Rediscovering Mother Earth

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines Mother Earth as: “the mother of everything animate or inanimate upon the earth; soil, ground”

Natives believe in Mother Earth as being nurturing and providing balance. Mother Earth helped in providing life, and when mother nature is angry, or out of balance, we feel it. Natives believe that the relationship with Mother Earth was and still is one of equality. Therefore, anything we do to planet earth we actually are doing to ourselves.

Communicating with Mother Earth is enriching. Some good methods are to either hug a tree or even just touch a tree every day. Feel the earth. Put your feet in the grass or touch snow.

If you are beginning to dig into the earth to plant, talk to Mother Earth and tell her what you are doing. If you are planting, ask for Mother Earth to nurture and help grow your plants.

If you are digging to build an addition, you can add good energy to the area by offering something to Mother Earth and burying it. Natives used to offer tobacco, but really you can offer something organic that returns back to the earth, like a fruit or vegetable.

If you wanted to just say thank you to Mother Earth and build a relationship with her, another method is to give a small portion of your meal to her and bury it.

Dancing on grass is fun as well. Communicating with birds, who are known to be messengers from heaven or from spirit, is another great way of connecting.

Recognize the importance of water. We are made up of approximately 60% of water. The recognition of giving back to what we belong to is important because we are a part of it. You can always use water to help with forgiveness. Go to a flowing river or lake or just even have the tap running. Ask for forgiveness and reconciliation. Make sure you are in a good space when this is happening. You will be able to feel like the water is shedding negative feelings away.

Realize how we want our earth to look and be and take action.  Not just by talking about changes we want to see or would make, we actually need to make them. This is very important. We can’t think that we are independent of the earth. We are a part of it. We need to work in sync with it and acknowledge it.