Forums > Social Chat > Message for ALL twirlers

Posted: 15th Jun 2001
I moved this to the social section since it wasn't really very techinical! Check out the "Explain This To Me" thread...there is alot there.I think there were a few past threads of "Why Spin Fire" and "What Fire Means To You"...you might wanna look those up, since this is for research and all.As for me.....fire, no doubt, no question.Many times this has been discussed, we even went so far as to define what it takes to be alive...to consume, to breathe, to reproduce, to grow and die....fire does all of these things, so many of us think of it as alive.Along those lines performing with fire is like performing with a partner, something unpredicatable and at times uncontrollable. Fire has it's own ideas at times I swear. A voice and a temperment, that both must overcome.It is spiritual, blending me with all elements and piquing all my senses. The sweat of a good performance with the feel heat so close to me. The sound of the flames as it rips through the air, gobbling it up hungrily. The charred taste of the smoke in my mouth or the residue left by my eating it. The odour of the smoke enveloping me, filling me top to toe, inside and out. The golden glow of my circle of light, strobing around me, blinding me to all that could be outside it. The feel of the earth as I set my feet for a particular move or to kneel and tempt my fate.It is very primal. The heavy wicks demanding the physical exersion, swinging gracefully to violently and back again.It is comforting, like being in the womb. The darkness, the warmth, the comfort, the rhythmic sound. There is a sense of safety to be found. There is also the adrenaline of fire. The thought of working with something so potentially dangerous and defeating that danger time and again. It is an art medium. You can paint the sky, the earth, your flesh with fire. You can sculpt and mould it, making it as slight or large as you dare.It is humbling and reminds me that I am not infalible, nor am I a goddess for fire does have a bite and a temper which is very indiscriminant. There is the release and peace that it affords. The physical exersion of blending with something so erratic and then returning to the real world, abruptly ripped from your golden shell but knowing that if you put negative emotions out while in that shell, they were transformed into something beautiful, and if you put out positive, then your sense of joy is only amplified.I find glowsticks lovely in their own way but for me it is not the same. Fire is a passion for me and so I try to manifest that in what I do, whether eating, breathing, trailing, swinging or any other mode of fire use.Good luck and I hope many more "siblings" here respong helpfully to you. ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...[This message has been edited by Pele (edited 15 June 2001).]

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK

Posted: 14th Jun 2001
i think fire is so much better.very earthy, and the sound is amazing

Posted: 15th Jun 2001
As I mentioned before, I like both, but for very different reasons. The sound and perceived danger are probably the most obvious advantages of fire wicks. I certainly find that I am *far* more careful when spinning with fire than I am with just streamers, and this really forces me to improve my skills. But it might also be that we spin fire at night, in the dark. And things really are different after the sun goes down. Especially if you are in a park or on the beach. And even more especially if you are experiencing alternate realities. I have become particularly fond of pushing the envelope of late, combining all of the above with insane wick creations, loud music through headphones, and a blindfold. The rush is just completely out of this world...-p.

Posted: 15th Jun 2001
I was at a club (and met up with two crazy good HOP twirlers) and one of the sticks broke and splattered. The glowstuff inside is COOL. I smeared it on my hands and it runs down into your finger prints and lifelines and such. Now I know how they do those X-Files special effects. It's a bit thicker than I thought it would be. Be careful for the glass shards inside but if you ever have the opporutunity or are REALLY bored and ordered 70 glowsticks from glowstickfactory, cracking one open is good for at least 15 minutes of fun. Unless your on E presumably, in which case it may entertain all night... Go Chemistry!

PK is a god.. i love the Peeekster.

.:PK:. [poiinthepark founder member]


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!

Posted: 15th Jun 2001
home of poi and exothermic reactions!I am fire all the way.Pere

Posted: 17th Jun 2001
Some glow sticks are toxic, so before you go and break them open to spread on your hands and parts of body, please make sure you have NON TOXIC glow sticks. I love spinning with Fire. The sound, warmth, and overall atmosphere that fire inspires is awesome. Fear and respect tango along fires line of danger. Spinning with fire demands a trust in myself, and my spotter. The intense feeling of satisfaction and pride of a completed performance is like no other feeling - and there's no explaining. I'm much more focused when spinning with fire, and more aware of my surroundings. I enjoy spinning with glow-sticks - It's as beautiful as fire, but lengthy in it's enjoyment. I spin more freely and am more wild. Fire is almost more ritualistic, where as the glow-sticks are fun.

From the most primitive cultures to the most advanced civilizations,man has had to manufacture things;his well-being depends on his success at production.The lowest human tribe cannot survive without that alleged source of pollution: fire. Ayn Rand

Posted: 17th Jun 2001
Being a redheaded Aries....Fire all the way. Not for the danger, but I believe that fire is more beatiful...and the way Pele explains how it represents life itself, he is completly right.Quick note...i am new to this site and want to say that is great all of the knowledge I am getting from all of you. I have been performing with fire for about 6 months, being self taught and this site is a great help.------------------"Beautiful, but Dangerous......In a pyromatic way, I am her slave"

Beautiful, but Dangerous......In a pyromatic way, I am her slave

Posted: 17th Jun 2001
pj: I agree! I was practising yesterday afternoon, and kept my eyes shut, and it felt sooo out-of-this-worldly! Like, I was asleep and dreaming, but at the same time doing one of the things I most loved (Of course, I've also had a shocking amount of sleep debt lately too, but let's leave that out of it for now). The wicks weren't on fire at the time, though. When on fire, I prefer the rush of hearing them whizzing around my body. In this I have to agree with eturn80; I feel less restricted without fire, in that I have to wait till it's dark to use it, but I can just pick up the poi anytime, without fire, and jam up the volume on my cd player

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring.
TOLKIEN

Posted: 17th Jun 2001
A quick note WRT glowsticks. Although the chemicals may be non-toxic once they are mixed, that certainly does not mean that the liquid is safe! Ever hear that tinkley sound when you shake a lit glowstick? Well, that's broken glass in there, and is not something you want to put on your skin. There was one particularly wild party at the Assateague National Seashore where a friend of mine was running arround naked telling everyone, "Man, I shouldn't have put that stuff on my dick."BTW, Pyretta Blaze, are you from Easton, Maryland, or some other Easton?-p.

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 18th Jun 2001
Fire fire fire.I wonder if there is anyone on this board that has experience with both that *doesnt* think that glow comes a distant second behind fire.Fire has soo much more to it. It has a risk factor, it has warmth (somtimes a burning hotness), bright light, sound, smell, sensation. It has life. It has character. Glow has only a chemical synthetic light.fire also has a primordial essence - fire is one of those deep tribal icons that all humans can identify with...Controlling fire has always been the dream of humankind...and on a personal level, thats what fire manipulation is - a temporary controlling of fire.So yeah. fire all the way.I wouldn't classify myself as a pyromaniac (unlike some ppl on this board) however I am not about to deny the almost biological attraction I have seen in all ppl (including myself) when faced with fire...in almost all forms.Josh

Posted: 17th Jun 2001
Hey you Guyz!!!!!!!thanx for your replies so far (especially Pele) for sharing your opinions and experiences! i really enjoyed reading them...BUT.....I would still like as many more people as posible, i'd like a larger varioty to chose from, so if you could (whoever is reading this now) sign (if you havent already) THANXother than that, i was sooo impresed with your stories, that i decided to share my own. Yea, i like fire and everything, and my mother tells me that i've been playing with lighters since i was four, but i dunno, fire twirlers don't press my buttons, i'd havt ta say that my best experience, would have to be letting the UV light blair, letting my fox-tail neon blue colored poi, with the double finger grip, spin insanely while blairing the sikest sounds, and just letting go. Its you.... the techno wizard, creating these hypnotic multicolored aparitions in the dark air, each elgant gesture creating a new rythm to lose yourself, no world, no wories, just the colors, the swirls n circles, and your in control..... (i think i need i cigarete after writitn thatHE WHO CONTROLS THE SPICE CONTROLS THE UNIVERESEthank you all...

Posted: 17th Jun 2001
DUNE on sci-fi? I'm watching it too...good so far tho the book is better.I neon blue foxtails? I have never seen them. They sound very cool, better than yellow for certain.

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK

Posted: 17th Jun 2001
Heyho,I play with both fire (outdoors) and glowsticks (indoors), thought I have been experimenting with the use of sparklers inside, but that's another story...Connecting with the elements of fire and air is a deeper experience for me than connecting with a chemically made mass produced plastic tube (sorry - no offence meant to those that play exclusively with glowsticks ) I also think fire is graceful and beautiful. It's the spark within us all, the freedom to move in whichever way you choose, and the power to connect with the universe. The alchemical fire of transformation symbolism is also present.Plus, for me I love to play with the tools used to make fire toys On that, just wondering, do you think that the poi head determines your attitude to your spinning (eg. a fire head produces a different attitude and performance in your spinning than say a glowstick or a poi with another head)?

Posted: 18th Jun 2001
Hi there,I juggle a lot diabolo (3 years) balls (1 year) and poi (1 month) I tried a lot of fluorescent and phosporescent juggling material and NOBODY could possibly tell you that some artificial light is better than fire.Fire juggling gives you the brightest light and the coolest sound PLUS it's a natural element and it gives your performance a kind of mystical side. People don't look at you the same way if you juggle fire or phophorescent gear either. Fire is much more captivating for those who look at you.Yeah fire is great, I light up my first juggling balls 3 weeks ago and my fire poi last Saturday... They are great... I loved it. Thanks malcom for your 10cm wide wick Keep it burnin'

o]-[DasK]-[o

Posted: 19th Jun 2001
FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE....... I think this just about sums it up!------------------peace, love and light*TOUCH*

"Music is my mother...and my father...it is my work and my rest...my blood...my compass...my love" Jeff Buckley.

Posted: 19th Jun 2001
My belief is, it depends on what you're really after. Sure, fire is natural, it has its own vitality, it's got the glamour of danger, it's tribal, archaic, whatever you will. There is also a certain glamour in artificiality, a danger of the city in the night, of clubbing, trance, the timeless beating and throbbing of music, the fragmentation of lighting... Am I not convincing many of you here? I don't expect to, just been thinking a lot about stuff artificial (in fact I have to write an essay on the city tomorrow, and it's freaking me out), and I must say I've learnt, through my course, to appreciate something, which is not necessarily a fundamental life-force, but at least an essentially human creation.*sigh* Back to cramming [image]https://www.homeofpoi.com/ubb/images/icons/smile.gif">------------------[/image] A light from the shadows shall spring." TOLKIEN

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring.
TOLKIEN

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 19th Jun 2001
That is an interesting perspective evenstar.I haddnt considered the impact of the environment in which I spin on the tools with which I spin.I guess if I was at an indoor Rave I'd be more likely to use sticks, especially if there was no UV. I cant rememeber the last time I went to a party that was indoors that had no UV, and I much prefer UV comets to glowsticks.hmm.Most of the time when I'm spinning fire, I'm outdoors, and lot of the time I'm in a natural setting...we have a winter meeting place under a bridge with a river running past - which is great I guess, the fire / water cold / hot light / dark juxtapositioning stuff is going off! but yeah - I feel much more inclined to spin fire in natural settings...so I guess the converse is also true; I'm more inclined to spin glow or UV in artificial settings.Great point! Thanks for leading me to thinking about it.respect.Josh

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 1st Jul 2001
first and foremost i would like to continuelly thank you guyz for your replies, but anways, i just realized that when i said neon vs fire, a lot of you took "glowsticks" as my meaning. Reas two post up and you'll get what i mean. UV Comet? i dont now what that is but i think its the same as what i call, my neon fox tails, if you've ever thrown a fox tail you now what i mean. Anyways, i creates sometimes a complete path of neon glow, that can last for up to 4-5 rotations, so if you switch tricks constantly, you end up in the middle of neon blue and yellow(in my case) trails witch meat and mix, creating the effect of an actual aura, or inner glow, soround by buetiful multi colored streams of light, as the music, and other things if your lucky , kicks in! and the beat goes nuts!Be yourself, nobody else would do as good a job ---me

Posted: 2nd Jul 2001
My mom once told me that when I was child I would sit for hours staring at the burning flames, totally mesmorized by the dancing orange glow....for me ...Fire is alive, a living entity ...it can either be your best friend or your worst enemy..Yes there is a certain danger element involved but thats what makes it even more attractive that what it is. Dont get me wrong I love the glowsticks too ....but fire is definately what got me hooked to poi.Oo Pele ....loved your post ...it was very poetic! ------------------of all the things I've Lost I think I miss my mind the most

of all the things I've Lost I think I miss my mind the most

Posted: 6th Jul 2001
Whats up E? Well as people have been saying there is a time and a place for everything, and if its indoors its Neon if its Outdo its fire. I know what you are saying about the Circle and finding your self inside this mesmeric ball, if you are using fire and a natural wick when the fire goes out and you are spinning the embers that can be the most impressive thing of them all. If I have to give you a definite answer its going to be fire. Nothing else can even come close. Although if someone could figure out a way to control water and make it leave trails in the air while still being liquid and cool I would probably shift my allegiance, untill then though...

------------------
A.N.T.H.E.L.I.O.N

Posted: 6th Jul 2001
Hey whats up guys. Well I definetly have to say Im with the neon. The different color effects are the best. Don't me wrong fire is coo and you can use different fuels to get other colors but neon was my first "love"Good question, hope you do good on the reportPeace outie

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 7th Jul 2001
hi i prefur neon or uv's for practice and learnin' but fire are better for an out door performance and to get you loads of attention so keep on poiing to all------------------Kymic, Keep smiling :)

Posted: 8th Jul 2001
Fire, fire, fire, fire!!!!!!definitely!I often find myself in another world when spinning with fire. Glowsticks are cool, but they dont have the life, the power, the love that fire has. Fire is the essence, the source of life. I think that sums it up.plur

Lady bug lady bug, fly away home. Your house is on fire, and your children will burn! Ashes, ashes, all fall down!!