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 Earth Day Spirit Ritual Planning guide for Circle's Earth Day 2000 ritual (see page 55). 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. |