For me earth honoring rituals are those where participants seek to relate in conscious ways with the spirits or powers of a specific place, typically in public parks or other wild areas that are less dominated by human presence; however, urban and indoor environments can also support place-focused, earth-honoring ceremonies. The intention of such rituals can vary widely and often include some element of greeting and engaging the spirits of place, staying open to receive blessings from the local powers, working personal growth edges in alignment with the qualities of place, and making ritual gestures that support repair, reconciliation, and healing from past human harms (e.g., extraction of materials without permission, presence of troubled dead and history of conflict, human construction without permission, desecration of natural sanctuaries and power places).
Fern mandala along Upper Guadalupe Creek
Earth-honoring community rituals I have offered over the past five years include:
- Five-day prayer walk on Mt Diablo
- Peace tree ceremonies to honor the ancestors of place
- Salmon welcoming back ceremony
- Community grief rituals
- Day quests in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Rituals to welcome back rains
- Ceremonies to feast the local mountain spirits
- Animal medicine intensive near Mt St Helena
- Five annual week-long summer wilderness quests near Mt Shasta (2007-2011)
- Reconciliation rituals for past mining activities at Almaden Quicksilver and Black Diamond Mines
- Honoring ceremonies for Cougar, Dolphin & Whale, Burrowing Owl, Snake, the Oaks, etc.
Chinook salmon returning to spawn
Earth Medicine Training (ongoing). This training began in 2008 as a ceremonial working group that met for one full day a month, circling San Francisco Bay at different parks and natural areas. In subsequent years we have focused our year-long cycle along directional and elemental themes (2009: South Bay and Earth, 2010: North Bay and Water, 2011: East Bay and Fire, 2012: Peninsula and Wind/Air). In January we begin the fifth year-long series, and spaces are currently full (click here for flyer). I’m also available to facilitate intentional ritual time in wilderness for individuals and small groups.
Please see the calendar of events for more info on upcoming earth-honoring rituals and trainings.
