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Editor: Ian Mowll

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GreenSpirit Vision Statement

Creation Spirituality is a search for an authentic spirituality for our time, asking deep questions about the human spirit and its true relationship with the planet. It proclaims an urgent need to revive ancient insights of the whole created order as being sacred, worthy of infinite respect and love. With this view, we will never be able casually to witness suffering, or pollute, destroy and deface nature, because of our attitude of reverence. Such a profound insight radically revises attitudes, actions and reactions in every field of human activity.

This tradition is a very different way of perceiving the world and our place in it, and provides a means of personal, political, and cultural transformation for our 'civilisation' whose values are proving so corrupt. Creation Spirituality represents the dissenting voice, the human longing for meaning and wholeness - suppressed and largely lost, but still present, even in our time. It is mystical in the sense of perceiving and savouring, with child like wonder, the awesome delight of our world, our cosmos and each other. Whilst respecting ancient wisdom within the major religious traditions and native cultures, especially our own forbears the Celtic Christians, it also embraces the excitement of the new creation story revealed by the latest scientific developments. This creation process is ongoing as the universe is ever expanding . We are each invited to play a unique role in this sacred unfolding, as co-creators with the divine, using our imagination, creativity, wisdom and logic.

Motivated by compassion and seeing our world as interconnected and sacred, Creation Spirituality is vitally concerned with the depth and extent of poverty, pain and injustice. Darkness and suffering are not to be evaded, but faced squarely, entered into, befriended even and our personal responsibility owned and grieved. Addictions need to be named and faced honestly, especially that of all-pervading materialism which so captivates us all.

Creation Spirituality challenges us:

to honour the web of life, to seek 'the pattern that connects'; to perceive the total interconnectedness of the cosmos and to recognise the oneness of the whole; to place the human not at the peak of creation, but in a relationship of interdependence. to honour diversity, affirm differences and value voices from the margins; to value women's wisdom and the prophetic voice of artist and poet; to let go of the compulsion to dominate and to control. to embrace mystery, paradox and uncertainty; to learn to think "both...and" rather than "either...or"; to repair the ravages of dualistic thinking, separation and fragmentation. to demand a great more of our religious traditions and in the process revitalise them; to see the whole of creation as a sacrament, a channel of grace; to behold Nature as a great teacher and revelation of the divine.

These concepts are cosmic in their breadth and implication. Trying to catch them in these few concentrated phrases is quite inadequate. Much meditation, prayer, experiential and inner work is necessary to lift them off the page and to form a solid foundation and holistic perspective for our lives. Then we can be truly at home in all aspects of life, whether in pleasure or pain, action or contemplation, since the divine is to be found in all of these experiences. As we each individually do this, we help create a peace-making, ecological and just world community.

Encouragement

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever does" - Margaret Mead (anthropologist and polymath)

"The Universe is omnicentric. Every place in the universe is the centre of the Universe" - Brian Swimme

You are the centre of your own universe.

Think globally, act locally

How you might start a local GreenSpirit group

All you need to do to start a local GreenSpirit group is to agree with the GreenSpirit vision statement.

Financial support
GreenSpirit will provide up to £50 to help you start your own local group - subject to approval by council. This could go towards such things as the hire of a hall, postage or speaker costs.

Some Ideas
A common theme from experienced local group co-ordinators is to suggest that you start off with a small group and get to know each other. You can share the organisational tasks and encourage different perspectives to be brought into the group. You could write to local GreenSpirit members to form a support group.

Some groups find that one meeting a month is about right Meeting in people's homes to begin with helps you to get to know each other Follow your passion and interests. This helps to provide the life-energy of the group

Advertising your group

Contact people in your area who are interested in new approaches to spirituality. You can find them through a variety of places, e.g. Church groups on social justice, feminist theology and Christian ecology; New Age groups and centres; holistic health centres; environmental and peace groups. You can offer contributions to their noticeboards, newsletters or meetings. People can come to Creation Spirituality from any direction.

From a national perspective, the following resources are available:

The GreenSpirit Membership Directory Mailing labels for GreenSpirit or GreenSpirit sympathetic people in your area Advertise your local group in the GreenSpirit Journal Advertise your local group on the GreenSpirit webpages ( www.greenspirit.org.uk) Create a poster

For each of these resources, contact Ian Mowll – tel: 020 7287 2741)

Ideas for Meetings

Celebrate the Celtic year
Build your celebrations on the traditional ideas associated with each festival, equinox or solstice. Caitlin Matthew's book "Celtic Devotional" is one of many sources of information.
Celebrating the Celtic year

Celebrate the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality: Celebration and Reflection on the Four Paths

Cosmic Walk
Trace the 14 billion year journey from the big-bang to the present day by walking one step (half a metre) for 5 million years. This walk gives you an idea of this amazing journey. What is striking about this experience is that recorded human history will be the last half a millimetre of the journey, such a small part of the whole journey.
A resource booklet about Cosmic Walks "Walking the Sacred Story" has been written by Erna and Michael Colebrook and can be bought from the GreenSpirit Books website at www.greenspirit.org.uk/books or phone 01985 215679. Alternatively, you may find that a member of the GreenSpirit movement would be happy to run a Cosmic Walk for you or give you some advice. Try Chris Clarke, Michael Colebrook, Alan Shephard or Ian Mowll.

Night out under the stars
Here is an example of the Southampton group's "Night out under the stars" held in August 2000. Don Hills writes:
"We started off with about 18 of us meeting at a pub in the New Forest where we shared a meal. After the meal, one member gave a short talk about the distance of the stars from us and another about the different constellations we would be seeing. We then walked to our overnight stop, stopping on a few occasions. Firstly, for a quiet meditation which felt quite magical. Secondly by a river where we celebrated with circle dancing and singing. And finally by the "splash bridge" where most people chose a stone which they cast into the water; either to leave something behind or to look towards the future.
Then, those people who were not staying overnight left and went back. This left about 10 of us, we advanced up a hill, drank some fruit juice and hot punch, got into our sleeping bags, laid back and watched the stars and constellations come into view. We had a good feeling of being together, lying back and looking at the night sky. One or two in the group gave the odd remark and then slowly, we started to go to sleep.
When we awoke, there was a ground mist in the valleys which was quite spectacular. We gradually packed up and went back down the hill, walking past several New Forest ponies on the way. We found our cars and drove to a place where we had breakfast, reflected on the night out and said goodbye to each other"

Celebration and Reflection on the 4 Paths
Celebrating the 4 paths of Creation Spirituality; via positiva, via negativa, via creativa and via transformativa, can provide a useful way of encompassing different aspects of the spiritual journey. See Rituals.

Other Ideas

Videos with a discussion
This is a safe and relatively easy evening to run. Videos such as "The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos" or "The Burning Times" often go down well.

Dances of Universal Peace
Is an effective way of bringing a group together through movement. You may find that it helps to invite a teacher or someone experienced in these dances. You can find information about publications, tapes and experienced facilitators at http://www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org.uk/

Body Prayer
This is movement with meditation. The book "Prayers of the Cosmos" explains some simple body prayers but you can make up or adapt your own.

Creativity and Sharing
Encourage creativity through drawing, movement, stories and other forms of self-expression. Share your favourite readings, poetry or music.

Local Action
Have an evening of writing to your local MP about social or ecological issues. You can share your experiences in your group about what you are doing locally. Or you could get involved as a group with environmental clean-ups, campaigning with other local groups or national events such as "One World Week".

Guided Meditation
Have a guided meditation. Perhaps swimming with dolphins, journeying through a deep forest or gliding through the stars and galaxies - the Cosmos is there to explore!

Get Out and About
Enjoy the countryside, explore local ancient holy places or star-gaze with kindred spirits by a camp-fire.

Also
Look at the GreenSpirit Journals or visit the website at www.greenspirit.org.uk and find out what other groups are doing. Talk to other GreenSpirit local group co-ordinators and find out what they have done.

Resources

These books and tapes are available from Alan Shephard; Tel: 01985-215679 – or visit the website at www.greenspirit.org.uk/books .

Resources - Books

Walking the Sacred Story. A New Ritual for Celebrating the Universe
by Erna and Michael Colebrook
This is essentially a workbook explaining how to plan and conduct a cosmic time-walk. Retelling the new universe story while walking, so that we may regain a sense of perspective and of belonging to the Earth.
Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World
by Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown
A truly inspiring and practical guide, this is a most valuable update of her earlier work, and will be welcomed throughout the world by all those concerned with peace, sprit, eco-activism and education.
Prayers of the Cosmos
by Neil Douglas-Klotz (translator)
These prayers are good to use in meetings to provide a meditation or prayer on a cosmic theme. These are translated from the Aramaic and so combine authenticity with a cosmic dimension. Joanna Macy writes: "For many of us who want to peel away centuries of dualistic, patriarchal forms and recover the life-affirming beauty of our Christian roots, nothing could be more welcome than this exquisite little volume."
Songs for Eathlings: A Green Spirituality Songbook by Julie F. Middleton
We just don't sing enough; singing opens the heart for spirit to enter. Here are 433 sacred and secular songs, chants, hymns and rounds celebrating Earth and all of us who live here. Songs for earth/air/fire/water, cycles of life, wheel of the year, rituals, relationships etc etc. A most useful resource in its sphere.
Celtic Devotional: Daily Prayers and Blessings by Caitlin Matthews
This is an outstanding production which draws on all traditions of Celtic culture. It is most attractively illustrated.

Resources - Videos

New Universe Story Videos
The Unfolding Story. Featuring Thomas Berry, Miriam Therese MacGillis, Charlene Spretnak, John B. Cobb and others, this video has wonderful images and music, and is a first class short introduction to new cosmology. Very accessible, and a good lead-in to the more substantial Swimme tapes listed below. 29mins.
Cosmogenesis. Using space images from NASA, Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris weaves a moving and poetic story of the 15 billion years of cosmic evolution. Plus Journey of a Silica Atom. In this intriguing tale one experiences the incredible interconnectedness of all our planet's geology and biology in a single living system. 7 mins.& 10 mins
The Earth's Imagination by Brian Swimme
"In this new video series, Brian challenges us once again to think universally...[he] helps the layperson and the scientist alike to look respectfully at the body of knowledge that is now available to us, and to understand how that information can help humanity begin to be a positive force in earth's future. In The Earth's Imagination, Brian helps us stand atop this mountain of information and look back to where we've come as a species and forward to the potential we have as a gift to the ongoing evolution of the Universe. He demonstrates how the traits that allowed us to survive and flourish in the Cenozoic Era have continued with destructive consequences beyond their time into the present day. With the intellect of a scholar and the imagination of a poet, Brian Swimme ignites in us "the power to give shape to the moment."- Debbie Collins. Set of four videos, consisting of eight parts totalling 3½ hours.
The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos: Science, Religion and Cosmology. by Brian Swimme
From the Californian scientist/mystic: "It is simply not human to live a life sealed off from all conscious contact with those powers at work throughout the universe and Earth and within every one of our cells." In three parts, total running time of 80 mins.
Canticle to the Cosmos by Brian Swimme
In this acclaimed 12 part series, the physicist sets out a scientific account of the universe with enthusiastic feeling for its wonder and permeating sacredness. He draws from both scientific and sacred traditions, and seeks solutions to our environmental challenges. This series was filmed at the Institute of Culture and Creation Spirituality, California, and was designed to be used as part of a curriculum, for small group study, or for individual enrichment. Each part is an hour in length and is complete in itself. The study guide contains summaries, process exercises and discussion questions. Each tape lasts 1 hour.