Burning Bowl

“THE BURNING BOWL CEREMONY is a transformative ritual traditionally performed among various faith-based groups on New Year’s Eve. The purpose of the ceremony is to identify and symbolically release old hurts, grudges, resentments, regrets, sufferings, mistakes… to release the past letting go of any thoughts,  feelings or behaviors that might be holding you back for the new year ahead. Across religious traditions, fire is a powerful symbol of wisdom, knowledge, passion, purification, transformation, divinity and light. Fire inflames, consumes, warms, illuminates, inspires and serves as a catalyst for change.

By briefly writing down on a small piece of paper what you are choosing to be free of, the actual act of writing what you want gone from your life is a key element of the letting go process. The paper is then folded and carefully placed in a “burning bowl,” (a large, safe and unburnable bowl/container holding a  small lit candle to safely enable quick burning). Spend a moment or two in quiet prayer or meditation honoring your personal surrender and commitment to change.  Acknowledge what is holding you back and release that as well. Now light your piece of paper and quickly drop it into the burning bowl.

This ritual focuses on what needs to be released from the past to prepare the present moment for our creation of a new year. It’s a simple outward sign of our awareness of what needs to change in our lives as we go forward. As we change, others see our changes and might be invited to change as well. The ceremony has a long tradition in most new thought churches (Think: Unity, Religious Science, Centers for Spiritual Living, Unitarians, etc). My hunch is that its origins might be found with smudging rituals common among many ancient indigenous religions.

The actual ceremony is simple. It can be done alone or with partners, friends, families or congregations. You’ll need several simple pieces of paper, a pen and a safe source of fire.  Some use a fireplace, outdoor fire pit, or simply a fire safe bowl or dish filled with sand with a candle in the middle placed in an open but secure area (outside the range of smoke detectors). The ritual can be completed in silence or with soft, relaxing music in the background. Your choice.

Before starting, take a quiet moment. Go inside yourself. Take a deep breath. Connect with your heart. Be still. Feel the presence of your Sacred.

On the pieces of paper, write down anything that no longer serves you that you choose to release. Items can be specific issues you had this past year or other larger issues that seem to loom. I challenge you to be completely honest with yourself about what needs to be released. The list is NOT shared. (e.g. health challenges; fear, jealousy, anger; nasty habits; unhealthy relationships; debt; negative thoughts/feelings, errors).

When you’re ready, focus your intention on releasing the old, negative and no longer useful.  Then imagine yourself welcoming the new, positive and successful into your life in the coming year.

With care, compassion and forgiveness for yourself, gently place your paper into the fire.

Be mindful that the fire in the Burning Bowl is a ancient, universal and powerful symbol of transformation. Fire represents our intention of shifting the energy of our thoughts and attention. Burn the dead and watch , like the myth of the phoenix, hope rise from the ashes. If you’d like, you can end the ceremony by burying the cool ashes when it’s complete. Others choose to simply let the wind blow them away in Nature’s own time.”

~ The Compassionate Gardener

"In the Burning Bowl Ceremony some people and fellowships use what is known as ‘flash paper’—available from magic supply stores—which burns in a flash and leaves no ash or residue. Flash paper is, however, ordinarily quite expensive to buy, although you can make it yourself but I don’t recommend that. I prefer to use regular but extremely thin and easily combustible paper—not tissue paper but something similar (eg crêpe paper). Then, having placed the lit paper in the bowl, I watch the flame and smoke as I ‘let go’ of whatever it is I want ‘out’ of my life forever." ~  IEJ.