The Earth has been honored as a divine force and revered by many cultures throughout history. It is a reminder of our connection to nature and the importance of maintaining balance between material and spiritual life. It is the third planet from our sun and is symbolic of grounding, our relationship with the physical world, and practicality.
Humanity has connected with Earth's energy through goddesses and gods. Some commonly known goddesses of Mother Earth are Gaia (The primordial Earth Mother, the personification of Earth itself representing creation, fertility, and nurturing.), the Roman goddess Terra, the Andean goddess Pachamama , and the Celtic goddess Cerridwen. Gods that were revered for their connection to Earth were the Egyptian god Geb and the Celtic god Dagda. Aligning with their energies can help to deepen your connection to nature and foster a greater sense of harmony within your lives. Native Americans have long held a loving, respectful relationship with Mother Earth. They share beautiful creation stories of the Spider Grandmother and White Buffalo Woman.
Elementals
Earth elementals represent the spirit of the land, forests, and mountains. Many cultures formed a working relationship with these guardian elementals. For example, Gnomes, Dryads, Faeries, and Dwarves are beings that work the Earth's minerals, guardian spirits of the land, and are associated with ancient wisdom and protection.
Grounding
We recently sat down with Kelly Johnson, Reiki Master Teacher, to learn more about the benefits and importance of grounding as way to connect with Earth's energy.
"Grounding is an activity that reconnects you to the Earth, restoring the electrical balance within your body. It can be done directly by spending time in nature, by being in touch with the elements. Or it can be done indirectly through meditation and other activities. By being grounded we experience greater balance, calm, clarity and insight.
Grounding is an important practice because of the many benefits it can have immediately and over time.. If you are feeling depleted, sluggish, empty or just indifferent, grounding allows you to draw a quick energetic boost from the Earth. Energy can also flow the other way. Grounding also allows us to release energy down into the Earth if we are in a state of excess energy such as anger, frustration, worry or feelings of overwhelm."
How to Honor Earth
This Earth Day, we can take time to reflect on our relationship with our planet, not just a resource but as a sacred and living entity. By recognizing the spiritual forces that govern the Earth, we can deepen our connection to the land and take responsibility for its well-being!
