What is it to be ‘green’ and spiritual?
To live according to the parameters of GreenSpirit, I muse that, for me, my journey is perhaps more in tune with nature mysticism, as I connect on a deep, inner level to the One energy and Source of Gaia and Life, including the myriad lifeforms that share this incredible, priceless planet with us.
Life on Earth is full of ebbs and flows, ups and downs, linear vs non-linear, as part of our third-dimensional, duality consciousness existence. Thus, it is only natural or expected that even the most dedicated of us will have a ‘Humpty Dumpty’ time (or several of them) as we progress on our Path of Life. So… is it easier for a city dweller or a rural bumpkin to awaken to Green Spirituality?
Growing up in Scarborough (a suburb of Toronto, Canada), as a child I played outdoors almost every day, and in wintertime, tobogganed down the three large hills behind our apartment building, landing with glee in the semi-frozen, shallow ravine, below. In my innocence, I felt at peace, protected and at one with Nature and Life.
As a pre-teen, I sang outdoors, unabashedly, by myself (yet not really by myself) songs that I learned in school such as Scarborough Fair.
In my teens, I walked to and from high school (a one-and-a-half mile walk each way) through parks and natural, open areas, again feeling at peace, protected and at one with Nature and Life.
In my 20s, I cross-country skied in the forests of Southern Ontario, and on one occasion, in the mountains of Vermont (USA), again experiencing the Oneness and overall sense of awe and wonder.
While I was married, I still skied and felt one with Nature, spending a lot of time outdoors in parks and by the lake. Here, my inner sense of the Nature Spirits came alive in earnest, which I found very profound and wondrous, enhancing and expanding my connection with Nature and the Earth.
In the 1990s, I spent considerable time visiting with friends who lived in a hamlet (village) in rural Ontario, on a peaceful property surrounded by stately trees and a fresh-flowing, pristine river; again I felt more at peace, protected and loved there than I did in the cement jungle of the city. Also at that time, I discovered a uniquely-gifted UK novelist, Mary Webb, who wove into her stories lyrical, mystical descriptions of the pre-19th century English countryside, especially in and around Shropshire. Her stunning work has been praised internationally and referred to as ‘nature mysticism’ at its best. I became entirely smitten with Ms Webb’s work, savouring several of her books, with her most-known Precious Bane as my favourite. (This novel was made into a BBC show on Masterpiece Theatre in the ’90s.)
In the early 2000s, I began working in the Interfaith community, specifically with the Golden Rule materials and poster, sometimes working out of town at conferences held in beautiful, green surroundings – an even greater experience for me, combining my professional work with my growing love for Nature and the Earth. And at that time, inspired by the Golden Rule, the Green Rule was born: Do unto the Earth as you’d have it do unto you, which I resonate with more than the Golden Rule, in many ways.
In this connection, I also participated for several years in an annual Interfaith Retreat in rural Ontario, at a lush property containing a small ‘lake’, abundant wooded areas, birds of many kinds, aquatic life and even the occasional wild turkey. The Retreat always included a Native Ceremony to the Four Directions, very Earth-honouring. Here again, I was in my glory communing with Nature and the Earth, as well as working with like-spirited folks. Another ‘ah-ha’ reminder happened, when I realized how powerfully-profound it was to spend time by myself, yet not by myself, connecting with the Nature Spirits and other lifeforms everywhere.
Concurrently, I heard about Findhorn in Northern Scotland and, coincidentally, my next-door neighbour, who was also interested in Findhorn, gave me The Findhorn Garden Story. Reading about the co-founders’ journey and setting up of those magical gardens embellished my love of and for the Nature Spirits, ‘Mother Nature’/the natural world and the Earth (Gaia) all the more. What a delightful and important way to honour Life, by co-creating with the Earth, Nature and the Elemental Beings – and a great way to practise green spirituality.
I have been inspired and/or influenced by several other Earth-focused writers over the years, including Richard St. Barbe Baker (the ‘Man of the Trees’) and R. Ogilvie Crombie or ROC, especially by his priceless work, Meeting Fairies.
There have been times, occasionally for more than a year, that I fell off the Humpty Dumpty wall, back into the muck and mire of city living, forgetting temporarily my deep connection to Gaia and Life, then an ‘ah-ha’ moment occurred, et voila!, back into Beloved Mother Earth’s loving embrace. For example, in 2006-07 I had a health setback, causing me to stop working… a blessing in disguise. I made the effort (having more free time on my hands) to spend additional time in Nature, exploring the parks in my neighbourhood and meditating regularly with a group of tall, coniferous trees – another experience beyond words. In my mind’s eye, I ‘saw’ those trees as tall, living people-on-fire.
I have also become an eco-activist of a sort; for example, in the mid-90s while I was still driving, I became innately attuned to the Earth’s suffering, to the extent that I decided to give up driving, thereafter deciding to let my licence expire. This may seem like an extreme example of honouring Mother Earth, but it felt right for me, as one who was (and still is) very much aware of Beloved Gaia’s own Journey. To this day I no longer drive or own a car. I have participated in other eco-activist type activities, in addition to being vegetarian since the ‘90s and for the past five years to date, 99% vegan.
Most recently, I’ve been guided to co-create, write and publish books and materials honouring and celebrating Life and the Earth, as well as using some of them in my workshops. The Bridge to Oneness honours Beloved Gaia, while facilitating one’s journey back into Her ever-loving arms and preparing the reader-participant for this unprecedented time.
In summary, as an ardent Seeker of Truth and a Student on the Path of Life, I’ve been blessed by a wealth of spiritual ‘food’, enjoying the Green-Hearted Journey in a non-religious way (i.e. without the dogma) while attending religious gatherings, and gleaning knowledge from several organized religions, as well as more esoteric or mystical groups such as the Brahma Kumaris and two Sufi groups, and my own personal inner work… the journey continues!
Roslyn Rus is a Toronto, Canada, writer, researcher, workshop facilitator and Lover of Life, including all who share this sweet Earth with us. She has had the privilege of working with folks of all walks of life including the marginalized, homeless and special needs communities. Websites: www.journeyofselfdiscovery.weebly.com , and http://www.linkedin.com/pub/roslyn-rus/33/a1b/62a