Sacred Fire in Shamanism

      Fire is widely regarded as a living being or spiritual entity. As Hultkrantz (1991) describes in his studies of circumpolar religions, fire is a spirit ally, an intermediary capable of consuming offerings, purifying ritual space, and carrying prayers. Eliade’s Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (1964) identifies the cosmic axis—the world tree or pillar—as central to shamanic cosmology.  The shaman’s ascent or descent often begins with communication through the fire. In Mongolian ritual, the shaman drums before the fire, allowing spirits to enter the flames before possessing or guiding the shaman. In many cultures, the sacred fire serves as a microcosmic axis, linking the lower, middle, and upper worlds.  

Examples include:

• Siberian shamans viewing the ritual fire as a conduit for spirit ascent.

• Mongolian shamans calling the flame the “tongue of the spirits,” through which messages travel upward.

• Amazonian shamans interpreting fire as a gateway through which spirit-animals emerge.

      Among Plains and Southwestern Native American traditions, the sacred fire is often seen as the presence of the ancestors or the “Old Ones.” When the fire is lit during ceremonies, the ancestors are invited to participate.  Shamans cast offerings into the fire to appease spirits or restore spiritual balance. The fire is believed to “eat” illness or negative forces.   In sweat lodges and Tezmecals,   the heated stones placed at the center of the sweat lodge are treated as “Grandfathers,” embodiments of fire spirits that cleanse and heal participants. The heat from the fire symbolizes the transformative power of the shamanic journey—purification, illumination, and renewal. As a hypnotic focal point, fire induces altered states of consciousness, aiding trance.

    During ayahuasca ceremonies, a fire is often kept burning to anchor the ritual space, ward off malevolent spirits, and stabilize the shaman’s journey.  Staring into the fire helps to maintain focus on a journey. The fire will speak to those that will listen and help with the purging. Fire Keepers or participants that care for the fire during an Ayauasca ceremony help maintain the fire for the shaman and others. Like the Shaman, they stand between worlds, caring for the fire while partaking of the plant medecine. Many firekeepers state they develope a relationship with the fire through this practice. For this reason, shamans frequently treat fire as a conscious being with personality, will, and moods.  The flame responds to prayers, offerings, song, and intention.   Sacred fire also carries ethical significance. Among the Ojibwe, disrespecting the ceremonial fire is a moral violation.  The maintenance of sacred fire reinforces community boundaries, identity, and collective memory.

     Initiatory ordeals in shamanism often involve symbolic burning or purification by fire.  Siberian shamans describe visions of being boiled or burned to bones, then reassembled by spirits.  Among the Inuit, fire imagery is used to “burn away” the novice’s former self.  Among the Evenki of Siberia, fire is used to repel harmful spirits, with shamans circling the fire to strengthen their protection.  In some traditions, initiates pass near or through fire to demonstrate spiritual protection or empowerment.
For example, Yakut initiation ceremonies require the novice to withstand intense heat, symbolizing that spirits have strengthened their inner power.

Fire is used as a divinatory medium in many shamanic traditions:

• Yakut and Buryat shamans read patterns in the fire to interpret messages from spirits.

• Hopi and Navajo medicine people use firelight and smoke patterns in diagnostic rituals.

• Sámi noaidi may use embers and flames during trance induction. 

Across global shamanic cultures, the sacred fire serves as one of the most enduring and universal ritual elements. It functions as:

• a cosmic axis connecting worlds,

• a medium for healing and divination,

• a protector against harmful spirits,

• an initiatory force of transformation,

• a focal point for community and ancestral presence.

The sacred fire is not merely metaphorical—it is treated as a living spiritual being, a bridge between human and non-human realms. Its enduring presence in shamanism underscores humanity’s ancient relationship with fire as both a physical necessity and a spiritual mystery.

• Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. University of Chicago Press, 1964.

• Hultkrantz, Åke. Shamanic Healing and Ritual Drama. Crossroad Publishing, 1991.

• Anisimov, A. F. Shamanism in Siberia. Indiana University Press, 1963.

• Balzer, Marjorie Mandelstam. Shamanism: Traditional and Contemporary Approaches. M.E. Sharpe, 2003.

• Humphrey, Caroline & Onon, Urgunge. Shamanism in Mongolia. D. Reidel Publishing, 1996.

• Reichel-Dolmatoff, Gerardo. Amazonian Cosmos: The Sexual and Religious Symbolism of the Tukano Indians. University of Chicago Press, 1971.

• Brown, Joseph Epes. The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk’s Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux. University of Oklahoma Press, 1953.

• Black Elk & Neihardt, John G. Black Elk Speaks. University of Nebraska Press, 1932/1988.

• Johnston, Basil. Ojibway Ceremonies. University of Nebraska Press, 1982.

• Harner, Michael. The Way of the Shaman. Harper & Row, 1980.

• Evans-Wentz, W. Y. Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines. Oxford University Press, 1935.