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EARTH DAY 2006
Attunement time: 3.00pm
by Elen J Williams
(article written in 2004. *Edited on 2006. Art works: Chronian Tilt & RedTide (c) N.Mani1996 ).
For sixteen* years the PF has dedicated a day each Spring to affirm and celebrated the PF’s First Principle:
“Love for and kinship with Nature. Reverence for the Life Force and its ever-renewing cycles of life and death”
We have all experienced that lift of the heart as the sun strikes green and gold through the Springtime woods and the sense of oneness with all life when Autumn fruits abound in the hedgerows. The First Principle gives expression to what is for many an intense inner experience and enables them to say, “That’s what I am - I’m a Pagan!” They discover with delight that they are not alone and that there is opportunity to celebrate with others the changing seasons and the miracles of life, death and renewal. A warm welcome to all those who have joined the PF since the last Earth Day.
With awareness of our oneness with the Earth as a sacred living being comes the appalled realisation of the potentially devastating impact of humanity on the biosphere. We are part of Nature and as such have our place in the dance of life, a dance that has always produced temporary but self correcting imbalances. Now the gathering momentum of technological advance threatens to push the imbalance beyond recovery. But even within humanity we see the self-correcting impulse in Nature manifesting in the increasingly influential Green movement. Pagans surely have their part to play in this aspect of the dance. It is not sufficient to feel the warm glow that “Love for and kinship with Nature” brings: Earth Day is when we dedicate ourselves to living a Pagan life. Pagans do not condone battery farming or the fact that more than half the human race does not have enough to eat, nor the pollution of earth, air, water and the genetic code of plants and animals in a heedless greed for profits, nor the devastation brought by wars. The enormity of the problem is overwhelming and no one can take on all these issues. Each has to choose where we put our energy, whether to join an ecological, humanitarian or political organisation, or simply to concentrate on leading a more Pagan lifestyle, saving energy, recycling rubbish, making compost, avoiding pesticides etc.
Earth Day has Evolved
Earth Day began as “Earth Healing Day”, with rituals to heal the hurts of the Earth inflicted by humanity. But it was realised that the Earth, if given a chance, is immensely resilient and can heal herself. It is humanity that needs to change. It became Earth Day with an emphasis on ritual directed to change the hearts and minds of people, especially those wielding economic and political power. Habits of thought and behaviour are very hard to shift, especially when they are institutionalised in national and commercial organisations. It is like trying to make a large ship turn round and go in the opposite direction. But each Earth Day ritual or personal attunement adds a little energy to the cosmic forces trying to turn that ship around.
Ritual also has an effect on its participants: An Earth Day ritual is an opportunity for each of us to strengthen our own resolve to do more to protect the Earth and to share ideas as to what can be done. Several on-going projects have developed from Earth Day events.
What else can we do to make Earth Day effective? A growing trend is to organise events that include ecological action such as litter picking, river cleaning and tree planting. Starhawk, famous Pagan activist on ecological and political issues, is of the opinion that the main effect of many rituals on major issues is only to make the participants feel good! In her view, public action undertaken with magical intent has more effect. Many Pagans are of a practical turn of mind and prefer some sort of positive action to ritual. There are many opportunities to make a practical contribution to a better environment; some examples are given below.
Make Earth Day Happen - Together we can make a difference
Put the date in your diary now and discuss it in your moot, grove, coven and family. Resolve that on Sunday, 18th April at 3.00pm, you will contact the power within the Earth, being aware of the great company of Pagans also tuning in, and with all your magical will affirm “Love for and kinship with Nature” and send out its living energy to bring about change.
We ask that the attunement be done, if possible, on the specified day and time for maximum magical impact. If a group ritual or event, however small, can be organised for the same day, that would be wonderful and I hope that many will be. But be imaginative. Concern for the Earth is not a one-day-a year affair but part of Pagan living. Include it in your Beltane celebration or your regional Spring conference, or organise it to coincide with another organisation’s local conservation event.
Anyone can organise an Earth Day event and it doesn’t have to be held on the actual day, nor even once a year. Many conservation organisations have on-going projects for which they desperately need volunteer help. Local sacred sites and beauty spots require frequent
attention to keep them free of litter (and the candle wax of heedless Pagans!) It is usually best to plant trees in the Autumn and more litter is dropped on beaches and in parks in the Summer. You don’t have to trek to the countryside: inner city green spaces are often in urgent need of restoration and conservation. Use the weeks before Earth Day to plan what you might do and the best time to do it. And on Earth Day itself, affirm you intention to do it.
Events are Fun!
All reports of Earth Day events have one thing in common: they are fun! The work is often hard, and even unpleasant (some rubbish is disgusting), but there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie and shared achievement. Depending on the type of event, children are usually welcome Events are also very good PR for Paganism. It is up to you whether you say you are a Pagan, but most ecological organisations are Pagan friendly and it promotes the cause of Paganism to show that Pagans are normal, caring people. Local newspapers are often interested in seeing what local people are doing. (I recently had my photo in the local paper disguised as a wheelie bin in a campaign by Friends of the Earth to get the local authority to do more recycling.) Here are some practical Earth Day activities that enterprising Pagans have organised:
- Clearing a wasteland to turn it into a community space.
- Raising money and helping to plant oak trees in a local park
- Adopting a sacred site, making frequent visits to keep it in a good state;
- Clearing known beauty spots and campsites of rubbish
- Clearing a choked up waterway
- Working with the Countryside Warden to collect and burn tree prunings
- Planting hedgerows.
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The PF London organised a gathering at Queen’s Wood for this event. Following litter picking, there was a ritual - then discussions and affirmations on how individuals and the group can make positive changes to the well-being of the Earth and environment. Details doon. (facilitated by Jean Williams). In keeping with these initiatives, we will be developing this section with themes of the Environment- animals, plants, land and people!