The Cosmic Walk - The Great Story

1 14 EPIC OFEVOLUTIONE ditor s note: The Cosmic Walkmay be the most venerable ritu-alistic expression of the Epic ofEvolution. It was created in themid 1980s by Sr. MiriamTherese MacGillis of GenesisFarm in New Jersey, who wasinspired by the New Story , as then toldby Thomas Berry. Larry and Jean Edwardshave been facilitating the Cosmic walk rit-ual for learners and other participants atGenesis Farm for the past 8 years alongthe way, revising the narrative substance toreflect ongoing scientific discoveries, andrevising the expression to deepen Cosmic walk is a ritual created by MacGillis of Genesis Farm. It hassubsequently been modified and facilitatedby many people in the United States andCanada, and increasingly around the Cosmic walk is a way of bringing ourknowledge of the 15-billion-year Universeprocess from our heads into our hearts. It isa simple ritual that can be performed in alarge built space or spiral repre-senting the entire 15 billion years of the cos-mic and evolutionary journey is laid out onthe floor or Genesis Farm this spi-ral is painted on the floor of the library, butone can also lay out a rope in the spiral should be at least 100 feetlong, with each instance of emergencemarked at a proportionate distance in timealong the length of the spiral.

2 Each such sta-tion is marked by an unlit candle and,optionally, by a card describing the the version of the ritual portrayedhere, 30 emergences are recognized, andeach is numbered in sequence. The first sta-tion, located at the very center of the spiral,represents the Flaring Forth of the Universeitself. This primary emergence is usually rep-resented with a large candle or by a smallcandle within a large glass bowl (preferablyfaceted). While others look on, one person(the walker) walks the spiral, starting withthe Flaring Forth and lighting each candle walk is synchronized with the read-ing of the text by a second person (the read-er).The ritual is accompanied by music, tradi-tionally The Fairy Ring by Mike ritual works for any size of group,the limitation being the participants abilityto see the stations well. For fewer thanabout 15 people, we normally would askeach person to walk the spiral, in turn, dur-ing the reading.

3 Since the Cosmic walk wasborn, many variations in text, process, andmusic have for the CosmicWalkNow we want to communi-cate to you something of thebeauty of the Story , some-thing of its deep mystery. It isa Story , the Story of the universe, the Story ofEarth, the Story of the human, the Story ofyou and me. It is a narrative of one singleintegrated activity, the universe.(Start music.) In the beginning was theMystery, the churning quantum foam ofpotentiality. Through the mystery all thingscame to be. Not one thing had its being butthrough the mystery.(1)Some 15 billion years ago, our Uni-verse flashes into existence, lit by thepower of the eternal matrix of quantum foam is born the , space, and energy become the gifts ofexistence. The universe expands and coolsrapidly. Energy organizes itself into funda-mental particles, new beings with new pow-ers, and they in turn transform into atoms ofhydrogen and helium, new beings with so on it goes.

4 (2) A billion years later, Galaxies, Stars,and Supernovas billions ofyears the universe continues to expand andcool. Hydrogen and helium coalesce into bil-lions of enormous structures: Cosmic WalkBY LARRY EDWARDS15 Spring 1999in their galactic homes stars are born, live,and die. As they live, stars transform theirhydrogen and helium into heavier elements:carbon, oxygen, aluminum. Many of thesestars die and cool slowly to become darktombs. But the larger stars in their deaththroes explode, become supernovas, blast-ing out to the cosmos their precious gifts ofselenium, boron, lithium, iron. These trea-sures will be gathered together and supple-mented in the life of second-generationstars. Birth, death, and resurrection is anancient theme of the universe. Supernovasare the mothers of the universe, creating intheir wombs the elements of life.(3) billion years ago, our Grand-mother Star becomes a up her life in an explosion of possibil-ities.

5 (4) billion years ago, our Solar Sys-tem sun and a Great disk of mat-ter emerge all the planets and other mem-bers of our solar system family. Here beginsthe Story of what will become one blue-and-white pearl of a planet.(5) billion years ago, the GreatBombardment of Earth hun-dreds of millions of years, Earth has beensweeping up solar system debris in itsorbital path, swelling in size. Collisions greatand small have kept Earth a churning,molten mass. But now the cataclysms ofgrowth are over, and Earth begins to cool.(6)4 billion years ago, the First the surface of Earth quiets andcools, an atmosphere begins to amiracle of transformation: the first rain!Oceans are born, and soon after, the richchemical brew brings forth the wonder oflife. Earth comes alive.(7) billion years ago, cells creatures learn tocapture the sun and store the energy inchemical bonds. In doing so, they invent anew source of food for the growing bacteri-al population of Earth.

6 In the process, how-ever, they give off oxygen. Eventually theatmosphere becomes oxidizing, threateningall life.(8)2 billion years ago, Oxygen-LovingCells first global environmentalcrisis is averted by the creativity of thesetiny creatures.(9) 2 billion years ago, the first Nucle-ated Cell enter into thecommunion of a larger, single cell.(10) billion years ago, Meiotic relinquishing their own immor-tality, these cells bequeath to their progenyan extravagance of novelty.(11)1 billion years ago, Organismsbegin to eat one organ-isms learn to use the complex biomoleculesof their prey organisms, thereby savingthemselves the effort of making their begins the predator-prey dance thatpromotes the vast diversity of life: thepower of the lion and the speed of thegazelle.(12)700 million years ago, the firstMulticellular Organisms cells dramatically increase their cooper-ative capabilities and learn to specialize forthe good of the whole organism.

7 (13)600 million years ago, Sight isinvented: eyes Earth sees her-self for the first time.(14)460 million years ago, plants andanimals learn to live on thewater, they seek the adventure of weatherand gravity.(15)330 million years ago, Insects taketo the Earth learns to fly.(16) 235 million years ago, 170 million years, these crea-tures explore the extremes of size, speed,and power.(17) 215 million years ago, rock has reorganized itselfto be able to express a mother s love for herchild.(18) 150 million years ago, follow the insects into the vastvault of the sky.(19) 115 million years ago, Earth adorns herself magnifi-cently and invites the sky creatures into anew dance.(20) 65 million years ago, the CenozoicEra disappear, providingmammals the chance to explore an evenvaster suite of modes, dimensions, and sub-tleties of existence. The flowering plantsand insects commune to produce the greatflorescence of Earth life.

8 (21)4 million years ago, Hominidsleave the forest, stand up, and walk on savanna offers the challenges andopportunities for these early creatures toevolve into humans.(22) 100 thousand years ago, ModernHumans , shamanic andgoddess religions, and art become integralwith human life.(23) 11,000 years ago, Agriculture begin to shape the envi-ronment.(24) 3,000 years ago, Classical Reli-gions , Confucianism,Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam.(25) 250 years ago, scientists calculatethe Age of the try to under-stand how old the Earth is through empiri-cal observations.(26) 70 years ago, empirical evidenceof an Expanding Universe is the first time humans are aware they livein a developing universe.(27) 46 years ago, inquiring minds dis-cover the Genetic Bonds of indigenous wisdom of Earth life as all our relations. (28) 33 years ago, scientists find evi-dence of the Origin of the Mur-ray Hill, New Jersey, scientists see the Pri-mordial Flaring Forth.

9 (29) 30 years ago Earth is seen asWhole from Earth becomes com-plex enough to witness her own integralbeauty.(30) Today the Story of the Universe isbeing told as our sacred FlaringForth continues as this moment, as us, the Story of the Universe is being told as our sacred Story . The Flaring Forth continues as this moment,as us, as one.