Prayer to the Sacred Fire

First the little slivers, the curled pieces like shaved corkscrews

Next the twigs, dry, snapping with a pop

Now bigger, like wrists cut from arms

Now whole arms and legs

An offering of sacred herbs, a whisper of prayers

Kneeling before the eldest Ancestor not yet arrived

Prayers tumble down, and then the sparks

Striking steel on flint again and again

A little fire alights

Then eats its way across the tinder

I whisper the names of the Fire Gods and hail Fire Itself

Please, please, please come

I whisper the names of the Fire Runes over and over

Please, please, please help to light this Fire

To make it a good fire

A cleansing Fire

A healing Fire

A welcoming Fire

A frithful Fire

A Sacred Fire

Oh Gods of Fire, Loki, Logi, Glut, Surt, Sinmora, please, help me

Oh Ancestors, please, help me

Oh Spirits, please, help me

Oh Fire, please, help me to bring Your heat, Your light, Your power, Your strength

To the people once again