The final element in our “What’s In Your Cabinet” DIY series is earth. As current events continue to be tumultuous and we move into Winter in the Northern hemisphere, we’d like to focus on grounding and feeling connected to the Earth.
The earth element is the material world, physical existence, roots and ancestry, health, and resources. Honoring the earth element helps us remember to not take this embodied life for granted. Connecting to the earth gives us context, reminds us where we come from… literally.
Every culture and tradition honors the earth element in different and varied ways!
In Ancient Greece earth was linked with many of the gods, but the personification of the Earth was the goddess Gaia, the ancestral mother of all life. In Chinese folk traditions earth is linked to Tudigong, “Lord of the Soil and Ground.” In the Yoruba tradition, Babalú-Ayé is the Orisha of earth and healing. Going down the research rabbit-hole you can find a lot of inspiration that will align with your ancestral heritage and practices. As earth is the element frequently associated with ancestors it is important to make sure that your practices line up with traditions from your lineage. When in doubt, keep it simple, keep it personal.
As literal chunks of the earth, any crystals and minerals are associated with Earth: Smokey Quartz, Obsidian, Prehnite, Chlorite Phantom Crystals and any fossils. These stones are good for grounding, protection, and healing.
Earth is embodied in Tarot decks through the suit of Pentacles. Using the Ace, Queen, or King of Pentacles cards as a focal point are a good way to strengthen your own connection with feelings of abundance and connection to the material world around us.
There are so many ways we honor the earth; we practice grounding by making sure our bare feet touch the earth when feeling unraveled, but also didn’t realize there’s so much more to earth element than just dirt. The pandemic allowed us to reconnect with our earth elements by giving us time we never had before to garden. There has been scientific studies linking microbes within dirt, (Mycobacterium vaccae - the microbe under study) to ease anxiety and recalibrating the brain.
However, in my personal practice, I realized my nonna’s favorite way to cleanse and ground the home was through the element of salt. She would banish malocchios by salt sweeps to make sure the family was protected. Similar to cleansing by smoke, you pour salt on the ground and as you sweep from the heart of the home, out, you also catch and banish the malocchios with it - which reflects the same idea of salt lamps!
How do you honor earth element in your practice?