Water, Spirituality, and Conservation
Several years ago this column was published but it’s time to raise the topic again. With the Lake Powell Pipeline public comment period on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement starting on June 5 it’s important that citizens reflect on the importance of conserving water that’s such an important resource.
For fourteen years, I have been directly involved with water issues locally. I often ask myself, “Why am I so concerned with water? Why am I so disturbed when I see it wasted? Why am I so opposed to securing more water just to waste more when we have plenty already? What is it about water that drives my actions?” I don’t really know the answers to these questions, but I do know that there is something about water that has created an aura around it for me.
I’m not normally an “aura” kind of person. I’ve never been on what I consider the fringes when it comes to spiritual issues. I am spiritual, but I don’t pursue every idea that comes down the pike. That said, the “spiritual” aspect of water draws my attention. So I started looking into why this might be and what the spiritual pull that water is.
Water has held a sacred place in religions of the world for centuries. Baptism has been an integral part of Christianity. Ritual cleansing is important in both Judaism and Islam. Water has held great significance in Hinduism because it is believed to have spiritual cleansing powers. The fact that so many of India’s rivers are polluted may challenge that belief until one considers that Hindus believe that water can “cleanse” itself. It doesn’t seem to be working for them, but be that as it may, they seem ever hopeful!
However, even for those who don’t hold to water’s religious significance, water seems to be an element that nearly everyone would agree brings pleasure to our lives. Whether it’s stepping into a bath, shower, pool, lake, or the ocean, feeling the water consume us is a feeling unlike any other. My interest in water has made these experiences even more exhilarating than they were before because I’m more aware now than ever before of the value of this precious resource.
My search to find answers about water and why I have such a connection led me to interesting information. I learned more about Gabriel the Archangel of Water and the religious details of how he uses water to influence humans. Gabriel is the Archangel of Water due to water’s sacred quality of being receptive to energy and providing a conduit for prayers. I was also directed to Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist who has studied and written extensively in several books about water and the effects of human emotion on water crystals. Although never a fan of tarot cards, I learned about the element of water in these cards and that the element of “water” is considered the most sensitive and intuitive, an element capable of nourishing our soul. Those who deal with tarot cards believe that water signs are incredibly empathetic and can feel the emotions of others, which seems in keeping with Dr. Emoto’s work.
So it seems there’s more to my appreciation for water and my desire to protect the resource in this desert community in which we live than I had imagined. The waters that nourish the landscape and our bodies, also nourish our souls. It is not to be wasted. It is to be valued and protected. Every time I turn on the faucet, I marvel at the product that comes out and know that, rather than needing to get more, we need to protect what we have.
Signing up at Conserve Southwest Utah to get more information about how to comment on the Lake Powell Pipeline when the DEIS comes out on June 5 is a good way to help protect this important resource. Go to: https://conserveswu.org/get-involved/. It doesn’t cost anything – just a little of your time to help ensure your water future. Of course CSU would appreciate any donation, too!
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