Fire Speaks and The Story of Mount Monadnock Retreat — New England
Camp Wanocksett | Dublin, NH
Thurs - Sun, August 22-25, 2024
Register Now
The Sacred Fire communities of New England
welcome you to attend a special Fire Speaks
Weekend, featuring the sacred Story of Mt. Monadnock
This three-day, three-night event—held at the base of Mt. Monadnock, will be a special opportunity to deeply engage with sacred teachings, traditional ceremonies and ancestral spirits of the land.
We have been blessed to receive the sacred story of this mountain from Grandfather Fire over the past three years events, and for the first time ever we will have the opportunity to ritually engage with the sacred story through a dramatic reenactment! We are very excited for this first time event, which holds the promise of deepening our experience and connection to the medicine of this mountain.
During our time together we will connect heart-to-heart as we bring forth and participate in a ceremonial sweat lodge, a healing and purifying ritual known to the ancestors of all cultures as a way to cleanse and renew one’s body, mind and spirit.
Held in a safe and sacred way, this ancient rite will prepare us to receive a very special story: the Story of Mt. Monadnock. This story comes to us from the “time before time,” from the very beginnings of the lands and waters and peoples of the land we now call New Hampshire. The Spirit of Fire—also known as Grandfather Fire in the Americas—was present at that time, as Fire has been present since the earliest moments of creation. Grandfather Fire will tell the story through his axihuatakame (ah-rreee-oo-aht-a-KA-meh), his “god speaker-man,” Don David Wiley.
There was a time when all peoples lived in relationship with the living beings of nature. Mountains, rivers, plants and animals were known to have spirits that could offer gifts of healing, wisdom and nourishment. This story connects us to that time, and opens the possibility of once again engaging with this great being.
If you have attended a Fire Speaks event before, you know what a special time we have in store for you. If you are new to Fire Speaks, this event will be a unique and powerful time, a special opportunity to tap into the deep, ancient wisdom of Heart energy that Grandfather Fire shares with us. It is a time to receive guidance about how to find meaning and purpose in challenging times from one of the world’s first and greatest teachers.
For the past 20 years, Grandfather Fire has been sharing teachings, sacred stories and life guidance with people all over the world. He cuts through doubt, confusion and illusion with a long-view perspective that delivers tried-and-true ways to find connection, compassion, learning, growth and healing. He’s wise, funny, provoking and astonishingly insightful.
Find out more information about the Grandfather Fire phenomenon here.
REGISTRATION OPTIONS
There are three options to participate in this weekend event:
- Package 1: Attend entire weekend retreat, Aug 22-25
- Package 2: Attend Fire Speaks with overnight camping and Digesting Fire Speaks program to review Grandfather Fire’s teachings, Aug 24-25
- Package 3: Attend Fire Speaks as Day Visitor, Aug 24.Optionally return to the site for Digesting Fire Speaks program, Aug 25 12-2pm.
Package One: The Full Weekend Event
All Meals and Lodging included
Arrive Thursday 5pm. On Friday we will work together to build and participate in the sweat lodge. Saturday we will engage with the Dramatic Reenactment of the Story of Mount Monadnock. Sunday, after breakfast, we will engage in the Digesting Fire Speaks to remember and fully imbibe the teachings shared by Grandfather.
Please note: you must be at least 18 years old to participate in the sweat lodge. Other restrictions may apply. For complete sweat lodge information,
please download this PDF.
Package Two: Fire Speaks with Overnight
With overnight camping, Saturday Dinner, Sunday Breakfast, and Digesting Fire Speaks. Arrive Saturday 1pm.
Package Three: Fire Speaks Day Visitor
Saturday Dinner included. Arrive Saturday 1pm.
NOTE: Everyone who attends the Fire Speaks audience with Grandfather Fire is invited to join the Sunday Digesting Fire Speaks from 12pm – 2pm, even if you do not stay overnight. This optional discussion about your experience, questions and learnings from Fire Speaks is included in all packages.
Meals: Dressing Maven Catering is delighted to offer you a weekend of nutritious and delicious camp fare designed to enhance your experience.
In addition to fresh, locally-harvested fruits and vegetables served daily, our menu offers responsibly-sourced beef, poultry, and fish whenever possible. You’ll also enjoy a hearty breakfast each day and a host of summer BBQ sides, including some south-of-the-border favorites! This New Hampshire event would not be complete without indulging in our New England blueberry cobblers and apple crisp. Our home-baked toll house cookies will also be available for your enjoyment.
**We try our best to address most common dietary concerns and offer many plant-based and gluten-free selections.
Featuring
-
Don David Wiley, medium for the Spirit of Fire
David Wiley’s perspective on what is possible and how to live life was profoundly altered in 1996, when the Spirit of Fire, often called Grandfather Fire, appeared before him as an apparition in the garden of a meditation retreat center near Mexico City. Grandfather Fire asked David to be his conduit, so people everywhere could discover their innate connection to spirit and have an experiential relationship with nature and Divine. Grandfather sent David to find two indigenous elders, Don Lupe Ríos Gonzales of the Wixárika (Huichol) tradition of Mexico’s Sierra Madres and Don Lucio Campos Elizalde of the Nahua tradition of the central highlands. At Grandfather Fire’s request, these two elders began David’s formal medicine and ceremonial apprenticeship in these two ancestrally related shamanic paths.
From the Huichol tradition, David received initiations as a mara’akame, a healer, counselor, and ceremonial leader; from the Nahua path, he was initiated as a granicero, a weather worker, ceremonial leader, and healer. After years of service and leadership, he received permission to teach these two traditions to those called to these shamanic paths. After Don Lupe’s passing in 2003 and under the support of mara’akame Don José Sandoval de la Cruz, David received initiation as a Huichol tsaurirrakame (elder shaman) in 2008. On the Nahua path, David became a Caporal Mayor (teacher-tradition leader) when he inherited Don Lucio’s altar and the responsibility for his Nahua weather working lineage after Don Lucio’s passing in 2004. As a recognized elder in these two traditions, he has received the title of respect, Don David.
Concurrent with Don David’s immersion in this traditional medicine path work, starting in 1996, Grandfather Fire began speaking through Don David’s body during special gatherings. This has been some of the most impactful of Don David’s work, touching thousands of people. Among the Huichol, an axihuatakame is a “god-speaker man,” a traditional spiritual medium who enters a coma-like state so that a deity can physically interact directly with humans. A collection of Grandfather Fire’s wisdom was published as Heard Around the Fire in 2010; a second book is in final editing. An archive of teachings can be found on sacredfire.org as Grandfather Fire’s Wisdom. Over the years, Grandfather Fire inspired Don David and the community growing around Grandfather’s wisdom to spread traditional lifeways through the world. This lead to the founding of nonprofits Sacred Fire, which began training Sacred Firekeepers and hosting events and programs in 2004; Blue Deer, a retreat and healing center for nature’s medicine which opened in 2005, and Sacred Fire Foundation, a charitable organization founded to promote and protect traditional indigenous lifeways in 2009.
Registration
Registration is open.
Our retreat venue, Camp Wanocksett, is spacious and requires a moderate amount of walking between the camping areas, the fire tent and the dining hall.
If you have concerns about your attendance please contact Lois Hurley
at lois@sacredfire.org
Schedule
(Note: Schedule may be modified before the event, a final schedule will be sent to all attendees)
Thursday, Aug 22, 2024
- 5:00 pm Arrival; Check-In
- 7:00 pm Dinner
- 8:00 pm Orientation Fire
Friday, Aug 23, 2024
- 8:30 am Breakfast
- Morning: Community Building / Sweat Lodge Construction
- 12:30 pm Lunch
- Afternoon: Community Building / Sweat Lodge Construction
- 5:30 pm Dinner
- 7:00 pm Gather for Sweat Lodge
Saturday, Aug 24, 2024
- 9:00 am Breakfast
- 10:00 am Ritual Re-enactment of the Story of Mount Monadnock
- 12:30 pm Lunch
- 1:00 pm – New Arrivals, Checkin and Settle
- 3:00 pm – Welcome and Orientation to Fire Speaks
- 5:00 pm – Dinner
- 7:00 pm Gather around the fire for the Audience with Grandfather Fire
Sunday Aug 25, 2024
- 10:00 am Breakfast
- 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm Sharing around the Fire: Digesting Grandfather’s Wisdom
Price
PACKAGE ONE: FULL WEEKEND RETREAT
Thursday afternoon August 22 – Sunday August 25
- Adult $395
- Children 10-14 $147 (charge is for meals only, lodging is free)
- Children 0-9 FREE
Tenting or Cabin & meals included. Indoor rustic dormitory style cabins with electricity are available. Some cabins have plumbing but others do not and are near the bath house. Cabins are available on a first-come first-served basis based on the order of registration. If you choose ‘cabin’ and you are physically unable to be in a top bunk please be sure you check that box in registration. Tent platforms are available for camping. Please indicate your preference when registering. There are outhouse style bathrooms and showers.
PACKAGE TWO FIRE SPEAKS OVERNIGHT
Saturday afternoon August 26 – Sunday after noon
- Adult $195
- Children 10-14 $39 (charge is for meals only, lodging is free)
- Children 0-9 FREE
Includes dinner & breakfast. Those coming for Fire Speaks may not have the optionof staying in a cabin (preference is given to retreatants), we will contact you to let you know if we are not able to accommodate your cabin request.
PACKAGE THREE: FIRE SPEAKS & DINNER
Saturday Aug 26
- Adult $160
- Children 10-14 $27 (meal charge)
- Children 0-9 FREE
Includes a delicious and hearty meal plus attendance at the Fire Speaks audience with Grandfather Fire.
For more information
For more information, contact For more information, contact Chris Griffin & Jane Wollack at newenglandfirespeaks@sacredfire.org. Check out our Facebook page; New England Fire Speaks for any updates. at newenglandfirespeaks@sacredfire.org
Hosting Firekeeper(s): Chris Griffin