Sacred Earth Prayer Circle Facebook Mar. 26, 2012
This evening I light my candle, one of the scents of the sea. The saltiness of the air, the sound of the waves, the gulls calling overhead, the sun warmed sand between my toes.
We walk along the long beach in our bare feet, avoiding the seaweed, collecting driftwood, and seeing our footprints wash away in the surf. Many of us are filling our bags or pockets with shells and pieces of coral. A flock of low flying pelicans pass us as they search for their dinner in the calm ocean waters. As we walk along we see some dolphins playing just off the coast.
The gentle sea breeze plays with our hair and the sea oats along the shoreline. We walk across a shallow spot, where mangroves are snuggled into the cove. The water is so shallow the sand looks pink under it. Tiny little fish nibble at our toes, and while it is nice we continue on down the beach. We come to a beautiful spot where the palm trees seem to form a perfect circle, a perfect spot to have our gathering. Until we walk on this spot, the sand was smooth, only the prints of tiny bird feet and crabs who have crossed this sand since the last storm. We place the wood we gathered along the way into a small pyramid and start our fire. The breeze is almost gone now, the gentle waves have calmed even more to just a slow steady lapping on the beach. A few gulls and other birds have gathered to watch what we are doing, but stay back from the fire. The air is still warm and the sand is holding the heat from the day. We can see only blackness as we look out to the horizon now, the sun has gone down, the only difference between the sea and sky are the stars, and with their reflections we can’t see where one ends and the other begins.
When someone tosses a piece of driftwood back out into the sea, we all turn to watch it slowly float out to continue on its journey to another place, another time, we watch until it disappears. “Look up!” it’s a shooting star, and then another. We are blessed to be gathered together to watch this show.
We each have brought gifts to share, herbs to cleanse this Sacred Space of sage, cedar and sweetgrass. Each person in our circle, one by one, adds something to the fire. A poem, a story, a prayer.
Suddenly the birds that have remained fly up in a rush. Through the brush comes a golden retriever, he just comes over and joins the circle, as if he had been with us all along. We all reach out to him but he sits there and appears to smile. He accepts petting but never moves, watching the logs and rising smoke. A slight scent of wet dog has mingled with the salty air. He has come to let those who feel lonely that none of us are ever alone. We are all connected by the web of life. All paths are always welcome here. and within the circle of friends who post here may you find great strength and companionship.
Tonight as I think of ones who are in need of healing and prayers, I also look out at all of you, and see you too have needs. I have brought some lovely leaves of variegated arbor vitae to symbolize the undying friendships we are forming from many cultures, to place in our fire and ask that they bring us to new friends and new awareness of each other. I also have some Iris blossoms to ask that we respect and honor each other and Mother Earth. With these offerings I ask each of you in your own time to take the talking stick and share your stories, prayers and blessings with us all.
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