Prime Minister John Howard's call for Australians to pray for rain has been answered with the nation holding an event that prayed rain.
Thousands of people supported and participated in Australia's inaugural National Rain Day on May 8, 2007, which aimed to attract significant rainfall.
National Rain Day involved people standing on the earth barefoot and being led through a guided short visualisation at 11am on the day. A copy of the meditation, read by indigenous Australian Kellie McGuiness, was downloadable as an MP3 file on www.nationalrainday.com.
The idea came to McCallum Marketing CEO John McCallum, of Melbourne, during an XL Wealth Shift seminar on the Gold Coast in late April.
The event was spear-headed by a group of like-minded Australian entrepreneurs.
"The potential to bring life-giving rains to our land multiply if more than one per cent of the Australian community experience this feeling of rain collectively,” Mr McCallum said.
He said significant rain fell across the nation on and around the day.
“I was astounded by the enthusiastic response and support by so many people across our land, given they only had two weeks to create awareness of the event,” Mr McCallum said.
“John Howard was concerned that rains needed to come before the end of May to ensure our crops would be sown, so it had to happen before then and it did.”
He said a highlight of the day was the beautiful ceremony on the lawns of Parliament House led by Isira, a global peace ambassador and holder of the rain dreaming.
Isira is an initiated song woman of the Mirning tribe whose totem is the whale. As a holder of the rain dreaming, her tribal name is Ngingali, meaning gentle rain - bringer of life.
This was the focal point to National Rain Day and Mr McCallum believed it was important to have the prayer of visualisation led in the nation's capital by a descendant of our indigenous people, who he said are so deeply connected to this land.
Isira led the small gathering with an imaginative description of rain forming and falling with the earth receiving it in gratitude, ably supported by the mystical sounds of the didgeridoo played by Lewis Langdon.
“It is essential that we all understand our intimate connection with nature and that all of our desires - what we focus on most - influences nature,” Isira said.
“We must return our hearts to the sacred connection we have with the earth to honour her and her natural elements for harmony to return. Rather than thinking of the lack of rain, we must realise our connection with the rain, know our oneness with it in our vision and give thanks for it. In this way, we pray WITH rain rather than give the image of a lack of rain to creation.
“Then we hold the true vision of rain nourishing us and we become part of the cycle again that brings rain.”
There were also group visualisations at the botanical gardens in each capital city.
Mr McCallum said National Rain Day was here to stay and would become an important part
of the Australian culture as the awareness increased.
“I am honoured, grateful and deeply humbled by the amazing support this initiative has received and the momentum that is rapidly building,” he said.
“We have together achieved a wonderful result, establishing an event which we will build on in the years to come, calling the people of this land to understand the rain song.”
In the weeks after the historic event, rain has soaked many parts of NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland, replenishing some catchment areas, flushing rivers, nourishing crops and forests.
“I invite everyone who resonates with this pray rain experience to continue to hold the vision that our land will enjoy balance and harmony, our crops nurtured, forests and land honoured, our waterways, catchment areas, reservoirs, rivers and lakes reach fulfilment.
“Collectively, we can all bring balance and harmony to our land for future generations.”
For details on future events, visit www.nationalrainday.com, call Corina-Anne Rose on (08) 8355 4116 or 0437 423 933 or email thepeacemakersway@gmail.com.
