently discovered this interesting article within te Cambridge Acheological Journl :
Minds on Fire: Cognitive Aspects of Early Firemaking and the Possible Inventors of Firemaking Kits www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-archaeological-journal/article/minds-on-fire-cognitive-aspects-of-early-firemaking-and-the-possible-inventors-of-firemaking-kits/CF76FFCF540D58B6B1DACF17C4A51C94 I have demonstrated ice bearing blocks a few times but as it's sooo cold here atm I thought I'd do another demo ! A vid inspired by a comment on one of my youtube vids - basically a recap on my approach and I don't always take myself seriously :) I’m trying to just go with the flow … I’ve not felt inclined to rub sticks or post much for a while so I’m just going with it… not forcing anything. Today (14th Jan) it just felt right to select a piece of seasoned Popular and take time to carve a new set … being aware.. not rushing … just taking my time. Tweaking the blade until I was happy with the shape then tweaking base so it sits solidly on the ground. Taking time over my position and applying enough pressure. I burnt the set in … usually I pause but today it felt right to continue and after a while an ember was coaxed (very rarely do I coax an ember on first attempt with a fresh set.) today I was really connecting and not rushing. Honouring the ancestral fire and life itself 🙏
I then took my time with the tinder bundle, letting the ember develop , not rushing not blowing too hard ; slowly and tenderly feeding the ember with breath until it burst into flame 🔥🙏 there is a misconception that friction fire is difficult that you need to exert loads of energy and go fast and tire yourself out. Take your time.. take your time to learn, take your time to not get an ember, don’t see no ember as failure but as practice and learnings, take your time to experiment, take your time to practice, there are no prizes, no awards, just your ego, let it go and go deeper to connect. 🙏 SHFF…rekindling our connection to the sacred - fire, ourselves, our ancestors, the land, our world - through rubbing sticks🔥 Rekindling the Neid Fire-Sacred Practice-Workshops-Ritual Blessings on the ancestral fire 🔥 Ian 🙏 #ancestralfire #sacredfire #ritualfire #alternativebristol #firebyfriction #frictionfire #mindbodyspirit #mindbodysoul #journeywithfire #animism #heathenism #paganism #shamanism #alternativefirelighting #ukfestivals #natureconnection #ceremony #ritual #fireritual #retreats #sacredcommunity #spiritualpractice #holisticliving #ancestralskills #fireapprentice #ritualtheatre #neidfire #folklore Sacr please do checkout this very interesting interview by my friend Rune @nordic.animism with Professor of “Fire” Stephen J Pyne. I came across Pyne’s books a few years ago and have a few of his books and was fascinated about the way he talks about fire and the history of fire and the age of fire (the pyrocene) he approaches fire from a more scholarly/scientific angle rather than my more esoteric angle - so I find some of his writing a bit heavy going and tend to flick through to pick up key bits of info BUT backs up some of my own views and research and there is no one who has documented fire like Pyne - and I’ll adopt Pyne’s phrase of being a pyroromantic And thanks to Rune for mentioning me a few times 😍 As I like to say “we are forged from fire” - without Fire we wouldn't be here! I shall most likely do a post or even YouTube ramble on the pyrocene (a term dubbed by Stephen J Pyne) at some point from my angle on it - fire has become mechanised ; industrialised and internalised and hidden from view but we are still very much dependent on it. I like Pyne’s analogy that we are cooking (everything) on fire including the planet. I respect and honour fire through my own practice and approach - and for me my own sacred approach to fire is very important - we can not continue to cook the planet - and to change that our connection to fire must change on a deeper level is what I believe - tho I know I shall never get many - any!? (I know I do have a few😀) - followers in my approach 😀 🔥🙏 (I can’t see me ever becoming a fire cult - one may dream 🤣) Fire is in our DNA. We are forged from fire🔥🙏respect it; honour it; without it we wouldn’t be here - it is tied into the very fabric of life |
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