Ceremony | Water is Life

Word Cloud created from The Symbolism Of Fish: Exploring Different Cultures And Meanings

Fresh Water is Precious and Finite | All Life Depends on it

Our waterways are the arteries and veins of the earth. If we pollute those waterways, life will die.

“Nothing on this planet had so forcefully hammered into her the ultimate value of water. Not the water-sellers, nor the dried skins of the natives ... Here there was a substance more precious than all others - it was life itself and entwined all around with symbolism and ritual.” - Frank Herbert, Dune

“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” W H Auden, First Things First

• We are 60% water, our brains 80%
• In mineral composition, the water in our cells is comparable to seawater
• Our need for, use of and accommodations with water defines us
• Water dominates our perception of our planet and ourselves

Celebrating Water

Connection through water, with nature and each other fosters well-being, through a regenerative and healing relationship, encouraging the flow and exchange of energy and knowledge:

• Cultivate a sense of curiosity/care/communication/collaboration through creative interactions with the river (song, music, poetry, art).
• Explore: physically get to know your local waters (the source, wells and tributaries) to engage with and care for your local waterway.
• Research: look at wider connections, the history of the local waters and collect local stories and images.
• Consider the catchment area, sewage treatment works, landfills and other sources of pollution.

Some Inspiration

• Engage other river/water users to build a community of custodians
• Lead walks, clear litter/blockages
• Consider joining a water testing group
• Offer Science Street Talk to other groups, share research
• Post on social media highlighting local pollution issues
• Make mandalas, chant/sing to rivers/make music, use Sound Bowls

• Collect stories
• Song of the Thames (YouTube 29min) by Sam Lee - singer and song collector
• A Traditional Native Storytelling
• Salmon Boy (YouTube 12min) with Roger Fernandes
• The Lost Words Blessing - (YouTube 4min) a song created from Robert Macfarlane's book The Lost Words
• Create artwork, write poetry, read poetry
• Create an impactful ceremony to demonstrate our anger, grief and sadness at the state of our waterways and our love for all life.
• Share the ceremony with local authorities, politicians, other water users and engage schools & colleges
• Welcoming the River Wye Ceremony [YouTube 5min] at Herefordshire Council featuring Wye River Goddess puppet
• Running order [Dropbox 1 min] for the Ceremony for the River Wye Comments by Paul Powesland (Laywers for Nature) about the ceremony

Blue Plaques for Nature

• See the freshwater species affected - more than 100,000 known wildlife species depend on freshwater ecosystem. And that's not counting the seas/oceans
• Red list of threatened species
• Naming Plaques - stainless steel plaques can be purchased from a commercial retailer.
• A QR code on the plaque could point to the history of the river/waterway.
  

Puppets, Masks and Costumes

• Make a ‘big splash’ in your local media with colourful puppets, masks and costumes