(by SallyVon Vleck in Issue 5 of Gatherings)

The Council of All Beings is a ritual that grew out of the Despair and Empowerment work and the philosophy of deep ecology of Joanna Macy, Jonathon Seed and others. The purpose of this ritual is to look at the world through another species’ eyes and share this perspective with others in the circle. Some participants will play the role of humans and listen to what the other species have to say. Through sharing our concerns for the planet we are able to get in touch with the interconnectedness of all beings. Through that interconnectedness we find the power and strength to work toward healing the planet. For more understanding about the Council of All Beings, I recommend a book called “Thinking Like a Mountain” by Joanna Macy, John Seed and others. As John Seed explains in the introduction to “Thinking Like a Mountain”,

“Working with the Council of All Beings, we have found that people experience a deepening identification with the Earth, a renewal of energy to struggle for the protection of wild Nature, and to work for peace.”

This year, the Council will begin with the All Species Parade, which will start at the F & M Park and travel down to the Civic Center where the Council will take place. We are offering several costume and mask-making workshops (see schedule on the Earth Day flyer) directed by local artists Penny Krebiehl and Hughthir White with the help of a grant from the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. It is helpful to discern which species you will represent prior to attending the workshop. Take some time to meditate and let a life-form “choose” you. In addition to all the many species to choose from, we can also represent land forms, such as rivers or mountains.

We invite you to join us in this process of deepening our connection to the Earth and its inhabitants. If you aren’t able to attend one of the costume-making workshops, make your costume at home or with a group of friends. At the ritual if you are hesitant to speak up, there is no pressure to do so. You can simply be a witness. And, if dressing in a costume or mask isn’t your bag, please come anyway to watch and listen. You can be the humans. Hope you’ll join us as a turtle, butterfly, tree or another species on Earth Day!

Purpose of the Council of All Beings

The main purpose of The Council of All Beings is to enhance human commitment and resources for preserving life upon our planet home. There are other objectives that flow from this main purpose. Some of these are:• to strengthen our feeling of interconnectedness with the Earth and all life.

• to foster compassion for all our fellow beings and to sharpen awareness of the dangers and difficulties they face.

• to become more conscious of the commonality of our fate.

• to motivate sustained action on behalf of all beings

• to remember and appropriate our larger lifestory through the long evolution of life upon this planet.

• to open ourselves to the resources of courage, endurance and creativity which are available to us in the web of life.

• to become whole again, healing splits between mind and body, reason and intuition, human and nature.

• to play together, giving permission and scope to our imagination and to the child within

• to build trust and a deeper sense of community with our fellow humans.

•to prepare together for joint actions in defense of the Earth and future generations.