Earth Day Spirit Ritual
by Selena Fox
Over the years I have created and facilitated a variety of interreligious
and multicultural Ecospirituality rituals as part of celebrations
of the environmental awareness holiday, Earth Day (April 22), and
at other times of the year. In connection with the 30th anniversary
of Earth Day in 2000 and coming out of my participation in the Parliament
of the World's Religions in 1999, I have begun the Earth Day Spirit
Project to aid in the creation and facilitation of such rituals
for Earth Day celebrations across the planet. I am collecting materials
from others as well as creating some myself, including the prayer
and the ritual outline presented here.
Selena Fox
Circle Sanctuary
Earth Day Spirit Ritual
by Selena Fox
Planning guide for Circle's Earth Day 2000
ritual (see page 55).
Feel free to adapt it for use in your own Earth Day festivities.
Gathering In. Participants assemble
to sounds of drums, flutes, and/or or other music.
Welcome. Introductions, overview
of ritual & purpose.
Sacred Place, Sacred Circle. Honoring
& attuning to the locale, plus consecrating the ritual circle
& participants.
Divine Attunement. In silence with
participants connecting with the Sacred as each knows It, followed
by an OM chant for attuning to Divine Unity and community spirit.
Earth Day Attunement. Invoking the
Spirit of Earth Day with readings, music, and/or reflections on
this ecofestival.
Honoring Human Diversity. Participants
call out names of their present & ancestral cultures, nations,
religions, and ethnicities; reading or guided meditation on ancient
and/or future ways of humans harmonizing with Nature; honoring past
& future generations.
Honoring the Elements. Healing Prayer
for Planetary Wellness (below) and/or
readings, invocations, chants, or meditations on Earth, Air, Fire,
Water, and Spirit.
Honoring Creatures. Silent reflection
on personal relationships with individual creatures and species;
one or more chants, readings, prayers about specific animals and/or
the realm of creatures.
Honoring Plants. Silent reflection
on personal relationships with various plants; one or more chants,
readings, prayers about specific trees, herbs, other plants and/or
the plant realm.
Mother Earth Attunement. Reading
or song celebrating Planet Earth, followed by personal silent reflections
on being part of the greater Circle of Life on this Planet and expressing
loving appreciation to the Divine as the Goddess, Mother Earth.
EcoAction Blessings. Personal reflections
on specific actions each can take to contribute to greater planetary
wellness, followed by empowerment energy raising through rhythms,
chanting, and/or dancing. Stones or other objects can be blessed
and later taken home by participants as a reminders of their ecoactions.
Thanksgivings & Farewell. Expressions
of thanksgiving to Divine forces invoked; ritual closure such as
uncasting the circle; closing prayer/benediction.
.
|