Our Sacred Covenant with Nature

"Sitka Splendor" by GG, 8-Panel Sketch and Watercolor

Why did we stop finding holiness in nature, and how do we find it again? The question breaks my heart. Tears well up in my eyes – a sure sign that an ancient truth in my DNA was being stirred up. Am I really finding holiness in nature? Or am I just going through my daily life distracted and unaware?

I was watching a film titled The Last Ice Age by Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee. (You can watch it here.) The film discusses the mythology of changing landscapes caused by melting glaciers as told through an Icelandic family’s experience of witnessing glaciers over three generations. At the end of the film, the patriarch of the family posed the provocative question, why did we stop finding holiness in nature, and how do we find it again? 

The question reminds me of something I’d heard years ago about humanity’s covenant with the natural world. I use the word covenant here in the literal sense—as in an agreement—not in the religious sense as a Covenant with God, although there are similarities because many people find God in nature. The covenant idea I’m talking about is from the First Nations people of North America, a beautiful teaching called the “Seven Generations Teaching.” The teaching embodies the idea that we leave the earth in a better way than we found it so that for the next seven generations the earth remains fruitful and provides for all creation.

How connected to you feel to the holiness in nature? Many of us have become detached. Daily life revolves around technology, concrete landscapes, and artificial environments. Distractions and busyness leave little room for quiet reflection and a deeper connection to the natural world, something we desperately need, and something the Earth desperately needs from us. Some see nature as a resource to exploit rather than a source of spiritual wisdom. The ongoing destruction of natural environments through deforestation, pollution, and climate change sends a message that nature is here strictly for the taking, for our taking. 

How do we find holiness in nature again?

I find rediscovering nature’s sanctity begins with simply slowing down and being present. It’s a joy to just observe, breathe, and listen. We can focus our attention on the details— the sound of the wind, the texture of leaves, the colors of the sky. Here is a passage from my book that illustrates this.

“The next morning, moth dust on my throat, I didn’t wash my face, comb my hair, or brush my teeth. For the next couple of days, I skipped all domestic grooming rituals and let myself go natural. I began to feel like another creature inhabiting the rugged space. By the third day, I had memorized the landscape—every giant boulder, creosote bush, spiney cactus, and occasional lizard that covered the rocky terrain in my canyon home. They were all fellow earthlings with whom I shared this place. We were surviving together in the desert.

. . . “The next day, before I left for home, I hiked back to my power site in Hanaupah Canyon and stood in the fan-shaped alluvium wash under a clear blue dome sky. I bowed my head and thanked Death Valley for the teachings. I opened my water bottle and poured lifegiving moisture onto the cacti and creosote bushes in an offering of gratitude.”

Incorporating rituals that honor nature and rekindle a sense of holiness, whether it be as simple as saying a prayer of gratitude, lighting a candle, or offering something back to Mother Earth, can remind us of Her holiness. One of my favorite songs is “The Medicine Wheel Song” by Kate Wolf. In the song Kate honors the powers and energies in each of the four directions. I sometimes feel inspired to go out and sing this song to the morning sunrise. You can listen to it here.

Let’s re-enchant the world by allowing ourselves to see mystery, beauty, and wonder in nature. Whether through poetry, art, or spiritual reflection, we can let nature inspire awe and humility. There is a section in the middle of my book with fifteen images of artwork that were inspired by my vision quests, my way of showing love and gratitude.

We can find holiness not just in places deemed traditionally sacred, but in the everyday beauty of the earth around us in our own garden or on a walk in a neighborhood park.

My front yard is a glorious display of color and texture. Passers-by often make comments like, “I really love your yard.” What I say in return is, “Thank you. I think my garden grows like this because people appreciate it; the garden feels the love.” 

Here is a quick “finding the sacred in nature” primer for you: Go outside and fill in words for each of these prompts: I see / I hear / I smell / I feel / I love. Mother Earth will be so pleased to hear from you. xoxo

National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 28, 2024. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers roll up their sleeves to help restore and preserve public lands of all types and sizes—from iconic national parks and rivers to local urban green spaces and everything in between. National Public Lands Day is special because it provides all lovers of the environment—old and new—an opportunity to show our appreciation for these unique places More info here. Every day should be public lands day!!

Solo Passage Book Awards - Adding two more to the list!

Wow! I just learned of two more awards for my book, bringing the total to eight so far. Here are awards Solo Passage has earned to date:

Readers' Favorite Honorable Mention Award in Non-Fiction Inspirational

Next Generation Indie Books Award Finalist in Memoir

Bookfest First Place

Award Winner in Body, Mind, and Spirit

Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention Award in General Nonfiction

Firebird Book Award Winner First Place in Inspiration

First Place in Mind/Body/Spirit

First Place in Nature

First Place in Self-Help/Motivational

Reader reviews of my book make a huge difference!

I would so appreciate it if you would leave a rating and maybe a few comments. You can leave a review on Amazon here. Thank you!

Foreword Indies Book Silver Medal Award Winner in Body, Mind, and Spirit

Global Book Award Finalist in Self-Help, Personal Transformation

NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite 

in the category of Nature.

Art and SoulCollage^® Gatherings at GG's Down to Earth Studio

Friday SoulCollage^® Gatherings at GG's Down to Earth Studio

"I am continuously amazed at the depth of the intuitive process of SoulCollage®. I love holding workshops and sharing this amazing process with people. SoulCollage® has helped me have more faith in knowing that we are all connected and that the thing we most search for is within us." — GG

Facilitated by GG and Kim Buller

Morning gatherings from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Afternoon gatherings from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

GG’s Down to Earth Studio

240 Bush Street S., Salem, OR 97302

3rd Fridays:

October 18th (Morning session has open spaces. Afternoon session is full.)

November 15th (Morning session has open spaces. Afternoon session is full.)

December 20th (Morning session has open spaces. Afternoon session is full)

January 17, 2025

February 21, 2025

March March 21, 2025

Topics to be announced.

Sliding scale fee $25 to $40. Venmo (Glenda-Goodrich), Paypal (glendaanne@msn.com). Please pay in advance to reserve your spot. Cancellation policy: Full refund 7 or more days in advance or if I can fill your spot.

New to SoulCollage? Come one hour early for an introductory overview. Fee of $65 includes overview and afternoon gathering.



Email GG to reserve your spot at any of these gatherings, or to get on the waiting list for sessions that are full.

Day-long Kintsugi Breaking and Mending Ceremony

Where grief, gratitude, and beauty coexist

Saturday, November 9, 2024, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm

GG’s Down to Earth Studio, Salem, OR

We will come together in ceremony to explore and honor the brokenness that lives within us, and acknowledge the beauty and gratitude that resides there. No previous art experience is needed.

Kintsugi (“golden joinery”) is an ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. As a philosophy, Kintsugi treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. It encompasses a philosophy of living, of finding beauty within the imperfections of life, and peacefully accepting the natural cycles of growth and decay.

Many of us are living with broken hearts. We accumulate grief and carry it with us, often unseen and unexpressed. But grief can be a storehouse of power, a way to reconnect with how we love and honor what came before. Grief can help us find the beauty in our brokenness, while opening us to loving more and being of service in the world.

Come and break a bowl, mend it and paint the fault lines with gold. Discover and honor the place in you were grief, gratitude and beauty coexist.

Ceremony fee: $120.00 (includes bowl and all supplies)

Only 2 open spaces.

Email GG to register