Bringing the Sacred to the March for Clean Water
Feargal Sharkey, River Action. Photo by River Action UK
“The poisoning of Britain’s waters must stop. “
This is the key message behind the March for Clean Water taking place on Sunday 3 November in London. It is being supported by a series of ceremonial events by Sacred Earth Activism (SEA) to acknowledge and honour our sacred relationship with this key element.
The March, organised by Riveraction UK, starts at 11.45am at the Albert Embankment on the south side of the River Thames. Its aim is to demand the government takes action to ensure “clean, healthy and abundant water for all people across the UK” by preventing the ongoing dumping of sewage, litter, domestic and commercial waste.
To this end, its three key demands are:
Regulatory reform
Enforcement of the law;
Stopping pollution for profit.
Participants are invited to wear blue to “form a mass human river” as they march, and to fashion a creative placard or amusing banner to capture the spirit of the event.
Vey Straker and the River Goddess at recent ceremony on the banks of the River Wye. Photo from Kim Kaos
Honouring our Sacred Waterways
SEA’s Sol and Vey from the Save the Wye campaign, meanwhile, will hold a series of ceremonies before and during the March. The aim is to weave the sacred into the event and to ask the nature beings and ancestors for help and support in achieving its goals. SEA has long been involved in water campaigns and awareness-raising activities in this space.
This is the sacred ceremony timetable below:
9am River blessing and intention setting Ceremony with incoming low tide. All welcome
Gather opposite Thames House, 12 millbank, SW1P 4QY, next to river steps at edge of Victoria Tower Gardens. Processing after across Lambeth Bridge
9.30 - 10.30 Ceremonially consolidating Sacred Vessel holding of event.
We have booked deck space on a barge on Albert Embankment. This is number restricted and so we are invitng those who are supporting holding the sacred vessel energy of the event. Probably up to 30 of us, so we would need to know who is committed to coming with the sacred intention to do this. Contact Vey (07961 125470). Bring a flower for the nature offering.10.30am A ' Living Well' on a water carriage will be set up to ceremonially receive waters people have brought.and weave in our prayers and blessings. We may speak as your water, introducing yourself, what your water is known for, what the challenges are and what watery insight or advice your water can offer her human allies.
11.15am Sacred embodiment and blessings for Water Protectors in preparation for 11.45 ‘March’
The 'Living Well' carriage will be located outside 24 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7GJ
(It will also be available to receive waters and blessings during the rally in the west corner of Parliament Square from approx 1pm)
11.45 March Sets off Everything else will be on the event program and we shall be like Water, weaving within and around it.
2.40pm - 3pm Closing Ceremony will be at High Tide - A willow based nature offering, (woven with our prayers and blessings during the course of the day and raised up to be charged from the rally stage in Parliament Square) will be offered back to the Thames cast on the currents of outgoing high tide to pass by the Houses of Parliament and flow on to the waters of the world.
We invite participants to sing the following song by MaMuse during each of the ceremonies. They will be supported by a choir on Westminster Bridge as the procession passes this ‘threshold’:
River wide and River deep
Calls me to Her side
To protect and for Her speak
Water, She says, it is time.
So lay down your weapons
I come in peace
To be a stand for life
For all things thrive
Where Water is clean
Water, She says, it is time
Water, She says, it is time.
We wish to express our gratitude to everyone who is working so hard to support the March for Clean Water and make it a reality. We hope as many of you as possible can support this call for change, so we may weave our love, energy and reverence into our Sacred life-giving Waters together.