EARTH RENEWAL
Earth Renewal. The words roll off the tongue, latent with grandiose visions of regeneration, hope and promise, of life in the act of rebirth. All this, and more, is implied.
Is it, however, a promise born of truth, or of despair? In these desperate times, when the very fabric of our societies, families, and our health is being torn apart by a life lived out of balance, are we vainly seeking for a solution in denial of the fundamental requirements placed upon us by the conditions of existence in a form-given world? The faith of the true believer in mystical salvation from the consequences of our ignorance is an act of desperation to avoid the enormity of responsibility for our choices. Daily we all participate in the active destruction of our planet through inattentive use of life-negative technologies, disrespect of each other, and a blatant disregard of our innate spiritual intelligence. Witness, for example, "environmentalists" who live within locked gate communities in formaldehyde laden houses built of forest products from the clear-cut forests of the Northwest, stuffed with every modern electrical contrivance, and sitting on a site gouged out of the earth upon leveled and terrace-staggered mountain sides, the mountain lions, coyotes and skunks obliterated from the region in the interest of keeping the neighborhood safe. Does the amelioration of conscience for a life lived in this manner really exist in the programming of yet another crystal (itself ripped from the heart of the Earth Mother in an explosive blast of the miner's dynamite) in the desire to be guided by some channeled Higher Intelligence? My soul rebels, even as I sit in acknowledged indulgence. It is this rebellion which drives these thoughts to flow from my hands upon the keyboard.
How then is the Earth Renewal Ceremonial any different from the delusional yearnings for salvation by intercedence of a divine Other? It is not, if looked upon as some 'answer' to bring about justification towards a clear conscience and instantaneous redemption of our immediate crisis. As a form of action, however, the Earth Renewal provides a clear and effective means of engaging in revolutionary spirituality.
We are the Earth. Our condition, both as a species and as individuals, is a direct expression of the state of being of the Earth. The condition of the Earth is a direct expression of our state of being. As we seek to heal ourselves, so must we dedicate that healing to the Earth. If we seek to heal the Earth, we must heal ourselves. These concepts are indelibly linked in symbiosis. No longer can we afford to ignore this most basic manifestation of life as a part of this planet. Where our rage is suppressed, the Earth enacts it through the vehicle of volcanic eruptions. Disruptive thought patterns show themselves as hurricanes of untypical force, and conflict unresolved- be it internal or international-the Earth releases in earthquakes of devastating magnitude. Where the Earth has suffered the dishonoring perpetrated by us humans in the rape, pillage and plunder of her sacred body, we experience a break down of our morals, health and sanity.
In order to turn this tide of devastation, we must re-establish our responsibility to the maintenance of harmony within the human race and, by extension, to all creatures of this Earth. The first step in this process is to humble ourselves to the simple grandeur of Earth's natural balance. Humbleness is born of humility. Humility is the expression of conscience which arrives from having been humiliated. Without a clear and immediate shift to humility, the final result of our arrogance will result in the humiliation of extinction. Only when faced with the imminence of our death are we truly motivated to change our life-threatening behavior. We are at such a point in the existence of ourselves, our planet. The need for a viable and realistic means of transforming our condition has never in known history been more pressing.
Earth Mother is Form-Giver. Humanity is the creative consciousness of the Earth Mother. By bearing witness to the form-given aspects of creation, and having the loving desire of its continuance, we birth into manifest existence the physical presence of reality as we know it. We hold this function as a responsibility- a responsibility not only for our own continued existence, but on behalf of the generations to come as well. Indeed, that the Earth endures in physical manifestation at all is the domain of human attention. Should we default upon this responsibility, the matrix of the Earth which holds form-given reality in integrity would unravel, and with it, all spirits who have interwoven their threads into the matrix would wink out of existence, as if they had never existed. Not only would we perpetrate a tragedy upon the potential generations to come, but we would have betrayed the very spiritual existence of our ancestors.
The question arises, then, 'How does the Earth Renewal Ceremony impact upon any of this?'
Through participation in the Earth Renewal Ceremony we have a means of applying spiritual principles with pragmatic and tangible results. Specifically, the aspects of the dance and song within the ceremony align our attention with our intent. This being done, the natural life-force (power) of the Earth Mother is drawn through our movements in alignment with our attention, and given the expression of our intent via our voice. The resultant abundant re-greening of plant life and significant re-establishment of normal weather patterns in the area where the ceremony has been performed, the physical sense of well being and healing which occurs during the ceremony, and the awakening of one's inner sense of purpose and place upon the planet all attest to the effectiveness of the Earth Renewal as a means of actualizing spiritual impact upon our selves and the world.
We dance our steps to each of the four quarters, arms open in supplication to the Spirit of that direction; stepping back to our beginning point, we draw forth the Power of that direction. Spinning and turning, we wrap the threads of power upon our spindle of consciousness. Completing our circle of dance, we sing the spirit-threads forth along the shuttle of intent, weaving the tapestry of creation.
Moon Woman's droning dance about Earth's orb empowers our song of life's continual death and renewal.
Drum's booming beat insinuates faith in the Great Mystery, reminding us of Sun Father's eternal return each day, warming us in light after the dark night's chill.
Singing the Earth awake in the Spring, we call the forces of life into exuberant expression. In dancing the celebration of life in Summer, joy is spread through our heart into the world. When we sing the Earth asleep in the Fall, our Mother gives-away her bounty of abundance to sustain our life during her Winter's sleep. As she sleeps, we dream her Dreams, setting forth anew the Dream of Creation.
Myth? Absolutely. Myth is the reality of the Soul, and it is Soul which drives our experiences of life and how we perceive the nature of form-given reality. To be effective, spiritually, in the world, we must embody the Mythos of our dreams.
To effect transformative impact requires action. The Earth Renewal Ceremony provides the opportunity to bring into expression the innate human need to experience relationship with all life, and to do so in the manner of creation that is our birth-right. It is not just participation in a ceremony of beauty however, it is a way of actually doing something powerful and being impactful in the world by spiritual means.
Just as the current production/consumer ideology has alienated us from any sense of fulfillment from our work endeavors, so has the culturally imposed isolation from our living environment brought about a spiritual depression which is curable not by ingesting more drugs and endless therapy, but by wrapping ourselves in a beautiful blanket and sitting around a campfire beneath the stars, taking a walk in a forest filled with bird-song, sipping water from a fresh flowing spring-all with a deep sense of awe and appreciation in the wonders of Life.
It is when we participate in Life, in acknowledgment of the richness of Life, that Life is renewed and perpetuates itself. Let us join together in the ceremony which celebrates Life, which actuates our participation in Life's wonder-Earth Renewal!
