The Thanksgiving Address
One part of my regular Sit Spot routine in nature is to give thanks to the various aspects of nature I want to keep in my awareness, so that I remember to pay attention and to appreciate their direct relationship to me. Fortunately, there is a rich tradition of a Thanksgiving Address which may be over 1,000 years old and has been and brought to us via the Iroquois or Six Nations—the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora people. This Thanksgiving Address helps me connect to and remember different aspects of nature just by visualizing our world in layers from the Earth’s core outward to the stars. It starts and ends with fire.
So, think of the earth in layers, starting at the center with a molten core of fire. Each layer moves some distance outwards from the center of the core. Up through the rock to the surface, to the water layer, the plants layer, animals, trees, and finally the atmosphere and celestial layers— the stars and our own Sun as we end as we began, with fire.
As I sit at my spot today and feel gratitude for the layers of nature, I give my Thanksgiving for all the following, any one of which humans literally could not survive without:
Earth Core Fires: To the molten fires of the inner earth that forever create new lands.
Earth Crust: To the soils that provide nourishment for growth and to the bacteria and microorganisms who live in the soils and decompose what is to be recycled.
Water: To the waters within me, underground water, streams to oceans and to all the fish and beings who live in the water.
Herbaceous Plants: To the plants that provide us all with food and medicine and provide our animal neighbors shelter, food and cover.
Animals: To all our mammal friends and human family, and to the amphibians, reptiles, and insects for their companionship, pollinating abilities, food, and medicine.
Trees: To the trees who give us every aspect of essential resource we need for shelter, food, shade and fuel and oxygen.
Air: To the air and the rotating air masses that cleanse us with seasons, storms and to the bird and insect wildlife who live above the ground.
Moon: To the moon—the ocean’s lover—who gives us tides, cycles of time and light to sprout our crops.
Sun and Stars: To the stars and our own Sun which guide us, mark time for us and makes all life possible through photosynthesis. We thank the steady fires from above.
Now are minds are one. May you find deep gratitude this Thanksgiving for the world that makes your life possible.
on November 23rd, 2009 at 9:26 am
Beautiful address. Thank YOU!
on November 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 am
as I read the Thanksgiving Address I now realize how important all aspects of life are. To keep in mind that all who survive on earth that we should never forget how we are able to do so. I give many thanks and will always try not to overlook and to appreciate all of the great wonders which is ours.