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Everyday Earth
When you think of "Earth" what comes to
mind? Perhaps you feel the stable
element of solidity and grounding. Or
maybe you see Earth as the third planet from the Sun. Or for you, is Earth the rich brown soil in
your own backyard? Earth is all these
things and more. (One of the great
things about "poly" theism is the ability to look at many aspects of
an idea.) We often see Earth in vague
macro terms, but we should not ignore the simple parts of everyday Earth that
we see and touch each day. You may find
that all these different sides of Earth - the element, the planet and the
everyday things around us -- all fit together like a beautiful mosaic.
Earth as an Element
Earth is a
term we use to describe one of four very basic forces in nature. We call these basic forces
"elements" since they are the building blocks that make up just about
everything around us. (Think about it --
you learned the basics in "Elementary School.") While Earth is a very personal thing for each
of us, it is usually thought of as being very stable. Tangible.
Steady. Someone who might wish
to maintain status quo or slow down change in their life might think of the
element of Earth. Earth might also be
used to strengthen something, making it solid as a rock. Think of the three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. While watery liquids may slip through your
fingers; airy gas might float beyond reach, but something solid is easy to
grasp. Earth can be the malkuth of
tangible actions, where the rubber meets the road in deed not just words or
thought. For example, if you wanted to
use the element of Earth to build a museum, you might take physical, tangible
action -- actually lay the brick - rather than merely signing a petition or
dreaming about a plan. See the
difference? Fire sparks the idea; air
thinks about how to do it; water greases the wheels - but Earth actually makes
it take real form.
Elements are
rarely pure. For example, our own bodies
are solid, but also mixed with fluids, combined with both the breath and spark
of life in order to survive. We are a
mix. What role does Earth play in your
own body? How is this like other parts
of nature? Can understanding your body
teach you about other parts of life, like how the trees grow together or how
rivers flow?
Elements are
not stand-alone concepts; they combine and react with one another. In the early 1500s Agrippa wrote that
elements can be transformed into one another, like the way salt dissolves in
water or a wooden log burns away. Can we
apply this principle to magically transform our own situation? Are there obstacles in your own life you'd
like to dissolve? Are there problems
you'd like to just burn away? Is there
something flowing past you so quickly you wish you could freeze it still - just
for a moment? Perhaps elemental magic
works no differently than the things we see around us every day. See this transformation as you strive to
change a few extra pounds into a few extra push-ups. Feel it as the warmth within your own heart
melts away even the coldest barriers between you and someone you love.
People react
and combine just like Earth, Air, Fire and Water. You may even find that we pass through
elemental phases as we grow up along life's path. This may help you better understand why some
people are blown from place to place with the wind until they mature, become
more rooted and stable in their ways.
Can you see the elements in your everyday interactions with people? Can this help you understand what makes
people tick?
Some magical
systems look at the elements in a hierarchy, where we are their master and they
are our magical servants. I
disagree. To me, elements are aspects of
Deity. My own personal view of the
Divine is the sum total of everything - all the piece-parts - past, present and
future. To me, this makes Earth, Air,
Fire and Water aspects of the Goddess and God.
Next time you are in ritual, notice whether people greet the elements
with reverence, or command them in booming voices, like calling a pet from the
yard. How do you see the elements? How does Earth differ from the others?
We use symbols
for Earth in a variety of magical tools.
In the Tarot, the suit of Pentacles or Coins represents Earth. While both Pentacles and Coins are round
circular objects that might symbolize the Earth merely in shape, lets look
further. A Pentacle is an interesting
choice, since the five-pointed star is often described as symbolic of all four
elements, plus a fifth - Spirit. This is
a wonderful description of the diverse Earth, since our world's land, sea, air
and flame contain all of these forces!
The Tarot's
use of Coins as a symbol of Earth may date back to agricultural times, where
wealth and abundance came via the harvest as financial support for the
village. A simpler idea is the Rune
symbol Fehu, which also is a symbol of abundance, and comes from the same root
as the word "fee." Some might
say Fehu's F-shape represents the horns on a head of cattle. Cattle as a symbol of Earth? Just look to the Zodiac, where the fixed
Earth sign is Taurus the Bull! If you
were creating your own symbol for Earth today, what would it be?
In ritual, we
often associate directions with elements.
For many, Earth is North.
Why? My guess is that elemental
directions probably fit the geography and beliefs of the people who made the
system up. These people looked around
and developed a system that felt right.
(And ever since, other people have merely followed this tradition,
repeating what they were taught.) To me,
in my own geography and beliefs, I live on the east coast of North
America. When I look to the West, I see
3,000 miles of continental land. Guess
which direction I associate with Earth?
The point is, you don't have to use any direction just because you are
taught that way. There may be times when
Earth feels like facing the place you consider home, or facing the Rocky
Mountains, or maybe facing that big ol' Oak tree you've always loved. What works best for you? To paraphrase the Japanese philosopher-poet
Basho, (1644-1694) "Seek not to follow in your elders' footsteps. Instead, seek what they sought." You may one day feel that it really doesn't
matter which direction is which.
Likewise, in
ritual we often assign colors to the elements: Green for Earth, green like
things that grow! Perhaps you see Earth
as a different color? Brown like the
soil, or yellow like the daffodils, or sea-blue like the way Earth would look
from space? Our planet is a very
colorful place; feel free to use whatever hue best suits your magical
palette! (Remember this the next time
your favorite nine-year old artist colors a purple horse.)
Earth as a Planet
We sprang from
this planet and are nourished by it, so we use a maternal analogy and call Her
"Mother Earth." Every bit of
food we eat, every drop of water we drink, every breath we take - and all we
leave behind - are parts of Earth's ecosystem.
As a planet, the Earth is also a grand elemental mix. Our world contains not just "solid"
Earth, but the blue oceans, rivers and streams.
Besides solid and liquid, Earth also holds fiery volcanoes, fierce and
virile, building great pressure over time until they cannot be contained. They erupt suddenly, shooting their molten
streams of lava and fire...and then settle down to rest. A wise friend once reminded me that as a
planet, Earth constantly moves and flows.
Its fault-lines naturally quake; its winds naturally whirl and storm
with great motion. Like any living
breathing being, the Earth by no means is stationary.
When thinking
about the Earth, don't limit yourself to seeing just the sphere. Remember to include its gaseous aura, the
Earth's atmosphere, which surrounds our planet.
Just like you have an aura glowing around you, the Earth wears a gaseous
cloak around itself. What can we learn
from this? Perhaps it is the nature of
things to have a primary object in the middle surrounded by a sort of ethereal
glow. Remember this the next time an
aroma from your fresh-baked apple pie fills your entire home. Things often stretch out beyond their shell.
"Atmosphere"
is not limited to airy things. It can be
anything that glows, like the warmth of a campfire felt by the people that
orbit around its flame. Even the visible
light that things reflect is a type of glow.
Because of the visible light reflected, I can see the mountain-tops for
miles! (Now that's atmosphere!) The physical object sits where it sits, but
its glow shines out much farther. What
"glow" do you project? What
glow can you sense from others and from your surroundings?
In addition to
its gaseous atmosphere, the Earth wears an electrical cloak as well, called the
"magnetosphere." This
electromagnetic field is generated by the Earth's two-fold core. The outer core is liquid, made of molten iron
and nickel. But due to immense pressure,
the inner core is solid. As the liquid
swirls around the solid core, it generates a magnetic charge creating Earth's
electrical aura. This too is quite
dynamic. Even the magnetic North Pole is
not a single fixed point, according to the Canadian Government's Commission
Geologique, but rather the pole moves up to 15 kilometers each year!
An aura, an
outer crust, a mid-layer mantle, inner liquids, and a solid core... Perhaps Earth shows us that the nature of
things often comes in layers. Does this
sound like anything else? An egg? An orange?
Perhaps a city with a busy downtown, surrounded by the suburbs and rural
countryside? Do the Earth's layers
resemble your own body -- complete with your magnetic aura, your aromatic
aires, an outer skin (upon which your furry forest might grow), a warm fleshy middle,
with a solid core right down to the bone?
What else comes in layers?
Getting to know someone?
Understanding complex concepts?
Looking at one thing in nature can remind us that other things often
work the same way.
Our own bodies
have chakras or special energy centers.
Does the Earth? Perhaps our world
has special sites that buzz like chakras.
Can that explain why we feel some places are high-energy? The poles?
The Rain Forest? Sedona? Mount Everest? The shore?
I have often wondered if there is a connection between the fact that the
same small patch of desert in the mid-east that gave birth to many of the major
religions (i.e. Christianity, Islam, Judaism) is the same place where we get
the majority of our energy from fuel oil.
What chakras can you see in your own personal
surroundings? Is there a focal point
within your community? Does your own
home have certain unique energy points?
In the kitchen, bedroom, or nursery -- perhaps the "altars" we
use most often are not the ones with statues and chalices upon them. Magic happens most often in very everyday
places!
What else can
we learn by looking at planet Earth? Our
home is the third planet in a system of nine worlds. (And you wonder why things often come in
threes?) All these worlds orbit the Sun;
most have their own moons also in orbit.
Perhaps it is the nature of small things to orbit around greater
things. If so, this can help us
understand a great many parts of life where small things circle around larger
ones -- from education, to economics, to group dynamics, and even
religion. What great things do you orbit
around? And what revolves around you?
If planet
Earth has a Spirit, do the other planets have Spirit too? If so, how do they interact with the Earth,
and with us? What chemistry exists
within this pantheon of planets circling the same Sun? Perhaps the chemistry between planets is one
way to view the influence of astrology.
In the
children's book "Planet Earth" (Martyn Bramwell, Franklin Watts
Publishing, 1987, New York) the chapter on our solar system is entitled
"The Sun and its Family."
Children's books often make valid points in the simplest terms and may
be the most magical books you will ever read!
You are part of your family, and your family is part of society as a
whole. Likewise our solar system is one
of many in this galaxy, one of many galaxies in a very vast universe. And we -- you and me -- are part of it
all! Each of us is connected to this
grand whole, like the way your little finger is connected to your arm and your
arm is connected to your whole body.
It's a part of you. And likewise,
you are a part of the vast "Family of All Things." Seeing this might offer comfort in times
where you feel isolated, alone and cut-off.
Don't be
scared by the vastness of "all things." You don't have to think about it all at
once. Start by noticing that familiar
feeling you have when you sleep in our own comfortable bed. Know what I mean? It just feels like home, a part of you. Try looking at how you feel connected to
sentimental objects, old jewelry, keep-sakes, photos or whatever items you
consider most sacred and magical. If you
are connected to these items, can you feel some way you are connected to other
things too? All parts of this Earth are
linked to you -- every branch, every leaf,
every ant upon the hill.
All things are
alive. Talk to your house, your yard,
your car, your dinner -- and listen just in case they talk back! Try it with not just your own sentimental
items, but with strangers you encounter along your path, new places, new
things. If you can find a connection to
all things in some way, nothing is beyond your reach! You already have a link to every goal, every
dream, every person, place and thing you could ever imagine. Use it.
We often say
that modern-day culture has forgotten its connection to the Earth. If that is true, then such a culture will
certainly feel disconnected from the cosmos!
But over time, things are changing.
Our culture is shifting to seek harmony with nature. More and more each year, people are drawn to
things that help reconnect them to the Earth, such as today's Paganism and
other forms of Earth Spirituality. Other
reconnections might be as subtle as popular trends towards natural food. Think about it. What makes you feel more connected to the
Earth - a fresh crispy carrot from your garden, or a
polysorbate-hydrogenated-yellow # 3 cheese-flavored doodle from a plastic bag?
Since we all
spring from the Earth, perhaps it is no accident that the Old ways are making a
come-back now - when the Earth's ecosystem is under attack. Living things often change to seek balance,
to adapt. We sweat to cool ourselves
down; we shiver to warm ourselves up.
Does the Earth do the same? If
so, can these changes explain why society changes over time? If we are of this Earth, perhaps we go through
seasons of change no different than the leaves on the tree. If you believe in an Earth Religion, how has
this spiritual path influenced the way you treat the world? Its living creatures? Its natural surroundings? Do you see recycling as a religious act?
Conserving? Voting? If so, why?
How are your own everyday actions - your job, your homelife, your love
for others - part of the Earth?
Perhaps social
trends are part of Earth's own metabolism, rising and falling within the
Earth's own cycles. If so, our wish to
care for the environment might be like Earth's antibodies fighting the disease
of pollution. Perhaps culture reflects
the Earth's cycle between creative periods, followed by destructive ones,
creatively renewed again over time. Why
not? This isn't far off from other
cycles. If you see society linked to
Earth's own cycles, does this give you a new perspective on history --
including both our shining accomplishments as well as our darkest misfortunes? Can it help us understand cultural beliefs
that might differ from our own? All
people -- whether naughty or nice -- are Children of the Earth. If social trends are part of Earth's cycles,
we might even use history to predict where we as a people are headed! Look back over the last thousand years. What parts of history speak to you? Where do you think we will be in five years? Twenty?
A hundred? What signs make you
feel this way?
Earth in Your Everyday Life
Revering the
Earth, in all its forms, is not limited to your religious practice. All parts of your life can be sacred and
magical! The Earth is your breakfast,
your back yard, your neighbors. Is there
anything you might touch that is not part of the Earth?
We are most
familiar with the parts of the Earth closest to us. See the Earth in your own "village"
and even in the patch of ground upon which your home is built. When you eat from your garden, you take in a
bit of the specific land upon which you reside.
If you don't have a garden, you can still enjoy locally grown
produce. Where I live, we pride
ourselves on local corn and tomatoes!
What does your region have to offer?
Is your bay filled with fresh crabs?
Do you live near where steers are raised, or maybe where the salmon
swim? Experiment with the geography in
foods. Get to know your local
delicacies, but also reach out across the globe. We live in an age where we can sip Italian
Chianti squeezed from grapes grown on the same land where Leonardo Da Vinci
dreamt of great flying machines or where Michelangelo chiseled great works of
art. We can enjoy Earth's olives picked
not far from the ancient Greek temples of Aphrodite. We can pour rich dark ale brewed on the same
isle as Stonehenge. Near or far, Earth
is a wonderful place!
Gnomes,
faeries, elves et al. We have age-old
tales of Earthly spirits inhabiting the woodlands. While I do not believe in little green men,
nor winged Tinkerbells - I do feel the Dear Ones that bring a wooded place to
life. During a recent walk in the woods,
someone dear to me shared her own definition of Earth Spirits. She explained to me that the forest is made
up of unique individual beings - each tree, each flower - is as unique a life
as I am. I often forget that individual
Spirits reside in the very place we spread our picnic blanket. I often forget that the wooden beams in my
living room, or even my kitchen table, once came from something alive, a
specific tree, one that may have even had a name given to it by local
tree-climbing kiddies at play.
And like we
have our own by-gone ancestors, each tree and flower sprang from its own
individual set of genetic parents, and grandparents, and so on... We live and walk upon the brown Earthy humus
of past life forms. Perhaps it is no
accident that the word humus, the rich outer layer of soil where plants grow
and later decompose, comes from the same Indo-European root as the words human
and humility. This reminds us that we
too are of the humus.
Earth can be
found in the language we use everyday.
Next time you hear the phrase "down to Earth" think about the
words and what they mean. Other
languages are just as Earthy as our own.
For example, in Holland the Dutch use the term Aard Appel to describe a
potato. This term literally means
"Earth Apple."
The Old
English/Germanic word Earth is unique since it is the only planet not named
after a Greek or Roman Deity. Brian
Swimme and Thomas Berry, authors of "The Universe Story" (Harper,
1992, San Francisco) marvel at the idea of naming planets after Deities since
the creation and actions of planets are still quite a mystery to science! But our planet has many names. The Norwegians call it Jorda; the Finns call
it Maa. (Ma? How maternal can you get!) In Russian, Earth is Zemlja; in Latin it is
Terra. Since Latin is familiar to us, we
can see that words like territory, terrace and terrain all have Earthy
roots. But so does the word terrier,
which describes a dog prone to digging holes!
Even the word mundane is rooted in the Latin word mundus, the
world. (See, mundane things really are
magical after all!)
The Hopi
Indians wrote a song called "The Earth is Our Mother, We Must Take Care of
Her." An interesting concept! In what specific way did the
"Earth" give birth to you? In my
case, Mother Earth is a kind-hearted woman with lovely green eyes, who met my
Father in a small-town roller skating rink.
This particular aspect of Mother Earth bore two girls and two boys; I am
the youngest. If you revere the Earth as
your Mother, can you revere your own Mother as the Earth? As the Hopi say, we must take care of her.
How else can
Earth be seen in everyday terms? We
often ritualize a form of libation, where we might reverently spill a sip from
the chalice onto the ground, or maybe return a morsel of food back to the
Earth. What if we did that not just in
Circle, but on other occasions? Next
Thanksgiving, pass a small plate around the table and ask each person to
contribute a taste from their own dish.
Take your collection and place it outside in the yard. Any meal can become a ritual, whether a
simple crumble from your lunch-bag sandwich, or a romantic gesture during a
candle-lit dinner for two.
Conclusion
Earth, like
most broad Spiritual concepts, can have many meanings. So do Air, Fire, Water - or just about
anything else you might see as magical and sacred. Try to step back a bit from traditional
teachings and cultural norms. (You may
find that a mosaic becomes a bit clearer when viewed from a distance.) Look at things from a variety of angles. Look for how these magical forces manifest in
very simple ways within your own surroundings.
Often we draw the boundary between magical and mundane; nature does not.
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