(Image courtesy of Ideas go at digital free photos net)
CONTENTS.
Introduction
Chapter One: The educational rationale behind the Cosmic Walk at Winchester.
Chapter Two: A brief review of the religious view of nature.
Chapter Three: Exploring ideas about the origins of the World and Universe.
Chapter Four: Awareness of order and pattern in the natural world.
Chapter Five:
Encouraging a sense of wonder, mystery and awe in the natural world.
Chapter Six:
Exploring and valuing the environment.
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INTRODUCTION.
Whilst the ideas contained within this book have been inspired by the Cosmic Walk at the
University of Winchester, they are generic and will fit any outside environment. The key to
understanding the activities and text is to understand the four strands that underpin this
work. These strands are, a Cosmic strand dealing with creation myths, stories and science, a
strand that investigates how the earth flourished and its subsequent development. One that
enquires into humankind’s development and therefore histories and cultures and finally, a
strand that challenges the individual to consider what value they place upon the world. All
these are interconnected and so difficult to separate out but each weaves its way through
the text and activities. The chapters three to six entitled Exploring ideas about the origins of
the world and universe, Awareness of order and pattern in the natural world, Exploring a
sense of wonder, mystery and awe in the natural world and finally Exploring and valuing the
environment, provide teachers with greater access to ideas and the umbrella for assessment
for learning.
The first chapter offers the teacher the rationale behind the teaching approach to the
Cosmic walk, brief comment upon issues around social and cultural views of, and the
management of the planet we live on. This chapter is followed by a rudimentary glance at
what the major world religions have to say about nature and humanity’s responsibilities.
Included in this chapter are lesson plans on Stewardship, Dharma, Karma and
interconnectedness following the OFSTED Religious Education suggestion for lesson
planning. These two chapters are designed to give a non specialist a foundation upon which
to build when tackling environmental issues and to challenge thinking, but are not overly
academic.
This approach to teaching about the environment and our place in it, I would argue,
encapsulates the ‘4Rs Model of Reflective Thinking,’ recording, relating, reasoning and
reconstructing. It is an approach that empowers the child by asking for their opinion in the
light of their experience and knowledge. It shows a respect for and acknowledges the value
teachers place upon the children’s views. The activities suggested obviously are to be
undertaken outside or during a visit to the Cosmic walk at Winchester, this offers the child
the opportunity to begin develop an understanding of their place in the natural world, to
interact with it, build up a respect and love for nature, and to use their imagination and
creativity when engaging with it. All these opportunities are fit well into the idea of a child’s
spirituality. Whilst the characteristics of spirituality are varied most definitions include a
sense of mystery in the world around them, an ability to make relationships involving trust,
to reflect upon who they are, to be creative and imaginative. Working with nature provides
for such development.
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CHAPTER ONE.
The Educational Rationale behind the Cosmic Walk
In educational circles there is a lot of interest and engagement with the outside space and it is most
coherently seen in the Early years curriculum. Here I think it is fair to say that it is most often seen in
the light of using the outside space as a different classroom, with the attendant issues of
management and assessment. To be fair, the concept of freedom and the different uses made of the
space by girls and boys is considered and Helen Bilton (2010) recognises that how children move
affects the self, but this is seen only in the light of valuing being good at sports, games and play, the
training aspect of the body. The Cosmic Walk is not designed as a classroom. It is a living space
where nature rules; a place where pupils and students may encounter the world and objects placed
within the walk that raise questions, challenge and engage them physically. It offers a chance to
observe, listen and become aware of their bodily reactions as well as those of their mind. Contained
within the walk are glimpses of creation, of dilemmas, paradox, stories and histories. The walk
challenges pupils and students to be intuitive rather than look with the eye of reason, to notice the
‘meaningful coincidences’ (Clarke;2009:185). He elaborates this phrase by saying ‘this is the realm of
the implicational, the system that can flag up things that need our attention by endowing them a
feeling of significance. Encountering the world and nature not as an abstraction, it is a relationship’
(ibid; 186). Cosmic Walk is offering pupils and students the chance to encounter and grasp
‘meaningful coincidences’.
The walk embodies four interconnecting strands. Firstly there is the Cosmic strand explores the
stories, myths, religious and scientific evidence that tell of the birth and creation of the earth. It
provides the chance for pupils and students to investigate a range of material, from a variety of
sources and traditions, in order to understand how humanity has tried to explain the world we live
in. The second strand deals with the earth flourishing. It is the time when the earth begins to bring
forth a myriad of flora and fauna. Again, it offers the opportunity to examine scientific data, as well
as religious and secular stories and myths of how the world unfolded. Strand three invites pupils and
students to reflect upon the story of human kind’s development. The strand requires the study of
the variety of cultures races, histories, beliefs and societies, as well their stories and myths. Finally
the last strand is about you, the individual. It is asking that you consider who you are, your
relationships with the natural world and other people. It is about your personal life story, your
reflection upon existence and your sense of self.
As you will appreciate none of these strands stands alone, all have inter-connectedness and it is this
interconnectedness that the walk aims to explore.
Global and climate change, along with sustainability are currently addressed within the science and
geography curriculum. These offer young people the opportunity to engage with ideas regarding
responsibility for the environment outside the religious context.
“People’s perception of environmental education varies considerably. Many still regard
environmental education initiatives as tending to focus on a limited number of well documented
environmental disasters or individual campaigns.........researchers and specialist teachers in this field
generally agree that environmental education should encompass economic, social and cultural
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issues and their relationship to the environment, thus the tendency to refer to environmental
education as education for sustainable development(Ratcliffe and Grace:2003:29-30). Ratcliffe and
Grace go on to offer three approaches to environmental education;
The ‘Knowledge Approach ‘- education about the environment
The ‘Needs of Society approach’ – education through the environment
The ‘Critical Enquiry Approach’ – education for the environment. This critical enquiry approach
endeavours to use education “about and through the environment to develop a sensitive
environmental ethic” (Ratcliffe and Grace:2003:30)
One of the aims of the Cosmic walk is to assist in developing such a sensitivity. There is, of course, a
political aspect involved here, but I would argue that as politics permeates the whole of life and
teachers need to draw pupils’ and students’ attention to it. The political aspects involve the global
citizen, world views, exploitation, consumerism to mention just a few. Global citizenship education
stresses the need to recognise the variety of ideologies and views held. Referred to as ‘world views
‘by Ratcliffe and Grace, “ even people who consider themselves to be ‘environmentalists’ are likely
to have a variety of stances over such issues as animal rights, technological solutions to
environmental problems, or the extent to which their own personal quality of life should be
compromised for the sake of environmental protection”(2003:31)
An interesting point and one worth considering in teaching is discussing with pupils and students
how far they would compromise their life styles. David Pearce’s report “Blue Print for a Green
Economy (1987) states;
“Sustainable development involves a substantially increased emphasis on the value of natural.... and
cultural environments.... Sustainable development places emphasis on providing the needs of the
least advantaged in society (inter generational equity), and on a fair treatment for future
generations ( inter generational equity)... The well being of the most disadvantaged in society must
be given greater ‘weight’ in a developing society; if average wellbeing advances at the cost of a
worsening of the position of the most disadvantaged it seems reasonable to say that such a society
is not developing.... it is perfectly possible for a single nation to secure a sustainable development
path...but not at the cost of non sustainability to another country”( Pearce;1987: 45)
This report has now been updated but still reinforces the interconnectedness of the world both
human and natural. Young people need the opportunity to realise this connectedness and the
implications that will be realised in their lifetime and require their action. The Cosmic Walk may
provide such an opportunity.
At the time of writing, religious education does not explicitly reference the interconnectedness of
life. No primary curriculum comments upon this aspect, whether through Christianity or any other
world tradition. I would argue that the Christian tradition, particularly in the West has actually
distanced itself physically, mentally and spiritually from the natural world. Thomas Berry in his
papers on Christianity and Ecology (1997) identifies three phases in history when the loss of
connectedness occurred within Christianity. Firstly he suggests that “the meeting of early Christian
spirituality with Greek Humanism resulted in a strong anthropocentrism”(Berry:2009:6)
Antropocentrism refers to humanity as seeing themselves at/as the centre of all things, and due to
this attitude, the relationality ( connectedness) to the natural world begins to be severed. The
second loss he identifies is due to The Black Death. During 1347-1349, one third of the population of
Europe died from the plague. At a loss as to explain why this happened to them, Berry suggests that
the people “could only conclude that the world has become wicked and God was punishing the
world”(2009:61) Repentance was needed and so people withdrew from the world and looked for
redemption: “the spirituality that developed involved detachment from worldly concerns and found
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expression in a new devotional intensity directed towards the saviour personality”(2009:61) In other
words, the world and the environment is put aside and the focus becomes Jesus Christ. The third
phase of separation was ushered in during the Enlightenment. At this point in time, the earth is seen
no longer as a living organism, rather it is perceived to be a machine that may be managed and
exploited by humanity to use as we will. This led to the final severing and abandonment of working
alongside and with the natural world ‘in favour of an industrialised, extractive economy’(ibid;61) an
economy that still holds sway today.
Returning to the Cosmic walk, such outside spaces in religious education are generally seen as places
for quiet contemplation. The walk mentioned earlier is a Theological space. What does this mean?
Put simply, theology refers to words about God, so a Theological walk is about God. The underlying
principle behind the walk is to provide the opportunity to see in the space the reflection of God in
this world. It is envisaged that the walk will engage young people in understanding the nature of
religion. The second thing to say about theology is that it is an interpretation. Sallie McFague’s
working definition is;
“Theology is the reflection on experiences of God’s liberating love from various contexts and with
the Christian community”(ibid;40) An interpretation is a world view. McFague suggests that the Bible
is an attempt by early Christians to articulate their experience of God’s liberating love through Jesus
of Nazareth. Obviously they used the language, images and ideas that were familiar to them, their
cultural setting. “The New Testament is a product of the 1st Century Mediterranean culture with the
world view that included a three storey universe, Gnosticism, demonology, the inferiority of women
and the acceptance of slavery”(ibid; )
I think it is worth reflecting upon the world view that society and the education system are
presenting to our pupils and students.
As a teacher the Cosmic walk invites you to offer your pupils and students the chance to look at the
natural world, not as a machine we manage or a resource to plunder, but rather as a living organism,
to consider the myths, stories and beliefs around this organism and reconsider world views. It is not
a push for a particular religious tradition, but an honest enquiry, requiring critical thinking and
problem solving in the light of the individual’s experience. It also provides the teacher with the
opportunity of using a range of teaching pedagogies.
The Excellence and Enjoyment document (DfES 2003) supported the notion that;
“ ..education is about children experiencing the joy of discovery, solving problems, being
creative...developing their self confidence as learners and maturing socially and emotionally”
Ten years earlier Paulo Freire said: “ knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention,
through restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the
world and each other”(Freire;1993:53) Whatever the approach or pedagogy, used it needs to be
educating the whole child or student. This is considered a Holistic approach. Such an approach is
described by Schreiner. It is an approach that “calls for the wholeness” in the educational process.
Wholeness implies that each academic discipline provides merely a different perspective on the rich,
complex, integrated phenomenon of life. Holistic education celebrates and makes constructive use
of evolving alternative views of reality and multiple ways of knowing. It is not only the intellectual
and vocational aspects of human development that need guidance and nurturing, but also the
physical, social, moral, aesthetic, creative and in a non-sectarian sense-spiritual aspects. Holistic
education takes into account the numinous mystery of life and the universe in addition to the
experiential reality”( Schreiner;2005:85). Schreiner is recommending a balance within the
curriculum, an awareness of the importance of all curriculum subjects in the process of educating;
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not just those subjects perceived as valuable by a few who hold positions of power. As Pritchard so
rightly suggests, learning does not take place in a vacuum, “it is contextualised and this may be
viewed in terms of culture, beliefs, practices, surroundings and even the time of day. Meaningful
contexts for learning are only relevant if they are meaningful to the child. Pupils need to be offered
problems and materials relating to their experiences of the world and with the
world”(Pritchard;2005:6)
The Cambridge Review of 2009 drew attention to the need for changes in government policies that
surround education, acknowledging that if education does not take into account the physical, social
and emotional needs of children, it will be ineffectual. Child poverty, abuse and inequality need
addressing. The report took a radical approach in the analysis of education and reflects in part the
views of Schreiner.
“There needs to be a new set of aims that drive the curriculum, teaching, assessment, schools and
policy. The aims, need and principles proposed by this review unashamedly reflect values and moral
purposes, for that is what education is about. They are designed to empower children to manage life
and find meaning in the 21st century. They reflect a coherent view of what it takes to become an
educated person. These aims are interdependent. For instance, empowerment; autonomy,
encouraging respect and reciprocity; promoting interdependence and sustainability; empowering
local, national and global citizenship; celebrating culture and community; exploring, knowing,
understanding and making sense; fostering skill; exciting the imagination; enacting dialogue”
(Alexander;2009:23)
Such an educational system would be transforming and the principles identified in Schreiner’s view
of the holistic approach are similar. They are;

Holistic education is education for transformation

Holistic education honours the uniqueness and creativity of persons, communities on the
basis of their interconnectedness

Holistic education enables active participation in world community

Holistic education affirms spirituality as being the core of life and hence central to education

Holistic education promotes a new praxis (reflection and action) of knowing, of teaching and
of learning

Holistic education relates to and interacts with differing perspectives and approaches.
(Schreiner;2005:20)
It seems to me that both Alexander’s and Schreiner’s aims support Ratcliffe and Grace’s critical
enquiry approach in developing a sensitive environmental ethic and David Pearce’s Blueprint for a
Green economy . Concepts such as transformation, global citizenship, spirituality and world views
are contained within educational initiatives, but pre-occupation of the curriculum with the content
of the core subjects may result in such crucial concepts being given a cursory glance. The Rose
Report of 2009 reinforces that good primary schools demonstrate the priority given to core subjects
which are crucial for enabling children to access a broad and balanced curriculum (Rose; 2009:2) I
am not disagreeing with this comment, but would merely say from my experience of schools, time is
of a premium and as OFSTED is interested in and inspects the core subjects, the broad and balanced
curriculum is often compromised. The Rose report itself identifies this over prescription. Five years
on has seen little change to this over prescription or broadening out of the curriculum. Part of the
lack of time within the school curriculum may be a result of the way in which the curriculum has
been compartmentalised over the last twenty years or so, with the National curriculum spearheading this approach. Many schools today are introducing an integrated curriculum to regain time
and begin to redress this imbalance, just as the Cambridge review suggested.
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“A teacher committed to teaching for critical thinking must think beyond subject matter, teaching to
ends and objectives that transcend subject matter classification. She realises that understanding a
situation requires a synthesis of knowledge and insight from several subjects. She also sees that indepth understanding of one subject requires an understanding of others” ((Paul;1989:9)
The NACCE report of 1999 supported such a view when discussing the requirements to understand
change. Teachers need “to convey an understanding of the complex interactions- artistic, scientific,
technological and others –between, as well as within other cultures” (NACCE;1999:116)
The Cosmic walk as an outside space lends itself very much to this sort of integrated approach; laid
out before you are a magnitude of challenges and options to explore: aprocess that draws upon the
experiences of the individual, offers time to reflect upon these experiences and perhaps modify their
thoughts in the light of new information and dialogue. Such a process is a constructivist approach.
“Constructivism is a philosophical approach according to which all knowledge is ‘constructed’ in as
much as it is dependent upon convention, human perception and social experience. Knowledge and
understanding are therefore constructed by the individual. Learning takes place when pupils revisit
current knowledge and adjust or adapt or revise it in order to incorporate new ideas. They can then
engage in dialogue, share and reflect upon the insights of others. The teacher’s role is to assist
learners in assimulating new information to existing knowledge and to enable them to made
appropriate modifications”( Arthur et al;2006:53) An associated element to constructivism is Social
Constructivism, which Pritchard sees in relation to the individual and the social and cultural setting
in which they find themselves. He identifies the key elements of such an approach as being;

Children learn through being active

Learning is a socially mediated activity

Emphasis is placed upon the role of the teachers or ‘more knowledgeable other’ as a
‘scaffolder’

The teacher is a facilitator who provides the challenges that the child needs for achieving
more

Development is fostered by collaboration( in the zone of proximal development) and is not
age related

Development is an internalisation of social experience. Children can be taught concepts that
are just beyond their level of development with appropriate support. What a child can do with an
adult today, they can do alone tomorrow”
( Pritchard;2005:111)
The social constructivist approach requires children to be active in their learning, to internalise not
only their social experience but that of the ‘inner awareness’ they have.
“A social constructivist approach emphasises our active roles as agents, influenced by culture, in
structuring our bodily realities. It recognises that the concepts and categories we use to describe and
define our experiences vary considerably in their meanings over time and among different cultures
and subcultures”( Nelson;1998:46)
Note also the comment on structuring our bodily realities,it is not just a cognitive approach.
A cognitive constructivist learning approach, however, has positive influence because it emphasises
the processes that the child puts in place and uses rather than the fact of knowing something. When
the child engages with a variety of learning approaches, i.e. first- hand experience, interactive
materials, dialogue and independent research, alternative view points of the subject focus are
formed which may in the course of time foster skills of critical thinking. Tasks need to be authentic
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and meaningful. Problem solving and discussion of critical issues, such as pollution, conservation and
exploitation situate learning in familiar and realistic contexts. Autonomy in learning is encouraged
because it offers the child some control and responsibility for their own learning. This can happen in
various ways, either by working collaboratively, working on self generated problems and by the
formulation of and testing a hypotheses.
The Cosmic walk allows pupils and students to re-visit and explore concepts, to engage in dialogue,
to share and reflect upon their own and the insights of others. The experience of the walk is active
and provides a relevant focus far more stimulating than a text book. It can motivate thought,
stimulate reactions, encourage questions, convey feelings and emotions, spark creativity and
encourage research and enquiry.
So far I have discussed the traditional cognitive aspects of education, with the emphasis placed upon
linguistic, aural and visual learning. The walk offers another aspect for education that of the physical.
By physical I mean the body. “we do not just have bodies, we are bodies” ( Nelson;1992:43). Bodily
learning and knowing must therefore be involved in the education process learning cannot and
should not be a cognitive exercise only. Tara Amann in her paper on creating space for somatic ways
of knowing says, “The body is designed to gather information both externally through our sense
organs and internally where each movement instantaneously carries a chaotic selection of impulses
quickly to the brain so it knows precisely where the body is in space. Such critical sensations provide
us with ideas of the self and the world as well as creating a basis for knowledge. We learn first
through our senses, and through exploration of the world” (Amann;2003:4) There is that inherent
interconnectedness. Nelson, in “Body Theology,” puts it another way: if we know anything at all, it is
in relation to our bodily space... children learn the meaning of prepositions- in, over, under,
between, beyond, beside, within – through an instinctive sense of their own bodily location in
relation to the rest of the world. Indeed, as children we learn (until taught otherwise) that the
fundamental reality with which we deal in life is not disconnected objects or beings, but
relationships”(Nelson;1992:118) Nelson is suggesting here that, up to a certain point, the norm for
children is integration between the internal and outer knowing or ‘body awareness’. Andrea Olsen in
“Body Works”(1998) asks the question how and why do people close down this link. She offers the
following as a possible reason;
“As children we are necessarily involved in our relationship to the outer environment for survival. An
early aspect of body awareness is about control. One is supposed to gain control over the body as
soon as possible to avoid doing anything embarrassing or terrible in the social context. After control
comes manipulation through training techniques: ballet, gymnastics, sports... Throughout our lives,
but especially during adolescence, conformity to outer images of what the body is supposed to be,
defined by social, cultural and religious norms makes a division between our inner impulses and our
outward manifestations. Less and less attention is given to what is coming from
inside”(Olsen;1998:12) So society influences our perception of what the human body should look
like. Learning through the body is known as Somatic learning. Sellars -Young defines it thus;
“ A somatic approach to education integrates, as an existential whole, the experiential history of
individuals with their current experience. It implies an education that trusts individuals to learn from
their ability to attend and to listen to the information they are receiving from the interaction of self
with the environment” (1998:176)
Such a definition has resonance with the Cambridge Review (2009), Holistic Learning and the critical
enquiry approach of Ratcliffe and Grace (2003). I would argue that such an approach is contained
within current education documentation but is not clearly identified or drawn out. This may be due
to ignorance. Teachers, through no fault of their own, lack the time to analyse documentation and
therefore miss the opportunity. Possibly the understanding of the Christian tradition in this country,
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has in the past insisted upon the dualism between body and mind: the fear that the body and it’s
knowledge is not to be trusted and is second class, that the mind and therefore the cognitive
knowing is of greater value. The idea that empowering body awareness and knowledge may
threaten the traditional view of education is a possibility. Such empowering may result in some
resistance to or disengagement from traditional educational views and therefore threaten the
current social structure and those who decide upon the norms and rules within. But body awareness
would be such a useful tool to understanding diversity to developing empathy and respect for the
environment. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1998), article 29 states that
parties agree that education of the child shall be directed to:
a)
The development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their
fullest potential.
c)
The development of respect for child’s parents, his or her cultural identity, language and
values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and
for civilisations different from his or her own.
d)
The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of
understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic,
national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin.
e)
The development of respect for the natural environment.
( Article 29:1998:9)
The Rights of The Child includes an opportunity to develop their personality as well as their physical
abilities to their fullest potential. The personality is part of our body and embodiment. The way we
feel about our bodies and our embodiment must have real impact upon the way we feel about the
world. Nelson says that the more comfortable and connected we are to our bodies the more we are
able to accept and respond positively to ‘the confusing mix of things in the world which I
experience’, the less the connection the more black and white divisions and ‘either ors’
“ our bodily experience significantly colours our interpretations of social relationships, communities
and institutions which are the stuff of ethics”(Nelson:1998:46).
The personality is an outcome of our body lived in this world. What is the current educational
system doing to the personalities of our young people?
Article 29, expects that children will be directed to cultural identity, language and the values of the
country in which the child may have originated and civilisations different from their own. Again, we
are in the realm of world views as indicated by Ratcliffe and Grace and McFague who says they are
basic assumptions of a culture that we learn as children. She goes on to say “world views are
anchored by models or metaphors”( Mc Fague;1998;42). If we think back to Thomas Berry’s
comments upon how humanity became separated from the world of nature, he indicated the period
of the Enlightenment. This was a period in Western history that has been particularly influential to
our society, both in ideas and particularly within education. The metaphor in the Western
civilisations for the world and nature during this period was ‘a machine’. The logic of this implies that
parts can be changed, removed, tinkered with that humanity has only limited connection. Certainly
humanity’s life and that of the world are not interconnected. Such a world view did not consider the
‘living quality’ of the earth.
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To some degree education through lack of exploration of the possibilities and therefore silence has
been complicit in upholding this view and certainly the society, and its’ response to the natural
world in which our education system is placed, would support such a metaphor. Children need to be
offered other world views. The challenge of the Cosmic Walk is to bring pupils and students face to
face with the living world in such a way as to challenge this machine metaphor, to enquire how this
metaphor is maintained and the morality around it. The approach to this challenge has an element
of somatic learning. Morality is bodily. If as we sit in front of our televisions we cannot feel in our
guts the injustice, fear, hopelessness, joy or enthusiasm, then these concepts remain abstract and
unreal. Morality has to include the gut reaction and inner feeling.
Aspect d of the convention requires that our children are educated for responsible life in a free
society. This statement is fraught with difficulty. What is meant by responsible? Whose vision of
responsibility is being proposed as the norm? Equally, what is a ‘free society’? Can such a state exist?
I would argue that an element of a responsible life would include relationality, the
interconnectedness of humanity with the world and others. All the educational professional
documentation currently requests that teachers educate for understanding, respect, citizenship,
celebrating culture and community and the individuals’ well being. Clearly then, this has to include a
somatic aspect. If, as previously suggested, we are our bodies, how can we relate and understand
relationality (the list of requirements that teachers are expected to address) if the body element is
missing? There is a really significant implication here for teachers, namely that they must consider
how their classroom or learning environments are constructed to accommodate pupils and students
bodies. Within the average class of pupils and students will be a range of body constructs. If we
consider for a moment the talk within education of equality and equity, in general terms we are
considering the cognitive abilities and access to the curriculum. Yes, for the disabled pupil or student
attention will have been given to physical needs, but even these learners are expected to conform to
the norm. Not all bodily constructions are so obvious. Each class will contain pupils and students
whose bodily constructs are differently gendered, sexually orientated, and racially different. Even
within the primary school this is the case. The pupils may not articulate it, but for some it is a reality.
If society and as a result of that, education, ignores this somatic aspect of pupils and students, how
can we honestly say we are complying with the convention of rights? The personality will be
gendered, sexed and culturally orientated. These aspects also challenge the concept of a free
society. Whilst things are improving, there is still a lot of prejudice and bias against those whose
bodily constructs are at variance with the considered norm. A free society must include the concept
of the sustainable society and the issues around sustainability for whom and at what cost to others.
The body knowledge and reality of a young child or labourer working in a sweat shop, the young
child/woman sold into the sex slavery trade or those people for whom food is not a daily reality is
real, it is not an abstract concept. Every cell in their bodies cries out from pain, suffering and
hardship. We have to educate our young people to be in touch with their own body’s reality if they
are to understand the realities of sustainability and the cost to others as well as understanding the
other ‘free society’ issues that have and will arise in their life.
The Cosmic walk offers the potential for discussion and debate, for becoming aware of world views
and the challenges they present. Equally it is a space that provides contact with the natural
environment, somatic learning and reflection.
This rationale draws upon debates that have been and are still current in educational circles.
Reports written in the past that clearly express a much more holistic approach have been pushed to
one side in order to allow the measurable outcomes. The education system has great strengths, but
as the world in which we live shifts, so do the educational needs of our children. The Cosmic walk is
a research project that hopes to offer a small shift in pupils and students education.
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CHAPTER TWO
A Brief Review of the Religious View of Nature.
The concept of the web of life and our position within it is found quite explicitly within some of the
major religious traditions. Buddhism says that, in the words of the Buddha; “because the cause was
there, the consequences followed; because the cause is there, the effects will follow.”The venerable
Rinpoche comments that the Buddha’s words demonstrate the interrelationship between cause
(Karma), and its outcome. He explains that there is a natural relationship between karma and the
consequences in the natural/physical world. Hinduism according to Dr Karan Singh has within its
ancient spiritual traditions the idea that man was looked upon as part of nature, linked by
unbreakable spiritual and psychological bonds with all creation. The human race may well be the
pinnacle of the evolutionary tree at present, but they are not seen as something separate from the
earth and its multitudinous life forms. Dr Hasam Zillar Rahim, in his book on ecology entitled
‘Protection of the web of life is a duty for Muslims,’ says quite categorically that the Islamic
approach to the natural world is holistic. “Everything in creation is linked to everything else;
whatever affects one thing ultimately affects everything. Man has been distilled from the essence of
nature and is inextricably bound to it.” For a Jew, the position of man changes, the meeting of God
and mankind in nature is considered to be a seamless web with man as the leader and custodian of
the natural world. (Rabbi Hertzberg 1986) This view has parallels with Christianity. The Christian
view, as stated by Father Lanfranco Serrini, is that God created everything that exists freely by his
word, and out of nothing. Nothing unnecessary has been created and nothing omitted. There is a
divinely willed harmony because that was the way of creation. However, Christianity says that man
and woman were made in the image of God and entrusted with dominion / stewardship over
creation. The Islamic tradition also has this idea of stewardship, but it is very clear that the position
of humankind is essentially that of belonging to the earth and closely tied to it.
The church fathers understood that man was in a position of not only a member of creation but also
given special responsibilities regarding its care. St Gregory of Nazianzen, a fourth century
Archbishop of Constantinople, is said to have said, “he (man) was a king of all upon earth, but
subject to heaven; earthly and heavenly; transient, yet immortal; belonging both to the visible and
to the intelligible order; midway between greatness and lowliness.”(The Christian Declaration on Nature,
The Assisi Declarations 1986)
Early within the development of Christianity, man was perceived to be greater than the rest of
creation, all be it with responsibilities. The differentiation of status of man within Christianity and
Judaism may create real problems for the tradition in the future as knowledge of the world is
increased through science and exploration. The key teaching of Christianity regarding the need for
redemption may bring it to a head on collision with science and the new cosmology. I will return to
this issue in the next essay.
It is obvious from newspapers, television films, documentaries and discussions, not to mention
scientific journals and the like, that the current position of the world we inhabit is getting close to a
point of no return: the inability of the world to heal itself from humanity’s exploitation. We need to
consider carefully what we aim to do about the truth that nature cannot be destroyed without
humanity ultimately destroying itself, with nuclear weapons presenting the ultimate and final
pollutant, promising to scorch the earth destroying its ability to support any form of life no matter
how primitive. We and future generations need to face this dilemma. What do the major religious
traditions have to say about what our responses to the world and nature should be? Can they help
us repair the damage we have inflicted? Will science be the answer? Perhaps a mix of both?
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HINDUISM
Hinduism is a diverse religion with many varying cultural expressions. Dr Pankaj Jain from the
University of North Texas has identified five key themes that appear in all the diverse theologies.
They are;

The earth can be seen as a manifestation of the goddess and must be treated with respect.

The five elements, space, air, fire, water and earth are the foundations of an interconnected
web of life.

Dharma, often translated as duty, can be reinterpreted to include humanity’s responsibility
to care for the earth.

Simple living is a model for the development of sustainable economies.

Our treatment of nature directly affects our Karma. Gandhi exemplified this teaching.
Drawing upon a range of essays from “Hinduism and Ecology,” Dr Jain gives quite clear statements
on the teachings of Hinduism and nature. Firstly he states the PANCHA MAHABHUTAS - the five
elements create a web of life that is shown in the structure and interconnectedness of both the
cosmos and the human body. These five elements are all derived from PRAKRITI, the primal energy.
The Upanishads explains the interdependence of these elements in relation to Brahman.
“From Brahman arises space, from space arises air, from air arises fire, from fire arises water and
from water arises earth”
The Vaishnava tradition says the evolution of life on this planet is symbolised by a series of
incarnations beginning with fish, moving through amphibious forms and mammals, then onto
human incarnation. The view quite clearly states that man did not spring fully formed to dominate
the lesser life forms but rather evolved out of these forms itself, and is therefore integrally linked to
the whole of creation. Hinduism recognises that the human body is composed of and related to the
five elements and connects each of the elements to one of the five senses. The nose equates to the
earth, the eyes to fire, the skin to air, the tongue to water and the ears to space. The bond between
human senses and the elements is the foundations of human relationship with the natural world.
They are an inseparable part of human existence and constitute our very bodies.
Dr Jain speaks of protecting the environment and nature as part of Dharma because there is no
sense of separation from the world. The Upanishads and the Puranas make this quite clear. Nature
and the earth are permeated by a reverence for life and awareness that the forces of nature, as well
as the various life forms, are all bound to each other with the “great rhythms of nature. The divine is
not outside creation but expresses itself through natural phenomena”. He follows this up by saying
that whatever we do to nature and the earth affects our karma. Karma, a central Hindu teaching, is
cause and effect. Each of a person’s actions creates consequences, good or bad, and the outcome of
these actions will impact upon the individual’s karma and future fate; the place they will assume
following reincarnation. Because humanity has freedom of choice, it is possible to change behaviour
and affect negative karma, changing it to positive by replacing damaging environment karmic
patterns with good ones.
Belief in reincarnation supports a sense of interconnectedness with the whole of creation. The cycle
of rebirth is a concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body
that may be human, animal or spiritual, depending upon the moral quality of the previous life. So a
person may be reincarnated as a bird, animal or insect and, because of this, there is a sense of unity
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between people and all living things. All species and creation are part of a web of relationships
connected throughout history with each part of the web deserving respect and reverence.
Gandhi’s practice of Ahimsa, the avoidance of violence, (used against the British during the Indian
independence movement) if applied to the earth, improves one’s karma because violence impedes
advancement to Moksha or liberation. Being a Sanyasa or ascetic is the best route to liberation as it
is a life of simplicity and restraint, free from consumerism and ownership.
Upanishad Shanti (peace) Mantra
‘May peace radiate there in the whole sky as well as in the vast ethereal space everywhere.
May peace reign all over this earth, in water and in all herbs, trees and creepers.
May peace flow over the whole universe.
May peace be in the Supreme Being Brahman.
And may there always exist in all peace and peace alone.
Om peace, peace and peace to us and all beings!
( translation bt Swami Abhedananda, Ramakrishna vedanta math, India)
Below follow some verses from the Bhumi Sakta, the Hymn to Earth. This hymn sums up the Hindu
idea that Earth is more than just a place of physical forces, verses three and four hint of the truth
and justice which determine one’s life.
ATHARVAVEDA 12: 1.3
‘ Earth, in which lie the sea, the river and other waters,
In which food and cornfields have come to be,
In which lives all that breathes and that moves,
May she confer on us the finest of her yield
Earth, in which the waters, common to all,
Moving on all sides, flow unfailingly, day
And night, may she pour on us milk in many
Streams, and endower us with lustre
May those born of thee, O earth be for
Our welfare, free from sickness and waste,
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Wakeful through a long life we shall become
Bearer of tribute to thee
Earth, my mother, set me securely with
Bliss in full accord with heaven,
O wise one, uphold me in your grace and splendour.’
ISLAM
“The creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most people
do not know.”
( Surah 40:57)
By stressing that humanity is only a tiny part of the universe, the Qur’an identifies that our
preoccupation with thinking that we are at the centre of the world; an anthropocentric world view is
being foolish and arrogant. Humanity has been created from the essence of nature and totally
bound to it. However, humanity has the ability to reason and think and because of this humanity has
been made the steward of God on earth. The Islamic view up held by Dr Hasan Zillur Rahim is that
nature is created on the principle of balance. It is the steward’s responsibility to ensure that their
actions do not upset this balance. Stewardship he says “does not imply superiority over other living
beings, because ownership belongs to God alone, stewardship invests people with a moral
responsibility in safeguarding God’s creation”. Stewardship therefore demands that humanity lives
in harmony with creation and works with it. For Islam it is essential that the Muslim reflects upon
nature and understands the way it works. This is deemed necessary because humanity can find
‘God’s signs’ in the natural world around them and, by observing them gain a greater understanding
of the laws of nature. A trawl of the Qur’an highlights the signs to understand nature’s laws:
“ In the succession of night and day.... in the water that comes down from the sky, giving life to the
earth after it has been lifeless..... in the changing of the winds..... in the mountains towering above
the earth..... in the hives of the bees and the flight of the birds.... in the wonder of seeds... in the
springs that gush forth from within the earth”
“ And the Earth - we have spread it out wide, and placed on it mountains firm, and caused life of
every kind to grow on it in a balanced manner, and provided means of livelihood for you as well as
for living beings whose sustenance does not depend on you.”
( Surah 15:19)
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Diversity of life has a crucial role to play in sustaining and making the earth habitable. Without the
biodiversity found on this planet, life as we know it would not exist. To this end all living species
have a right to live and flourish, not only because they are useful to humanity, but because their
existence and presence maintains harmony and balance in God’s creation.
A Muslim cannot hope to gain salvation in the next world if they pay scant regard to the here and
now. If the here and now is exploitative and greedy, there is no love of creation. If this is the case
they cannot love God in heaven. Interestingly, on this point of exploitation and in the world today,
the rapacious consumption of metal for technology is identified. ( Surah 57: 25.)
“We bestow on you from on high the ability to make use of iron, in which there is awesome power
as well as a source of benefits for man.”
The Qur’an recognises the inherent power that the elements within the earth contain. Their misuse,
if used for destructive purposes or wasted, will destroy humanity’s sensitivity towards the rest of
creation and humanity will suffer.
“Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of the evil which men’s hands have done, that He
may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return to the right
path”
( Surah 30:41)
This Surah implies that the destruction of creation and the natural environment is a result of
immoral and unethical use of natural resources. The warning is clear:there will be a price to pay.
Several verses of the Qur’an ( Surahs: 23:18-19; 30:40; 7:57) discuss the water cycle and the
fundamental need for water in sustaining life on earth. By referring to the fertility of the soil, the
individual properties of fresh and salt water, rivers and streams and the aquatic origin of life, the
Qur’an puts water as the most important natural phenomena on earth. Islamic law requires the
establishment of areas set aside that cannot be developed in order to safeguard natural resources.
Border areas near canals, wells and rivers are development free to protect the water from pollution.
The prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him), was the living embodiment of Qur’anic guidance and
taught environmental awareness with sayings as, “Whosoever plants a tree and diligently looks
after it until it matures and bears fruit is rewarded, or, Whosoever brings dead land to life, that is
cultivates waste land, for him is reward therein.” So for the Muslim an awareness of the
environment should be a daily occurrence.
JUDAISM.
From Rabbi Lawrence Troster’s Jewish perspective, humanity does not have unrestricted freedom to
misuse creation as it does not belong to them. The view is that everything humanity owns and uses
is ultimately belonging to God. Even our very souls belong to God. Genesis 1:31 says that God saw
what he had made and found it very good. For the Jew this means that creation was sufficient,
structured and ordered. There was/is a harmony about it. Psalm 148 is a song of praise to this
creation. The psalm says that all God’s creatures are part of the order of creation and all are subject
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to its nature. Humanity is also a part of this order, but like Christianity, the Jews believe humanity to
have a special place and role in the world.
“ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For his name alone is exalted;
His splendour is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn,
The praise of all his faithful servants,
Of Israel, the people close to his heart.”
(Psalm 148:13-14)
Humanity has been given control over creation coming from a concept that humans have special
characteristics that no other creatures possess.
“.....what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honour.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.”(Psalm 8:4-8)
Humanity is seen as being created in the image of God, put on this earth (note: not evolved from) to
act as God’s agents and to realise God’s presence in creation. The God -like capacities that humanity
possesses, power, self consciousness, relationship and freedom bring with them a moral aspect, they
should be used to maintain the order of creation at the same time as allowing limited use of creation
for their own benefits.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
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And the Lord God commanded the man ‘ you are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it
you will certainly die.’ ”
( Genesis 2: 15-17)
The balanced order of God’s creation applies to human society as well as the rest of the natural
world. Following humanity’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden, creation is no longer balanced due
to the human impulse of greed, inequality and selfishness.
For a Jew there are two revelations, the torah and creation. Dr. Mitchell Thomashow in his book
‘Ecological Identity: Becoming a reflective environmentalist’ (1996) says that “creation can help us to
perceive ourselves as living breathing beings connected to the rhythms of the earth, the biochemical
cycles, the grand and complex diversity of ecological systems.” This knowledge is to be gained both
through understanding creation scientifically and within Judaism, as understanding the need to keep
the commandments to love God and to fear God.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with your soul and with all your might.
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.”
( Deuteronomy 6: 5-9)
“When a person observes God’s works and God’s great and marvellous creatures, and see from
them God’s wisdom that is without estimate or end, immediately they will love God, praise God and
long with a great desire to know God’s Great name....... And when a person thinks about these
things they draw back and are afraid and realise that they are small, lowly and obscure, endowed
with slight and slender intelligence, standing in the presence of God who is perfect in knowledge.”
(Mishneh Torah, Sepher Madah, Hilkhot Yesodei Ha- Torah 2:1-2 The laws which are the foundation of the Torah))
When observing creation, for the Jew, there will be a sense of awe and wonder, filled with love and
a sense of connection to the great order of things. By putting God at the centre of life, the
sacredness in everything can be seen and the natural world becomes a source of wonder not just a
resource. Love and humility should evoke in us a sense of reverence and carefulness about the use
of it.
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The Jewish law ‘Halakhah’ prohibts wasteful consumption, the Mitzvah of Bal Tashchit (do not
destroy) is violated by wastefulness. When we consume in a wasteful manner, we damage creation
and violate our mandate to use creation only for legitimate benefit. We have of course to ask
ourselves here what is a legitimate benefit? This is no easy task given the range of prevailing views.
Environmental justice is a Jewish value, Tzedek, which means righteousness; justice and equity is the
value which tries to restore the balance. Globalisation has done much to further integration of
cultures, amenities, peoples and knowledge. It has created great wealth for some, but for many
millions more it has disrupted ways of life, their cultures and self perceptions.
“ When God created the first human beings, God led them around the Garden of Eden and said:
‘look at my works! See how beautiful they are- how excellent! For your sake I created them all.
See to it that you do not spoil or destroy My world; for if you do, there will be no one else to repair
it’.”
( Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 1, on Ecclesiastes 7: 13)
Within modern Jewish social theology, repairing the world is a major theme and one which is
expressed as activity in partnership with God. Having damaged the world, we have only ourselves to
restore it.
CHRISTIANITY.
Christianity teaches that God has created the whole of existence and declared it to be very good.
Because nothing has been created that was unnecessary and therefore nothing omitted, there is a
harmonious balance. It is the very fact that everything is of value that glorifies God. Not how useful
humanity finds it. Like Judaism, humankind is made in the image of God
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female
he created them.”
(Genesis 1:27)
Because humanity is made in God’s image Christianity tells us that we have a unique position in the
world and dominion over all living creatures. Fr Lanfranco Serrini explains that there is a moral
responsibility that goes with this: “Man’s dominion cannot be understood as licence to abuse, spoil
waste or destroy what God has created that manifests his glory. That dominion cannot be anything
other than stewardship in symbiosis with all creatures.”(Christian declaration on Nature 1986).
Fr Serrini goes on to say that every act of irresponsibility towards creation and creatures is an
abomination. “According to its gravity, it is an offence against the divine wisdom which sustains and
gives purpose to the interdependent harmony of the universe.” The World Council of Churches
made a statement in 1988 supporting this view.
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“The divine presence of the spirit in creation binds human beings together with all created life. We
are accountable to before God and to the community of life, an accountability which has been
imagined in various ways: as servants, stewards and trustees, as tillers and keepers, as priests of
creation, as insurers and co- creators. This requires attitudes of compassion and humility, respect
and reverence.”
According to Charley Dewberry from Guttenberg College, there is no explicit or clearly prescribed
environmental ethic. “No book in the Bible says how we should relate to the land” and so he argues
that, for some people, there are no moral issues regarding its use. He does, however, say that the
Bible “offers a set of principles from which we can derive God’s perspective on moral issues”(
msc.gutenberg.edu/2008/01/is-there-a-christian-environmental-ethic/). So, for the Christian there is no set of
‘do’s and don’ts’, rather sensitivity towards understanding the nature of God, creation and our
responsibility. God has given humanity a moral obligation to manage nature according to moral
principles and in consideration of others in society.
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the
gleanings of your harvest.
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for
the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.”
( Leviticus 19:9-10)
HOW HAVE WE ARRIVED AT TODAY’S SITUATION?
Today’s society find s itself living through a period of climate change, dwindling natural resources,
serious pollution and devastation on a vast scale. The climate variation has been catastrophe for
many parts of the world. Is this our fault? Are we to blame? Why, particularly in the western world,
do we have so little regard for the planet that is our home and sustains us? Who can answer this? It
may however be possible to throw a little light on how this lack of reverence developed.
Thomas Berry (1914-2009) a Christian Eco theologian and Earth historian tells how, at the beginning
of humanity, nothing was undertaken by humans alone. It was always in conjunction with the
cosmos and spirits. Humankind worked in conjunction with creation and the spiritual because the
world was a terrifying place and humanity was too frail to deal with it alone. He says “in opposition
to the terror were a benign providence and a beneficent universe ready to ally themselves with
humans and to assure them of an inner tranquillity in the larger pattern of existence, even if humans
were permitted to suffer in terrible ways ...” (Berry;2009:2) However in Christian history he identifies
three stages when this close connection with the cosmos and the spirituality of the world was lost.
For Berry, the first shift began when early Christianity met Greek humanism, resulting in an
anthropocentric world view, a view that separated humanity by exalting it to the point that
humanity lost its sense of connection with creation and its awareness of just being a small part of
creation. The second stage comes in 1347 when the ‘Black Death’ ravaged Europe. The people had
no way of knowing why it was happening or what had caused such devastation. They could only
think that they had been wicked and God was punishing the world. Repentance was what was
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needed, so a spirituality developed that involved disengagement from worldly concerns. So after the
‘Black Death,’ instead of delighting in God’s creation there was and is a spiritual withdrawal. The
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw the emergence of science and the view that the world was
a machine, clockwork with no spirit. The final break with the natural world, according to Berry comes
when society abandons an organic agricultural economy in favour of an industrial technological one.
It was Descartes, Galileo and Newton who believed that the world was made of a matter that was in
constant motion. They held that all objects were composed of particles or atoms that functioned
according to natural laws. Their ideas became known as ‘Mechanical Philosophy’, a philosophy that
had at its heart the idea that the world was a machine not an organism. Newton particularly
believed the world to have been created by God at some point in the past and because this machine
world, if left unattended would operate imperfectly, God’s continual involvement was necessary to
tweak and maintain. At the same time, Descartes who held that the human being was divided into
body and soul. His criteria for determining whether a function belonged to the body or soul was:
“Anything we experience as being in us, and which we can see can also exist in wholly inanimate
bodies, must be attributed to our body. On the other hand, anything in us which we cannot conceive
in any way capable of belonging to a body must be attributed to the soul. Thus because we have no
conception of the body as thinking in any way at all, we have reason to believe that every kind of
thought present in us belongs to the soul” (plato.stanford.edu/entries/pineal-gland).
The body as matter is seen as inferior to the mind.
St Augustine in his “Confessions” about Dualism supported this view. He believed the soul to be
superior to the body and that the soul was to rule the body. He viewed the physical/sensible world
as one full of temptation and moral danger into which a human would fall and the soul needed to
wary of this. With the result that humanity was distanced yet further from creation.
The Protestant Reformation of 1517 was a period of great upheaval in Europe, with huge changes
that would alter all aspects of life from the political to the social, leaving a lasting impression on
western civilisation. It was the Protestant Reform that revealed the underlying tension between the
physical and spiritual lives of people. Protestants fell into four types, Lutheran, Reform, Radical and
Anglican. They believed in justification by faith, the priesthood of all believers, the authority of the
word of God as contained in the scriptures, and the right and duty of each Christian to interpret the
scriptures. Up until this time the general view was that work had no intrinsic spirituality. Along
comes Protestant John Calvin, a religious Reform Protestant who took a different view. He thought it
perfectly possible to combine the work and spirituality. His attitude to work was driven by a belief in
predestination, a belief that maintained that God would select those Christians who would be saved
and those who would not. But how would people know whether they were saved or not? Calvin
believed God would be glorified by the good works of the Christian and because only the chosen
could glorify god, the Christian’s success was evidence of being chosen. This belief gave a dignity to
work and enabled the chosen to build the kingdom of God on earth through their hard work, the
accumulation of wealth and its reinvestment. Because of John Calvin’s view work became endowed
with moral and spiritual significance. Calvinists expressed their piety towards God through hard work
and this expression helped to shift the orientation from a contemplative (Augustinian) engagement
with God towards a rational and more economic one. Calvinists were encouraged to make money,
but not to spend it. To be successful in business they were to reinvest their profits, giving them
material wealth and an outward sign of salvation. Instead of being viewed as morally suspect, greedy
and ambitious, financially successful Calvinists were viewed as being motivated by a moral
philosophy called ‘the spirit of Capitalism’.
Max Weber in his book ‘The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’ proposed that “asectic
Protestantism was one of the elective affinities associated with the rise of Capitalism, bureaucracy
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and the rational-legal, nation –state in the western world.”(www.boundless.com/sociology) He
emphasised how religious culture could be a contributor to the beginnings of Capitalism. He never
explicitly claimed that Calvinism was the cause, just one of many factors that created a cultural shift,
factors such as science, the linking of observation with mathematics, government administration,
bureaucracy and economic enterprise. Weber noticed that Protestantism and Capitalism tended to
coincide with one another. Following the Reformation, the Protestant countries of the Netherland,
England, Scotland and Germany gained economic prominence over Catholic countries. He also noted
that the most successful business leaders in countries that held different religious beliefs were
Protestant. As the Protestant work ethic gave way to a more general one, the religious and moral
constraints no longer applied and a consumer culture of quick gratification and increased
consumption developed. The outcome was to increase waste disposal, greater pollution was
generated and more and more resources required to sustain this culture.
The Industrial Revolution of 1760 was giving rise to a new social structure. In place of the rural
economy came the capitalist farmer looking for safe investments for his profits. Landowners were
the purveyors of justice. Mining and manufacturing changed the town scapes which quickly out grew
the structures once placed on towns by religion. It was a time of exploitation, long working hours,
poor pay, poor health, living conditions that were wretched and injustice was rife. Out of such horror
arose Socialism: Marx and Engels. Both were brought up as Protestants but they attacked all
religions as “the opiate of the people and intellectually untenable in a scientific age” (Das Kapital)
So it was at this time that the awe and wonder of the planet was lost sight of and it became an
object of use and exploitation. The radiance and presence of the Divine was no longer recognised;
the creation was just a collection of objects with no interconnectedness. The resources of the earth
had become a commodity to be bought and sold.
It would be historically incorrect to suggest that the only views during this period were negative
towards creation and that the only viewpoint was that of the world as a machine. Thomas Aquinas, a
Roman Catholic priest (1225-1274), wrote a creation theology underpinned by the idea that God
intended human beings to use the animate and inanimate creations for the necessities of life and,
through this engagement with creation, recognise God’s character in all creation. Jane Schaefer
identifies Aquinas’s key thoughts about creation as the following;

“ the innate goodness of all types of animate and inanimate creatures, each of which is
essential to the perfection of the universe;

the unity of diverse creatures through their interactions with one another to sustain
themselves and the internal functioning of the universe;

the sacramentality of physical creation which manifests the invisible presence and character
of God, particularly God’s power, goodness and wisdom, and

the unique capacity of the human creature to identify and choose to act on other creatures
in ways that achieve the common good in temporal life as eternal happiness with God is sought.”
(Schaefer, Nature and Religion;102)
These statements link to the cardinal virtues that Aquinas taught should inform life those of
prudence, justice, moderation and fortitude. These qualities would help to achieve the common
good for creation and enable the individual to enter a happy relationship with God. He also believed
that diversity was important to sustain the universe and this was not limited to creatures, it was
important for the religious life of a community. His argument was that the greater the differentiation
in revelation, belief, spiritual disciplines, and sacramental forms the greater the perfection of the
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whole, “since perfection is in the interacting of diversity, the extent of that diversity is the measure
of perfection.” (Nature and Religion:18)
“ For He brought into being in order that his goodness might be communicated to creatures, and be
represented by them; and because His goodness could not be adequately represented by one
creature alone, He produced many and diverse creatures, so that what was wanting to one in the
representation of the divine goodness might be supplied by another. For goodness, which in God is
simple and uniform, in creatures is manifold and divided; and hence the whole universe participates
in the divine goodness more perfectly and represents better than any single creature
whatsoever.”(Summa Theologica 1,Q 47 ai cited N and R)
Around this time St Francis of Assisi appears. The Christian Church was incredibly rich as were those
who held office, and Francis and others felt the apostolic ideals had been lost. Francis’s poverty was
a radical notion for the time. He made it his mission to restore Jesus Christ’s own original values to
the decadent church, as he saw it. Francis was possessed of real charisma and many people were
drawn to his sermons and wished to join his life of poverty. His followers became known as
‘Franciscan Friars’
The ‘Canticle of Creation’ is a song of praise written by Francis. He calls out to all creation as brother
and sister, revealing the core of the Franciscan worldview: “that God is the source of all being, that
the creator God is the parent, that all creatures therefore are brother and sister to one another,
everything deserves love and respect” Francis realised that even those marginalised by society and
enemies were still brothers and sisters. For the Franciscan order, it is the love and goodness of God
that grounds them. All creation is an out pouring of God’s love and creative goodness. All is sacred.
www.christianfranciscans.com)
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712- 1778) a leading Enlightenment thinker clashed with the key theme
within the Enlightenment period, that of progress coming through reason and science, which directly
promoted human well being and moral virtue. He intensely disliked the pretence, false
consciousness and inequality he saw around him. He strongly argued for humanity’s need to recover
natural feeling, virtue, natural compassion, freedom and equality. For Rousseau, natural means
something that is established by nature, not by societal values. Rousseau firmly believed in nature
because he saw proof of God’s existence in the harmony, order and motion of the system of nature.
“Everything is good as it leaves the hands of the Author of things everything degenerates in the
hands of man.” (Rousseau :1428; Cited Nature and Religion)
W French says that Rousseau did not hold with the view of ‘original sin’, the creation of humanity’s
nature was not flawed rather sin arrived in human history. In his work “Emile” Rousseau clearly
indicates that his aim in education is to protect young peoples’ natural feelings and virtues, those
they have been endowed with by nature, from being twisted by society’s pressure, enabling them to
reach adulthood with “emotional integrity and a sense of moral responsibility healthy and
uncorrupted.” Natural compassion, Rousseau maintained prevented exploitation not only of other
human beings, but sentient creatures who enjoyed the right not to be pointlessly mistreated.(W
French:1428 ; cited Nature and Religion)
Where does that leave us today? Our societies are many and varied, each with a culture of their
own made up of a vast range of views, opinions and beliefs. I cannot comment upon all, so I would
like at this point just refer to four groups, Christian Process Theologians, Traditional believers of
Christianity, an Environmentalist ethic and those that believe in a Free Market perspective who I
think are perhaps the most noticeably vocal about our response to nature and about whom I have
some experience.
23
“Process theology is a relational philosophy. To exist is to be in relation. Does God exist? If you say
yes, then God must also be in relation. To whom? To everyone and everything.” (Suchocki 2003)
She goes on to explain that process thinking says that to be in relation results in being affected by
something, and to affect something else in turn. It is a dynamic process. They view creation as God
creating WITH the world, from the primeval chaos, order and creation is brought forth (Gen 1:1).
These theologians, whose philosophical and theological position is that God is changing, as is the
universe, and therefore our knowledge of God must be progressing as we learn more and it can
never be absolute, suggest some of the following ideas concerning religion and nature:
1.
Nature as creative. Nature as understood through evolutionary biology and Quantum theory
as well as many forms of religious experience, is a continuously creative process, with galatic as well
as terrestrial dimensions, of which humans are an integral part.
2.
Nature as visible and invisible. Nature includes invisible as well as visible dimensions, as
exemplified in feelings and other conscious states of mammals (invisible) and the human
brain(visible) and that both of these dimensions are expressions of the same kind of creative energy
and is, in this sense ‘natural’.
3.
Intrinsic value. Teach living being on earth is a subject for itself not just an object for others,
such that a living being has intrinsic value and some capacity for experiencing its environment from
its own unique point of view.
4.
Interconnectedness. All living beings have their existence and identities in relation to, not
apart from, all other living beings, which means the very identity of all living beings, including each
plant and animal, is partly determined by the material and cultural environment. Human beings are
persons-in-community not persons-in –isolation. Community includes the entire web of life.
5.
God in Nature. The whole of nature is embraced by a divine reality: a one-embracing many
variously named God, who is influential throughout nature in a continuous way as an indwelling lure
towards satisfactory survival. This lure does not interrupt the causal operations as understood by
physics and chemistry.
6.
Sin as unnecessary violence against creation. Because nature is itself creative at all levels,
there are things that happen in evolution itself, and in all forms of existence, that are tragic, even for
God.
7.
Co –Creativity. Human beings as creatures among creatures can help prevent these
tragedies by co-operating with the divine lure towards the fullness of life and this response is their
true vocation in life.
(Adapted J.McDaniel ;365 cited in Nature and Religion)
The implications of such a list are wide spread politically, economically and morally. It promotes
human well being in an ecologically responsible context and as the aim for a flourishing human
society and earth. In the first statement nature is described as creative, this raises the question of
humanity’s position in creation which has serious implications for Christianity. This issue will be
explored in the next essay.
Main stream Christianity holds the biblical view of trying to becoming morally perfect, the only way
that will satisfy their true needs. Individuals cannot achieve moral success without the grace of God.
Because humanity lacks morality, thanks to the Fall of Adam and Eve, we lack the capacity to make
the right decisions without grace. Therefore, in order that right decisions regarding managing
creation can be made, those making the decisions need to come from a Christian background and be
seekers of God’s grace.
Environmentalism is a social movement that seeks to influence the political process in order to
protect natural resources and eco-systems. If you like, it seeks to give the natural world a voice. The
24
central conundrum for environmentalists is how to satisfy humanity’s needs without sacrificing the
world, our home. Environmentalism is rooted in science and inquiry, the need to know and
understand the workings of the natural world. Environmentalists prize biodiversity and prescribe
habitat protection in order to maintain the diversity. For some people, environmentalism is viewed
sceptically. The Cornwall Alliance certainly takes this stance, stating that environmentalism is a form
of quasi religion. Environmentalism does not worship nature, rather it recognises and respects the
fact that if the condition of nature changes too greatly. Earth may become inhospitable to life.
Environmentalists follow a utilitarian principle concerned with protecting humans and other living
beings as populations and species, not as individuals. Sheryl Eisenberg, from the National Resources
Defense Council in America, states that the environmentalist’s foundation statement is;
“...for example, the planet consists of a set of intricate and interdependent systems that are
themselves interdependent – but the world view is not comprehensive. The reason and meaning for
our existence, creation and other ultimate questions are outside its purview.”(nrdc.org.uk)
There is however an ongoing debate about the usefulness of the term environmentalism, and all
that stands for, and whether the concept of sustainability would be better. Those who support
sustainability have the notion that society should operate by utilising industrial and biological
processes that can be sustained indefinitely. This would be a cyclical process, where each industrial
cycle feeds into the next process by producing raw materials for it, rather like decaying plant
material becoming the nutrients for growth.
So far the groups briefly commented upon all have the earth’s welfare at heart. This cannot be said
of the next group who, in the past, have exploited the earth’s resources and whilst many companies
are looking to become ethical, this is by no means the norm. There are five characteristic of the Free
Market Economy, they are:

Private ownership of business, with very limited government intervention.

Everyone in this system is motivated by self interest.

Firms can sell anything they wish to, they respond to the consumers who may buy whatever
is sold by the producers.

There is a very high level of competition, firms compete with each other and we the
consumers, compete with each other for the goods on offer.

There is a price mechanism that acts as a signal and incentive for producers to act to
maximise their profits.
In this market economy the consumer is king/queen. A business will only produce what consumers
will buy, so there is pressure on firms to produce goods as cheaply and efficiently as possible. One of
the downsides to this market economy is that if an individual has nothing and does not have
marketable labour skills, then they will remain poor. This system tends to create an unfair
distribution of income, with the wealthy consuming a disproportionately large share of what is
produced.(adapted from A level economics)
Robert Reich, a former United States Secretary for Labour argues that people are led to believe that
the ‘free market’ is natural and inevitable and stands outside government intervention, “so
whatever inequality or insecurity it generates is beyond our control. Whatever ways we seek to
reduce inequality and insecurity; to make the economy work for us, are unwarranted constraints on
the market’s freedom.” As the world continues to be consumer driven vast amounts of the earth’s
resources are being appropriated to feed this drive. The apportioning of blame is pointless. We, as
consumers, are as much to blame as the industries that create the commodities. We are all in this
together; we share responsibility. As consumers we need to understand how the objects, fuel and
food we use are made, what earth resources go into the manufacturing. We need to be less
25
believing of the multi million pound advertising campaigns that feed our insecurities and consider
whether things we think are vital actually are. We need to think globally. The process theologians,
environmentalist and religious believers will, in their own way, continue the debate. But I think a
great deal can be achieved by teachers who recognise the need for a curriculum that incorporates
recognising and respecting the gifts of the earth and valuing them, teaches its youngsters the
process of cause and effect, is truthful about the origins of commodities and the origins of injustice
that goes hand in glove with the manufacturing of some items. These issues are pertinent whatever
the culture or religion and a trawl of websites from other religious traditions will highlight groups
who are debating these same problems. In the end, I believe it goes back to the comment made by
Hannah Arendt;
“Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume
responsibility for it,
and by the same token save it from that ruin which except for renewal,
except for the coming of the new and the young, would be inevitable.
And education, too,
is where we decide whether we love our children enough not to expel them from our world and
leave them to their own devices
nor to strike from their hands their chance of undertaking something new,
something unforeseen by us, but to prepare them in advance for the task of
renewing a common world.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alliance of Religions and Conservation(ARC) (1986) Assisi Declarations on Nature
Bell. D,(1976) The Cultural Contradiction of Capitalism. New York; Basic Books
Berry. T, (2009) The Christian Future and the Fate of Earth. New York; Orbis Books
Rahim. Hizillur, (1991) Ecology in Islam: Protection of The Web of Life a Duty for Muslim
OFSTED (2013) Religious education: realising potential.
Suchocki. M.H, (2003) Divinity and Diversity: A Christian Affirmation of Religious Pluralism.
Nashville; Abingdon.
Taylor. B (ed( 2008) The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature. Continuum.




Thomas Aqunias - Jane Schaefer;102
Rousseau – W French;1428
Process Theologian-j McDaniel;365
The Protestant Ethic – Rogene Buchholz and Sandra Rosenthal;1309.
Thomashow. M,( 1996) Ecological Identity: Becoming a reflective Environmentalist. The MIT Press.
26
WEBSITES.
www.arcworld.org/faiths.asp?
www.livingwithinnature.org/links_Hindu
www.greenfaith.org
www.christianfranciscan.com
www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/economics/free-market
www.wrmea.org/wrmea-archives
www.boundless.com/sociology
www.processandfaith.org/sites/default/pdfs
www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.asp?id=748
www.msc.gutenberg.edu/2008/01/is-there-a-christian-environmental-ethic
www.nrdc.org.uk/publications.asp
27
Lesson Plans:
OFSTED in its report Religious education: realising potential states:
1.
The current report highlights, as did the 2010 report that in the most effective RE
teaching, enquiry is placed at the heart of learning. However, few of the schools visited had
a well-defined approach to this. Enquiry was most effective and consistent where it was
based on a straightforward model – for example:
Refection and
Expression
Asking
questions
Evaluation
Investigation
Drawing
conclusions
2.

Effective enquiry in RE:
is not age limited – effective enquiry was found at all ages

involves sustained learning – in which pupils set up the enquiry, carry it out,
evaluate their learning and revisit the questions set

starts by engaging pupils in their learning – making sure they can see the
relevance and importance of the enquiry and how it relates to their own concerns

allows pupils time to gather information and draw conclusions before asking
them to reflect on or apply their learning – the focus on ‘learning from’ usually comes later
as they ask the key question – so what?

enables pupils to reconsider their initial thinking and extend their enquiry as
they begin to see new levels of possibility – if pupils have identified key questions at the
outset, they reconsider these, add more, or re-prioritise them

allows pupils to use their creativity and imagination – ensuring that experiential
learning and opportunities to foster spiritual and creative development are built into the
process of enquiry
( Ofsted (2013)Religious education: realising the potential.)
This report talks about the highly effective lessons being those that present pupils with challenging
questions, where there is a high level of expectation from discussion, pupils are asked to question
28
‘why’ and openness and understanding are inbuilt. It also identifies five aspects to consider when
planning for religious education, they are:

Connection – what links can we make with our pupils’ lives?

Knowledge – what is the burning core of the faith?

Senses – What sensory elements are in the religion?

Symbols – what are the symbols that are most accessible?

Values – What are the values in religion that speak to us?
The activities that follow fit well into the categories of connection, knowledge and values, and I offer
you a starting point for questions asked and investigations as well as resources for reflection. The
evaluation of the work will link into the questions asked. They are designed to help children to begin
to understand what religion says about our role in looking after the world in which we live. Some of
the questions are challenging but, where possible, I have included stories that are accessible to a
wide range of abilities enabling the development of understanding.
These are triggers to start the process of engaging children with religious beliefs that have an impact
upon the very earth upon which we rely.
Concept: Stewardship
Questions asked:



What is meant by stewardship within Christianity?
What does Christianity say are the characteristics of a steward?
Is stewardship important to a Christian?
Investigate:
Material that offers an opportunity to explore this theme may be found in:





Christian Declaration on Nature- The Assisi Declarations 1986
Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25;14-28
The Rich Man, Mark 10;17-27
The Widows Mite, Mark 12;41-44
The life of St Francis of Assisi
Reflection and Expression:
Stimulus material might be for Key stage One;


The Rainbow Fish,(2007) Marcus Pfister, North South Books Inc, New York
Stone Soup (2006) Jess Stockham
29

The Clown of God(1978) Tomie dePaola

Frederick(2004) Leo Lionni
Consider scenarios around the following words that are aspects of stewardship, kindness, giving of
time, sharing, thoughtfulness....
Stimulus for Key stage Two;



Chief Seattle Speech: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, (1991)
www.slideshare.net/jhjh90121/brother-eagle-sister-sky-26963470
If the Earth Poem, author unknown.www.wowzone.com/e-text.htm
Concept: Stewardship
Questions asked:



What is meant by Stewardship in Islam?
What does Islam say are the characteristics of a steward?
Is stewardship important?
Investigate:

For a brief summary of Muslim views go to the Assisi Declarations

Islamic perspectives on saving the environment
www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/private/cmje/heritage/ffeu_eco.pdf

By exploring the life of Muhammad (pbuh)an idea of stewardship may become clearer
Reflection and expression;
Stories for children;

‘My Book of Islamic Stories’ by Mufti Afzal Hoosen Elia
Islamic stories for children with a moral and message that helps them recognise the consequences of
their actions. ( Amazon)

‘Marvellous stories from the life of Muhammad’ by Mardijah Aldrich Tarantino.

‘Finders keepers and other stories’ By Samina Najar.
An anthology of moral stories whose themes are relevant to Muslin youth in this society. Lessons in
dealing with charity, honesty, kindness to animals, showing off and greed.
(Amazon)
30
Concept: Stewardship
Questions asked:



What is meant by the concept of stewardship in Judaism?
What does Judaism say about the characteristics of a steward?
Is stewardship important to a Jew?
Investigate:
For background information refer to






www.jewishvaluesonline.org/295
The Jewish declaration on Nature from the Assisi Declarations
www.eco-faith.org/faith/judaism.php
www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/holydays/tubishvat.
www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/tu_bishvat
Reflection and expression:
Stories for Children:

‘Listen to the Trees: Jews and the Earth’; by Molly Cone. ( available from Judaism.com)
Looks to the Torah for its environmental wisdom. Through quotations, sayings and stories
(Judaism.com)

‘It’s Tu B’Shevat’ by Edie Stoltz Zolkower . ( available at Judaism.com)
As a boy and his family plant a sapling, they imagine all the wonderful things the tree will provide:
shade, fruit, breezes, a home for birds, and even a place for the boy to hang a tyre swing. Together
they celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of trees.( Judaism.com)

‘Tikken Olam Ted’ by Vivian Newman. (available at Judaism,com)
Always busy doing deeds like recycling, feeding birds, working in the garden and donating items to
others, a young boy has earned the nickname Tikken Olam Ted.( Judaism.com)
Concept: Interconnectedness.
Questions asked:

What does Hinduism say about the position of humanity in creation?
31
Investigate:
A starting point for investigation could be ;




www.arcworld.org/faiths.asp
The Hindu declaration on Nature from the Assisi Declarations.
You might also like to consider some verses from the Bhumi Sakat, The Hymn to Earth.
Reflection and expression;

To further demonstrate how things are all part of and connected to the basic elements that
make up life a discussion with the pupils of the speech of Chief Seattle would be helpful. You may
wish to give a brief historical perspective.
Resource:
Chief Seattle , St Bernard Press 1977
Photographs from Internet
Quotes:
“The earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. This
we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.”
“We did not weave the web of life we are merely strands in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to
ourselves.”
“The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.”
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
“How can you buy the sky?” “How can you own the wind?”
Questions.

Do the pupils understand what is being said here?

Do they understand cause and effect?

Can they think of any examples of this? ( Newspaper articles or internet articles may be
helpful)

Have they any experience of interconnectedness?

What are their views on buying the sky or owning the wind?
Set up a discussion as to whether the earth belongs to us or if it is on loan and what experiences or
thoughts might lead to differing opinions.
32
When dealing with the Hindu concepts of Karma, Dharma and Reincarnation, using the theme of
nature and interconnectedness and the way in which a Hindu responds to nature may help children
to develop a greater understanding of the concept and connection.
HINDUISM.
Concept: Dharma = Duty
Questions asked:


What is the Hindu Dharma towards nature?
In what aspects of a Hindu’s life can you see expression of their dharma?
Investigation:

Try www.arcworld.org/faiths.asp for background.

Explore the idea of vegetarianism

Investigate the role that animals (vahana) have as vehicles for deity and the reciprocal
relationship between them.

The concept of Ahimsa, non violence could be explored, either alone or contextualised by
mentioning Gandhi. Gandhi is a theme covered at secondary level, so it is an illustration, not in
depth analysis.
Reflection and expression.

In Southern parts of India Kolam patterns also known as Rangoli patterns are created.
Kolams are a form of painting that uses rice powder and sometimes fruit and nuts. Widely practiced
by female Hindu family members in front of their homes it is to welcome visitors and bring luck and
prosperity to the family. It is more than an aesthetic art. In traditional Indian culture Kolams were a
sign of the interconnectedness of life. The rice powder, fruit or nuts used to create the designs also
fed ants, small mammals and birds and welcomed them into human lives.
The patterns range from geometric using a matrix of dots to free form. Motifs may include animals,
fish and birds, again reinforcing the unity between humanity and nature.
Use dotty paper or, if preferred free hand, design patterns that reflect the children’s ideas of unity
within their worlds. This may be as simple as their pets, their love of pond dipping...
33
A Kolam in front of a house in Tamil Nadu. Drawn by Arulraja 2012
Resource: www.artplatter.com/2011/09/simple-small-koli

Give the children the task of creating either a ritual, or movement that reflects the
interconnectedness with aspects of nature. It may be feeding birds, nurturing plants, building a
pond, cleaning out pets....

A problem that is being experienced in some parts of the world today is the decline of the
bee population. Bees are vital for pollinating 80% of flowering plants in the world. One thousand of
the one thousand two hundred plant species grown for food need bees, a really explicit example of
interconnectedness.
Generic activities might include:

The creating of a special object, a cloth that might be used in collective worship (to cover the
table) that represents the wonder of creation. Each child may be given a piece of felt upon which to
sew or stick an aspect of the world that appeals to them. The pieces are then sown together and
backed with a lining.

A discussion around the question
“Is it a problem if people use the world and its resources in any way they like?”

Discuss and design strategies for mutually enhancing human and earth relations. For
example, how can we the children, recycle more, create less pollution, less waste , show a greater
respect for the environment and animals? Draw up a manifesto for creation, usually a verbal
declaration of intentions, but it could be illustrative.

Create bee friendly environments.
Concept: Karma
34
Karma = action, word or deed/ cause and effect/action and reaction reaction
Questions asked:

Is Karma a personal responsibility?

Do you deserve everything that happens to you?

What does Hinduism say about the results of bad karma?

Investigation:

For background information go to : www.thetreeofawakening.com/karma/
www.arcworld.org/faiths.asp

Reincarnation www.himalayanacademy.com/readlearn/basics/karma-reincarnation

www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/re/information/creation

Reflection and expression;

Look for examples of cause and effect.

A Hindu children’s story; The story of the Great Ape (www.4to40.com/story/index.asp)

A Range of Hindu stories ,classic, historical, animal, children...
www.4to40.com/story/default.asp?k=Karma

Discussion on the question ‘is it true that an individual’s action creates consequences?’
Concept: Reincarnation and Samsara
Reincarnation= As the real self (atman) remains unchanged at death it goes on to its next
destination.
Samsara =the process of passing from one body to another throughout all species of life.
Questions asked;

How does the cycle of death and rebirth show the interconnectedness of nature and
humanity?
Investigation;

Find background information at www.hinduwebsite.com/reincarnation
Reflection and expression:
Stories for children;

The Cat lady by Dick King-Smith
Muriel is known as the cat lady because she lives alone with many cats. When a new kitten is born, it
soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary cat. Vicky is a kitten with a very regal character, and
35
strangely enough, she was born on the day that queen Victoria died!
( Amazon)

Drop Dead by Babette Cole.
Grandma and granddad recall to their grandchildren their entire lives- adventurous babies, school
children, disastrous teenagers, stuntman and film star. But they expect to one day drop dead and
they could be recycled as anything.
( Amazon)
36
CHAPTER THREE.
Exploring Ideas about the origins of the World and Universe.
In order to make the material more accessible I have divided the universe creation stories into three
parts.
Firstly I look at the creation up to the birth of the sun. This allows me the opportunity to include
myths that go well back in time, as well as looking at more current scientific thoughts and ponder as
to whether they are telling the same tale. Secondly, I relate the Earth story, its flourishing, flora and
fauna and the mythology that seeks explains these events.
And finally, I consider what religions say about the creation of humanity and what scientists and
some theologians of today say.
The Cosmic story told by the Walk at Winchester University.
37
Image 1.
As you look at the blackness, you are staring back 13.5 billion years into humankind’s history, your
history. A dense fog of really, really hot plasma prevents light showing- this is as far as you can see.
We do not know yet what lies behind this blackness.
Image 2.
TOHU VABOHU. ‘Tohu’ is Hebrew and refers to the wilderness of a desert. ‘Bohu is the Canaanite
goddess Baau, the goddess of first light and the mother of all the living. At this point there is no
outside,no time or space, these have yet to come. There may however have been a shiver, or sigh
and suddenly, very generously, time and space erupt.
Image 3.
3.5 billion years ago a huge explosion results in a fireball being created,” every place in universe is
that place where the universe flared into existence.”(Swimme;1997:89) Humankind must therefore
have existed at this point in time, we too were involved in that. The great birth (explosion) that
happened at the beginning of time is the same explosion that is river, star, mountain, tree, birds, the
forests and seas. At the very base of forests, the seas and in the heart of us lies the same cosmic
shiver or whisper that began everything. Our genetic inheritance offers us the possibility of forming
deep relationships with the natural world.
38
Image 4.
The energy that the fireball contained allowed the universe to throw out the particles that were to
provide the building blocks of all life. They swirled and massed around for millions of years. Slowly
these particles (building blocks) slowed and calmed down, then flared up and dissolved into a great
scattering in the dark cosmos, opening up the possibility of more beginnings.
“ to tell the story of one of these particles (building blocks) we must tell the story of the universe, for
each particle in some way very closely present to every other particle of the universe.
(Swimme;1992:29)
No part of today can be separated from any other part of life, be it past, or the future. Humankind is
naturally part of infinite creativity. We have the power to be creative, to delight, to be adventurous,
and to be one with the world.
Image 5.
For a billion years there was only darkness and in this darkness particles were churning and swirling
and the creativity was happening and the galaxies were created. In the darkness Andromeda, the
Virgo Cluster, Pegasus, the Magellanic Clouds and our Milky Way were made. In all, one hundred
billion galaxies were fashioned. These galaxies were to move throughout the emptiness of space
presenting their unique form to the universe and containing their own internal dynamics and from
them were to come the billions and billions of stars.
Image 6.
The first mothers told a powerful story about the birth of the galaxies. They tell of Eurynome, the
goddess of chaos who lived in the darkness. She was lonely and so to ease her loneliness she danced.
Her dance created a wind and this wind fertilised her and Eurynome, the great goddess of chaos
gave birth to all that is. Light flows from her as she filled the darkness with stars.
Image 7.
The universe expanded and cooled and atoms of hydrogen and helium appear. The creation of
atoms is as amazing as the birth of the universe. Nothing that came before indicated their
emergence, they simply leapt out of the originating mystery and organised the universe in a fresh
way. Hydrogen does not enter a fixed world. It enters and creates a transparent world as both
hydrogen and helium allow light through. Within all the processes was gravity which plays an
important part in everything from galaxies to raindrops. Its influence is felt in the galatic clusters and
as water flowing down a plug hole, yet it remains a mystery.
Image 8.
Density waves swept through the clouds and new ripples grew. The waves shocked the clouds of
Hydrogen and Helium and they condensed rapidly into thousands of stars. After a billion years the
universe broke itself into a trillion clouds and space began to grow between the clouds. As clouds
collapsed stars burst through and the universe became radiant.
Image 9.
In this radiance millions of galaxies filled the one billion light years of space and time. The galaxies of
the Virgo Cluster, Andromeda and the Milky Way are present. It is within the Milky Way that we live
accompanied by one hundred thousand stars. The Milky Way was so called by our ancestors as it
39
was thought to be the ever nurturing breast milk of the goddess Hera who in ancient times was
understood to be queen of heaven.
Image 10.
One star present at this point in the cosmic story is Tiamat. It is from her atoms that our bodies are
created. In her fiery womb she knit the wonder that we are. Our birth required a dramatic disruption
of a well ordered system but as she died Tiamat’s creativity went out into the future unfolding of the
universe, she let loose, tungsten, copper, magnesium, rhodium, silver, silicon and started our
adventure.
She is named after the Babylonian goddess whose dismembered body formed the earth and skies,
whose body became the source of all that is.
For a moment let us stop here and explore some of the ancient civilisations ‘ideas regarding the
beginnings of the Universe. We start with the myth of Tiamat.
The Babylonian myth of Tiamat.
In the beginning there was water.
Apsu was the sweet water and Tiamat was the salt water.
Tiamat laboured and brought forth the Universe.
And the first gods were born in the Universe.
They were monstrous serpents.
The serpents gave birth to a son which was earth and a daughter which was heaven.
And heaven and earth created the gods. They created Am, the god of strength, and Ea, the god of
intellect.
The gods grew troublesome and fought amongst themselves and Tiamat was angry.
She brought forth a serpent called Kingu and she made him King of the Universe.
And she brought forth an army of monsters/ Ea heard of Tiamat’s anger and told his father.
And Ea’s father summoned the god Morduk and made him King of the Gods.
Morduk was ready for battle.
Before him went the lightning and his chief weapon was a hurricane.
On each side was an eerie wind and his chariot was a terrifying tempest.
As Tiamat opened her mouth to swallow Morduk he filled it with evil winds.
She could not shut her mouth.
40
Then Morduk fired a arrow at Tiamat
And split her heart.
And he cut her in two.
And from her top half he made a vault for the heavens.
And from her lower half he made the solid earth.
Then Morduk threw Kingu and all Tiamat’s followers into hell.
He made a home in the heavens for the gods.
He put the sun in the sky.
And the moon.
And the stars.
He decided the length of the year.
And the seasons.
He created
He created the fishes, the trees, the flowers, the birds and all things that move on the surface of the
earth. (adapted from various sources)
In academic circles it is commonly thought that humanity tells itself stories in an attempt to make
sense of their culture. According to Prof Bell from Harvard, culture is the effort to provide a coherent
set of answers to fundamental questions, the origin of something determines its meaning and its
meaning determines its value. Its value determines what you do with it. What is believed within a
culture creates the laws by which the society lives. The range of stories told illustrates the variety of
cultural understanding.
The myth of Tiamat explains the creation of the universe for the culture in which was relevant. Many
explanations abound, The Egyptian story of creation goes like this.
The Egyptian creation Myth.
“ in the beginning the water were everywhere and all was without shape or form.
And the waste of water was called ‘Nu.
The waste of water laboured and brought forth a powerful god who was even mightier than’Nu.
He was called ‘Ra’.
Now Ra created all the gods.
He created the wind, and the god of the wind.
41
He created the rain, and the god of the rain.
He created the sky.
He created dry land.
He created the high mountains.
And the sea.
And the fish that swam in the sea.
And the plants that grow on the land.
And the birds that fly in the air.
And the creatures that move on the surface of the earth.
Ra created all things on earth, great and small, for he is the mightiest of all the gods.”
(adapted from several sources)
The Greek creation account.
In the beginning was a thick, dark void, full of roaring and struggling.
It was everywhere, and the vast commotions banged and thundered as the elements battled.
It was called chaos, and in the midst of this time of chaos a single spirit plucked the warring elements
apart and separated them.
Up and up soared the ether, dividing away from the hanging air, while all that was heavy sank below.
For a while it seemed to dance as sand dances on the floor of the ocean in the wake of the seahorses.
Then it slowly settled and the earth became firm and solid and lay at last in the arms of the sea.
Soon became a marvel even more wonderful.
Deep in chaos, clogged in its thickness and might, there had been certain seeds. They began to grow.
Nourished by earth and air they grew into huge glittering beings who seized command over the
Universe.
Seven Titans.
The king of the seven Titans was Uranus and in that ancient time he seized the earth as his own
garden. He planted it and tended it till the mountains and valleys were all green and gold in an
42
endless spring.
(adapted from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and ‘The God beneath the sea’ Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen)
There is another fuller account of this myth called” Father sky and Mother Earth”. In this account we
are told that before time began there was only Gaia, the beautiful Earth and her husband Uranus.
“ Uranus loved Gaia so much that he wrapped his great black cloak of twinkling stars about her and
danced her all around the heavens.”
But because Uranus finds some of the children he created with Gaia, ugly, the one eyed Cyclops
babies and the awful hundred armed monsters he locks them up in the horrible land of Tartarus, the
underworld. Gaia takes her revenge and Uranus flees. Gaia then marries Pontus the Sea and as a sign
of her love for him gives birth to the trees, flowers, beasts and birds and every creature including
people.
(Adapted from Atticus The storyteller’s 100 Greek Myths, L Coats and A Lewis Orion 2002)
Atticus the storyteller’s 100 Greek Myths’ Pg 3 Father Sky and Mother Earth.

What does this story tell us about the value placed upon the mother Earth?

What are the differences between Gaia and Uranus?

Could this be a gender issue? Is there an element of this difference today?

Do you think ‘love’ was behind our understanding of the creation of the universe? So what
evidence might you offer?




What do these stories tell us about the ideas that were current at the time?
Why do you think there are battles in these stories?
Could they be symbols?
Can you tell from these stories what the cultures valued?
The name Gaia today is linked to the Gaia theory. This theory states that the organic and inorganic
components of Planet Earth have evolved together as a single living, self regulating system .Gaia
Theory suggests that “this living system has automatically controlled global temperature,
atmospheric content, ocean salinity and other factors ,that maintains its own habitability.”
In other words the earth maintains suitable conditions for its survival.
43
“ The living system of Earth can be thought of analogous to the workings of any individual organism
that regulates body temperature, blood salinity, etc. So, for instance, even though the luminosity of
the sun – the earth’s heat source – has increased by about 30 per cent since life began almost four
billion years ago, the living system has reacted as a whole to maintain temperatures at levels
suitable for life.”(www.gaiatheory.org)
When we think of Gaia today we are tapping into a millennium old feeling that Earth was the
Universal Mother, that the human story and the Universe story were one and the same. The
significance of the name Gaia for us today is that she was the Last Goddess of Earth in the west, the
last time that Earth was formally revered as sacred.
At the heart of the New Cosmology is the sacredness of the Earth and the need for humanity,
especially in the west, to complement the logic and reason of science with the knowledge that our
bodies give us.
If we move closer to the society with which we are more familiar the manner of the stories we tell
ourselves changes. Story is not deemed an appropriate word because we live in a scientific world, so
the thought about the creation of the universe reflects that.
Darwin’s theory of evolution is the notion that all life is related and has descended from a common
ancestor. Darwin presumes the development of life from non –life and stresses a purely naturalistic
( undirected) “descent with modification” The idea that complex creatures evolved from simpler life
forms quite naturally and over a long period of time. Random genetic mutations occur and the
beneficial ones are passed on to the next generation. Over a long period of time these mutation
accumulate and result in a totally different organism.
(www.darwins –theory-of-evolution.com)
Another theory as to the beginnings of the universe is Intelligent Design. The theory of intelligent
design states that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an
intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection. Through the study and
analysis of a system’s components, a design theorist is able to determine whether various natural
structures are the product of chance, natural law, intelligent design or some combination of both.
(www.intelligent design.org)
The Big Bang theory scientists believe the universe began in a hot ‘big bang’ about 13,600 billion
years ago. The universe continues to expand today. The evidence for the big bang theory includes
the existence of a microwave background radiation and red-shift, the change in frequency and
wavelength that moves relative to an observer. It’s like the Doppler Effect with sound. Stars do not
remain the same but change as they age. They are formed from massive clouds of dust and gas in
space and gravity pulls the dust and gas together. As the gas falls, it gets hot. A star forms when it is
hot enough for nuclear reactions to start.
(www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr)

Compare these theories of the universe with the story of creation at the beginning( images
1-9)

Are there similarities?

Do you think the writers of those accounts were trying to explain the same ideas as today’s
theories?

What do you think these theories tell us about the society and culture in which they appear?
44
Let us return to the cosmic story and image 11. We have now arrived at the time when our sun
arrives. For an account of this I am going to quote from a child’s book “ Born with a Bang” written
from the universe perspective.
“ Tiny specks of carbon, oxygen and calcium, and all the other new building blocks she made, blasted
into space and cooled into stardust. Her star dust was the same stardust that would one day come
together to create you. You are made of stardust-every bit of it exploded from your ancient mother
star who no longer lives. I was about 7 billion years old when she died.
Inside the cloud of stardust, a little gravity tugged from each speck, making them gently stick
together in little clumps. The little clumps clumped together into bigger clumps. The bigger clumps
crashed into each other and stayed together. They swirled into a disk shape, faster and faster, hotter
and denser, tighter and brighter, until finally-------WOOSH! Your sun flared into life! Born, too, from
clumps of stardust were nine young planetary pups!”(2002:31)
(Morgan.J,(2002) Born with a Bang. Dawn Publications Nervada City)

From these creation stories allow the children to choose an aspect they like about the story
and create a panel representing their choice and a rationale for others to read. Attach it to MDF and
put in the garden. If you prefer you might try using a sheet of Perspex divided into the number of
children in your class and let each add their own representation.

The use of Sound

By using a visual stimulus ‘Born with a Bang’ Pg15, the children could be offered the
opportunity to explore their version of the birth of the universe by creating a sound –scape of that
moment. The point of the exercise is the imagination and creativity being used. If you have a panel
in the garden you might consider performing the symphony of sound in front of it. Equally it could
form part of an act of worship. However it is used, it is a way of celebrating the world and Universe.
Explore how musicians have tried to explore the music of the spheres. what was it they were trying
to encapsulate.
Other stories have been told about how the aspects earth developed following creation.
The Scandinavian legends tell how there was nothingness at first then gradually the space is filled
with water which freezes and then partially melts. Out of the water comes a giant in human form,
Ymir. From Ymir’s armpit come a man and woman who are able to procreate in the conventional
manner. However in the meantime a cow has licked some of the melting ice to reveal another giant
from whom the god Odin descends.
45
“ Odin and his brothers kill the aged Ymir. Of his flesh they made the earth, of his skull the heavens,
of his blood the sea, of his bones the mountains and of his hair the trees......Odin arranges for the
maggots in Ymir’s corpse- who have taken stunted human shapes as dwarfs –to remain in what is
now his body beneath the surface of the earth.”
(www.norse-mythology.org)
Native American Myth of Creation.
In the beginning there was only Tepeu and Gucumatz( Feathered Serpent). These two sat together
and thought, and whatever they thought came into being. They thought Earth, and there it was. They
thought mountains, and so there were. They thought trees and sky, and animals etc, and each came
into being. But none of these things could praise them, so they formed more advanced beings out of
clay. But these beings fell apart when they got wet, so they made beings out of wood, but they
proved unsatisfactory and caused trouble on the earth. The gods sent a great flood to wipe out these
beings, so they could start again. With the help of Mountain Lion, Coyote, Parrot and Crow they
fashioned four new beings. (www.crystalinks.com/nativeamcreation.html)
The Hebrew/Christian account of the beginnings of earth taking shape begin on the third day
Then God said,” Let the land produce vegetation: seed- bearing plants and trees on the land that
bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds”. And so it was. The land produced
vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it
according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was
morning—the third day.( GEN;1 v11-13)
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly across the expanse of
sky.”
So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the
waters teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw
that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in
the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morningthe fifth day.(20-23)
And God said, “let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that
move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to their kind.”And so it was. God made the
wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according their kinds, and all the creatures that
move along the ground according to their kinds, And god saw that it was good.
(24-25)

Using the Christian account of the creation story, divide your class into seven groups, giving
them a copy of a verse from the story and ask them to create the sounds for that day. Then offer
each group an opportunity to depict their day through a three dimensional piece of art. Video record
the creation and add the sounds. Simple movie making might be used as part of an act of worship
held outside to celebrate nature.
46
A child’s book “From Lava To Life” follows a Darwinian approach but tells the story of evolution from
the perspective of the Universe, referring to the reader as ‘My dearest Earthling.’ Two important
voices from today’s scientific and theological world, Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme, endorse this
personalised account of creation through their recommendations on Page 45 of the book.
“Through human beings the universe has begun to remember and tell its own story of being born and
growing up. That the universe can now tell its story through Ms Morgan’s voice and Ms Andersen’s
art, is the culmination of centuries of scientific enquiry.
In “ Born with a Bang”, we can experience the Universe in its full grandeur, and deeply sense the
numinous presence that pervades the entire world about us. To awaken to the wonder of the
Universe is to appreciate life in its full excitement. We might also develop a new capacity to relate to
each other. A reverence for the Universe is the beginning of true reverence for the divine and each
other.”
Brian Swimme is fulsome in his praise for the book;
“ Born with a Bang is a healthy retreat from the world of unthinking consumerism to a world of
cosmological identification. The great power of this story is its personification of the Universe and all
the beings within it. We in the modern industrial world find it difficult to absorb. We have been
educated to think of the Universe as an “ it, to think of a tree as an “ it”, and to regard everything
non-humans something that exists for our use rather than for its own intrinsic purpose. This “I-it”
orientation dominates our schools, our businesses, our manufacturing processes, and our politics.
But in the magic of Jennifer’s story and Dana’s art, we begin to feel something very different. We
imagine, even if only for a short moment, that we live in a personal Universe, a Universe that cares. A
Universe that is filled with passion. A Universe that delights in its work, even the work of giving birth
to us. Suddenly, even if only for the briefest instant, we have the feeling that we BELONG. And that
one flash of insight can provide a person with an entirely different orientation in the Universe.
The Christian account of creation demonstrates God’s love for his creation and the love that
permeates it. Brian Swimme( www.story of the universe.org) connects this concept of love to that of
gravity, he is a doctor of gravitational dynamics. In a radio broadcast for Personal Life Media he
explains his theory:
“ I realised at that moment, that the why was simply the universe permeated with attraction or I
was fascinated by the word “ allurement”. It just is, there is nothing you can explain, it just is. I then
started to think about the way in which the entire universe is permeated with this form of
allurement we call “gravity”. I then thought about the whole life story as permeated with this
allurement we call “electrical attraction”. Then I realised that our own attraction as humans when
we’re are drawn to someone or something or even to an idea, but that, that allurement is just as
fundamental as what holds together all of these stars and galaxies.......in that moment realised that a
lot of our language in the modern period has collapsed into just the human experience. So that we
always use the word like love as to describe what is happening between two humans. In that
moment, I started to see how there’s a possibility of leaving behind the tight focus on language and
opening up and realising that the word “love” really refers to this attraction that is throughout the
universe, one form of which is human love, another form of which is galatic attraction.”
(personallifemedia.com)
47
CHAPTER FOUR.
Awareness of Order and Pattern in the Natural World.
An Inca Calendar
To find order and pattern in the natural world is easy, one needs only to observe and to reflect upon
seasonal changes and relate what is seen the science, geography and math curriculum. All of which
offer the opportunity to evoke the spiritual. However if the focus is to begin to develop a spiritual
awareness, then children need activities that involve then working and being involved with the
earth.
Creating a garden will be the obvious starting point. The decisions involved with planting, the soil
type, the plants requirements to flourish and the care needed to maintain it.

Keeping a journal /video log of the changes, human and natural.

Collecting data yearly that can be referred to understand trends appearing in the garden

Explore death and regeneration, how things break down and are then recycled to benefit
other life in the garden and us, this interconnectedness. Then move into the religious sphere and
look at how this repeating event is remembered or celebrated
48
Investigate the pattern of nature within human customs/celebration.
Month
Custom/Celebration
February
India-full moon marks the festival of Holi and the beginning of spring.
Jewish –Tu B’shvat a feeling of renewal
April
Thailand celebrates the new year Songkran 13 April. Some festivals are linked
to harvest. This is true of Baisakhi, an old harvest festival of northern India.
May
Roman festival of Maia, marked the time when flocks and herds were turned
out for summer grazing. Celts called this time Beltane and lit fire in
celebration. May pole -dancing on May day is traditional in many parts of
Europe. A fertility rite. Equally “Green George”, a man dressed from head to
toe in leafy green branches is symbolic of earths fertility.
June
The summer solstice, at the end of June is celebrated ever since early people
made stone circles and alignments and watched the sun rise over/between
them –Stonehenge. In Spain the summer solstice is linked to the feast day of
St John. June is also a time of merrymaking in Nigeria. The Yoruba tribe have
a festival in honour of their ancestors called Egungun.
August
This is the month for harvest in many places in the northern hemisphere. In
Britain, the 1st August used to be known as Lammas, an Anglo Saxon word
meaning “loaf mass”, the beginning of harvest. In the Celtic world, the 1st of
August was “Lughnasa”, a feast day in honour of the god Lugh. Irish
celebrations and Scottish Lammas fairs probably have their roots in this
ancient Celtic feast. In Wales, the Eisteddfodau, the traditional festival of arts
is held.
September
Still harvest, thanks are given and the last corn sheath would supply corn for
the corn dolly. In Melanesia rice dollies are made with the last harvest of rice.
In the alpine communities, the descent of the shepherds and their flocks
from the mountain summer pastures is a time for festivities and welcoming
back.
In China, mid –autumn is the festival of Zhong Qui held the day of the full
moon.
December
In the northern hemisphere the winter solstice is celebrated.
Throughout the world the calendar is punctuated by regular festivals, from the winter festivals of
Christmas and Diwali to the rituals of springtime and the summer solstice. Our ancestors, Christian,
Pagan, Celtic or Wiccan, would have been very conversant with the earth’s yearly cycle because their
very survival depended upon this knowledge and, for this reason, festivals and celebrations were
created in order to mark these cycles.
From the earliest of times the year was divided into eight points
49
Winter
Solstice
Autumn
Equinox
Spring
Equinox
Summer
Solstice
The word solstice means ‘standing of the sun’. From the winter solstice to the summer solstice, the
sun’s influence is waxing, reaching its peak at the summer solstice, the longest day and the shortest
night. From the summer solstice to the winter solstice, the sun’s influence is waning and the nights
draw in, it gets darker earlier and the darkness reaches its peak at the shortest day and longest night
of the winter solstice.
Equinox means ‘equal night.’ Equinoxes occur when the axis of rotation of the earth, the line of the
North to South poles is exactly parallel to the direction of the motion of the earth around the sun.
This happens just twice a year, the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, when the length of the day is
exactly the same as that of the night: twelve hours. So the four astronomical seasons of the year are:




Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
=
=
=
=
March Equinox to June Solstice
June Solstice to September Equinox
September Equinox to December Solstice
December Solstice to March Equinox.
The Spring equinox is the first day of the season of Spring, when the sun passes the equator, moving
from the southern to the northern hemispheres and the North pole leans towards the sun. The
Autumn equinox is the first day of the season of Autumn and occurs when the sun passes the
equator moving from the northern to the southern hemisphere. The North pole tilts away from the
sun. Along with the celebration of equinoxes and solstices, four major festivals that predate
Christianity , (although Christianity absorbed aspects of each), were celebrated in this country:
Imbolc, Beltain Lammas and Samhain. These four festivals all acknowledge and respect the feminine
aspect of earth, as well as the earth’s abundance and humanity’s need of it for survival. These
festivals fall between the equinoxes and solstices.
50
•To ensure the
success for the
farming season
• End of October
and beginning
of November.
•Death.
•The first day of
the harvest
Samhain
Imbolc
Lammas
Beltain
•To ensure the
fertility of the
harvest and
nature
Imbolc was of great importance as the success of the farming season was fundamental to survival.
Winter larders and animal food stores would be very low and so the rituals of Imbolc were essential
to harvest earth’s energy: divine energy to ensure food until the harvest could be reaped. The
celebrations centred around fire as it symbolically represented the increasing power of the sun.
Alongside Imbolc rituals was the holy day of Brigid, the goddess of fire, healing and fertility. She was
thought of as being intuitive, inspirational, and had the ability for divination and the spark of life. Her
life-giving waters are sacred springs and wells, hence well dressing. There is a wealth of myths
around Brigid and the female principle, goddess which is worth exploring . Christianity directed
goddess worship to the worship of the Virgin Mary - not her mother aspect - her virginal aspect, in
order to eliminate the creational , life giving qualities of the goddess that were found in all ancient
myths and rituals. For Christianity, Candlemas was celebrated at this time; the festival of the
‘Purification of the Virgin Mary’ a time when, according to the Jewish tradition, a woman must be
purified for forty days after child birth as she was considered ‘unclean’ by giving birth. Unclean after
having given birth to the messiah?

Imbolc is a time for transformation and change. Explore the rituals around this festival.

Create your own ritual of transition. This ritual will need three parts 1) Separation from the
old, 2) A special place where the transition will take place- step over something, stand in a door way,
sit in an identified place or chair....3) a statement of intent.

Explore the mythology around Brigid. Can you understand why she was of importance to our
early ancestors?
51
Beltain, is a time of gods, goddesses and love. It is a celebration of the life force and fertility, the
sexual union that symbolically represents the cycle of life and death throughout the seasons. It is the
beginning of the most fertile of the sun’s cycles bringing the strongest growth period. People wore
green clothes and danced in honour of earth’s new spring colours. Special fires were lit and all other
fires extinguished. People leapt over the fires to be purified and gain fertility. At the end of the
evening people would carry home some of the fire to rekindle their own fires.
Other forms of celebrating included Maypole dancing. The pole was considered phallic, but also as
symbolic of trees, as trees were considered to be a symbol of vitality and fertility. The dancing is a
symbolic re-enactment of the inter-weaving and joining of male and female energies. Alongside
maypole dancing was the ‘Green Man’ who danced around the edge and represented the spirit of
vegetation. Many green men look androgynous, a spirit of nature that has no gender specific, but
honours both.
Labyrinths were built to enable a celebrant to walk and be reflective and connect with the earth.

Learn to maypole dance.

Create a green man mask using paper, clay or vegetation. Wear it to dance around the
garden/grounds. If you prefe,r place the masks in trees around the school grounds.

Build and walk a labyrinth.

Hawthorn is an important symbol used in Beltain. Find out how it was used in the rituals and
why.
Lammas, meaning loaf mass, comes at the beginning of August and marks the first days of harvest.
The sun’s energy has gone into producing grains and fruits and its energy is beginning to wane. After
all the hard work of gathering the harvest and when it is safely stored, the celebrations of
thanksgiving can begin, a harvest festival. The last sheaf of wheat was traditionally cut by the
youngest girl in the village and made into a corn maiden and carried back to the village. Sometimes
the corn was burnt or it was kept until Yuletide and fed to the cattle. Bread was made from the new
grain and the loaves (with the coming of Christianity) were taken to the church and blessed. People
came together at Lammas which was a time for fairs of all kinds.
Because this was a time of plenty, the earth giving in abundance, Lammas is associated with Mother
Earth. Archaeological evidence from across the prehistoric suggests that the earth was believed to
be and worshipped as a living female being. The worship of the Earth Mother was a common belief
before the advent and development of a patriarchal society around 3,000 BC. Mythology is full of
earth mothers. Greek mythology has the story of Demeter and Persephone. When Persephone is
abducted by Hades, Demeter weeps and as the mother and goddess of the harvest refuses to
provide crops until her daughter is returned from the underworld. In Inca mythology, ‘ Pachamama’
is a fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting. The Incas were /are naturalistic and
ritualistic community who worshipped the sun god Inti and earth goddess Pacha mama. Pacha
mama was offered Llama sacrifices, cocoa leaf and beer to ensure fertility. Even today in parts of
Peru, when eating and drinking, a sip of drink will be taken and a drop poured on the earth saying, “
for Pacamama”, in recognition of earth’s abundance. The Balinese worship Dewi Sri, the goddess of
rice and fertility who is married to Dewa Wisnu and became mother earth, giving birth to rice which
became the staple food. (asianfolktales.unescoapcelu.org/folktales/read/Indonesia_2htm)
52
(Dewi Sri courtesy of G Fawcett)
Samhain is the festival that occurs at the end of October and the beginning of November. It is the
part of the year that Celts thoughts turned towards the cycle of death and rebirth. It was/is
considered to be a time when the material world and the spiritual world are closely aligned and,
therefore, the gap between the worlds is narrow. Most of society knows this time as Halloween,
when the spirits are abroad. It is thought to be the most powerful night of the year and the souls of
loved ones were believed to have more power and ability to visit those in the material world.
Samhain was the time for remembering and honouring those who had died: a time of memories,
photographs, family heirlooms and personal reflection. The rituals around this celebration were
personal to the families involved, but meals would have been eaten and a place at table laid for
those remembered.
This time of year the earth lies dormant and rests, all appears to be dead, the nights are long and so
the understanding that this festival is connected to death would have been quite logical.


Consider the idea of honouring the dead. How is it done today?
Create a meal that incorporates remembering a person.
53
Looking at the role of plants within religious observance offers an insight into how we
express the pattern within nature.
Time of year
Festival or
celebration
Religion/culture
Main traditions
Special plants
and foods
Activities
January /February
Chinese New
year
Buddhist in part
Celebrates the
start of the first
lunar month.Gold
and red are
themes seen in
dance, costume
and decorations.
The Kumquat
plant is often
seen in Chinese
homes-it’s
golden fruits are
available in
supermarkets as
Physallis or
lantern fruits.

Taste a
physallis fruit

Explore
other natural plant
ingredients such as
ginger root, bean
sprouts or water
chestnuts
Yuan Tan
Gifts, sweets and
money are given
March 1st
St. David’s Day
Christian Welsh
national day.
The feast of St
David, son of the
Prince of
Cardiganshire
who became a
priest and died in
544AD
Leek and the
daffodil

Make leek
soup

Investigate
the structure of the
daffodil and leek
Christian
Early March
Holi
Hindu
Holi welcomes
the coming of
spring. The
holiday
celebrates the
defeat of the
Holika, who
raided villages
eating children.
Holika was
destroyed by
burning torches
thrown by the
villagers. There
are bonfires and
people throw
coloured
powdered dye
and water over
each other.
The coloured
dyes were
originally
extracted from
the Holi flower
and squirted
using water
pistols made
from bamboo.On
the eve of the
festival the Holi
tree is burnt.The
Holi feast
includes Daho
Wada made from
raw jackfruit and
Malpua made
from maida,
milk, sugar and
dried fruit.

Extract dye
from plant material
and spices such as
turmeric.
March 17th
St. Patrick’s
Day
Christian Irish national
day
Feast day of the
patron saint of
Ireland.
Celebrated by
Irish communities
the world over.St.
Patrick used the
three leaves of
the shamrock to
illustrate the
divine trinity.
Sprigs of
shamrock, a type
of small white
flowered clover
are worn.Green
is the colour
theme.

Explore the
food eaten , ‘Barm
Brach’, Irish tea cake
and potato cakes.
Third Sunday in March
Mothering
Sunday
Traditional/modern
The Sunday
halfway through
Lent when young
people living
away from home
were given time
off work visit
Bouquets of
flowers, potted
plants and bulbs.

Prepare a
bunch of flowers from
the garden or shop.
Think about those you
pick. Find out about
the symbolism of the
flowers you choose.
54
their mothers.On
the journey often
a sprig of wall
flowers was
picked as a gift.
March or April
Palm Sunday
and Easter
Christian
Marks the first
day of holy week
and the triumphal
entry of Jesus
into Jerusalem.
Palm leaves were
placed before
him Easter was a
time of pagan
rites of rebirth.
The Norse
goddess of spring
was EOSTRE
hence the name.
Palm leaves are
woven as across.
Palm branches
are often placed
above houses
until after Easter
in southern
Europe. Pace
Eggs in northern
England are
decorated with
plant symbols of
corn and clover
signifying peace
and rebirth.

Make pace
eggs( blown or hard
boiled) dye with
vegetable colour and
paint with floral and
corn designs.
Early April
Hana-Matsuri
Japanese/Buddhist
A festival marking
Buddha
Shakyamuni’s
birthday in a
garden in 565BC
Floral shines are
created in the
house and
garden.

Explore the
use of plants and
flowers in different
cultures to mark birth,
marriage and death.
13/14 April
Baisakhi
Sikh
Celebration of
the founding of
the Khalsa holt
order by the Guru
Gobind Singh in
1699.
In the Punjab(
main sikh state
of india) the
harvest
celebrations last
three days.In
Britain the
largest annual
Mela is in
Bradford; a huge
craft, arts music
and food fair.

Explore a
variety of traditional
Punjabi foods and
spices.
Harvest
celebrations also
occur and may be
associated with a
Mela or fair.
23rd April
St. George’s
Day
Christian English
national day
St. George lived
and died in
Palestine in the
4th Century and
was first used as
a national figure
by the Crusaders
1,000 years
later.Red and
white theme of
the flag of
England.
The rose

Enact or tell
the legend of St.
George and the dragon.
Ist May
Mayday
English Traditional
Superimposed on
an ancient Celtic
festival called
Beltane
celebrating the
beginning of
summer.
Traditionally
young people
used to gather
greenery and
flowers and
decorate their
houses to signify
the fertility of
nature. Birch
boughs decked
with red and
white rags were
propped up
against barns to
protect horses

Practise and
perform maypole and
Morris dancing

Design a Jack
–in-the-green costume.

Decorate the
classroom with foliage.
Dancing around a
Maypole, the
crowning of a
May Queen and
Morris dancing
may all be
derived from
55
ancient fertility
rites.
against witches.A
leaf clad Jack –inthe- green
featured in
ancient May Day
parades.
September
Rosh Hashana
Judaism
The Jewish New
Year celebrating
the creation.The
blowing of a
ram’s horn in the
synagogue
signifies
Abraham’s
sacrifice of a ram
in place of his
son.
Apples dipped in
honey are eaten
in the hope of a
‘sweet’ year.

Investigate
the New Year
celebration.
29th September
Michaelmas
Traditional/Northern
European
Traditionally the
feast of St.
Michael who is
said to have
driven Satan from
heaven.The
harvest spirit was
believed to have
been driven into
the last remaining
swathes of corn.
Folklore has it
that blackberries
were unfit to eat
until after this
date as the devil
spat on them
when he was
expelled from
heaven.

Make corn
dollies, find out more
about them.
A more recent
and common
tradition
celebrated by
most churches
since the mid-19th
Century. Specially
written hymns
are sung and the
church is
decorated with
displays of fruits,
vegetables and
flowers. More
recently it has
become the
tradition to
distribute to the
‘needy’.
Many different
examples of farm
and garden
produce are
displayed.
September/October
Harvest Festival
Traditional/Northern
European/British

Explore and
create a harvest supper.
Cornstalks were
woven into a
corn dolly which
sat at the harvest
supper. It was
kept in the house
until spring when
it was ploughed
into the land to
work its magic on
the new crop.

Celebrate a
harvest festival

Harvest the
bounty from a
hedgerow.
Wild fruits and
berries are also
used to display
nature’s bounty.
Real corn
sheathes and
bread baked in
the shape of
sheathes and
corn dollies are
also common.
56
September/October
Sukkot – the
feast of the
tabernacle
Judaism
Remembers the
time when the
Israelites
wandered in the
wilderness for 40
years before
reaching the
promised
land.They lived in
booths or Sukkoth
made from the
branches and
leaves of what
plants they could
find.
Sukkots are made
in people’s
gardens and yards
or in the
synagogue. They
must include the
four traditional
plants. The Lulavpalm Etrog-citrus
fruit Myrtle and
aravah-willow.
Incense and
orange are
fragrances
associated with
this festival

Make a
sukkot in the corner of
the classroom

Investigate
the festival.

Look at forms
of temporary housing for
nomadic people today.
30th November
St. Andrew’s Day
Christian
Scottish
national day
St. Andrew is the
patron saint of
Scotland and
Russia. He is
supposedly the
brother of Peter
the fisherman on
Lake Galilee.
The Scottish
emblem is the
thistle, possibly
borrowed from
the French by the
Stuart kings in the
15th Century. It
stood for prickly
aggression against
invaders.

Make and eat
tatties and neaps( boiled
and mashed potatoes
and turnips seasoned
with pepper.

Look for other
examples of plants
associated with different
countries.
Tradition has it
that he was
crucified on an X
shaped cross in
Achaia in northern
Greece and his
remains brought
to Scotland- hence
the shape of the
St. Andrew’s cross
of Scotland.
25th December
Date progresses
Christmas
Eid-ul-Fitr
Christian
Islam
Tatties and Neaps
and oatcakes are
traditional dishes
eaten on this day.
Celebrating the
birth of Jesus
Christ but
absorbing many
traditional pagan
rituals of the Sun’s
rebirth following
the winter
solstice-21st. The
Roman festival of
Saturnalia
occurred around
this time.This has
always been a
significant time of
feasting and
celebration across
Northern Europe.
Burning the ‘Yule
Log’. Yule was the
Norse god of Sunworship. The
Christmas tree,
evergreen plants
including holly and
ivy were believed
to shelter
woodland spirits .
the idea of having
a conifer was
introduced to
Britain from
Germany via
Prince Albert.
This festival
signifies the end
of Ramadan with
the appearance of
Various sweet
dishes served
including sweet
rice and Jelaybiesdeep fried sweet

Investigate
the sustainability issues
around Christmas trees .

Explore the
parasitic nature of
mistletoe.
Mistletoe;
believed by the
Druids to be the
seminal fluid of
the oak tree, was
a sign of fertilityhence the
tradition of kissing
under it.

Investigate
the festival.

Prepare a
Meze feast with a
57
the new moon.
This is a time for
family reunions,
feasts, the giving
of presents and
the wearing of
new clothes. Gold
and red are
traditional
colours.
rice and date
cakes.
member of the Islamic
community.
Traditionally the
Eid feast is set out
on a cloth or
blanket spread out
in the desert. The
dishes presented
are Meze style and
those often
include
vegetables.
(Adapted from primary maths and science 2001)




Using images of the colour, shape and pattern within nature as a stimulus, respond using
whatever medium fits your re-action to the image (see attached images).
Can you find such colours, patterns and shapes within your garden? Using these colours and
shapes create an abstract image of your garden, either using IT or fabric.
Link the shapes with the roll of math in nature. Try creating the shapes out of straws or pipe
– cleaners.
Sand and stones are materials which are used in garden design to create pattern and form,
as well as intrinsically having shape and form. These are materials that can be experimented
with, handled, admired, and respected because of the natural processes involved in
creation. In sand lines pictures and symbols can be drawn or sand can be simply run through
the fingers for a moment of reflection. In Zen gardens stones symbolise fullness and sand
emptiness. Both elements together create the balance between emptiness and matter, yin
and yang.
58
CHAPTER FIVE
Encouraging a sense of Wonder, Mystery and Awe in the Natural World.
SACRED SPACES.
A place can only have a sacred dimension by interaction with the brain, mind and senses. It requires
a powerful fusion of self, space and time. It is a personal response to individual perceptions.
The concept of sacred space has implications both in terms of the choice of particular environments
and in terms of the attitude of mind which is applied to the spaces. A group may meet in a
woodland clearing, a sheltered cove, or a secluded meadow. The group may also create sacred
spaces by simply forming a circle to talk, an ancient rite, common to so many traditions; or it may
deliberately create meeting spaces or shrines which reflect its individuality, intensifying gatherings
and deepening the group process by using such traditional forms. Working with space in this way is
itself an act of containment and intensification.
Having a capacity to work with sacred space requires an appreciative, empathic relationship to one’s
surroundings. “This sensitive appreciation is the mode of connection which is described in the
Buddhist teachings on mindfulness.” This awareness, which is characterised as non-judgemental and
centred in the present, honours the transience and conditional nature of life, recognising the
59
spiritual truth inherent in ordinary phenomena. Whilst we may deliberately develop skills in
mindfulness in environmentally based work, this kind of attention will also arise naturally from the
encounter with wild situation.”
( Adapted from http://buddhistpsychology.typepad.com/my-blog/sacred-space-different-boundaries-in-environmentallybased-therapies.html)

Talk to the children about what makes a place special to them, what are the reasons that the
place is special?

Using a set of pictures of landscapes and building, encourage the children to reflect upon
their perceptions of places that may be special for a range of reasons. Choose an image from those
provided, or get the children to bring one from home: imagine yourself in some part of the image.
What is it you like about the image? Jot down words that describe your feelings, emotional and
physical, about such a place. Would you want to go anywhere else in the picture? Why?

Express your thoughts and feelings about the place through any of the following
1.
Lines on a sheet of paper
2.
Shaping clay
3.
Playing a musical instrument
4.
Dance or movement of some kind
5.
Poetry
Display the images and responses (where possible) and tease out the different responses the
children had to the images and the ways in which they expressed their feelings.
Knowing that all sorts of places are special to people, does this knowledge require us to think about
how we respect the environment?
60
A Labyrinth.
Labyrinth in Cosmic Walk
Within the cosmic walk is a labyrinth. In Greek and Roman times a labyrinth was associated with the
mythical Minotaur, who was housed underground with a series of connecting tunnels. During the
medieval period in Europe labyrinths appeared in classical gardens and usually were hedged around
with a bush like Privet, growing above head height. They provided interesting places to stroll
around. Within the Christian tradition a labyrinth was walked at the end of a pilgrimage to
contemplate the experience and reach a spiritual closure. Penitents shuffle on their knees through
the labyrinth, praying.
The labyrinth is also seen in Welsh Mythology and present day Wicca beliefs as the stirring pattern
for the old Celtic goddess Cerridwen’s great caudron. “ Cerridwen, was a crone, a wise woman. She
had powers of prophecy, and was seen as the keeper of the cauldron of knowledge and inspiration
in the underworld. The cauldron of knowledge held a potion that granted knowledge and inspiration,
but it took a year and a day to brew to reach its potency. As a goddess of the underworld, Cerridwen
is symbolised by a white sow, which represents both her fecundity and fertility and her strength as a
mother. She is both Mother and Crone. Today, Wiccans honour Cerridwen for her close association
to the full moon.” (Patti Wigington : paganwiccan.about.com)
To walk the way of the labyrinth is a way of stirring up these energies.
The labyrinth is used for meditative purposes, offering the walker the chance to reflect upon a
problem, concern or something joyous. It is seen as a journey, where you may walk as slowly as you
like, pause and reflect, sit for a moment on the path, before continuing the journey to the centre.
The labyrinth offers a ‘moment in time’, a bubble of space to think but at the same time feel
connected to the earth, especially if walked with bare feet.
61
Walking a labyrinth is about the journey, about being and integrating body, mind and spirit.
Using a Labyrinth.

Stand in front of the entrance to the labyrinth. Think clearly what it is you wish to focus
upon. Centre yourself by taking a couple of deep breaths. Decide whether you will walk barefoot or
with shoes on. With bare feet you can feel the texture of the earth and increase your connection
with it.

Begin to walk, it can be fast or slow, it will depend upon whether you are being spiritual,
reflective, mindful, creative or something else. Continue to walk, keep your mind quiet, concentrate
on the placement of one foot before the other and a rhythmic, gentle and regular breathing.

Pause at the centre. Sit a while if you wish to meditate or reflect. The point here is to
surrender to your inner process.

When you are ready, just walk out, accept and acknowledge any insights you may have
received.
( adapted from M.wikihow.com)

Whilst visiting the Cosmic Walk, walk the Labyrinth path. Perhaps as a class you might have
identified a concern you would like to think about, or you may like to ponder the statement that the
new cosmology offers us, that we are made from stardust.

Back at school It would be possible to create an area in the shape of a labyrinth. You must
consider the entrance to it, it is a special area. Add niches (big enough to sit in)along the route that
allow for quite thoughts

Google details for building a small labyrinth.

Create a book that goes with this space that includes words that stimulate/challenge
thoughts, pieces of artwork created by the children, and reflections written by the children about
their use of labyrinth.

You might like to create a new cosmology labyrinth (or adapt the one you have ) by taking
aspects of the stories “ Born with a Bang”, “From Lava to Life” and “Animals who Morph” and
placing artefacts, images and statements along the route in order to reflect upon the questions they
pose. And to examine what mythology and science may say and can they be reconciled. For example
you might have a large egg ( made from papier mache ) that represents a dinosaurs egg. We are
thinking back to about 1,000 to 500 million years ago. These were reptiles that inhabited the earth
for 150 million years. We have evidence of their existence but where did they come from? What do
the creation stories tell us?, what does religion say and, what is science adding to the debate?

What do you think?
62
13 million years ago there were no humans in the world. But there were primates in trees, apes that
had grasping fingers and looked straight ahead and, over a long period of time, these primates
evolved into another kind of primate: apes without tails.
“Your direct ancestors were primates living in forests near grasslands. I’m talking about Africa’s
awesome apes.” (Animals who Morph. Morgon. J :2006:16)
Such a statement reflects the idea that humanity has evolved from apes and that we are an integral
part of creation. This does not sit well with the Christian idea of God creating humanity as a separate
entity. Hinduism states that humanity did not spring fully formed to dominate the lesser life forms,
but rather evolved out of these forms itself and is, therefore, integrally linked to the whole of
creation. The ancient creation myths all seem to support the idea that humanity was made from the
building blocks of the universe. True ,the building blocks were usually the body of a slain goddess. So
why has the Christian creation story such a different account?
Remember that creation stories are stories we tell ourselves to explain the origins of life and tell us
something about the culture in which they grew up.

Examine the Christian creation story, in particular the birth of humankind. What do you
notice about this event? Does the account tell you anything specific about the nature of humanity?

From the account what do you imagine were peoples ‘ thoughts about themselves?

Are there any questions about this account of the birth of humanity you would like
to ask?
Prof Brian Cox OBE a particle physicist and Prof at Manchester University states in his book
“Wonders of Life,”
“All life on Earth is related-connected through our genetic code. DNA is the blue print of life, and the
keeper of a great story, perhaps the most astonishing story ever told. Our DNA not only connects us
to every plant and animal alive today, but to every single thing that has ever lived.”(2013:115)
He supports this statement through scientific enquiry, past and present, resulting in science being
able to identify the building blocks of life.
“ Every living thing is constructed from molecules containing carbon. It is the scaffolding of life.
Everywhere in the natural world, intricate collections of carbon-based molecules are breathing,
breeding, flying, running and thriving. Every protein, carbohydrate and fat molecule in your body is
constructed around carbon; from the 100 billion neurones in your brain, to the muscle behind every
beat of your heart, to the architecture of DNA, you are rightly described as carbon-based. Almost 20
per cent of your body, by mass, is carbon.”(2013:233)

Do a little research into what is being said, watch one of his videos to gain a better
understanding.

Do you like and agree with his ideas?

Do they make sense to you?

Do you get a clearer picture of humanity’s birth?

What do you imagine Christianity’s message really is about?

Do you think religion and science talk the same language?
His final statement in this book clearly articulates that the Universe is a living organism.
63
“Look at any randomly selected piece of your world. Encoded deep in the biology of every cell in
every blade of grass, in every insect’s wing, in every bacterium cell, is the history of the third planet
from the Sun in a Solar System making its way lethargically around a galaxy called the Milky Way. Its
shape, form, function, colour, smell, taste, molecular structure, arrangement of atoms, sequences of
bases, and possibilities for the future are absolutely unique. There is nowhere else in the observable
Universe where you will see precisely that little clump of emergent, living complexity. It is
wonderful.”(2013:274)
Brian Swimme in his book” The Universe is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story” talks about
humankind being able to watch the birth of the Universe. It took place billions of years ago ‘but the
light from those events is just reaching us. So we are not looking back, because the time it takes light
to travel from the Universe’s birth is 14 billion light years, so we are watching it happen. We are
actually experiencing the dawn of the universe.
Stone circles that go back to 500BC are found all over the world. They were built as cosmic calendars
measuring the planetary cycles as well as those of the sun and moon. These circles hold a fascination
for people, who visit them, in order to seek communication with the earth and earth’s energies.
They are places to do ritual, to reflect, to be still and meditate.
Circles are also an opportunity to create reflection. These can be made from stones, twigs, planting,
as, of course, can the labyrinth. They commonly represent unity, wholeness and infinity without
beginning or end. Standing within a circle shields a person from supernatural dangers or influences
outside the circle. It is a powerful symbol much used in ancient times;a person didn’t break the circle
if possible. Remember the Hindu story of Rama and Sita.
“Ravana was the demon king. He had twenty arms and ten terrible heads, each with a pair of red
eyes that burned like hot coals and an ugly mouth full of yellow fangs. He spotted Sita and was so
entranced by her beauty that he decided she should belong to him. And using his magic, he created
a beautiful golden deer as a trap. When Sita saw the deer, she begged Rama to catch it for her. Rama
reluctantly agreed that he would and placed Sita into a magic circle to keep her safe from any
danger.”
( BBC School Radio)
The circle is a fairly universal symbol among world religions. It is seen to represent the sun, the
moon, the door through which we were born and the human eye. As there is no beginning or end, it
is seen to represent God’s love. The Celtic cross is the circle that reflects God’s love which has no
beginning and no end and, despite the trials of life, will always be there. The spiral is also one of the
world’s oldest symbols representing eternal life. The centre holds the point of balance and stillness
around which everything else revolves.
Throughout history humanity has been identifying sacred and special place , through using marker
stones, called stone cairns. The Cosmic walk includes a stone cairn which is used in rituals that are
held in the space. It is the idea that a person picks up a stone, pebble or rock, builds a pile and
invests it with meaning.
64
Stone Cairns
The definition of a cairn is a group of stones that have been placed on top of one another to form a
mound. This is man made, constructed by either a singular person or a group of people. The term is
derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "carn".
A cairn site has four purposes. The first is the marking of a grave or in memory of a loved one. The
second is its use by climbers as a symbol of their success in reaching of the summit of a mountain,
which may then become a shrine, invested with achievement and spirituality of the achievement.
Thirdly, a cairn is used as a form of a path specifically across glaciers or barren, stony terrain. Lastly,
a cairn has been used as a sea marker to help mariners determine their location.
Cairns range in style from a few stones placed on top of a boulder, to enormous constructions such
as Heapstown as seen below.
Heapstown Cairn (http://www.carrowkeel.com/sites/moytura/heap1.html)
65
Stone Cairns are found in many parts of the world, in desert regions, the Tibetan Plateau, the Inca
roads of the Andes and the Mongolian Steppes. They were used by people to connect to the
landscape and communicate with others. Despite the various reasons for stone cairn building, they
are an enduring reminder of those who were there before us. They provide a sense of connection.

In your school grounds build a stone cairn. This could be used as a marker for a shared
celebration, perhaps for Earth Day. Earth day is remembered around the world with festivals and
rallies. Your Cairn could be a symbol of your school’s commitment to learning more about the
environment, the issues of protecting it responsibly and yourlove towards it.

The ritual around the cairn may look something like this: Each child finds, brings into school
a stone or pebble that they like. A discussion is held about what each individual may be able to do
to show their commitment to the earth... something along the lines of reduce, reuse and recycle.
The cairn can then be built with each child placing their stone onto the pile. The first few stones may
need to have been already placed to facilitate this. Whilst placing their stone the children are asked
to think of the earth’s needs.
Aboriginal Dreamtime.
On one of the panels in the Cosmic Walk is an image of The Rainbow Serpent and it features in the
Aborigines sacred dreamtime. (www.expedition360.com/australia_lessons_literacy/2001/09/dreamtime)
“In the Aboriginal world view, every event leaves a record in the land. Everything in the natural
world is a result of the actions of the archetypal beings, whose actions created the world. Whilst
Europeans consider these cultural ancestors to be mythical, many Aboriginal people believe in their
literal existence. The meaning and significance of particular places and creatures is wedded to their
origin in the Dreaming, and certain places have a particular potency, which the Aborigines call its
dreaming.
In this dreaming resides the sacredness of the earth. Life started when a creator woman called
Warramurrungundjui came out of the sea and gave birth to the first people and gave them the
languages. She carried with her a digging stick and a dilly bag holding yams, water lilies and other
important plants. She planted the food and created waterholes with her digging stick on the ground.
Other creator beings appeared. After completing her creative act Warramurrungundjui turned
herself into a rock.
For example, in Perth, the Noongar believe that the Darling Scarp is said to represent the body of a
Wagyl - a serpent being that meandered over the land creating rivers, waterways and lakes. It is
taught that the Wagyl created the Swan River. In another example, the Gagudju people of
Arnhemland, for which Kakadu National Park is named, believe that the sandstone escarpment that
dominates the park's landscape was created in the Dreamtime when Ginga (the crocodile-man) was
badly burned during a ceremony and jumped into the water to save himself. He turned to stone and
became the escarpment. The common theme in these examples and similar ones is that
66
topographical features are either the physical embodiments of creator beings or are the results of
their activity. “
(http://www.crystalinks.com/dreamtime.html)
Wagyll
The aboriginal people who lived around the Swan River believed that the swan river was created by
a mystical winged serpent from the dreamtime. The “wagyl” as it was known, slithered across the
land which created the rivers. Where it stopped there became lakes and bays. Unlike Europeans who
didn’t see the beauty and abundance of their surroundings, Noongers felt a connection to the land
that they lived on. The Noongers believed that they were not only connected to the river physically
but spiritually as well. They respected the land that they lived on as they felt that if they did
anything, land would make living there very hard
(https://mcclaurenandadam.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/wagyl/)
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Investigate some of the examples of Dreamtime stories that explain the creation. Try the
following:

Morris, Katherine (1984), How the Sun was Made: An Aboriginal Legend. Little Hills Press, Sydney
Lofts, Pamela (1983) How the birds got their colours. Ashton Scholastic, Sydney
(www.dreamtime.net.au/main.htm)
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Aboriginal Dreamtime
The land owns us: we don’t own the land.
The land owns us: we don’t own the land.
We are part of the land.
From the time we are children we learn the
Songs and stories about the land.
For thousands of years, these songs and
Stories have been part of the people’s oral
Tradition and beliefs.”(www.lindakreft.com)
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How can the land own us?
Why did the Aborigines think this?
What might you refer to, to find out if we own the land or the land owns us?
Does it matter? What are the implications for us and the earth?
Create a poster that illustrates your view point.
Creating our own myths
The aim here is to try and look at the world from a non scientific view, to try and get inside the
heads of our early ancestors who could not look to science for an explanation.
How butterflies began.
Guided imagery
How Butterflies began.
Picture the scene, a field of golden yellow corn gently swaying in the breeze. The sky, cloudless blue
with the sun pleasantly warm, radiating peace and contentment. In the distance is a range of hills,
slowly undulating towards this field.
At the base of the hills and between the field is a small grassy hollow. This hollow is steep sided, full
of glossy grass and a favourite haunt of children.
If we imagine for a minute what it might be like to be inside this hollow standing at the bottom
looking straight upwards, we would be aware only of the sky above us, the sun and occasional birds
flying across. Imagine the sides of the hollow with wild flowers, broad leafed plants and grass, smell
the greenness, the perfume of warm earth and peppery flowers and hear the insects hum
contentedly.
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One morning, just like the one described, the sky spirit looked down upon the earth and noticed the
hollow. She heard the excited voices of children at play, their shrieks of laughter and song. She
watched their play, somersaults, rolling down the side of the hollow, hide and seek and tag. She
became aware of how the colours of their clothes flashed in the sunshine and their tumbling. She
smiled at their delight, but sadness crept into her heart as she realised that all this joy and happiness
would be tempered and possibly disappear as they grew older. It was always so. What could she
do?How could she prevent this? From the sky, the spirit bent down and put her hand over the
hollow, lifting her hand a cloud of beautifully shaped and coloured butterflies fluttered up and
spread into the sky.
All sorts of possibilities for discussion arise from such a story. Would this story be a satisfactory
answer to the creation of butterflies? How might the children resolve the issue of the missing
parents? How might the children be feeling? What have they been deprived of? Can you imagine
the feelings directed towards the sky spirit?
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Try writing your own myth about the creation of, hedgehogs, newts, elephants....
Illustrate your myth by painting the image of the creature in the Aboriginal style painting.
NANO NATURE
Richard Jones in his introduction to “Nano Nature, Nature’s spectacular hidden world,” talks of
humans has belonging to the world of the large. “Even the greatest of all plants and animals on the
planet are not really much bigger than us. We can see them clearly, we can touch them, feel them,
measure them, use them, even we are intimately familiar with them.”
At the other end of the size spectrum are tiny organisms of which unaided, the human eye has a
limited vision. “But even the humble hand –lens opens up a marvellous hidden world- bizarre and
beautiful- and a light microscope shows even greater wonder, as clarity of vision is brought to bear
on individual bristles on individual insect limbs.”(2008: introduction)
In the Nano world (1 millimetre =1000 micrometre, 1 micrometre =1000 Nano metres) growth, form
and structure are controlled at the level of individual cells or molecules. Here there are processes
going on at the very edge of human understanding.
The scanning electron microscope shows unimaginable detail and unexpected formations.
More surreal than any human art, more complicated than anything fashioned by human hand or
machine.
( R. Jones , “ Nano Nature” ,2008 Collins)
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To gain a greater understanding of the world, to see it from various perspectives and see snapshots
of an awesome world in miniature, exploring the Cosmic Walk environment with hand held
microscopes would begin to facilitate this. The use of microscopes in school is common, but
generally they are used in a scientific and technical manner. Using them purely for the purposes of
awe and wonder would probably be considered insufficient in terms of academic gain. I would argue
the need to use such equipment provides an opportunity for spiritual enrichment in a child’s life,
developing a send of awe, wonder, reverence and respect, as well as an awareness and
understanding of the complex nature of our world. As well as looking at creatures, the hand held
microscope enables children to study soil, rocks, sediment, wood, stone....
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Provide the children with the opportunity to explore the environment using small hand held
microscopes, jotting down words that come to mind describing what they are looking at.
Each child works with two others and between them create a reflection about their thoughts. How
they choose to demonstrate their thought is left to their discretion or the teacher’s instruction.
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Using photographs taken from aspects of the environment get the children to try and
identify what they are looking at. Try it in quiz form.

Google search Nano Nature to look at images from Richard Jones book and discuss the idea
that our knowledge of the world is so limited and the implications that may have for new
technologies i.e. “Fracking”

How did all this come into being? Links can be made here with creation stories from religious
traditions and scientific accounts such as the Big Bang, Darwin’s Origin of Species or Intelligent
Design.
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CHAPTER SIX
Exploring and Valuing the Environment
Do we value our world?
Terra Nello Sparzio Courtesy of ideas go Free digital photos net
Today’s society finds itself living through a period of climate change, dwindling natural resources,
serious pollution and devastation on a vast scale. The climate variation has been a catastrophe for
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many parts of the world. Is this our fault? Are we to blame? It does appear that, in the western
world in particular, we have little regard for the planet that is our home and sustains us. Whilst
many would have answers, it may be more helpful if we explore how this attitude arose.
Thomas Berry (1914-2009) a Christian Eco-theologian and Earth historian tells how, at the beginning
of humanity, nothing was undertaken by humans by themselves; it was always in conjunction with
the cosmos and spirit world. Human kind worked alongside creation and the spiritual because the
world was a terrifying place and humanity too frail to deal with it alone. He says, “ in opposition to
the terror were a benign providence and a beneficent universe ready to ally themselves with
humans and assure them of an inner tranquility in the larger pattern of existence, even if humans
were permitted to suffer in terrible ways.....”(Berry;2009:2) However, in Christian history, he
identifies three stages when this close connection with the cosmos and spiritual world was lost. For
Berry the first shift began when early Christianity met Greek humanism, resulting in an
anthropocentric world view, a view that separated humanity by exalting the human being to the
point that humanity lost its sense of connectedness with creation and its awareness of just how
small humans in the creation. The second stage comes in 1347 when the ‘Black Death’ ravaged
Europe. The people had no way of knowing why the disease had struck or what had caused such
devastation. They could only think that they had been wicked and God was punishing the world.
Repentance was what was needed, so a spirituality developed that involved disengagement from
worldly concerns. Following the ‘Black Death’ humanity, instead of delighting in God’s creation,
withdrew spiritually. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw the emergence of science and the
view that the world was a machine, a clockwork machine with no spirit. The final break with the
natural world, according to Berry comes when society abandons an organic agricultural economy in
favour of an industrial technological one. It was Descartes, Galileo and Newton who believed that
the world was made of matter that was in constant motion. They held that all objects were
composed of particles or atoms that functioned according to natural laws. Their ideas became
known as ‘Mechanical Philosophy’, a philosophy that had at its heart the idea that the world was a
machine not an organism.
Chief Seattle
Not all societies thought this way. In 1854 a Native American Indian, Chief Seattle/Seathl wrote the
following words regarding his understanding of the world in which he lived.
1. “The earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the
earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.”
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2. “Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave
the web of life we are merely strands in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves.”
3. “We did not inherit the earth from our ancestors: we borrow it from our children.”
4. “The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.”
The Native American Indian’s spiritual outlook on life as a whole demonstrates that faith and life are
inseparable. The sacred and the profane are interwoven, interrelated and of considerable
importance on a daily basis. Central to their world view is the belief that the earth is scared to all
living creatures. Such a belief has an enormous impact upon their attitudes, ethics, moral
expectations and, therefore, the life lived. This holistic way of looking at the world involves an
understanding that everything and every being is a spirited existence and has a natural and inherent
dignity that needs respect. Human beings share history with nature and are just one small apart of
the whole. (Adapted from ‘Stepping Stones’)
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Using statement 1.
How might you pictorially represent this statement? Think about how you might represent the earth
as mother. How might you represent blood uniting a family?
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Using statement 2.
What are the implications of such a statement?
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Statement 3.
What do you think this sentence actually means? How could this be so?

Statement 4.
Is there evidence anywhere to support this statement?
Within the Cosmic Walk is a replica web onto which are attached items that are seen as essentials to
everyday living.
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Do you think that these items are essential?
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Would you be prepared to give up any of these items?
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What is the symbolism of the web referring to do you think?

Could you redesign the web and put positive or negative images within it that would raise
questions about environmental issues?
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What’s a tree worth?
Trees hold a unique position in the world, combining the spiritual and aesthetic role with practicality.
Nothing in the natural world seems able to compete with the sheer benign authority that a tree
excludes. The tree is a potent symbol, it is the embodiment of life, the point of union between
heaven, earth and water. Ancient peoples believed the tree to be infused with an abundance of
divine energy. Forests symbolised mystery and transformation, the home of enchanters and
sorcerers. Think of the fairy tales that you know and the role trees play in them. From Celtic times
witches have been associated with trees and the following poem know as a hymn of witches
illustrates this.
“ Nine woods in the cauldron go.
Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes
To represent what the lady knows.
Oak in the forest towers with might,
In the fire it brings God’s insight.
Rowan is a tree of power, causing life and magic to flower.
Willows at the waterside stand
Ready to help us to the Summerland.
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Hawthorn is burned to purify
And draw faerie to your eye.
Hazel - the tree of wisdom and learning
Add strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree
That brings us fruits of fertility.
Grapes grow upon the vine
Giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen
To represent immortality seen.
Elder is the lady’s tree
Burn it not or cursed you’ll be.
(www.witchcraftemporium.com/plants)
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The Cosmic walk contains some of these trees. Can you find any where your school is
situated? Explore the myths and legends around these trees.
Mysterious Forest courtesy of Dan Freedigital photos.net
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Tree worship may be discerned amongst the very first traces of religious development. The world
tree of Buddha had the attributes of wisdom, perfection and holiness. The world tree within
Scandinavian mythology is a cosmic tree upon which Odin hung for nine days and nights, with the
result he was able to read and understand the ‘Rune’ stones. Other groups, such a pagans,
worshipped the Yew tree in particular. This tree was believed to have been in existence prior to the
Ice Age and, as such, has been revered by humankind. Because of its longevity and ability to grow
new trunks from within the original root bole, the Yew is associated with immortality, renewal,
regeneration, everlasting life, rebirth and transformation and may provide access to other worlds
and ancestors. The spiritual influence is well illustrated in the Christian story of Adam and Eve and
the trees of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.
What does a tree offer?
Oak forests provide a habitat rich in biodiversity; they support more life forms than any other native
trees. They host hundreds of species of insects, supplying many British birds with an important food
source. In autumn, mammals such as badgers and deer take advantage of the falling acorns. The soft
leaves of the English oaks breakdown with ease in autumn and form a rich leaf mould beneath the
tree, supporting invertebrates, such as stag beetles and numerous fungi. Holes and crevices in the
tree bark are perfect nesting spots for small birds. Several bat species may also roost in the old
woodpecker holes or under loose bark, as well as feeding on the rich supply of insects.
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Provide the children with a sheet of paper in the shape of a tree and ask them to write down
all the uses of a tree they can think about.
Using drama or dance or a poster can they illustrate how much they value trees?
Oaks produce one of the hardest and most durable timbers on the planet, the Latin name QUERUS
ROBUR, means strength. However it takes up to 150 years before an oak is ready to us in
construction. It has been a prized hardwood timber and, for thousands of years, was the primary
ship building material until the mid 19th century and it remains a popular wood for architectural
beams.
Traditionally the leaves, bark and acorns were believed to heal many medical ailments including
diarrhoea, inflammation and kidney stones. Historically people collected acorns to turn into bread,
but with the domestication of wheat production about 10,000 years ago the acorn bread died out
and acorns were left as fodder for wild animals. ( adapted from www.woodlandtrust.org)
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In your garden, school grounds or the Cosmic Walk let the children experience being
alongside trees. We are all familiar with tree hugging. Consider collecting a pile of leaves (if
it’s the right season) all the same leaf type and allow the children to take a leaf and look at it
carefully for a couple of minutes. Stress the words, ‘careful looking’ as the children will be
expected to find their leaf again. After a couple of minutes collect the leaves up and put into
a pile and mix up. Leave somewhere safe for an hour or two then ask the children to see if
they can identify their leaf. The point of the exercise apart from observation skills is to
recognise that all leaves are different and therefore unique.
If an opportunity presents itself for the children to experience touching a growing leaf, they
need to understand that this is a two way process, that the leaf acknowledges the touch
through a chemical reaction. There is an inter-connectedness here.
The Connection between the feminine principle and the tree is strong. An Indian woman called
Amrita Devi was the first recorded tree hugger and activist. Her life involved a crusade to save her
woods. Her story is the fellers and was a historical one, but it is still relevant today. Whilst looking for
a place to build a new palace for a Rajasthani prince, men were sent to fell the forest area of
Khejedhi, in Johpur. Amrita decided to protect these trees and hugged a tree. She refused to bribe
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the fellers and was subsequently killed by an axe that felled the tree she was protecting. Her three
daughters also gave their lives as did 363 villagers. The workers could not complete the job and were
said to be very unhappy killing women and children. The account suggests that the prince was truly
upset by what he heard and promised to protect the forest and compensate the village by the
abolition of taxes.
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Investigate this story further by researching The First Chipo Movement, Khejarli 1730
Explore http://keralawildlifesanctuaries.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/plant-111-treeswhen-newgirl-child-is
Discuss the implications and issues that surround these stories. In your view was Amrita
brave or stupid to die for a tree?
Arrange for a visit to an arboretum to see a range of tree varieties and their needs.
Visit a timber merchant and see the range of timbers and how they are used for
manufacturing.
Perhaps there is a skilled wood turner who might visit school and explain how they craft
from wood.
Try creating art from twigs that have fallen.
Non Dualist learning.
It was St Augustine who was responsible for the idea that the human body was flawed,
uncontrollable and therefore bad. For him the mind was far superior and was valued over and above
any knowledge that the body might offer. So humanity’s relationship with their bodies, for many, is
not good. Olsen expresses this relationship thus:
“As children we are necessarily involved in our relationship to the outer environment for survival. An
early aspect of body awareness is about control. One is supposed to gain control over the body as
soon as possible to avoid doing anything embarrassing or terrible in the social context. After control
comes manipulation through training techniques: ballet, gymnastics, sports... Throughout our lives,
but especially during adolescence, conformity to outer images of what the body is supposed to be,
defined by social, cultural and religious norms makes a division between our inner impulses and our
outward manifestations. Less and less attention is given to what is coming from inside”
(Olsen;1998:12). Society influences our perceptions of what the human body should look like. To
rectify this imbalance, there is a move towards Somatic learning defined by Sellars-Young as:
“ A somatic approach to education integrates, as an existential whole, the experiential history of
individuals with their current experience. It implies an education that trusts the individuals to learn
from their ability to attend to and listen to the information they are receiving from the interaction of
self with the environment.”(Ibid:176) The somatic or non dualist approach to the Cosmic Walk ( or
any other outside space) involves the experience of the body and senses with the walk . It is the
body that is experiencing the environment before the mind analyses it.
The following activities offer children an opportunity to develop a spiritual awareness, through
providing opportunities to be reflective, physically aware and connected to the natural world.
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SENSORY ACTIVITIES.
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Hide objects, that should not be there, on branches and in bushes and amongst flowers eg:
plastic flowers, forks, cups, combs, spoons cloth... Send the children off individually or in
pairs (at timed intervals) telling them only the number of strange objects hidden. The
children then go off to see if they can find them. Set a time limit.
Enlist adult help to prevent cheating. The aim is to be observant, to recognise and
understand what is natural and what is alien in a given environment. Follow this activity with
work, or a discussion, on pollution, litter and responsibility
Using coloured paint samples from a DIY store, cut the colours into shades of red, green,
brown and so on. Give each child a colour sample, green for example and send them outside
to match as many plants to their shade of green. The children swop ideas about the colour
green and its tonal variations. A P4C question might be, ‘how would you describe the colour
green to a blind person?’
A Sensory walk. Wander through the garden/walk/environment noticing colours, smells
textures and sound. Touch the grass, the bark of trees, flower petals... challenge the children
to find 20 different colours or textures and 8 differing sounds. Stop at some point during the
walk and ask the children to stand still and look around and call out 4 things they notice to
do with the sense (e.g. smell) that you have chosen.
Armed with crayons, a pad and some paper go and sit in the area of the garden/walk/
grounds that you like and feel comfortable in. Try not to sit too close to someone else. Get
comfortable and watch, listen and feel what is going on around you. Using the paper and
crayons, divide your sheet into two. On one side draw your experience, perhaps a yellow
softly wavy shape for the warmth of the sun. On the opposite side of the paper through
drawing try and indicate how your body is feeling, could it be relaxed and peaceful with the
sun on it or hot and bothered. It is your choice, there are no right answers; you are trying to
listen to your body.
As a class you might discuss your experiences and representations, or you may prefer for the
time to have been a moment of reflection.
Using the Environment to Celebrate.
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Children need to learn to acknowledge and express their inner being and balance the spiritual with
material achievements and status. Celebrations that involve the environment will help them make
connections with the natural world, and begin to understand their inter-connectedness with it, as
well as develop creativity.
Transition Ritual
(The period when children move from the infant school to the junior school).
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During the visit to the new school each child may plant a small plug plant ( survival rate is
good). This plant symbolically represents a little of the new child already established in the school
and growing, they belong.
The teacher may want to incorporate this with a conversation about the plants ( have a variety),
their colour, smell and favourite growing place. Ask the children why they chose the flower they did.

You might like to get the children to make a clay tile, or felt appliqué (using glue), with a
picture of them that could be used to create a spiral set into the school path, so that the tiles can be
revisited and ideas shared. It might be put into human form and attached to a wall, creating a visual
image of pupils old and new.

The children might do palm prints that could be used to decorate a play area.

The children might plant a tree or bush and thus begin to develop a conservation area.
The leaving service (prior to going to secondary school)
Start off in the school hall then move to the grounds. This may be seen as a symbolic representation
of leaving the small community of the junior or primary school and moving into the wider society
and increasing responsibilities. Children may like to leave an object/plant, as a class, to acknowledge
the time spent there. They may like to create a memory pole upon which they illustrate events
during their time at the school. Class teachers might like to keep a memory box into which objects
that are aide memoires are placed during the children’s final year. This could then become a
historical artifacts collection for the school, but also drawn upon for the classes leavers service.
Celebrate the Environment and Seasons.
Starting in September/October begin a diary, or perhaps an imaginary twitter record to a friend,
that charts the changes to the school grounds, or garden. Keep a video diary with a sound-scape and
children’s thoughts and feelings. Incorporate these observations into Harvest festival, Christmas or
Easter. Perhaps you might explore a Celtic festival.
Hold collective acts of worship in the garden. Consider Easter in the garden. Think of the link
between the tree and the cross, could you create an act of worship around this idea? Consider an
aspect of Christmas out in the open? Processions and dancing, refugees, shepherds in the field....
Explore the history, stories and symbolism around: corn dolls, Maypole dancing, well dressing votive
trees and standing stones. Consider creating a totem pole that perhaps represents the value placed
upon the environment, or recording the school year or significant events.
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Take inspiration from the British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy who collaborates with nature to
produce creations that are transient. In his words:
“ I enjoy the freedom of just using my hands and ‘found’ tools - a sharp stone, quill of a feather,
thorns. I take the opportunities each day offers; if snowing, I work with snow, at leaf fall it will be
with leaves; a blown-over tree becomes a source of twigs and branches. I stop at a place or pick up a
material because I feel that there is something to discover. Here is where I can learn. When I work
with a leaf, rock, stick, it is not just that material in itself, it is an opening into the processes of life
within and around it. When I leave it, these processes continue. Movement, change, light, growth
and decay are the lifeblood of nature, the energies that I try to tap through my work. I need the
shock of touch, the resistance of place, materials and weather, the earth as my source. Nature is in a
state of change and that change is the key to understanding. I want my art to be sensitive and alert
to changes in material, season and weather. Each work grows, stays, decays. Process and decay are
implicit. Transience in my work reflects what I find in nature.”(www.morningearth.org/ARTISTNATURALIST/ANgoldsworthy.htm)
Offer the children an opportunity to create using natural objects, talk about the objects and
recognise the connectedness of this activity.
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A budding Andy Goldsworthy.
Annabel aged seven.
Using Visual Imagery and the environment to raise issues about the value attributed to
ou world.
Rosemary Radford Ruether argues that humankind’s supposition that it has the right to handle
global resources as though they are nothing but an inexhaustible supply of material for gratifying our
desires and or indeed our curiosity will lead to environmental devastation, economic destitution and
war.
“ soil erosion and pollution of soil and water from industrial and domestic wastes , are also major
causes of decreasing fertility of the soil, toxic water supplies and diseases conveyed to humans and
animals through such pollution....... world food supply threatened by a corporate agricultural system
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which is destroying the variety of species of food whilst demanding higher levels of irrigation,
pesticides and petroleum fertilizers.” ( Radford Ruether 2007:270)
Visual imagery may be the perfect way to begin to introduce children to some of the issues that will
be ever present in their lives. In today’s society, visual literacy starts almost at birth when a young
child is sat in front of a television screen or computer. An image can provide a focus and is for many
children more interesting than just reading information. The image can provoke a reaction and
prompt questions. Images are like frozen moments in time, what happened prior to the image?
What will follow it?
Using images of the environment raises a range of concepts that children may be introduced to,
concepts from the religious to the secular, from global climate change, sustainability to humankind’s
responsibility for their world.
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Using a range of pictures showing images of pollution/global warming/conservation, look at
the image and jot down any thoughts you may have. Group the images. Identify positive and
negative words for your grouping.
The positive and negative words will throw up issues and concerns for the world. What does
religion say about the use of the world? What is science or industry saying?
What is your view?
Another approach to this might be through a Values Trail. This is created by taking five or six large
pebbles and numbering them. The numbers relate to a resource pack focusing upon a particular
environment concern, or perhaps exploitation in parts of the world that feed our materialism.
The resource pack would need to contain:
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Images
Questions to ponder and research
Information at an appropriate level to refer to and examine
Perhaps addresses to write to/e mail for contacting companies and experts.
Aspects of the same concern can be spread between trail numbers to ensure a wide research profile
for the issue.
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