Earth Prayers: 365 Prayers, Poems, and Invocations from Around the World

by Elizabeth Roberts, Elias Amidon

In forest clearings, beneath star-filled skies, in cathedrals, and before the hearth... women and men have always given voice to the impulse to celebrate the world that surrounds and sustains them. Now, as we face a diminished present and an uncertain future, the need to honor the interconnection between people and the planet is heightened.

From Walt Whitman, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Black Elk, to Margaret Atwood, the Rig Veda, and the chant of a Samar fisherman, the varied voices linked here offer songs and prayers for land, sea, and air; graces for food; and invocations, poems, and passages that reveal in the common spiritual heritage of all who cherish creation.

Genres: Poetry, Spirituality, Religion, Nature, Prayer, Nonfiction, Reference

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure I read & refer to almost every day. Incredibly well put together anthology. The most ecumenical book I have every read. I use many of the passages to read aloud before Tai Chi silent practice with my classes. I wish everyone in the world would share this when they sit down together as a family, as community.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books, one I keep on hand and pick up about once per week. Lots of wisdom and beauty here.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great poems, prayers, and quotes about humans and our relationship with the Earth. Very good "little bit at a time" read to think about each one.

[Peacejanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A beautiful book of prayers from many disciplines and many places. The prayers offer praise, wonder, healing from many outlooks. Daniel Berrigan, D. H. Lawrence, Allen Ginsberg, William Shakespeare, Pablo Neruda, Margaret Atwood are just a few of the poets included. Each day is a surprise - both the poem and the author. And how delightful and insightful are the prayers. Theodore Roethke wrote, "Being, not doing, is my first job." In this year of chaos, I am more focused on the earth and climate than ever before. I read this book carefully, one poem per day and thought about each poem. The editors have sorted the poems into sections but that did not matter to me. They have also included a thoughtful, insightful essay about each section and the end has a listing of special days each month - for giving thanks, praising, or begging for mercy. I am so glad that I purchased the book and will reread it many times. If you like poetry, if you care about the earth and are concerned about it, get this book. There is something for everyone here. peace

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me about 6 months to finish this book. It is not because it is a boring book, but it is a book that requires each poem/prayer to be contemplated (with me I typically read several poems/prayers with a glass a wine in the evening). I was able to think about each of the passages in depth. The bottom line - this book is so very lovely and allows the reader to look deep inside themselves to think about our place on this earth and whether we are leaving it better for the next generation. Sometimes I did feel a melancholy sadness about it all - is this all there really is? But in the end, I think everyone reading this book will become more introspective and will return to it again and again for guidance on living and making a difference in this world before we die. Highly recommended = 5 beautiful stars.

[The Book Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Kinda my fault, because I picked this up for poetry. I figured it was just about appreicating nature and reflecting on the damage humanity has done and perhaps healing and growth, and it was about these things, but the prayer part of the title is more literal than I expected. In some ways, it became repetitive because a lot of it was saying the same thing. When I did get a poem and not a prayer I was more into the collection. I will also say it was well organise and moved through the themes well, and it did source a true variety of works.

But as I said, I think I am just not the reader for this work.

[rumbledethumps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good selection from multitude of sources

A selection of prayers and meditations from a wide variety of sources: poetry, religion, wise men and women. This book can help us express gratitude and allow us to feel part of something bigger than ourselves.

Many of the selections could simply be understood by reading some poetry, but overall a decent enough
selection that anyone should be able to find a specific idea they are looking for.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of this type of all time. It served me well as a religious text of sorts while I was in military Basic Training in the late 1990s and I continue to refer back to it often, 25+ years later. I now have both print and Kindle versions for easy portability and access. The wide variety of spiritual traditions included and the focus on the natural world, broken into seasons of life, is gorgeous.

[Fern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grew up with this one and it’s quite lovely. Kind of has some dominant views on divinity but still sweet and comforting. I dig it. We used to read from it at our camp dinners and I had periods where I would read a passage a day as a meditation ritual. I outgrew it but it holds a nice place in my heart, if not on my bookshelf these days.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Treasure Of A Book Everyone Should Have And Read. I Truly Love This Book.

It Belongs on the bookshelf of everyone who loves our Precious Earth.
An exquisite and Powerful harvest, this truly a Book Of Common Prayer for our planet's people in this time. 🎅🎄

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a huge compilation of poems and prayers from around the world, many religions and thoughts. There were some that really connected with me and many that didn’t. I am glad I took the time to go through them all however and there are some gems that I will reference again and again.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very few of these are actual prayers. I like poetry, but I bought this for the prayers so it was a disappointment. They are arranged by category, which could be useful, and the physical book is attractive, but it is not what I wanted so it will be given away.

[Laura McManamon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my oldest and favorite poetry books. My dad gave me my first book by Longfellow. It started my love of poetry.

[Gloria Kjorsvik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book of wisdom. I pick this book up almost daily and reread some of them that struck home to my heart and soul.

[BookReadingJenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite, most read books. Amazing poetry.

[Debra Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. Not my thing.

[Jasmin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt a bit out of touch, with contributions mostly from the 20th century which do not acknowledge the climate crisis and how our future is intwined with nature. I was hoping for more.

[Kye Flannery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divine, hopeful, generous, broad, contemplative, conversational.

[Brooke Dierkhising · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of poetry and prayers. I keep it out on my coffee table and look at it often. It puts me in a place of calm and gratitude.

[Jacquline · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a read. I learned so much about the different cultures from around the world in one book. The editors included prayers and poems from all around the world, including environmentalist mission statements from various congregations around the world. Although I was expecting more prayers than poems, I still enjoyed the book. It's broken up in many sections, with an introduction on what the section is about. It was shocking to not see anything written by John Muir because he is famous for the work that he has done in the environment; the editors only mentioned him by name, which is not good enough for a man who devoted his life for nature. As diverse this book is, I think the editors only focused on certain cultures like Native American, Indian, and Asian. I did not read anything from the Middle East or much South American and African prayers and poems. In addition, there were not many church prayers. When one thinks of prayers, he/she thinks of church or a place of worship. The editors did not include any of this, which is really bad judgment on their part, especially since the book is titled Earth Prayers from around the World. Also, the editors should have included the names of the poems by the several authors listed in the book. There's no reason not to include the title; it's not even listed in the index. Lastly, I disliked the Calender of Earth Prayers. The reasons for some of the holidays that are celebrated are absolutely ludicrous. For example, the reason why we celebrate French Bastille Day: A day to consider the liberty and kinship of all creation. Bastille Day was so the French can get their revolution from kings and queens. The editors also missed the Coptic New Year in September and Christmas for the Coptics in January. Clearly, they did not do their research as well as they should have if they missed so much.

[David Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a daily reading book that I read in 2015. It is a great selection of prayers, poems, and meditation for/about/on the earth. Some days are better than others. The book is divided into various groupings of readings (e.g., Cycles of Life, the Daily Round) and contains the works of an extremely wide variety of authors, which is the best part of the book.

My only pet peeve is that the readings are not numbered or dated, and I wasn't sure how to count the introductions to each chapter. That is only a minor inconvenience given the quality of what is included (but it would only take about 30 minutes for someone to go through and number or date them ;-)

Here is one of my favorites from the book:

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
WENDELL BERRY

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely collection of readings, poems, and prayers with a ecological emphasis. Some really spoke to my heart, others did not (mostly those that use traditional Judeo-Christian language), but it is such a large collection that there is something for everyone. I appreciate how many of the readings brought a sense of the sacred, a touch of the holy, to everyday, natural events and concepts. i.e. "thanks to the spirit of evolution..." Personally, I like the idea of "every day sacred" and I felt like this book put that feeling into words.

I read this book over the course of a year, little-by-little, as I sat at my home altar each afternoon.

A blog post I wrote inspired by one of the readings is here: http://talkbirth.me/2012/03/23/300-th...

[Salena · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing that bothers me about this book is that it is really more of a collection of poetry than a collection of prayers. Yes, some of them are prayers and invocations, but the vast majority are poems with an ecological bent. But that's a lot of poetry. A lot of poetry uses natural imagery.

When I bought this book, I expected a book of prayers that I could incorporate into my spiritual practice. The fact that there are 365 of them made me think I could use it as a sort of yearlong meditation and I could pray one of these prayers every day.

However, some of the poems were beautiful and extremely moving, so I did like the book even if it wasn't what I was expecting.

[Ganesh]

I shared from this book a gratitude prayer written by Gary Snyder, inspired by a Mohawk prayer, with my Red Tent women's circle.

My favorite stanzas:

"Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day--
and to her soil: rich, rare, and sweet
in our minds so be it. . . .

Gratitude to Water: clouds, lakes, rivers, glaciers,
holding or releasing, streaming through all
our bodies salty seas
in our minds so be it"

[Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book all the time. I've had it forever and you can pretty much just open it to any page and find something beautiful to meditate on. I've had this book since I was in high school and carry it with me to wherever I live and it always sits on my bedside table.

[Mary Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive collection of poems that illuminate our role and love for the planet we call home. Some poems are outstanding, some less so, but in all, a treasure trove for anyone who loves nature and poetry.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

a wonderful resource

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this from time to time, and I just adore this book.

[Anodyne_from_Walkers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just barely cracked the cover, but its all here: every poem dedicated to the earth and her elements and her spirit. I hope to buy this book.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really great prayers that can also be used for individual meditation. My particular favorite is on pg. 108.