Purification fire ritual: how to do it, step by step

I like fire. It is so powerful and has so much force. A purification fire ritual is one of the simplest and oldest forms of cleansing: you put into the fire what you want to let go, and the fire transforms it. I did not learn this from anyone at a shamanism course. It simply felt familiar from the moment I entered the spiritual path: I know how to build the fire, which plants to use, when, and how. And it really cleanses.

I grew up in the countryside, and when I was little I made the fire every day — that was my job, because we boiled food for the animals. I have made many fires in my life. Only much later, on the spiritual path, did I realize that fire had been the best friend in my life. God, how I cried that day.

On holiday, I had some wood left from a fire the evening before and went into the yard to show you, in a livestream, how to make a cleansing fire. Below is the whole ritual, step by step, as I did it then — but first, safety.

Before anything else: fire safety rules

Fire is power, and precisely for that reason we respect it. A very strong wind picked up during the livestream, and I was genuinely afraid of burning myself. So before you light anything:

• Only in an open area specifically prepared for it — a fire pit, a garden barbecue, or a fire area bounded by stones. Never inside a house, on a balcony, or in an apartment. That is also the disadvantage of living in a city: you cannot make a fire on the balcony, and it is good that you cannot.
• Respect local rules. Check whether outdoor fires are allowed where you are and whether a ban is in effect (drought, fire alert).
• Away from dry vegetation, fences, buildings, cars, and anything that can catch fire.
• Do not make a fire in strong wind. I did it, and it was not a good idea: the flame spreads and sparks fly.
• Water within reach — a bucket, hose, or fire extinguisher — before lighting it.
• Never unattended. Do not leave the fire until it is completely out, and extinguish the embers with water.
• Do not use gasoline, kerosene, or other accelerants. I admit it: in the livestream, with wet wood and wind, I poured a little to light it. Do not do what I did — it is dangerous. Light it with dry kindling and be patient.
• Do not burn toxic materials: plastic, packaging, glossy paper, painted or treated wood. Put only natural things into the fire.
• Be careful with salt and candles — I explain why below.
• Keep children and animals at a distance.

If you have nowhere to make a fire safely, do not force it. You can work with a single candle on a stable surface, away from flammable materials, and it is still a ritual.

What you need for a purification fire

When you make the fire, it comes through intuition. There is no fixed list. But here is what I used:

• Dry wood and kindling. I also added twigs of grapevine — their vibration works very well for me.
• Salt. Every purification fire must include salt.
• Dried plants: a bundle of sage, leaves, and herbal sticks. The smell of burning sage is extraordinary.
• Oud sticks. They pleasantly surprised me. I consider oud and spikenard very spiritual. If you want the same notes at home after the ritual, you can find oud oil and sage oil.
• Tobacco (dried, natural leaves) — I burned it first, for cleansing.
• Candles. I used four: two silver and two gold, for the home and stability.
• A small bell, with which you begin.
• Something to give: a liquid for the earth and ancestors (normally a red liquid; I poured milk) and a little food.

If you work with shamanic fire and want something designed specifically for it, I created the black wax spheres for shamanic fire.

I want the ritual PDF + wax spheres for shamanic fire →

What you burn and do not burn in a ritual fire

Yes: natural wood, salt, dried plants (sage, tobacco, grapevine), herbal sticks, candles (in moderation), and a little food as an offering.

No: nothing plastic, nothing packaged, nothing unnatural. A purification fire is not a garbage bin.

And something else important: I put only plants and food in rituals. I do not make sacrifices of any kind. Fire is enough. Nothing more is needed.

How to do a fire ritual, step by step

1. Begin with the bell and the gift for the earth

The first thing is the bell. Then pour something for the ancestors, Mother Earth, and whoever needs to help you. This was an old custom where we lived: you poured just a drop. I poured the whole bottle.

2. Light the fire — and do not be discouraged

I admit it: this was one of the hardest fires to light in my life. The wood had been wet and the wind picked up. I felt there were also obstacles: I had just spoken publicly about cleansing with fire. But with more or less difficulty, the fire eventually catches. I also held my hands above it, with energy (at a safe distance!).

There is something else: when something is missing from a fire or ritual, you feel it. Something does not work. At that moment, I felt drawn to bring the candles.

3. Add the salt

When you add salt, you hear it crack. It is a sign it is working. But be careful: salt crackles and jumps out hot, so add it from a distance with your arm extended, and do not lean over the fire. Add more salt along the way.

4. Burn the tobacco first, to cleanse the home

The first thing I burn is tobacco. And I say:

1. ‘I burn all dark and low-vibration energies placed upon this house.’
2. Then, in my consciousness, I create a vortex beginning in the fire and cleansing the whole place.

Usually, when you are by the fire, you feel it leaving your body. I feel it leaving me and going into the fire. Let it go.

5. Add the sage and plants

Put the sage and remaining plants in one at a time, with the intention of cleansing all harmful energies. Do not throw everything in at once. Work slowly and feel the fire.

6. Place the candles — in moderation

Candles in the fire are beautiful, but anticipate that they melt: the wax runs, and at some point only wax is burning and the fire becomes much too large. Do not add too many, and regulate how many you use. I chose them for the home and stability: two silver, two gold. If you want to choose colors according to your intention, look in the candle collection.

Release practices at the fire: what you say

Fire is the perfect place for release practices. Here is what I said in the livestream:

For the ancestors and lineage

You can invite your ancestors to the fire, to eat with you too. I remember that in our countryside, when someone died, a lot of food was made — and the best cabbage rolls and dumplings were those at the memorial meal, because the spirits ate too, I used to say. So I put a little food into the fire and say:

1. ‘I acknowledge all unborn children in the lineage.’
2. ‘I feed all those who were hungry, in all lives, from all lineages. The hunger pattern has ended.’
3. ‘I feed all those who died of hunger.’

I wrote at length about what this ancestral inheritance means in the article on ancestral karma and how to release it.

For abundance and against lack

1. ‘I cancel all ancestral karma of poverty and purify it in this fire with golden light.’
2. ‘Our divine right is abundance.’
3. ‘I am abundant, as is my entire lineage, and I send light to the whole lineage to warm it.’
4. ‘Dear ancestors who were abundant, I too am abundant like you, and this is my right.’
5. ‘The lack pattern is an illusion. I burn all patterns of lack.’

And something I said then and remember: to receive, you must give — to others, but also to spirits. Do not be stingy. Being prudent is one thing; being stingy is another. The stinginess pattern is part of the ‘I am not abundant’ pattern: when you are pointlessly stingy, you tell the Universe vibrationally that you do not deserve abundance.

I want the Famine and Lack release practices (PDF) →

Sending the warmth of the fire onwards

Towards the end, send the fire’s warmth onwards:

1. ‘I send the warmth of this fire into all hearts that need warmth, that feel lonely, that carry much trauma and need warmth.’
2. ‘Yes to God. Yes to life. Yes to love.’ — as often as you feel.

Activate your root chakra too

During the fire, I put a little Mix Protecție on my toes and sent the energy into the root chakra. My whole energy body started up like a helicopter. At the fire, I preferred the protection blend over musk here. Essential oils are concentrated: do not apply them to damaged skin, and follow the product instructions.

The full-moon exercise: give the fire what no longer serves you

In another livestream, the one about the solar plexus chakra, I described an exercise you can do at any large fire:

1. Stay beside the fire at a safe distance and look at the flame.
2. Connect with the fire. You can speak to it as you speak to the elements.
3. Ask it to draw out of you, through the navel, everything that no longer serves you — energies that are no longer needed.
4. Feel it leaving like a thread of dark energies and feel your strength returning.

I recommend it especially at the full moon. I have observed in practice that the full moon is beneficial: make a fire, connect with it, and give it your old energies that no longer serve you, for the best purpose.

Those with a lot of the fire element within them feel this very strongly. Fire warms — and to those who are always cold, I say: look at fire more often and connect with it. And if you want to work on your solar plexus, the fire chakra, the simplest way is with fire, a candle, or the sun. I wrote about this in the article on the solar plexus chakra.

Meditation at the fire and charging objects

Not everything has to be a release practice. Simply meditate at the fire. Looking at a candle or fire is meditation.

You can also charge things with fire. I have a vajra, that object from the Buddhist tradition, and one evening I passed it through the fire’s energy to charge it. If you do this, choose only objects that withstand heat, and do not leave them in the flame.

And know that when you do a ritual like this and are open enough to feel the energies, joy rises. That fire of mine was so cheerful! It is not something heavy and dark. It can be both a purification fire and a fire of joy.

When should you make the purification fire: by day or in the evening?

You can do it both by day and in the evening. It does not have to be in the evening; there are different energies then, but a fire in daylight is just as good. July and August are fire months — but in summer, be doubly careful about drought and bans. For releasing old energies, the full moon is my favorite time.

What to do after the ritual

I stay with the fire to the end and extinguish it completely. The next day, I gather what remains — ash and debris — carefully, purify it with intention, and take it to the garbage bin. This purifies the whole space. Throw the ash away only when it is completely cold.

If you want to continue cleansing indoors with salt, sound, and candles, the steps are in the article on energy cleansing the home, and for yourself as a person, in the article on energy cleansing the person.

I want the complete ancestral karma release practices (PDF) →

Make the fire with me

If you want to see the whole ritual, wind and all, play the livestream below.

You can also find the same ritual in the livestream ‘Fire of Purification and Joy’.

Frequently asked questions about the fire ritual

What do you put in a purification fire?

Salt — every purification fire must include salt — dried plants (sage, tobacco, grapevine), herbal sticks such as oud, and a few candles. As an offering, a little food and a liquid poured onto the earth for the ancestors. Only natural things.

What must you not burn in a ritual fire?

Plastic, packaging, glossy paper, painted or treated wood, and any toxic material. Do not use gasoline or kerosene to light it. I do not make sacrifices of any kind: in rituals I use only plants and food.

Can a fire ritual be done during the day?

Yes. You can do it by day or in the evening. There are different energies in the evening, but a fire in daylight is just as powerful. For releasing old energies, I prefer the full moon.

Why is salt added to the fire?

Because salt purifies, and it must not be missing from a cleansing fire. You hear it crack. Be careful: salt crackles and jumps out hot, so add it from a distance.

Can I do a fire ritual in an apartment?

No. A purification fire is made only outdoors in a prepared area, away from dry vegetation, with water within reach, and in accordance with local rules. In an apartment, work with a candle on a stable surface and do not leave it unattended.

What do you do with the ash after the ritual?

Let it cool completely, gather it carefully, purify it with intention, and throw it in the garbage bin. That cleanses the whole space.

Fire is power and joy. Respect it, ask it with an open heart to take what no longer serves you, and let it warm you. Sending you a kiss, and I look forward to seeing you at the next livestream.