How to make fire
Ideas, Dreams, Curiosity, Passion
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"Your father is a carpenter," the elder said, pointing to one young man, "and you wish to work with stones."
"Your mother devoted all of her time to raising eleven children," he said looking to a teenage girl, "and you wish to paint."
He looked out around the circle of his tribesman and said, "Many of you have come to me with your ideas, your desires, asking me what to do with them. Asking me how to realize your dreams."
He took a long stick with a flat end and put it into the fire.
"At first, an idea is like a fragile ember in need of protection and care," he said, pulling out a burning red ember and placing it into a nest of wrapped juniper bark.
"Leave it on the ground for the world to see, and unknowing cattle will trample over it.
"Neglect it, and it will diminish to be forgotten.
"Don't give it enough space, and it will suffocate.
"This is the time to nurture your curiosity with your attention. Explore it playfully, but don't squeeze it too tightly. Not all embers are ready to take flight.
"In time the ember may grow stronger, and the right action will become clearer," he continued, starting to blow through pursed lips.
"But be clear that fanning is an action. When the time comes, don't waffle. Don't second guess. Be deliberate," he said, blowing harder.
"Until it sets fire."
The nest burst into dancing flames.
Throwing the nest back into the fire in the center of the circle he said, "Occasionally, the winds may begin to blow, and your flame will jump to the nearest tree. Your curiosity has turned into a passionate wildfire."
"Then it has a mind of its own, and you can only get out of the way and let nature run her course.
"Then you are, in the words of Uter the sage, a vessel through which the God that has no hands might use yours to heal his world."
Photo taken on a Soul Searching Adventure in Wyoming while we worked on making fire with bow drills.