Sound of Light’s journey of connection with the Ring - or Rings - of Fire has been complex and multifaceted. The realization has come that we are entwined in the Rings of Fire in many ways, and that they are present in our lives and our work in more ways than we can imagine.
The purpose of this album is to unite these cosmic Rings and their powers in one space of music and devotion. But if you want to learn more about these Rings, what they are, and how we discovered them - read on.
Perhaps the most well-known Ring of Fire (other than the Johnny Cash song) is the spectacular path of active volcanoes that rings the pacific ocean. Costa Rica, coincidentally, rests right on this path and actually contributes substantially to it, with six active volcanoes - a very large amount, for volcanoes.
In Florestral, we have a tradition we call the Ring of Fire, in which - for a few days on and around auspicious dates such as the Solstices and Equinoxes - we create our very own Ring of Fire on the land, lighting fires in our several sacred firepits around the farm at the same time in the dawn hours. We pray and show devotion at each fire in a ritual meant to purify and protect the land and its inhabitants, as well as to bring peace, abundance, and prosperity.
One of the sacred fireplaces here on the land is our auspicious Fire Temple, and we often conduct sacred ceremonies there. One such ceremony was held during the Ring of Fire eclipse earlier in 2020, which was an extremely sacred and special time. During this eclipse, we gathered at the Fire Temple to celebrate, play music, and consecrate.
During this powerful ceremony, beneath the Eclipse, surrounded by fire and Spirit, the connections were made and the inspiration came: to create a Ring of Fire album, that ties together our journey with the Mantras, the Fire Temple, and the ritualistic protections that the Rings of Fire bring. The teachings and protections brought to us by the mantras and our devotion are powerful and beautiful, and with the chaos present in the world right now, we know that the time has come to share them as well as we can.
The way the ring of fire protects us, we may protect ourselves and each other using the fire inside of us and in these sacred teachings. By repeating the Mantras and truly holding the devotion in our hearts, we can bring more light to ourselves and to this world. Our goal with this album is not only to spread these teachings and blessings but also to deliver them in a new way - so that they are accessible and applicable to everyone. And so, we bring you the sacred Mantras and teachings, in the form of that beautiful and universal language: music.