Living Earth Devotional: 365 Green Practices for Sacred Connection

by Clea Danaan

Tune in to nature, care for the sacred earth, and grow spiritually with 365 eco-friendly activities for deepening your connection with nature. Living Earth Devotional offers practical, soul-centered tasks, including meditations, craft projects, gardening and outdoor activities, journaling prompts, and more. Following the Wheel of the Year, this day-by-day guide will help you tune in to the energies of the changing seasons and build a greater appreciation for the earth's beauty, power, and wisdom. Reduce your carbon footprint, recharge your creativity and intuition, and cultivate a connection with the world that inspires spiritual growth and personal transformation.
"Like water dripping on a stone, this lovely devotional takes a gentle, powerful, methodical approach to personal healing and spiritual alignment with Mother Earth."―Tess Whitehurst, author of Magical Housekeeping and The Good Energy Book

Genres: Spirituality, Nature, Witchcraft, Reference

464 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

My ecospiritual books grew out of a winding path, from my childhood in the Pacific Northwest and integral studies at Fairhaven College, on to massage school and Reiki training, and then graduate studies in Wisdom Traditions, somatic psychology, education, and creative writing. My dream is that all people would find their soul work, which heals people and our fellow earthlings on many levels. Visit me at CleaDanaan.com .

Reviews

[Anna Katherina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Living Earth Devotional is structured in pretty much the exact same way as The Wicca Book of Days and In the Company of Trees in that there is one entry in the book per day, assigned by the day's calendar date. In this one in particular, sections are aligned to the holidays of the Neopagan "Wheel of the Year"- though I don't really see any purpose in bothering to do so; entries alternate between sharing some of the author's personal thoughts, encouraging some sort of activity, and a variety of other things that are "meant to deepen your connection to nature" in some way.

In keeping with the trend of these kinds of books, of course, most entries are barely 2 paragraphs long. Additionally (and unsurprisingly) there's also plenty of material that should've just been left out for the sake of respect and not screwing with stuff that isn't yours to mess with in the first place- such as deviations into Chinese medicine in multiple areas, as well as several deviations into Indigenous American practices (because we know no spiritual book would be complete without it). There's also a lot of completely random stuff that honestly just doesn't belong at all; on one day (August 4th) there's a short list of "tips" to "bypass fossil fuels". Two others aren't suitable for the squeamish, instructing people to use "Menstrual blood and urine, watered down" as fertilizer (April 24th), and telling people to switch to reusable menstrual products (November 29th). The list goes on.

Overall it just felt like a really bad attempt at bridging your barest, most generic New-Age spirituality with a dash or Eclectic Neopaganism, and a more scientific take on ecology... Not a bad concept in it's own right, but certainly poorly executed here- and certainly not what I would consider an actual Devotional on any legitimate religious level. Not even close at all, actually. In fact, the book makes a mockery out of what Devotionals are, and what their point is- on top of just being kind of boring; I expected a lot more from it- though I don't know why I bother expecting anything at all from Pagan books anymore.

[Vanessa Sumner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t read every single page of this book, but have worked with it daily for 2 months. This is a nice book, but it’s very forest based. I live in the desert so I literally could not complete or even attempt many of the devotionals. Even in November, it’s too hot to do a lot of outdoor meditation and at sunset and at night, coyotes and javelina are rampant- I adore them, but it’s not safe to just be chillin in the desert at dusk. So, if you live in a climate with trees, traditional flowers (that don’t have a billion thorns), creeks etc this book will be perfect for you. I still liked reading it and journaling on days when the prompts applied to me/my climate. I do have trees in my area, but their placement makes it awkward to drive to them (parks) and then try to meditate or whatever while kids are screaming and dogs are barking and people are walking by. The ground is often covered with thorny plants or thorns dropped by plants, fallen off animal fur etc. For example, the Nov 7 th devotional is to go find a tree that’s lost it’s leaves- all I can see from my window are palm trees and scruffy evergreens that don’t have leaves to begin with! Anyway, sweet, lovely book, just not applicable to places without regular trees.

[Senna - The Library Witch Is In · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living Earth Devotional is filled with daily practices to become more connected with the Earth. I have been going through this book every morning during time at my altar, and I love the simplicity of each page. Even if I feel I am in a hurry, I’m still able to make time to read that day’s devotional.

Unlike other dailies I’ve read, I feel this particular compilation has been very well thought out and put together. There have been some where it seems the author rushed to fill in places that seem less important than, say, the Sabbats. Half expecting this, I was pleasantly surprised to find this wasn’t the case.

The book follows the Wheel of the Year, with meditations, crafts, journal prompts, gardening activities, and more to aid you in connecting with the earth and its energies. Each of the devotional are simple and easy, and require little to no preparation for those on the go or with limited resources.
This is one of the better books I have found to use during daily meditations.

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I finally finished this year-long book of devotions, and I have promptly started reading through it again! There aren't very many pagan devotionals out there, and this one is a real stand-out. Danaan is far more inclusive than most authors, and the activities she suggests for each day are mostly very accessible and simple. It's been poor timing for me going through this book while I've been in grad school, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with these practices throughout the next year.

[Gina House · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟 A lovely book to follow each day through the year. Some of the entries, especially in May and June, were extremely thoughtful and interesting. There are not only practical suggestions for things to do out in nature, but also recipes, book suggestions, poems, and quotes. I loved the size and layout of the book and it had a special spot on my meditation table all year long. It was a nice change to start this book on October 31st, instead of the usual January 1st. If you're looking to feel more connected to the earth and be more mindful of your daily practices, then this book would be a great companion for you.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eeew, I tried. To each their own. But the moon blood lost me.
I even moved past the bogus science of cleaning water with kindness. That's never been successful in any lab. I appreciate water and know it's healing properties. But I won't talk kindly or sing sweet songs to it.
But the blood.... moon blood.... nope.

[C.E. Hart · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are an environmentalist or naturist, you might enjoy this book. It shares earth-friendly activities to fulfill you.

For me, it's difficult to follow, the language doesn't feel natural, ("Zone theory of permaculture draws concentric circles around the center of the garden...") and isn't my ideal type of devotional. Personally, I prefer Biblical devotions that stir the soul and bring inner peace.

The Living Earth Devotional just wasn't for me.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a Review Copy free from the NetGalley book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must confess that I haven't read this book through, but having flipped through it have decided it is something I will try for a month or two. It has daily practices to bring the reader closer to nature, such as observing wildlife, trees, movement of the sun during the seasons, seasonal food and so on. This review will be edited after following the daily practices for a month or two!

Review of a preview copy from the publisher.

[Moonstone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not appeal to me. Some of the exercises to try I found ridiculous (using menstrual blood as a garden fertilizer is taking things a bit far for me) and the comments were nothing to get you thinking about for the rest of the day. Simplistic.

[Claudia Loureiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and insightful small book. Love it!