Though some assume Earth Day is a Pagan Celebration, it really is a celebration of environmental action, started in 1970. It does almost coincide with the Roman festival of Parilia, the celebration of the pastoral deity Pales. Pales gender was unclear, so some see this figure as a goddess, others a god.
Today, many places commemorate this day with environmental education and actions. Activism, from calling local and federal lawmakers to planting trees locally, can be a part of the celebration. As Witches, Magicians, and Shamans, magickal people often set their intentions through ritual, and then should follow them with real world action. We collectively harness the tides with ceremony, but we can’t think that is the only thing to do.
Here is a simple ritual to celebrate Earth Day and put intentions for environmental protection and renewal into action. You’ll need:
- A bowl
- Dirt from your Yard or Local Park
- Water
Magicians often believe in the Principle of Contagion, stating that once two things have touched, they are always energetically connected, to do something to one, is to do something to the other. We also believe in the Principle of Correspondence, showing patterns exist on multiple scales, and the Principle of Sympathy, where when you perform an action on one of these scales, it can have a reciprocal response on another scale. These three principles together are the metaphysical reason behind such things as poppet spells, for healing or harming. The poppet is made from something the person has touched (contagion) and a small, seemingly inconsequential action on the doll corresponds with a result on the person it is made to embody (correspondence and sympathy). The same principle is at work here, but with the bowl of earth and corresponding to the planet Earth.
Take your bowl of soil and spend some time sitting with it, getting into a meditative state. Get into a place of peace and blessings and bless the Earth. Put your hands in it. Get dirty! Hold the soil. Touch it. Love it. Bless it. By your hands, you bless it with the element of Earth.
Do the same with the water. Bless it. Then pour the water into the Earth, blessing it as well, by the power of the element of Water. Breath on it. Blow on it. Bless it with your breath. Speak words of healing and love for the Earth. Bless it by the element of Air. Then hold it up to the light, by the Sun and stars, bless it by the light, by the element of Fire. Feel the powerful vibrations of the land you have blessed. Then return it to the Earth, so it can in turn bless the land all around it, and move throughout the world. Ground yourself as necessary, taking some time to return to normal consciousness. Touch the ground/floor and feel yourself anchored to the world. Drink a little water or juice, or have a little something to eat if you are feeling at all light-headed.
When done, take a physical step to follow this up. Learn about how you can make your home more environmentally friendly and do so. Contact your local lawmakers encouraging renewal energy. Join an environmental rights group and make a donation.
For more information on Earth Day’s history, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day
and for more information on Parilia, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parilia
Earth Day blessings!