Reading Nature as a Sacred Text

A long and venerable Western tradition speaks about two holy texts: the Bible, or sacred scriptures and Creation, or the sacred earth. If nature is meaningful, if it is like a text, then how might we learn to read it, to come to terms with oaks, ferns, milkweed, and moss? This workshop focuses on the plant realm, seeking to read it more deeply by combining two analogous and cross-pollinating traditions: lectio divina and Goethean phenomenology.

Lectio divina, or “sacred reading,” is a four stage practice (lectio-“reading,” meditatio-“meditating,” oratio-“praying,” contemplatio-“contemplating”) developed by medieval monks to help them dwell with and be transformed by sacred scriptures.  Goethean phenomenology also has four stages that correspond to the traditional four elements (earth, water, air, fire) and can be approached as a practice for learning to read nature as a sacred text.

LECTURE: A lecture on Saturday evening (10/5 at 7:00pm) will introduce and reflect on some of the core ideas of these two traditions in order to get a map of the territory, preparing us to be able to jump straight into the real work first thing Sunday morning. (Note: The lecture is meant primarily for workshop participants. If you are interested, but unable to come for the full workshop on Sunday, then you are welcome to come to Saturday evening’s talk as a standalone event. Open to all by donation)

WORKSHOP: The workshop on Sunday (10/6 from 9:00am-4:00pm) will have two morning and two afternoon sessions. Each session will explore the world of plants by combining one lectio divina stage and one of the four elements, beginning our morning with earth-lectio and ending our afternoon with fire-contemplatio. Each of the four stages offers not only a different perspective on the plants around us, but allows us to begin to see them in their depth, that is, to see and read their meaning. We will be spending much of our time outside observing and writing about the plants in their natural contexts. Be sure to wear weather appropriate clothing and to bring a notebook and pen that can be comfortably used outside.