Thursday, March 12, 2009

A PENNY FOR THE UNIVERSE

It has been my great honor to have participated in many rites, rituals and celebrations over the years. I have found great beauty in many of them and had profound experiences in most of them.

One of the ceremonies which made a significant impression upon me took place on a mountain top in Washington, with only a few in attendance and with little pomp and circumstance. It was a Native American ritual of giving thanks to the Earth. Around a campfire we spread some tobacco, poured some water and laid some fruit on the ground. Then we buried a penny at the base of a tree. We were told that our gift/offerings represented our acknowledgement of the bounty that comes to us from the Earth and we were returning a “portion” in an act of gratitude.

I had participated in “offering” ceremonies of many cultures and was used to gifts of food, water, flowers, etc. It was the penny in this ceremony which struck a cord with me. I realized that the financial abundance of our lives is seldom thought of as a “gift” and even if one tithes, it somehow remains apart from the “whole” of the supply of Nature.

I’ve thought about this ceremony over the years. What it meant, but more importantly, the simplicity of it. And, about that penny. It was just a penny, after all. No great wealth, in the scheme of things, and yet……

Those who know me know that it has been like pulling teeth to get me to “write” in spite of the best urgings to do so. I finally realized that writing this little blog is my “penny”. If I give back a portion of all that has been given to me, I will be contributing my wee bit to the collective consciousness and in effect be giving my “Penny to the Universe”.

My husband loves the Earth and would love to have a major impact for its healing. Until such time as that may come to pass, he feeds the birds, picks up litter, hugs a tree, etc. – his “Penny to the Universe”.

Often one overlooks a way to “invest” in Humanity and the Earth because it is easy to say “Well, it isn’t significant enough to make a difference”. But what if we all just gave a Penny to the Universe? Wouldn’t we all be richer for it?

Do you have any pennies that the Universe could use? Give them in joy and gratitude and the Universe will smile.

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