This past March, a group of about 15 members of the Order of Fire met on a Thursday in Phoenix, Arizona, for our annual Spring Equinox event. Several members flew in from different parts of the U.S., some drove in, and a few were local to the greater Phoenix area. Most of the afternoon and evening were spent touching base, waiting for guys to arrive, while Jack and Dustin recorded a podcast with CB Robertson on the topic of ritual. 

Friday morning, with energy drinks in hand, we hit a local gym for a workout. It was a gym geared towards serious lifters who create content and one of the coolest gyms I’ve been to. It was a great way to start the weekend.

We moved on to Jack’s BJJ gym, where we met his professor, who was going to guide us through some basics. Some of the guys are regular practitioners of BJJ, while others have limited or no experience. It was the perfect opportunity to try something new and challenging, learn from the expert guys, or simply watch them roll through rounds.

Friday night everybody got together for dinner at a local restaurant. When the Bvlls get together there is always great conversation. Topics like myth, philosophy, art, martial arts, firearms and tactical skills. It gets interesting when you’ve got a bunch of guys from different backgrounds and skill sets around a table. When it comes to politics there is an understanding that we are all basically on the same page so it rarely comes up. It’s an excellent vibe.

Saturday we convened at 7am for the drive out to the Superstition Mountains area where we would hike to our chosen spot and set up camp for our Fire Ritual. The Superstition Mountains are one of the most strikingly beautiful places in the United States. A surprisingly green desert space full of tall and majestic saguaro cacti. And then there is Superstition Mountain itself, towering in the near distance like a great god.

The hike was a little over two hours and the weather was perfect. Full sunlight and just hot enough. We split up into small groups that would change as the hike went on, talking life and Solar Idealism, or just taking in the scene. Once at the spot we took a break and then each man went to find a place to set up his tent or, as a few chose to do, simply lay out a sleeping pad. There were a lot of rocks, desert grasses, prickly pears, and many other native plants that made this an interesting challenge.

After we claimed our space and refueled, we gathered to attend a workshop led by one of our members, Vic, a fitness and self-defense instructor. He gave us hands-on instruction in techniques to deflect a knife attack in various scenarios both armed and unarmed. We paired up for practice and it was a blast.

it was time to start preparing for ritual. The Fire ritual takes place at the golden hour and we needed to make good use of the time. We foraged the area for large pieces of dried wood suitable to make a torch for each Bvll and then gathered kindling. We made our torches and then it was time to build the fire altar. Jack was leading the ritual and after he demarcated a space, we gathered rocks and created the perimeter. We then took some time to prepare ourselves mentally.

Ritual began at the golden hour. The performance combines words and actions and with torches lit we affirm our purpose and light the fire. We give this fire a name and it becomes the sacred fire. At the completion of ritual, we do what we call the Holy Round. It is like a toast with each guy taking some time to speak. We raise our cups and drink. One of our members brews Sumerian beer based on an ancient recipe and he brings it on the hike for the ritual. It has become a Holy Round tradition.

The Fire is kept burning all night with the kindling, each man taking an hour for fire watch to keep it going. It rained heavily overnight yet the guys were able to keep the fire going. In the morning we performed a solemn ritual for the dousing of the fire, symbolically taking it with us.

We packed up and made the hike back. A few guys were traveling back home that afternoon and some of us were staying on with flights out the next morning. We had a solid time closing out the equinox weekend with few drinks and some good food.

Stay Solar

— recorded by Ed Hamann of the First Men