Virtual Temple Burn

TLDR: Switch off virtuality and experience a moment of reflection.

We encourage everyone to hold space for the temple burn, this could include lighting a candle. A stream of the 2019 temple burn will be made available from the website.

The stream is expected to start around 6.00-15pm, with a coordinated burn ignition time of 6.30pm.

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The Temple at Blazing Swan is our community’s scared space to wonder in silence, reflect, contemplate, mourn, hope and dream. We write messages on The Temple, we leave photos, objects and memories. All of these are consumed by The Temple’s fire when it burns, carrying all that we left there to the heavens.

The depth of meaning this space holds for our community cannot be reproduced in a virtual world.

So we invite you to create your own temple space at home. You can create this space however you like. It’s your temple. There is no right or wrong.

If you’re unsure what to do, this is our guide to creating a simple temple space and burn at home…

– All you need is a candle, lighter, small piece of paper and a pen.
– Any time before 6.30pm on Sunday, write a message on your piece of paper. Write what you would have written on the temple itself.
– At 6.30pm on Sunday, take your candle and paper to a space that’s quiet, where you can observe the silence and stillness of the Temple Burn.
– When you’re ready, light your candle.
– Take some time to stare into its flame. Sit. Contemplate. Feel.
– When you’re ready, take the piece of paper, hold it over the flame and burn it.
– Stay with your candle as long as you need. Burn as many messages as you need.
– When you’re finished, extinguish your candle.

Together we will light hundreds, perhaps thousands of candles all over our country and the world. We will simultaneously release all our messages to the heavens. In this way we will sit at the temple together, united in our silence, each tending a flame in the fire.

FIRE SAFETY
Candle wicks make small flames but burning paper makes that flame much bigger. To keep you from starting accidental fires we suggest the following:

– Set up your candle in a well-ventilated space away from combustible materials.
– If burning it inside, you may set off the house smoke alarms. We recommend burning outside if possible.
– Have either a wet towel, fire blanket, container of water or fire extinguisher with you.
– Never leave an open flame unattended.
– Extinguish your candle when you’ve finished your temple burn ceremony.