Earth is.
Earth is the land itself, enduring, ever-present, solid. There are miles of layers under the earth’s surface which hold evidence of lives lived: bones, artifact, cells, traces, clues. By nature, earth is heavier than the other elements, more visible. You can hold rich soil in your hands or walk barefoot on brittle summer grass. You can smell a flower grown out of the earth. You can lay, belly down, cheek pressed up against the land & for a moment feel the magnitude of this giant presence.
To know this element is to know your mortal existence: all the cycles, structures and beauty of earth school.
Earth in the Wild.
When turning to the wild for guidance, earth is there to hold us, sustain us, and give us a form to dance in. The indigenous people of the Andes, worship Pachamama, the benevolent goddess who is embodied in nature itself. They believe her to be mother of earth & time. The cycles of the moon, the seasons, the years, the days and so on are the stuff of earth.
Earth is where one plants a seed and tends to it with care & wisdom. This is where one watches it grow, live, and eventually die, only to start the cycle again.
Earth in the Body.
Earth is the body: the bones, organs, tissues, the solid parts. On an energetic level earth is weighted-ness. Things like patience, groundedness, sustained focus, endurance, wisdom in earth structures like farming, business, creative cycles, etc. are indications of a balanced earthy constitution.
Excessive earthiness can look and feel like extreme heaviness: stagnation, lethargy, inability to produce, resistance to change. It can feel thick and dense in the mind and body, like you are filled with mud.
Lack of earth in one’s constitution can take the form of a lack of understanding & acceptance of the earth plane itself. Ideas can’t take root, impatience with process, and disconnection from the physical body itself. Some with little earth connection may renounce the earth quality, seeking enlightenment on some far off star, in some other plane of existence.
The earth calls to us like a loving mother: I will house you, feed you & teach you. You are always welcome here, dear child.
Caring for Your Earth.
For you earthy folk: Those with many Taurus, Virgo & Capricorn astrological aspects and/or more Kapha Dosha, in the Ayurveda system. The inner landscape of your body & psyche will need to be tended to like soil. For if it is not, you risk your expression being buried. It is the sacred work of the earth folk to constantly check in: how are the crops? What is needed?
The Medicine.
It is sweet news to learn that what is needed to tend to the soil is…the other elements!
For example, if you are experiencing the brittle feelings of irritation, exhaustion & anxiety, water could be your medicine: a healthy dose of pleasure, a swim, a good cry or emotional release.
If you are experiencing the over watered feelings of confusion & mental murkiness, the crops may be drowning. Fire is needed: Step into the sunshine, go for a run, take action.
The air, and it’s oxygen, are essential to earth, literally feeding the crops. Open to the inspirational stream of new ideas, fresh perspectives, open space.
Sound like a lot of attention is required? Indeed. Earth requires above all things, patience, with consistency as a close second. But the pay off is the harvest of abundance, stability, and the aptitude to make a lasting impression. Have a big dream for the world? You earths have the constitution to last the test of time, to build something substantial, to leave a legacy. So tend to your soil, dear ones. You won’t be sorry.
Caution of the Earth Folk: Stay supple as there is a tendency toward hardening & rigidity in you. Watch habitual judgment & stubbornness carefully. Allow other points of view and remember: just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Prayer for the Earth Folk: May you call upon the earth itself, for guidance. And May you bring forth the ancient wisdom in you to create a better world today.
Cultivating Your Earth: for my fiery, watery, airy friends.
It should be noted that the other elements have the most amazing gifts to offer (and challenges too) which I written about here: Fire, Water, Air. For today our exploration is the marvelous earth.
The earth element is an essential asset to us humans (living on earth). It sounds obvious really, but here is why: Earth is the part of us which gives physical form to our ideas.
Consider a book. The author used all of the elements in the creative process: ideas & inspiration (air), emotion & imagery (water), action & passion (fire). But in order for all of this to culminate in a real life book you can smell, touch & see, you need earth! The steps of adhering to a consistent writing schedule, organizing the book, having it edited, finding a literary agent, signing a book contract or the very elaborate process self-publishing, call upon the earth element.
Showing up with consistency, tending to the business of it, bringing it into physical form-these are earth matters.
To increase your earth…
Seek to really understand the value of the element. Patience, endurance, organic growth, worldly wisdom. Do you truly value these things? Though he doesn’t know it, my partner often distills the knowledge of earth in his own personal mantra: life is a marathon, not a sprint.
Make contact with the earth: hiking, walking, growing a garden or even potted plants, walking barefoot on the grass, leaning against big trees, talking to the stones.
Figure out how to make organization, structure & scheduling in your life joyful. Remember: do not should yourself. Make this process a sacred one. Call on your inner guidance for help. Seek support (a coach, assistant, book, team member), if needed.
Physical Exercise: connect with your body. Yoga, dance, running, cycling, swimming. Feel your muscles and bones working together. Feel your heart beat.
Follow through: Did you make an intention last New Moon? Follow through. Did you set a goal, make a commitment? Follow through. This following through is very good exercise for the earth element. (This is not to say you can’t change your mind~but if changing your mind is a habit~follow through).
Caution for the lighter constitutions: Beware of living without feet. Feet on the ground will allow you to channel your passion (fire), your ideas (air), your dreams (water), into reality.
Prayer for my airy, fiery, watery friends: May you embrace your life on earth, wholeheartedly. May you cherish the strength, stability & beauty of the earth, itself.
In closing, 2 Images to Contemplate:
- Earth as mother. Who else would be so generous, patient & forgiving? So, when tuning to the earth (within & without), you may receive messages on what is needed to nourish her & give back. It is my hope that you listen & take action.
- Earth as expressed in a mountain. A mountain takes a very long time to grow. A mountain is an enormous structure. A mountain is lasting. A mountain has within it the ancient & yet provides a bird’s eye perspective.
BUILD, GROUND, ENJOY.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads
~ Henry David Thoreau
On the Horizon
Join an international, intergeneration group of weird and wonderful wild-hearted Women in our online Cave (which lives on an app)!
We meet weekly in Circles, Workshops, Practices to keep our wild spirits lit!
Upcoming Weekly Gatherings:
Join us for an hour-long New Moon Meditation Adventure on May 7th!
Online, from anywhere.
Using a dynamic meditation journey, we will tune into the New Moon, to your own Inner Guidance, synced up with wild-hearted women from around the world. This offering will include music, storytelling, meditation, journaling prompts & intention-setting.
Can’t make it live? No worries. All participants will receive a copy of the recording with 24 hours of the session.
We have Wild Woman Project-trained Circle facilitators is 26 countries, and 44 out of the 50 United States.
Chris Maddox is the founder of The Wild Woman Project where she teaches women how to utilize the gifts of the Wild Woman Archetype in their everyday lives & how to lead women’s circles in their local communities. She is the organizer & facilitator of the beloved annual WILD WOMAN FEST, a women’s retreat-festival hybrid which fosters a deep connection to nature, a direct experience of the divine feminine & profound spiritual sisterhood among the women in attendance.
An ever student of the great mysteries of existence and nature itself, Chris believes women are holding innate gifts & tools that society at large needs – now more than ever. She is committed to helping women remember their special magic and to bring it forward into every corner of their lives, for the greater good of the planet.
