Since the beginning years of the Prayer Vigil of the Earth, geese seemto welcome us as they fly overhead at propitious moments, such as atsunrise or sunset, prayer times, talking circles or moments whenwisdoms are shared by the Elders.

When the participants in thePrayer Vigil are in deep sincere prayer or focused on a spiritualvision or ceremony, such resonance with nature in the immediateenvironment can happen with surprising regularity. Some years we havelooked up from our circle on the National Mall to see a bald eagle incircling high above us, a rare experience above one of America's fivelargest cities. Nature often echo's our activity with the arrival of apair of osprey, a pattern in the clouds, or a wonderful coincidence ofa person with some connection to the ceremony going on, just happens tobe going by the Vigil site and walks in at a "perfect" time.

In2001, less than 2 weeks after 9/11 we prayed for peace next to theWashington Monument as our nation was in the whirlwind of our reactionsand responses to being attacked. The very next day a tornado's funnelcloud passed directly over the Prayer Vigil site but did not touch ordamage the area. A prefect echo of the state or our nation and themitigating effect of quiet prayer.