The Children's Fire

"The Children’s Fire" is another practise to guide our actions in a regenerative way. The concept has been handed down from the Indigenous people of the place we now call America (N. America is known by some indigenous people as Turtle Island).
Historically Indigenous peoples of that land established a decision making process called a Council. This was a circular gathering for the purpose of wisdom gathering and governance. They recognised that they were an integral part of nature and that the wellbeing of their people was dependent on them living in balance and harmony with the natural world around them.
The members (chiefs) of the Council adopted a practice of sitting around a fire that they named “The Children's Fire”. This was done to remind them to prioritise the future of their children and the children of the other beings when making decisions for the community. It is said that they bore in mind not just the next generation but the next seven generations.

Here is a short video of Mac Macartney (speaker, author and initiator of the Embercombe Eco-retreat) speaking about The Children’s Fire, a wisdom that was passed onto him through his Indigenous teachers.

The Children’s Fire and the XR Movement

You may hear the children’s fire being invoked in XR regenerative workshops or assemblies or XR events. Often a candle might be lit to represent the fire. It’s a helpful reminder for us to keep a focus on the wellbeing of the next seven generations and perhaps lighten the grasp on the importance of our opinions and ideas.