January’s Water Blessing was held overlooking the Grand River at the Fountainhead Health Store and Café in Fergus.
People gathered Jan. 15 to appreciate and honour water and the many who have taken up action to protect it.
The Full Moon Water Blessing was co-hosted by the Fountainhead Health Store and Café, Save Our Water andWellington Water Watchers.
“Humans are creative creatures: we can imagine a thing and then work to make it a reality.” Said Leigh Brownhill, co-organizer of the event and Fergus resident.
She said “I believe in each of us is the willingness, wisdom and caring that, when combined, makespossible, or even inevitable, that humanity will transform its relationshipwith nature from one of exploitative extraction to one of reverent protection.”
Soraya Olszewsk, also of Fergus, presented a youth perspective, reminding all in attendance that water is precious at so many levels and needs our committed protection.
One of the goals of these monthly Water Blessings is to create lasting conversations about the deeper relationship with water, a relationship we all share, regardless of age, gender, race, faith or ancestry. Anishinawbe Grandmother, JosephineMandamin, a “Water Walker”, was honoured for her water protection actions as she continues to remind us that, it is a great honour and our sacred duty to protect water.
Attendees participated in water action conversations, following in the footsteps of others who have taken up action. Dr. Brownhill proposed that our actions, ”start from where we are, right from our own experience.
For Centre-Wellington, this must include the prospect of one of the world’s largest global corporations being permitted to take local water for distribution in tens of millions of polluting plastic bottles.
Not only does this deprive the people of this locale of their future water security, but will contribute to pollution of soil and water as well as humans and wildlife, through endless production and “disposal” of non-bio-degradable plastics.”
Attendees were asked to think about a personal water action they would take to raise their “water stewardship bar”. One participant took home a blue ribbon and vowed to begin a conversation with her partner about no longer buying bottled water. Valerie Tibbles of Fergus shared a more public action as she is working with a Toronto-based environmental organization, Ecologos, and is helping to set up Greatness: The Great Lakes Water Walk for Reconciliation and Celebration on September 24th, 2017 in Toronto. The walk will take place along the Waterfront Trail with water blessings takingplace at the deltas of the Credit, Humber, Don and Rouge rivers with an evening celebration for all walkers at Ontario Place.
We are all at different stages of understanding how precious this resource is and in taking action to protect it,” said Karen Rathwell, Water Blessing co-organizer, “ The important part, is to challenge ourselves to do more every day to be better water protectors.”
The next Full Moon Water Blessing will be, Feb 12, 1 – 3 pm. co-hosted with Three Willows United Church. Speakers’ program: 1:05 – 1:45 followed by Apple Cider/Valentines/Blue Ribbons and Skating. Location TBA
The Full Moon Water Blessing provides an opportunity every month for members of the public to demonstrate their support for the belief that Water is for Life, Not for Profit.
Wellington Water Watchers invites groups with a variety of faith and cultural traditions to co-host Full Moon Water Blessings in order to reflect on the deep relationship we all have with water.
For more information about how to attend or organize a Full Moon Water Blessing please contact Wellington Water Watchers at wellingtonwaterwatchers@gmail.com
