The Earth Element

The earth element is unique in that we understand it and work with it in two ways; as a foundational element and as a spiritual being.

We begin with the earth element because it is our place of grounding. It is the element that gives us stability and strength. Connecting to earth is the place we go to for sustenance, both our basic needs for food, water and shelter, and our emotional needs — nurturing, gentleness and inspiration. Working with earth energy helps us get grounded, feel at home in a place, and find our sense of place within our body which lends us to feeling at home anyplace. The earth is physical, tangible, we can use all of our senses to relate with and to it. Working with earth element encourages us to get dirty, to get out of our heads, and be fully present through our senses, bringing us evermore into our body. It is no coincidence that working with the earth element enhances our connection with our physical body, and vice versa, being more in tune with our body intensifies our connection with, and sensitivity towards, Mother Earth. The earth element is a metaphor for our physical body, just as water element is a symbol for our emotional body, fire element is symbolic for spirit, and air, thoughts.

We work with earth energy to stabilize, to get out of our heads. Too much air energy and not enough earth energy leads to a disconnection from the physical world and development of anxiety, otherwise known as uncontrolled thinking. Working with earth energy increases our sense of connection to the great web of life, increasing our sense of belonging, and thus lift us out of the depression of disconnection. Increased awareness of earth energy helps us attune more to the beauty that is here all around us … in the glory of the sunrise, the exquisite detail of the flowers, and the miraculous interconnection of all things.

Working with the earth element can be as simple as stepping out the door or going for a walk outside. We connect and work with earth energy every time we open our awareness to Mother Nature, appreciating her essence and attuning our senses to her energies enlivens the earth energy within us. Planting seeds, pulling weeds, ordinary acts of yard work and gardening can be an energetic attunement when we bring even an ounce of conscious awareness to these acts. The greater our sense of presence in the moment, the more powerful our alignment becomes with the energies we are working with. This simple shift in awareness turns a chore into a ceremony, as it is in ceremony that we consciously connect with the higher energies.

We work with each element to get to know that element intimately, to feel and know that element inside of us, just as we feel and know these same elements outside of us. Questions to reflect on / journaling ...

How do I feel when I am aware of myself as earth / when I am deeply connected to earth / have too much earth element / too little earth element? How do I feel when I am intimately connected to and in love with earth / Or when I am completely unaware of earth?

Ultimately, we work with each element to bring ourselves into balance. We learn to feel each element within ourselves, recognize each element in the world outside of ourselves, and begin to feel and sense a fluid exchange between the elements within and around us.

Much Love & Many Blessings on Your Journey!

Lynn & Cheryl