A Fire Ceremony with Raydass

A very special experiences I have had in Bulgaria so far was taking part in a fire ceremony with Raydass.

The ceremony took place outside, where we all sat around a fire bowl that had been built into the ground. The atmosphere was beautiful and peaceful. There were colourful fabrics and incense sticks everywhere, and the whole setting felt very different from anything I had experienced before.

During the ceremony, we sang Indian songs together while Raydass played the harmonium. I had never seen this instrument before. It looks a little bit like a small piano, but to make a sound, air has to be pumped into it by hand. The combination of the singing and the harmonium created a really beautiful atmosphere.

Raydass lit the fire, and throughout the ceremony we gave different offerings to it. We put things such as rice, sesame seeds, flowers, oil, and milk into the fire. With each offering, we could also place an affirmation into the fire—something we wanted to let go of, invite into our lives, or simply put our attention towards.

I especially liked that all the prayers were sung. This felt very different from what I know from Catholic church services. Instead of simply listening to prayers, everyone participated by singing together. It made the ritual feel very communal and alive.

Towards the end, we received traditional Indian markings on our faces. An orange line represented masculine energy and a red dot represented feminine energy. Where the two energies meet, a grain of rice was placed, symbolising abundance. Afterwards, we also received a black dot made from the ashes of the fire.

What stayed with me most was the feeling during the ceremony. There was a strong sense of calm and stillness, but at the same time, there was also a feeling of joy. It was beautiful to experience how a group of people can come together through a ritual, share the same moment, and create a feeling of connection.

I am very grateful that Raydass gave us the opportunity to experience this ceremony. It was something completely new for me, and I feel lucky that my time in Bulgaria has allowed me to experience traditions and ways of practising faith that I would probably never have encountered otherwise.

Sarah