Earlier this month, I presented an Earthseed ritual at the Earth Traditions Oasis festival.  I think it went well, if the discussion at the end was any indication.  There were eight participants, not including myself and my daughter. 

In the first part of the workshop, I shared the story of Lauren’s evolution toward the concept of God as Change.  The second part of the workshop was an adaptation of the Elements Ritual that has been posted here previously.  And the last part was a ritual using clay to experience the concept of Shaping God.

The script below is for anyone wanting to borrow or adapt it.

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Ritual

(Text to be spoken is in bold.  Text to be repeated by participants is also underlined. Instructions are in regular text.)

Opening

Now we’re going to move into our first ritual.  The verses that you will hear come from the Book of the Living.  I want to remind you that, if the word God is problematic for you and will keep you from being present with us, then I invite you to say the word “Goddess” instead.

Everyone take a deep breath and take a moment to center yourselves in the here and now.

We’re going to be burning sage.  If you are allergic, please step out of the circle and to a comfortable distance until that portion is over.

 Turn back into your circles

I’ll need one person from each group to be helpers, to help me carry elements from the table back to your group and to bring the items to those who have mobility issues.

Please one person from each group raise your hand.  Ok, you know who you are.  When I ask for the helpers to come up, do so.

Opening

Strike the gong.

Pause.

All that we Touch

We Change

Recite after me the last two words I say

Echo the last two words

All that we touch

We Change.

All that we Change

Changes us.

The only lasting truth

Is Change.

God

Is Change.

The Elements

Pause.

The universe is Godʼs self-portrait.

Create no images of God.

Accept the images

that God has provided.

They are everywhere,

in everything.

Repeat the following:

God is Change—

Seed to tree,

tree to forest;

Rain to river,

river to sea;

Grubs to bees,

bees to swarm.

From one, many;

from many, one;

Forever uniting,

growing, dissolving—

forever Changing.

Pause.

We’ll now begin a meditation on the many faces of God the many shapes Change takes.

Strike the gong.

Water

Helpers, please come and take a bowl of water back to your group.  Place a bowl of water in the center of each circle.

Helpers stir the water with your finger.

Pause.

Chaos

Is God’s most dangerous face—

Amorphous, roiling, hungry.

Shape Chaos—

Shape God.

Act.

Alter the speed

Or the direction of Change.

Vary the scope of Change.

Recombine the seeds of Change.

Transmute the impact of Change.

Seize Change.

Use it.

Adapt and grow.

Take turns scoop water from the bowl in your hands and letting it fall back into the bowl.

As you do this, think about a change in your life that has been rapid and hard to hold, that slipped through your fingers like water and flows through your lives like a rushing river.

Repeat these instructions.

Wait 20-30 seconds.

Strike the gong.

Repeat the following:

God is Change

Shape God

Air/Wind

Helpers bring your bowls back and pick up a bowl of incense.

Pause.

We do not worship God.

We perceive and attend God.

We learn from God.

Say: We Learn From God.

Pause. 

With forethought and work,

We shape God.

Say: We Shape God.

Pause. 

In the end, we yield to God.

We adapt and endure,

For we are Earthseed

And God is Change.

Say: God is Change.

Pause.

Take turns waving the incense toward yourself.  Breathe in and out intentionally, and think about a change in your life that was caused by agencies which were invisible to you, change that blow through your life like the wind.

Repeat these instructions.

Wait 20-30 seconds.

Strike the gong.

Repeat the following:

God is Change

Shape God

Fire

Helpers return the incense and take the candle.

Pause.

A victim of God may,

Through shortsightedness and fear,

Remain Godʼs victim,

Godʼs plaything,

Godʼs prey.

Say: God’s victim. God’s Plaything. God’s Prey.

Pause. 

Or a victim of God may,

Through learning and adaption,

Become a partner of God,

Say: Partner of God

Pause. 

A victim of God may,

Through forethought and planning,

Become a shaper of God.

Say: Shaper of God

Pause.

Take turns passing your hand over the flame and feel the bite of the flame. 

Now take the paper that your wrote on take turns and burning it in the fire.  As you watch the paper burn, think about a change in your life that consumed as it transformed, the kind of change that was painful, and yet necessary.

Repeat these instructions.

Wait 20-30 seconds.

Strike the gong.

Repeat the following:

Shape Change

Shape God

Earth/Clay

Helpers return the candles and take the plate of clay:

Pause.

God is Power—

Repeat the following:

Infinite,

Irresistible,

Inevitable,

Indifferent.

Pause.

And yet, God is Pliable—

Pause.

Repeat the following:

Trickster,

Teacher,

Chaos,

Clay.

Pause.

God exists to be shaped.

God is Change.

Play with the clay.  Feel it in your fingers.  We will be using it more purposefully later to shape something.  For now, just play with it.

As you do that, think about a change that has happened in your life that was slow and yet inevitable, change that happens over years, over a lifetime, like the slowly churning earth. 

Repeat.

Wait 20-30 seconds.

Strike the gong.

Repeat the following:

God is Change

Shape God

Life

Turn your attention to your body.  Place your hand over your heart, or your navel.  Whatever feels right.

Pause.

Repeat the following:

We have lived before.

we will live again.

We will be

Stone,

Silk,

Mind,

Star.

We will be scattered,

Gathered,

Molded,

We will live

And we will serve life.

We will shape God

And God will shape us

Again, always and forevermore.

Meditate for a while on the changing nature of your life and all Life.

Repeat these instructions.

Wait 20-30 seconds.

Strike the gong.

Repeat the following:

God is Change

Shape God

Closing

Pause.

As wind,

As water,

As fire,

As life,

God

Is both creative and destructive,

Demanding and yielding,

Sculptor and clay.

God is Infinite Potential:

God is Change.

Strike the gong three times.

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In the next post, I’ll shared the part where we used clay to experience Shaping God.