Birch Island Books » Nurtured Spirits

Site Announcements

  • A few changes will trickle in over the holiday season-  If you’re thinking about Yule gifts, or just about saving heating fuel, check out the Cabley Cozy Slippers under Abundant Creativity.  They knit up quite quickly and felt in your washer.
  • Dear Military Families: if you see something you want which I’m charging for, please email me; it is my privilege to send it directly to you. 

Nurtured Spirits

Ideas for worship, compassion, fellowship, and learning.

Spiritual resources for families who love the Earth.

Thoughtful Tales

These quiet stories invite reflection and meditation.  

The Truth of the Tree People  The story of a beautiful friendship between a child and a tree.

Celebrate Samhainn

The days grow shorter, the harvest comes in, we settle our debts, and we forgive one another.  When the veil parts between this world and the After World, may your tears be of joy and sorrow, loneliness, and acknowledgement that those we love will always love us.

The Wild Ride Written from the perspective of a young ghost, this story tells of her love for her family mingled with her willingness to move on from this world. 

 

Celebrate Yule

The winter solstice is a time for family, memories, generosity, and the re-birth of hope throughout the world.  May it be joyful for you.

Tante Claus  A wider look at life at the North Pole.  Discover holidays - and Elves! - from all over the world, and just exactly what Mrs. Claus does.

The Friendly Creatures Game

An Interdependence Game: The Friendly Creatures Game invites twelve participants to take on the roles of twelve of Earth’s creatures in a cooperative problem-solving game. Each player is assigned a resource to Have and a resource to Need. Each player speaks two animal languages, and may only communicate with others who share a language in common.

How will the creatures find what they need to survive?

The Friendly Creatures Game was originally designed for children. With random assignment of Have and Need cards, it has been used successfully by a law professor as an exercise in negotiation, contract, leadership styles, basic economic theory, and interdependence.

The central message of The Friendly Creatures Game is that we cannot win until everyone shares their resources.
Friendly Creatures

Animal Helpers

An Environmental Stewardship and Earth Spirit Curriculum for Preschoolers

Animal Helpers guides preschool children on a six-session exploration of environmental stewardship, using images of animals for inspiration. It uses guided visualization to help each child identify with a specific animal which embodies positive qualities and encourages the child to be her or his best self. The animal may continue to serve as a meditation image long after the class is complete.

Animal Helpers uses sacred dance, storytelling, role playing, music, crafts, and discussion to reach each child in her or his special learning and attending style and teaches children about environmental stewardship by engaging in projects to help creatures of air, land, and water.

The central message of Animal Helpers calls all of us, no matter how small, to work together to keep our Earth safe and clean.

Animal Helpers