(Have a candle and match, dirt or a rock, water in a bowl, and a feather or incense.)
We pray for our planet.
We look East and remember the air.
(Face east and wave the feather or light the incense.)
Without air there is no breath.
Without breath there is no life.
All existence is giving and receiving,
Respirations of taking, metabolizing, and giving back.
May we guard against the held breath of over-consumption.
May the inhale of wisdom precede every exhale of material progress.
May we inhale hope, renewal and imagination.
May we exhale a simpler lifestyle that lets the planet breathe freely.
We look South and remember fire.
(Face south and light the candle.)
Fire illuminates and warms.
It also incinerates and disfigures.
Fire reminds us to act judiciously and in moderation,
May we burn with unquenchable love for our planet.
May we rekindle compassion for all living things.
May we learn to restrain our blazing lust for more
Until we reignite the consciousness that all which we need is already present.
We look West and remember water.
(Face west and hold the bowl of water.)
Our bodies are mostly water.
The planet is mostly water.
That makes us kin.
Our mutual family treasure is the water that sustains us.
May we bathe ourselves in the knowledge that everything is interconnected and interdependent.
May we be baptized into a planetary family committed to clean water.
May we conserve and reclaim the pure flowing waters as our heritage and responsibility.
May every drink of water fill us with gratitude for the gift of life itself.
We look North and remember the earth.
(Face north and hold a rock or piece of dirt.)
From the dust we came
And return to it, we must.
This is the only certainty of life.
May we recall that we are but dust,
That the earth does not derive from us; we derive from the earth.
Thou shalt honor Mother Earth so you may live long on the Earth.
What affects her affects us all.
May we change our self-image from masters to caretakers,
From feudal lords to children filled with awe,
Until we once again live in harmony with the ground that has birthed us.
Air, fire, water and earth,
May we honor, protect, and live with you in peace.
We pray for you.
We are you.
Amen.