8th Annual Transformation Fire: Songs and Stories of Grief & Praise

The 100 Hour Fire is a tradition here at Rootstock.  Every autumn from Oct 28 – Nov 1, we keep a fire a burning.  We do it for the Dragon, for the hill, for the fae, for the friends.  We do it for ourselves and for each other and, after 7 years (and 700 sacred hours) it’s time to gather agin for number 8.

This is a devotional offering and co-created ceremony and it always reflects the beings that choose to come and participate. When is the last time that you kept a fire burning for 100 hours?  

When is the last time that you allowed yourself 5 days of reflection and integration on the growing season before the snow fell on it?  When was the last time that you prioritized feeding the holy in nature over your own hunger and desires?  It’s rare in this day and age and it’s one of the reasons why this fire is essential and prioritized.

This year, our time around the fire will be rooted in Stories of Grief & Praise.

For as long as humans have gathered around fires, we have told stories. Stories are how we inhabit time. They are how we reflect, learn, grow, and entertain. They help us make sense of the world we live in and carry our values, lessons, and experiences forward to those who come after us.

Over these 100 hours, we’ll make space for that ancient practice of gathering around the fire without an agenda or somewhere else to get to, simply listening to one another tell the stories that have shaped us.

When have you been deep in loss, and how has it transformed you? When have you been deep in gratitude for this magical world, and how has that transformed you? When have grief and praise woven themselves through the very same story?

We suspect most stories will hold some of both, because that’s how it works. Some will lean more heavily into the darkness and others more heavily into the light. All of it belongs around the fire.

Bring your stories. Bring your listening. Bring your grief and your praise. We’ll keep the fire burning and see what wants to be told.

The rhythm of the Fire

Each evening’s Story Fire will move through a different season of a human life: Childhood & Beginnings, Adolescence & Becoming, Adulthood & Elderhood, and Ancestors, Lineage & Spirit.

Throughout the days there will be opportunities for song, drumming, dancing, storytelling and reflection, along with plenty of time simply gathered around the fire. Some offerings will be planned and others will find their way in through the people who come.

Bring what you have to share and leave room for what you didn’t know you were bringing.

Take a look at the full schedule for the rhythm of our five days together.

Come prepared to participate.

This is not a catered retreat. Meals are shared potluck-style, and everyone is invited to contribute food, lend a hand where it’s needed, and help tend the rhythm of the Fire.

Whether you’re carrying wood, washing dishes, making coffee, tender tending, singing, storytelling, or simply noticing what needs doing, your participation is part of the ceremony.

If you’d like to help tend the gathering in a more intentional way, let us know when you register and Jessica will reach out  with some of the places where hands are needed.

More details about meals, what to bring, and ways to contribute will be shared with registered guests before we gather.

Bring warm layers. Bring something comfortable to sit on. Bring an open mind and a generous heart.

Come for a day or come for all five.

The fire is made by the people who come.

Come feed it.