Let it Go: A Burn Ritual

I love fires. I have early memories of sitting around the fire at camp roasting marshmallows. Or sharing stories with my family. Or sitting in the backcountry, the only lights our fire and the moon. There is something magical about it.

As I became an adult, I started to see the power in burning things I wanted to release. I have burned journals, old letters, even once a baby shower invitation (they sometimes feel like a stab in the heart in the midst of infertility). There’s something magical about the release in burning something.

A Burn Ritual can be especially powerful during transition, like the Solstice, or a personal transition. Say you quit your job, or left a relationship, or lost a loved one. Maybe you are burning your business cards, love letters, or something that represents your loss. Maybe it’s the end of a season that you’re ready to move on from. Maybe it’s the beginning of something else.

This can be a personal ritual, or can be done in a group. When we moved from Portland to Seattle, we gathered with friends and invited everyone to bring something to burn. Some were starting to build a family. Some were transitioning out of work or personal identities. Some were releasing unhealthy relationships. We stood in solidarity around the fire and watched it all burn.

Ready to have your own Burn Ritual? Here’s how to do it:

What you’ll need:

• Paper & pen, or something that represents what you are letting go of. (Note: please don’t burn important things such as legal documents, or someone else’s stuff. This ritual should not be performed out of anger or spite).

• A fireplace, pit, or fireproof vessel such as a glass or metal bowl

Center yourself

• Take a moment to check in with your body. Take a few grounding breaths, noticing what you are feeling and where you are feeling it.

• If you feel angry, consider that this might not be the best time to burn something. Take a walk, meditate, or find something to discharge that energy, then come back to the ritual.

Write it down

• If you have a physical object that is burnable, hold it and notice what you feel in it.

• If you don’t have a physical object, write down what you are releasing. Perhaps it’s a name, perhaps it’s an action (or inaction); it may be one word or a 3-page letter. Make it yours.

Let it go

• Burn it. Throw it in the fire, or light the corner with a match & drop it in the bowl.

• Watch it burn, it’s smoke releasing into the sky.

• Breathe in the release.

Sit quietly with yourself as it burns. Notice again how your body feels, and where you feel it. Sit with the fire. Tend to it. Tend to yourself. Let the fire burn down as you sit with the space it opened up.

And come back whenever you feel the need.

*NOTE: Please use common sense fire safety measures if you do this! Have an extinguisher nearby, do it in an open space without any wind, and make sure there is nothing flammable nearby. Also check to see if there are any burn bans in your area. If you question the safety of burning in any way, consider tearing up any paper products and burying them. Be safe.