Our actions are preceded by thought. The speed with which we act does not negate the presence of thought in that action. In acting towards the Earth, we need to remind ourselves to act with respect. One way that this has been done through the ages is with ritual.
After having watched a Hopi ritual, deep ecologist and activist John Seed commented, “...and these people had been doing this regularly for thousands and thousands of years. ...therapies are supposed to come to an end. These ceremonies and rituals have no end. Perhaps the tendency to lose our connection with the living Earth is very ancient. Perhaps it began as soon as we began to think? What else could explain the fact that every intact indigenous culture that we look at has, at it's root, a series of ceremonies and rituals whereby the human community acknowledges and nourishes it's interconectedness with the land and the rest of the Earth community?”
Below is a short ritual which you can explore in nature, in a park, or even with a plant in your home. Although I think that it is at it most powerful when practised openly, when you are comfortable with working with this activity, it can be used just as well in a busy area as in a quiet, private setting. I hope that you enjoy it. This ritual is borrowed from the work of Dr. John Scull, with gratitude.
1. With one or more companions, go to a natural or semi-natural area - a park, riverside, forest, field or whatever is available.
2. Read these instructions together and discuss them so that there is shared understanding.
3. Go out individually and silently into the natural area, agreeing to meet again in about 20 minutes.
4. As you walk along, sense your natural attractions. When you are attracted to a plant or tree, ask for permission to visit it. If you feel permission is denied, move on.
5. If you feel you have permission, sit with the plant and explore it with your senses.
6. Breathe with the plant, exchange gases. Imagine how the plant is providing you with oxygen and you are providing the plant with carbon dioxide. Both you need each other.
7. When your time is up, express your gratitude to the plant and natural area.
8. When you gather together again, take turns describing what happened and how it felt. There is no need to interpret, explain or compare experiences. Just share them without judgement.
9. Thank each other for doing this activity together.
10. When you have finished, ask yourself how you feel.
11. Journal, draw or use some other medium to express and explore your experience if this feels appropriate.