Rituals for Hospicing Earth

"We don't grieve abstractly; we mourn particular losses of people, places, animals, objects, and ideas to whom and to which we are attached." — Nancy Menning, "Environmental Mourning and the Religious Imagination"

As we bear witness to the changes happening all over Earth, we can find ourselves at a loss for meaning-filled responses to all that we are experiencing within us. It is tempting to turn away, to avert our gaze, to distract ourselves from feelings of overwhelm and despair. But there is another way — by engaging our imaginations, we can use our religious and spiritual inheritance of age-old rituals to honor, remember and mourn our losses. Our co-presenter Trebbe Johnson writes, "One way to acknowledge our love for nature, grieve for its destruction, and kindle compassion is through ritual. Ritual can help us recognize beauty in people and in our surroundings and inspire one another to develop creative responses to heal ourselves and our world." 

In this deep dive, co-presenters Trebbe Johnson and Alison Cornish offer the opportunity to experience rituals to lament, celebrate, and offer mindful attention to the places and species we love that are endangered.

Meet the Co-Presenters