Our surroundings are comprised of four elements – earth, water, fire and air. As we look deeper into the meaning of elements, we can appreciate their unique strengths, and consider how to enhance our personal relationship with them for a more balanced life. In this article, the last in a four-part series, we will explore earth, a feminine energy, which makes sense if we think of Mother Earth. Our ancient ancestors honored earth as a life giver and provider. As such, earth has long been associated with agriculture, fertility and seasons.
Earth for Survival
The earth is a strong, nurturing, abundant living organism that provides for us with its rich soil and wide array of plant life. It also protects and supports us with its tangible structure and dependable nature.
Earth as the Creative Body of Life
Scientists have found evidence of life on earth that dates back billions of years. We humans have been here at least since the Upper Paleolithic days. Earth is our home, our foundation for life and everything that gives us form. Our ancestors had great reverence for Mother Earth. They worshiped our planet as a collective hearth. Also, analogous to a women’s body, they recognized earth as the creative center of all life on earth.
Spiritual Symbolism of Earth
There have been many goddesses throughout history who symbolize Mother Earth. The Egyptians worshipped Mother Earth as Isis. She is Prithvi in the Hindu tradition. The Ancient Greeks called her Gaia, and later Demeter (whose daughter Persephone was considered the goddess of spring as well as queen of the underworld). Planet Earth is a body of nature that reflects the inner nature of our human bodies. In Genesis it reads, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust on the ground.” Ever in transition, Mother Earth represents and guides us in the processes of beginnings and endings, creation and destruction, death and rebirth. As with all of the elements, earth is a great power with dual nature.
Earth Signs in Astrology
Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo are the signs that represent the element earth. The practical realists of the zodiac, people born under these signs are grounded, loyal, sensual, productive, and organized. Earth signs are the builders, steady and stable. Shadow expressions for this sign include stubbornness, workaholism, and pettiness. They enjoy the outdoors.
Numerology and Earth
Earth is associated with the number 4. Four energy is stable, foundational, and disciplined. It is the tangible, material. When we are out of balance with earth energy, it may manifest as feeling spacey and ungrounded, or as difficulty manifesting in the material world.
Even in an urban environment, it’s hard to ignore Mother Earth in the trees, birds and flowers that make their way through hard concrete. The earth prevails in her wise ways that ever cycle from season to season. Pay attention on a daily basis with all of your senses. What do you hear, taste, touch, see, smell and intuit from the natural environment around you? Earth sustains us, but we only borrow time here, until we too cycle back into her. The more you connect with earth energy, the more you’ll feel grounded, nourished and alive.