For the astronaut Dr Edgar Mitchell being in space and viewing the earthrise was a life changing experience; he was suddenly aware, at ‘a deep emotional level’ (Spiro 2001), of the supreme interconnectedness of the universe and his own place within it. This iconic image of the blue globe spinning in space not only inspired the space traveller, it became the symbol for the awakening of a global environment movement and, in part, is the impetus for the title of this book, Deep Blue.

We define ‘deep blue’ as that glimpse of divinity resonant in the life-affirming connection between human and water. Embedded in this lived and living religion is a deep reverence for water and water bodies that manifests in a profound relationship with the divine other. It is an expression of the sacred that honours the flow of this precious liquid through a multitude of waterscapes – rivers, oceans, embayments, lakes, swamps, springs, rain, snow and ice – including the human body. Like other forms of nature religion, the deep blue venerates the ecological processes on which life depends and acts in service to preserve and protect these essential and life-sustaining ecosystems.