“Every Day is Earth Day.” This is a comment that we hear every time April 22 rolls around. While mostly lip service for most, it is a statement that we especially, as Pagans, should take to heart. The Earth really is our Mother after all, and she supports us in so many ways. Much of the time we find ourselves so consumed with our own personal matters (I know this is true for me!) that we don’t hear our fellow beings crying out for help and recognition.
This past Earth Day the Crow Women found ourselves on our yearly retreat at the beautiful and sacred space of Ardantane. We held a ritual to honor and listen to all the beings of our planet, and speak for and with them of their concerns.
We opened the ritual with a beautiful song by Gaia entitled “Pachamama” that expresses our love and respect for our Mother Earth. You can listen to it here.
Speaking for the Earth Beings
We each took a turn channeling and speaking for the various beings of our planet, from the air and water to animals, insects, and even microbes. What follows are some of the things that were voiced and learned by us.
Water That Gives Life
We are all aware that all life on this planet began with water. Without water to sustain us, everything dies. Humans have erringly assumed that there is an endless supply of water, and have taken it for granted for too long. Dumping garbage into the oceans where it “disappears” has adversely affected the food chain everywhere. Chemicals from farming have damaged rivers, lakes, and ponds, which in turn affects plants and animals that all beings depend on for food.
Many creatures have become endangered from pollution and oil slicks, most notably sea turtles. Turtle spirit spoke up for its hatchlings who are having more and more difficulty surviving. Because of lights, they become confused when trying to make it to the water. They gave blessings to the concerned people who help them get to the water.
Air That We Breathe
The air and atmosphere around the Earth gives us life and the ability to survive. Planets with no atmosphere cannot have water, and therefore no life develops there. Humans and our ancestors have enjoyed the sun-filtering effects of a multilayered atmosphere for millions of years, but in recent times have been slowly but surely destroying it. Pollution from factories, power plants, and other industry, including methane from industrial farming, have created holes in this “shield”. More carbon dioxide has also created a greenhouse effect which damages the environment in many ways including drought, more severe weather, and melting of the polar ice.
Pollution in the air also contributes to disease not only in people, but also plants and animals. All of us can tell how our breathing is affected on “low air quality” days.
Air spirits related that they have always enjoyed caressing our skin, blowing our hair, and cooling us on hot days. They ask us to be aware of the effects our carelessness can have on their health.
Plant Beings and the Soil
Humans should never underestimate the importance of trees and plants on the health of this planet. Forests are communities, working together to sustain the air that all beings need to survive. Without them, the Earth would become toxic and unlivable.
Unfortunately, many human activities adversely affect the soil and the plants which grow there. Chemicals sprayed on the land can eventually render soil infertile. Drought kills off plant life and creates desertification. Poisons in the air can cause even the rain to be harmful to plant life.
Plants are the largest food source for most beings on this planet, but they are much more than that. They can provide shelter for animals, insects, and humans. Many plants have medicinal properties that can aid us physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Plants also have much wisdom to share with us if we but listen to them. Some of the plant spirits on Ardantane’s land share love and gentleness with the humans who visit there.
Animal Brothers and Sisters
Of all the beings we share our planet with, animals are perhaps the most recognized and related to. We love and care for our pets from cats and dogs to snakes and fish. We especially relate to mammals probably because they share many of our human characteristics be they physical or emotional.
However, much of the time they are relegated to commodities and only valued for what they can give us or how they can serve us. This is especially true of domestic farm animals and certain species of wildlife. Humans often forget or dismiss animals’ importance to our ecosystem, the food chain, and indeed the survival of life on this planet. Human activity can damage and destroy ecosystems, causing endangerment and extinction of species.
Many animal spirits spoke up at our ritual, but perhaps the most insistent were polar bear, elephant, and wolf.
Polar bear has real concerns about the warming temperatures and loss of habitat. With the arctic ice breaking up, they must travel further to hunt, breed, and rest. They are forced to spend more time on land with the result of more encounters with humans, endangering bear and human alike. Females must swim further to find denning areas, becoming thin and unhealthy which affects successful cubbing.
Elephant spoke of encroachment and loss of habitat as well. Keeping family units together is becoming more difficult due to poaching and human-elephant conflict.
Wolf, who has been villianized for centuries, continues to worry about loss of habitat and being systematically hunted and driven out.
Many other animal spirits let their concerns about polluted water, not enough food, and loss of habitat be known. All of these concerns are related to human overuse of resources.
Insect and Microbe Allies
Probably among the least respected among our fellow beings are insects and microbes. This is unfortunate, because insects play a huge role in sustaining life on this planet! Insect spirits reminded us that they are responsible for much of plant pollination, which is vital in the food chain. They also provide food for many bird and animal species.
When pesticides and fertilizers kill insects, or interrupt their life cycles, they are not there to perform this part of the Cycle of Life. With temperatures and conditions changing, the timing of insect blooms and hatches are thrown off. This, in turn, causes birds and other animals to suffer, along with appropriate timing for pollination.
Microorganisms are part of the balance that maintains harmony in every environment, be it water, air, soil, or our very bodies! Antibiotics, as well as antibacterial soaps and cleansers can change this delicate and necessary balance. Microorganisms travel in the ocean and the air, the very beginning of the food chain. Pollution and climate warming damages conditions in the cauldron of life itself.
Raising Earth Healing Energy
At this point in our ritual we wanted to raise energy for the healing of all these Earth beings. Kiva has a rousing version of “The Earth is our Mother” which is wonderful for this purpose. Add rattles, drums, and dance!
We also read a stirring Prayer of Healing from the U.N. Environmental Sabbath Program.
A Prayer of Healing
Leader: We join with the earth and with each other.
All respond: To bring new life to the land
To restore the waters
To refresh the air
We join with the earth and with each other.
To renew the forests
To care for the plants
To protect the creatures
We join with the earth and with each other.
To celebrate the seas
To rejoice the sunlight
To sing the song of the stars
We join with the earth and with each other.
To recall our destiny
To renew our spirits
To reinvigorate our bodies
We join with the earth and with each other.
To create the human community
To promote justice and peace
To remember our children
We join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery: for the healing of the earth and the renewal of all life.
If you would like to see more Earth Healing prayers, there are some lovely ones on the website http://witchcraftandwitches.com.
Bringing it Home
Our planet responds to crisis conditions with dramatic upheavals that affect populations of all life—increased disastrous weather conditions, pandemics, droughts, changing birth rates—we see Mother Gaia attempting to bring back the needed balance. Can we be part of the solution? If each one of us makes an effort to do one thing: using less water, less energy, less plastic; donating to or volunteering for a worthy cause; planting a tree; the list goes on and on. Remember the little girl who carried one starfish back to the ocean—she made a difference to that one.
The idea for the Earth Council of Beings came from an article entitled “Earth Day: 12 Spiritual Practices to Honor the Earth” on the website http://spiritualityandpractice.com.
Featured photo of Earth by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Joanna Macy invented (not the right word!) the Council of All Beings.