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"Mostly harmless." - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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Earth is home. It is the only planet known to support life in a mind-bogglingly large universe. We are a web of interconnected and interdependent beings, though not everyone realizes that this is the case. Really, the Earth itself is an organism, a meta-being, if you will, made up of the sum of all life contained on it. Which in turn, is itself a mind-boggling, uncountable superabundance. The Earth is alive. Nearly every inch of this blue-green planet teems with life. Beings fly through the air, swarm on and in the ground, and swim in the waters.
In literal terms, Earth is soil, substance, ground. It sustains us, shelters us, and refreshes us. When our wits are scattered, a good walk on the Earth will center and ground us. When we are hungry, we plant seeds in the Earth to feed us and collect that which grows wild and free. When we are tired, Earth shelters us with Her loving arms.
Magically speaking, we consider Earth to be the foundation of the five elements. In this context, Earth includes all the plants and animals that live on and in it, as well as the metals and minerals within the Earth. Earth is power and wisdom, solidity, physicality and the body.
Earth is Goddess, our mother, She who is known by a thousand thousand names. She endlessly gives birth to life, endlessly nurtures life, and endlessly loves life. She is the Creatrix; 'we all come from the Goddess, and to Her we must return - like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean'.
My work and my path is fairly Earth-centric. Just as some practitioners are called to etheric realms or astral planes, my work is here. I work with Earth as a member of the biotic community, a teacher of the web of life and a tiller of the soil. I worship Earth as Mother Goddess, as sacred ground, our blessed home.
Yes, this cloud-covered, misty ball of ocean and land, sky and rock, fire and ice, this Earth is home. This Earth is alive. The Earth is Goddess. Without Her, we would not be.
So it is. Blessed be!
Great post!
ReplyDeleteEarth, to me, other than just being dirt and the planet has had a couple meanings. As the Earth deity it is the beautiful giver of life and to feel Her warm embrace is soothing to a weary soul.
Another way I use 'earth' is during insight meditation. I equate 'earth' with 'sensation'. And really is just a way to show some similarity between the classic elements and Buddhist 'skandhas', or constituents of the organism. It's an easy catalog and a way to break down experience and gain insight into the workings of body/mind/experience. Water being emotion, air- thought, fire- action/intention, spirit- consciousness/mind. I guess it's kind of a cheesy way of looking at it, but to my mind it gives validity to my practice. More of a chaos magicky way of showing similarity of magic and Buddhism. Not really important, but ya gotta love those Pentagrams!! I don't really practice (meditation) like that per se but it's important, to me, to be able to break down experience, even including experience itself! Mind blowing!!!
And then to bring it all back together with a devotional practice to the Earth Mother is so beautiful. A wonderful triumph over oppressive feelings!! So much gratitude!!
Peace to all! Blessed be!
Sindder Streg
I don't think that's cheesy at all. There is plenty of justification for viewing Earth as sensation. The Yoga tradition talks about samsara, the world of the senses.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!