Gaia
"The faces of the earth are many; the Spirit of the Earth is One. . . . No matter where we may have literally traveled, these words [from writers about nature] can help us to imagine and to undertake the larger emotional and spiritual journey. The pilgrimage destination is as exotic or familiar, as arduous or accessible as you care to make it, but it is a destination found outdoors.
"Thoreau declared, 'In wildness is the preservation of the world.' I believe that in wildness is the preservation of the soul. More than ever, we need to seek out a renewal of our spirits from the Creator's ultimate manifest source. Nature alone has always been regarded by all peoples as an authentic cache of the Holy.
John Burroughs, one of America's seminal nature writers, commented on the great availability of companionship that Nature offers. Her door is always open, her treasures, and often her terrors, on display. Nature unfailingly responds to our overtures in surprising and expected ways that can comfort, startle, amuse, charm, and challenge us.
"As always it seems, the miracle comes not when sought, but when least expected, and it only comes with practice. To know and be known by Nature requires nothing more and nothing less than spending time with her as we would a cherished friend — listening, looking, revealing, laughing, crying, and praying together.
"The journey with Nature we have before us, then, is like her seasons, a cyclical process of ongoing renewal. The arc of this book offers but one way to think about the spiritual journey with the Divine Earth. I hope it encourages you to spend time with Her, to find your way from desire and need ultimately through to hope and resolve.
"Sit on the step at sun's rise and drink your coffee. Circuit the backyard, the far pasture, or the beach to see the night's offerings. Take a walk in the city park with a friendly dog, or a friend who loves dogs. Sit by the lake with a lover, enchanted by reflected possibilities. Hike the paths that whisper a thrill. Languish in the grassy field, sunshine's magnetic sponge. Sit by the camp fire and merge into dreamtime. Bike sloshing creeks and fragrant pine paths. Paddle the river's roar or float on its glass. Trek to the summit's Marian blue vista, breathe, and wind down."
