PACHAMAMA COMMUNITY:
SHARED CEREMONIES, RITUALS, AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
THE CONTEXT FOR SHARED CEREMONIES, RITUALS & PRACTICES
This is an invitation to each Pachamama Community to adopt shared
ceremonies, rituals and practices that can unite us and empower our actions in the
world. This proposal is an experiment, and it will be adapted as our accumulated
experience and wisdom reveals itself.
The vision and purpose that we share is “bringing forth an environmentally
sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on the planet.” We
know that these three fundamental commitments—to the Earth, to the human
community, and to the spiritual reality that gives us purpose and meaning—all
actually come out of one reality, Pachamama. Pachamama is the spirit that is the
container for and embodiment of all space and time--and, for that reason, could
equally be called God, Allah, Christ, Yahweh, or any other name that human beings
have given the One.
Our commitment and work on behalf of Pachamama gains enormous
strength and depth if we seek, on a regular basis, to consciously align it with
Pachamama herself, particularly the three main ways she manifests in our lives: in
the natural world, in our connection with the human community, and in a deeper
connection with the spirit inside ourselves. That is the purpose of ceremonies,
rituals, and spiritual practices—along with simply honoring and acknowledging
Source.
So, any ceremony, ritual, or spiritual practice that helps you ground and align
your life with the natural world, the human community, and your inner spirit is
really a form of “action” in the world, because it supports, sustains, guides,
empowers, and enriches our actions.
In the world-wide Pachamama Community, each regional community can
also connect energetically and spiritually with the other communities by sharing a
few common spiritual practices, some of them performed at the same time of the
year. The following ceremonies, rituals, and practices (just one of each right now)
are offered as a means of connecting deeply with other communities and expanding
the energy field that we generate to change the world and to “be the change” we
want to see.
You are free to adapt these rituals to respect the unique reality and
experience of each community (including adapting the name of the spirit being
invoked), preserving the essential nature of each to the best degree you can.
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There will be more information about these (and other) shared ceremonies,
rituals and practices on the Pachamama Community web pages—and there will be a
place where we can share “best practices” related to them. To be developed!
COMMUNITY RENEWAL CEREMONY FOR THE SOLSTICES AND EQUINOXES
This is a shared ceremony that will serve to renew each Pacha Community
and the connection between them on a quarterly basis--as close to the two solstices
and two equinoxes each year as possible.
It begins with someone in the Community taking responsibility for
assembling and caring for a bowl that contains rocks or shells that each member of
the community has contributed, from the land that they call “home,” to represent
that person and that land and connection with the Earth. This bowl represents the
larger spirit of that regional Community and its “land,” and it also contains a
weaving from the rainforest and the Achuar people and a rock from the home of The
Pachamama Alliance, the San Francisco Bay Area (both sent from the Pachamama
offices upon request). This bowl and collection of rocks and shells can be created in
a community ritual of your own designing, to acknowledge what it represents.
As close to the solstices and equinoxes as possible, the regional Community
gathers and performs a ritual generally along this format (it can be adapted as you
are moved to):
1) Set up the ritual space for the ceremony consciously, with a clear center
(the altar) and a clear place for the participants. If you wish, you can offer
some smudge (smoking sage or palo santo) or incense to participants as a
ritual “cleansing.”
2) Open sacred space (see below) with a prayer honoring Pachamama and
the spirit of the land where you are, and of the indigenous people that
were originally on that land.
3) Light a candle, which can be seen as representing the masculine energy,
the fire of creation and transformation. The water in the ceremony also
represents the feminine energy, and thus this is a ceremony of balance.
4) Remind the community of your shared commitment(s), the reason that
you live as a community, and/or invite each person to affirm or express
their commitment. You might choose to read aloud the Pachamama
Vision and Purpose Statement at this point.
5) At this time, if any other ritual element seems appropriate to you and
your community, you can perform that additional element.
6) Pour some water (if possible, water from a flowing source, like a creek,
river or ocean) over the stones as a symbol of renewing our connection
with our shared vision and our connection with each other. This water
represents the feminine element of nurture (all life comes from and
depends on water) and renewal.
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7) Offer a prayer for renewal and revitalization—and this would be a good
time to pray for any healing that is needed to support our common work
(recommendation: try to make these prayers not personal in nature, but
focused on the support of Pachamama or our collective vision).
8) Pour out this water either on a tree or into a place where water flows (the
latter is preferred)—or you can pour the water into a container and
present it (as part of the ritual) to someone who will pour it out into a
running water source later, on behalf of the community, in a ritual spirit.
9) Perform a closing prayer appropriate to what has happened, expressing
gratitude to whatever spirit or deity you have invoked earlier.
AN OPENING OF SACRED SPACE FOR COMMUNITY GATHERINGS
This is a ritual for opening of Community Gatherings—and can be adapted to
be an appropriate length for the kind of meeting you are having. Here is an outline:
1) If you wish, offer some smudge (smoking sage plant or palo santo wood)
or incense to participants, as a form of ritual “cleansing.”
2) Offer a prayer or guided meditation that a) invites everyone to “come
present” and let go of anything that might be drawing their attention
elsewhere, b) invites Pachamama (or any spirit you want to invoke) to be
present and guide you, and c) expresses gratitude for the opportunity of
this moment, in whatever way you want to express it.
3) As a way of reminding everyone of the shared commitment/vision that
unites us, read aloud the Pachamama Vision & Purpose Statement
(attached), perhaps in “popcorn” style, to allow several people’s voice to
come forward.
4) If you wish, you could offer any other prayer or reading that brings
present a deeper spirit in the group.
5) Say some word of closing—the Native American “A-ho,” or “so be it” or
“amen” or anything else that you wish.
An alternative is to read the Pachamama Vision & Purpose Statement right after the
closing of the ceremony, to focus the rest of the meeting.
A RITUAL HONORING OF PACHAMAMA AT MEAL TIMES: THE SPIRIT BOWL
This ritual can be presented any time a Pacha Community gathers for a
shared meal—and it can also be adopted by each individual in the community in
their own homes and families, if they wish.
The ritual is simple (and can be adapted):
1) It starts by having a small ritual space in the area where food is served—a
cloth, a candle (lit ahead of time for the ritual), and some incense or sage
to burn.
2) After each meal is prepared and the food placed out for serving (if you
want, cover it to reduce cooling), with everyone present and focusing on
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the ritual, the food is placed out and the leader of the ritual places a very
small amount of each dish in a small ceramic or wooden bowl.
3) The bowl is briefly placed in smoke from the incense or sage, and a short
prayer is offered on behalf of everyone present, giving thanks as you feel
appropriate—to Pachamama (or whatever spirit you invoke) for the gift
of life, for the life that gave itself to nurture us, for whatever we are able
to create with this gift to offer back to Pachamama, or other ways to
express gratitude. Whatever the person lets come from within themselves
will be perfect!
4) Then take the bowl and ritually place it outside where birds and insects
can return it to Pachamama over several days. Once the bowls are empty
or mostly empty, you can take them back inside (so, obviously, you need
several bowls, and they will be out there for several days at a time!). As
soon as the person leading the ritual exits the space, the others can begin
serving themselves and eating.
5) Let’s acknowledge: beginning to do this ritual will take some careful
guidance and explaining to children (and maybe some adults) who are
not used to it! It’s a learning process!
The basic purpose of this ritual is to ground us in gratitude and
acknowledging Pachamama and all life on a daily basis. The depth of this ritual will
grow as you practice it and become more comfortable with it.
A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE FOR “ONE MIND, ONE HEART” IN COMMUNITY:
THE TALKING STICK
This spiritual practice opens a ritual space in which your community or your
family can enter a deeper energy than our normal conversations or “debate of
positions,” to achieve or at least approach “one mind, one heart” energy.
This practice is also simple. First, select an object that can easily and
comfortably be held in someone’s hand—a special rock, a special piece of wood or
art object--anything that is “charged” to some extent with positive spiritual energy
or meaning for the people involved or for the person facilitating the practice. Or you
can create an object with this meaning.
Here is an outline of how to use the talking stick:
1) Start with opening sacred space in some way, and stating what the
intention is for the group or community in using this ritual practice—to
arrive at a decision, to resolve a group conflict, to see a “one mind”
wisdom that is deeper than the individual viewpoints, etc.
2) Briefly identify what the talking stick is, and why it has meaning.
3) State that the only person who can speak is the person who holds the
talking stick, and that the person who is speaking is requested to do the
best they can to speak from their heart, not their head. Deeply speaking
from the heart is a spiritual practice.
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4) While the person with the stick is speaking, the others listen with their full
hearts, not their minds, and do the best they can to not “rehearse” what
they are going to say in their mind. Deeply listening from the heart is also
a spiritual practice.
5) One of the guidelines is to avoid cross-talking, which means using their
time to argue with someone else. Instead, they are invited to talk from
their own experience. Admittedly, this guideline is a bit of a gray area,
since some addressing of others is often unavoidable and helpful.
6) The facilitator can gently and lovingly remind anyone of a guideline if
they seem to need the reminder . . .
7) The group can either pass the talking stick around the circle (clockwise is
the traditional direction), or the facilitator places the stick in the center
and the group waits until someone is moved to go to the center of the
circle and retrieve it and speak––perhaps from the center, or perhaps by
returning to their place in the circle.
8) Everyone speaking continues to speak until they have said everything
they have to say on the subject (and the stick will probably come around
again to them).
9) When that person is complete, they then return the stick to the center of
the circle, and the next person who is moved to do so retrieves it—or the
facilitator can instruct at the beginning that whoever first retrieves the
stick starts the “pass around the circle” spot, moving clockwise.
10)If the stick is being passed around the circle, a person can choose to
simply state their name and pass the stick on to the next person, or the
circle can agree ahead of time that everyone will do their best to make
some contribution when the stick comes to them.
11)The stick keeps going around the circle until the group has spoken to a
sense of conclusion, and no one wants to say anything more on the
subject.
12)The facilitator leads some closing of the circle—a prayer or any
acknowledgment of spirit.
What the group is focusing on is their intention to reach a space of “one mind,
one heart.” Nearly all the time, this process results in the group going to a very much
more unified place than a normal “debate of positions” would have produced. The
result that the group arrives at will often be something different than any of the
“positions” that were previously taken. And the process usually generates a much
deeper understanding of each other and the different viewpoints.
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