Well, burners generally and semi-officially, don’t actually put much meaning on their activity. It is just fun, cool and creative. Faux religious ritual to imaginary not-really-gods might slip in there. It more a grand hyperbole based on absolutely nothing.
Fire has been a big deal through millennia. It means different things to many. There are a variety of embellishments as to its meaning.
Fire has many associations in symbolism and seasonal timing and sometimes these two to conjure up hope to reinforce or manifest desired changes. For example, Beltane has been like that. Fireworks before the Chinese got a hold of powder, was just fire in the works.
Fire can create a stronger ritual. Ritual creates extra energy toward any enterprise, or plan, or hopeful prayer. If there is something that you desire, like a warm summer with plenty of opportunities to indulge in naturism and not have to mess with clothing. Maybe burn away some personal thing, or personal quirk, or an obstacle.
Burning can be intentional. A reinforcement of any intention, making the strength of the intention more solid, the belief of its creation, or make a resolution in a more profound way as to imbed it into the mind both consciously and subconsciously in alignment.
Fire is used in sacrifice. Sacrifice is to please, gods, or make a big deal out of prayer for something in the future. That kind of thing is best discussed before the fire, or sacrifice and the intention should be thought of as it has already happened. It is good to have a plan of implementation and take steps toward its end and then burn, or wash your hands as you turn the result over to your chosen higher power, god, or gods.
I took a course on ritual to get my masters. Ritual is hardwired into human thinking and behavior. Minor ritual like dressing up to look the part of a business man or a doctor, makes the magic more powerful. You walk into a docs office and there is reception, “important” questionnaire, all of the trappings. You get weighed, the white coat for the ritual all is used like any good witch doctor in his decorated hut and feathered bonnet. It gives you more faith in the magic of medicine and science. Fire can get a person psyched up, in infinite ways. There is biological change from belief alone. Faith healing has been known to actually work in miraculous ways. There is biological science now to back that up.
In India the pujas are elaborate rituals which are supposed to be done in a perfect precision of ancient ritual. Scents, certain flowers, food stuffs, are all offered in precise orders, to the gods, or a particular god. You could add things to your fire.
Native Americans often associate fire and heat, and summer season, and certain animals, and cleansing, and directions, and certain imaginary deities or gods, warmth in a winter, gratitude in Spring, or in the moment. Warm stuff is fire stuff, like sunrise.
Then, there are the European pagan fire concepts. All over the world, fire has been central to life, as gathering, storytelling, mesmerizing fire gazing into incredible contemplations, essential to food and warmth, survival and other worlds, or dimensions. It is holy.
Make what you will. Make it important. Be guided by your inner sources. Make noise and “spirited” fun. Burning is innate, no matter which of the multitudes of takes you lay on it.
Guys in white vans, these days, realize that white folks was once wild, too, shouted woohoo, had their own voodoo, and that wasn't coo coo, but infact cool....
Jbee
