Our rivers used to be held sacred, given offerings of our most precious items to invite their blessings. Today, they are filled with our rubbish, sewage and run off of excrement from our fields.
On this day of sacred action, we seek to heal our relationship with the rivers, remembering that “Water is Life” and that if we poison the veins of the land, we also poison ourselves.
Our waters are vital for life, and not only are we losing access to safe water, but our wider environment is falling deeper into ecological crisis and biodiversity loss due to the poisoning of our rivers and waterways.
We intend to reconnect in our sacred relationship with water, honouring and acknowledging that rivers are living entities, entitled to their own rights and their protection. We honour the right of the river to flow freely, unpolluted, unpoisoned, and call to all those who wish to join us to gather a group together and take part in our day of ceremony and sacred action at their local river.
On World Rivers Day, 26th September 2021, we invite you to join us in a day of sacred action, as we combine ceremony with direct river clean up action for the protection of our rivers.
Read more about it: https://www.sacredearthactivism.org/news/backtosource
> How to Organise a Back to Source Ceremony near you
Join us for our briefing meeting on 6th September. To register, click here
- Connect with others locally who would like to organise this at your local river
- Look to find a suitable spot along your local river
- Arrange a time and place on the 26th September for the gathering. Be mindful of access and parking.
- Advertise the event locally, either by Facebook, Eventbrite, or with locally distributed posters and flyers.
Contact us for a copy of the full briefing document, and for a copy of template press releases for this event. Let us know that you are organising a ceremony in your area by email at info@sacredearthactivism.org
> Holding a Ceremony for the River
Hold and create your own ceremony in honour of the river and the water that flows there. Open and close the ceremony in whatever way seems right to you and your group, calling on whatever spirits, deities or qualities that you would like to invoke.
There may be songs, poems or blessings that you want to share in your ceremony, and we have a few of these that we can suggest.
Elements that you may want to include:
Circle Songs for Water
The Water Blessing Song - Nalini Blossom
> Voices for the River
To bring together local voices for the river, it would be good to arrange for a couple of speakers. This could include people who can speak about rivers in terms of their spiritual importance, and the sacred connection with them that we have lost. It could include local conservationists and environmentalists who can speak to the local wildlife on that river, and the biggest harm or threats it faces (sewage, pollution, agriculture, etc). This may include poets or local musicians who want to share something related to the river or rivers in general. As much as possible, invite speakers from diverse backgrounds, as these matters affect us all, and affect us differently, so inviting a wider voice to the event helps make sure these are all included.
> Our Offering to the River
As our offering to the river on this occasion, we recommend groups organise a river clean up. For this you will need: gloves, refuse bags, litter pickers, rubber boots. You may be able to connect up with your local river’s friends group or conservation group who will know where to get this from locally, or contact your local council.
Local river organisations are usually voluntary groups that have been working for many years on clearing rubbish from rivers. It would be great to connect with your local river organisation, to combine efforts in organising this event