In this week's Torah reading G*d tells Moses to speak to the rock that it bring forth water. Instead he strikes the rock and loses his chance to enter the Promised Land. At first glance it may seem unrealistic to speak to a rock, but our ancestors believed that nature responded to our words and prayers. 

Last week as the fires were raging around Boulder, my teacher and rebbe, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, asked us to do Tefillat Geshem, to say the traditional Jewish prayer for rain. Indeed, shortly after, some rain fell and the fires were somewhat curtailed. I have come around to the understanding that all of nature has come type of consciousness, and that, indeed, we can pray for the well being of the planet.

My journey to this understanding began in the 70's when I read "The Secret Life of Plants," by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. Carrots reacted to being placed in boiling water; plants reacted to being in the presence of someone who had hurt them. Jewish tradition, especially the second paragraph of the Shema, talks about the connection between moral, Godly behavior, and the ability of the earth to sustain good crops and good food.

One way I pray for well being is to visualize a good outcome-- for example, a hurricane moving into the Atlantic Ocean where it won't harm people and structures. I ask G*d to help reduce the amount of anger in society, so people can live in peace. And, of course, I work on myself to have healthy relationships with those in my life, so that I can contribute a peaceful, loving vibration to the planet.