Firekeeping Training - A Practical & Ceremonial One-Day Immersion

Dive into igniting & nourishing your connection with Sacred Fire—learn the art and craft of Firekeeping for gatherings, community & rituals

Firekeeping Training - A Practical & Ceremonial One-Day Immersion

Come join us at The Salisbury Centre on February 28, 2026 for a 12 hours deep dive immersion & transformative experience in firekeeping (10am-10pm)

• Accessibility: Warm indoor room available throughout the day to rest, integrate and deliver some teachings. More accessibility information at the bottom of the page.

Learn the ancient art of tending fires, both practically and ceremonially. This immersive workshop will deepen your connection to the element of fire and its sacred significance, both in grownding the shadows as well as in practical community building and activistm.

This training is for :

• Those who feels drawn to working with fire as a personal practice or for community building
• Anyone seeking to deepen their relationship with the flame at a time of year when fire becomes a true ally.
• Circle holders, facilitators, musicians, creatives wanting to introdue Fire in their events
• Community organisers wanting grounded, reliable skills
• Those seeking a meaningful step before longer Firekeeping Training, Apprentiships & Opportunities

Don't miss this opportunity to explore the Art of Sacred Firekeeping in a welcoming and supportive environment with professional firekeeper Francesco.

This full day training offers a grounded, hands-on way to meet Fire — as a practical craft, and as a steady presence that can transform the way you hold space for others.

By the end of this 12 hour day you will :

• Feel confident in sparking a fire for Ritual & Ceremony
• Preparing beautiful fireside spaces which exude beauty, connection and creativity
• Feel a deepened personal connection to Sacred Fire and what it can offer you and your community
• A sense of awe and connection to Firekeeping as a Sacred Activism practice
• Connected to a growing community and collective of Firekeepers, locally & internationally.

The whole day will be held as a ceremonial container (with an opening of the space, intention setting, and closing) in honour of the Sacred Fire as well as to connect to the Salisbury Centre, site-specific extra-ordinary energy & potential.

This is the start of something big!

More about Firekeeping:

Firekeeping is the art of tending a flame with skill, responsibility, and attentive presence.

It is both practical and ceremonial: a craft that teaches patience, calm focus, and the ability to create a warm centre for community, music and connection.

What You Will Learn

This training blends essential firecraft with the foundations of ceremonial tending.You will leave with skills you can use immediately in your gatherings, circles, and creative spaces.

Practical Skills

• Preparing, structuring, and lighting a fire that works every time
• The essentials of a Firekeeper’s toolkit
• How to create clean, bright, low-smoke fires
• Setting up a safe, beautiful, and functional fireside environment

Elements of Firekeeping

• Reading flame, ember, smoke, and sound
• Understanding the natural rhythms and stages of a fire
• Cultivating the presence, steadiness, and awareness of a Firekeeper
• Working with woods, fire types, and tending style
  

Ceremonial Foundations

• Exploration of what makes a fire Sacred
• Basic elements of simple Ceremony & Ritual
• Creating atmosphere, welcome, and subtle beauty around the fire
• Supporting a space where music, sharing, and connection unfold naturally
• Basic energetic considerations for group tending

Flow of the day

This is a spacious, immersive, hands-on day.

You will learn through doing — preparing, building, lighting, and tending fires with guidance and time for your own exploration with:

• Plenty of practical time to tend the fire
• The whole day will be held as a ceremonial container to support you in your intention and receive any guidance from the Fire

A shared fire will be lit in the early afternoon and tended through dusk and into the evening. It will be the heart of our day: a place to practice technique, observe change, and experience what it means to keep a flame alive as darkness arrives.

Expect a blend of:

• practical teaching
• quiet tending
• optional shared voice and simple song
• moments of reflection
• time around the hearth to settle, sense, and learn from the fire itself

Testimonials from previous Firekeeping trainings:

"This training was far more than learning to light and tend a fire — it became a form of soul nourishment. Through Francesco’s guidance, the fire became a mirror, a teacher, and a doorway back into myself. I felt a depth of grounding and clarity that I haven’t experienced in years.” - Chris

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“It is rare to find spaces where shared values are reinforced simply through being together. Around the fire, we touched something ancient and deeply human. The training nurtured unity, mutual respect, and a feeling of being part of something meaningful — something our modern world desperately needs. - Claudia Conclave

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“I was captivated by the way Francesco teaches — the beauty, the clarity, the tools, the skills, the presence. Truly inspiring.” — Rachel
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“Do not think twice about doing this training... It's a beautiful thing to learn about the archetypal energies and ancestors who have stood around the fire in the same way that we did... Francesco is a steady, inspiring teacher, providing a safe frame to learn in and truly embodying his wisdom” - Maggie

Financial Exchange: £255

• Early Bird - £240 ( valid ill 4th Jan 2026)

Includes:

• 12-hour immersive fire training
• All Fire-wood and materials
• Basic take-away Firekeepers-Toolkit
• Tea and simple snacks throughout the day
• Simple Lunch (Organic Soup and Bread)
• Evening Fireside Session

This training is offered as a trial hybrid model between The Salisbury Centre’s Community Empowerment Programme (focused on accessibility) and a partnership between the facilitator and the Centre.

While the training has a standard participation cost (partly due to the high cost of firewood required), a limited number of subsidised places are available for Salisbury Centre community members who can bring back this skill into community building application.

Subsibized Spaces

Please email events@salisburycentre.org to make a request for a subsidized place (fully funded or partial discount based on your means). In your request please specify:

• Your connection to the Salisbury Centre if any
• Reason for seeking a Subsidized space
• Whether fully funded (1 place available) or discounted (2 places @ £170)
• Any ways you are envisioning to apply the skills learnt in this training to give back to the Salisbury Centre community.
  
  
  

About the Facilitator

Francesco Benvenuti is a firekeeper, ceremonialist, and community weaver committed to bridging spiritual practice with grounded community action. Rooted in a background of ecological science, global activism, and indigenous-inspired ceremonial work, he has spent over a decade facilitating sacred fire circles, ceremonies, voice workshops, and land-based rituals across Europe and the Americas.

He is the co-founder of the Oak Ash & Thorn Hub in Roslin and the Living Fire Collective—initiatives that support the rise of resilient spiritual hubs, trained firekeepers, and a trusted network of stewards carrying the Sacred Fire into the heart of culture, honouring ancient practices and rooting in sacred reciprocity laws.

His work weaves together Georgian polyphony, devotional chanting, men’s spaces, youth work and seasonal celebration, reconnecting people to voice, nature, and purpose.

More at: www.linktr.ee/harmonicmirrors

Room & Accessibility :

The training will alternate between outdoor and some indoor time for theatrical teachings and depending on weather.

• Outdoor: Salisbury Centre Garden & Fire Pit
• Indoor : Library (Morning) / Studio upstairs (Afternoon)

Note: The Studio is not fully accessible at the moment

The Salisbury Centre’s kitchen door and toilet are now wheelchair accessible. The Garden can also be accessed by wheelchairs via a movable ramp via the Art Room Annex. Please let the organisers know in advance of any access requirements. Additionally, if relevant, please fill in this PEEP template and share it with the organisers

Weather Notice & Refunds:

• The Training will go ahead in all weather conditions both outdoor as well as adapt the teaching and practical material based on extreme weather circumstances.
• Indoor options might include working and creating individuals “Rose-Flame” sacred portable fireplaces (that is kept fed via Beeswax fuel) that is an essential tools for firekeepers to bring their work and space holding , safely , in indoor venues