What is Earthen Spirituality?

Chiricahua National Monument, Southern Arizona

My interest in Earthen Spirituality was  born out of a desire to answer a question at the end of a chain of thoughts.  In the beginning there is the question why.  Why do people participate in the rampant ecocide all around them?  Why don’t people love the Earth?  The answer I propose is:  Because they are not taught that the Earth is lovable.  Further, we are held in bondage by limiting and often debilitating, cultural derived basic beliefs.  Unfortunately, these beliefs were formulated thousands of years ago by people unassisted by the spiritual and scientific available today.

But I suggest that our cultural worldview is deeply destructive, physically, culturally, and psychically.  Why?  Because of our basic beliefs.  I call for an examination and re-evaluation of some of these basic beliefs and suggest that they are based on questionable information and lead not only to alienation from our roots in Nature but ultimately to the destruction of our species and a great many other species around us.  I extend an invitation to everyone to look deeply within themselves for the foundation principles that underpin their opinions and preferences; to open up their book of basic beliefs and examine it the light of its relevance to life in the present century.

 Can recent scientific research and advancements help with the formulation of an Earth-based spirituality?  Yes and in the forthcoming book: Planet as Self, I shall give some examples of why I think so. A partnership of effort in scientific research and the deepening of spirituality can play a huge role in our expanding consciousness of who we are in relationship to our living Earth. 

 The book explains how a mechanistic scientific worldview coupled with religious teachings that tell us that our life here is only something that we have to suffer on the way to heaven has alienated us from Nature and Earth energy that can give us strength, comfort and a total sense of belonging.

 Planet as Self calls for an Earth-based spirituality.  A spirituality based on the belief that we are living in a loving, lovable highly intelligent planet. Earthen Spirituality teaches us that we have no need to “go” anywhere to be with the powerful and sustaining spirit of the Earth.

 And finally, this book helps us to realize God in Nature by revealing our total immersion in the workings of our planet, a living planet that transforms the creator’s life force into that which we can learn to love and cherish because actually, we are the planet.   We have the science, we have the spirituality, we have the wisdom and we have the level of consciousness to not only survive, but share in the increasing health of Gaia.