On one of the evenings in Guatemala, we were treated to an ancient Mayan fire ceremony done by a shaman. He was a good man with a lot of ancient wisdom, and he conducted the entire ceremony himself (with some help from an interpreter because he spoke it all in Spanish—much of which I understood). The ceremony lasted almost two hours, and it was really unique. It was done right on the side of the mountain over the lake and below the shala (yoga/meditation house) at our retreat center. I recognized some elements of what I believe to be truth in it, like connections to family and departed loved ones and the reality of a higher power.
(He said it was fine to take pictures, just FYI.)
We each participated by saying certain things and tossing some things into the fire. It didn't feel blasphemous or anything. It was an interesting and memorable cultural experience.
Marked from the ceremony
Soon after the fire ceremony was done, there was a pretty sunset sky.
And a kind of neat-looking cloud right over the volcano.
The magical experiences in Guatemala kept happening, with more to come!
