Posted by Lani on September 26, 2000 at 23:12:39:
In Reply to: Re: `Awa and the Firewalk posted by Lani on September 24, 2000 at 07:09:18:
Aloha kakou,
Well now that we've dispatched the skeptic, we can continue.
There are three things I want to get into.
First, the functional designation for any priest who can take others through the fire without harm (and anyone who can
accomplish that IS a Priest) is, in the Huna religion (in Hawaiian: halau `o huna), a "Kahuna I Ke Umu Ki".
Now, secondly, there are many aspects of the Firewalk I never understood until I started to train to return it to Huna.
STYLES:
1. There is, of course, the American/English style. Here a pile of wood is ignited and when it has burned down to glowing
embers it is raked into a Path of glowing fire. It is this Path which is transversed.
2. Umu style. Here stones are heated in a pit until they are white hot. The stones are walked on. The pit is rectangular and
forms a Path.
3. Shinto style. Here the wood is crossed whilst there is still significant flames. The flames curl up over the firewalkers.
4. Hindu style. Here the Path is made of burning charcoal.
5. Anastenaria Christian style where the glowing embers are in the shape of a large circle and the fire is danced upon.
Secondly:
The term "Firewalk" is an idiom. It means anything which requires the special religious firewalk state of mind to accomplish. In my initiation in
mid-October, 2000, about three weeks from now, I'll be expected to do 14 Firewalks in a row. Only seven of these are on fire. There's
broken glass shards. The bending of a hunting arrow's razor-sharp broadhead on my neck, breaking stones with my hands, and
pushing a nail through my hand without blood or pain. And some others too.
The reason that these are all "Firewalks" is because they all involve the very same immunity from harm as does the Firewalk on
fire. These things are reserved for initiates. When a Firewalk is offered to the public, it is usually done on fire.
The purpose of the Firewalk is to allow others to gain faith in the goodness of the Created World. The purpose of Firewalk Initiation is to allow a person the ability to do this for the people, so that they may gain faith. There is little or no personal growth involved for the Kahuna. In that sense it is like our healings and kala techniques. They aren't for the practitioner to use on themselves, but are for the good of the people.
Aloha,
Lani