The Four Elements: I Dig Earth!

Part 4 of 4

© 2009 by Joyce Mason
All Rights Reserved

Give me dirt, and I’m in my element. As I’ve mentioned on other posts like Gettin’ Earthy, this is literally true. From my Earth- heavy astrological chart to my Earth imbalance in Chinese medicine, where Earth is my “causative factor” or CF, I am an Earth Girl. To be even more accurate, I’m a spirit on an Earth mission. And I really dig it!

When I’m gardening, I feel closest to Spirit. From childhood on, there has always been something about mud pies, plant roots, and clumps of dirt that heals whatever ails me. Earth ruled from the Beginning. It wasn’t a Campfire, Waterfall, or Breezeway of Paradise—it was the Garden of Paradise. It had trees, flowers, and probably chirruping birds. Earth was its primary element.

The astrological Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.

But earth is more than dirt, and quite frankly, as a Virgo, I can only play in it so much before I have to clean up! Earth is associated with our physical bodies, our planet that’s named after this element, and a variety of practical skills, as well as sensuality. I have always gotten a charge out of the title of the wacky 1988 movie, Earth Girls Are Easy. Um, yes, we certainly can be especially at the height of our hormones!

The Native American Medicine Wheel represents the Circle of Life. On it, the Earth element is associated with the direction North, the color blue, and the season of winter. One resource on Native American Spirituality calls winter the season of sadness, survival, and waiting. This speaks to both the downside and ultimate triumph of the element Earth. Everything “natural” on the Planet Earth ultimately dies. That‘s literal just once, but meanwhile, throughout a lifetime, little deaths of things in their current form give rise to resurrection in both a literal and figurative recurring springtime. Earth is the anchor element of all four—some would argue the sweetest. The temporary nature of life here makes everything so poignant. One of my favorite moments I’ve mentioned before comes in the John Travolta movie, Michael. Playing an angel completing his mission who is about to return to the heavenly realms, he surveys the beauty all around him and says, “I’m really going to miss this.”

Thanksgiving is an earthy holiday where we gorge ourselves with food to nourish and bring pleasure to our physical bodies. We are grateful for Earth’s bounty. We revel for living on a planet that supports our life form, not just in a so-so way, but with bawdy abundance.

This holiday, spend a little time contemplating your relationship to the element Earth. Get down ‘n’ dirty in whatever form appeals to you from digging in planter boxes to the sensual side of Earth’s blessings.

One of the greatest gifts of Earth is grounding. May your roots be deeply planted and closely intertwined with Gaia, the spirit of the divine dirt upon which we are privileged to live and share and have our being.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Photo Credit: MAN HOLDING SEEDLING © Markross |Dreamstime.com
 
For more on Thanksgiving inspiration with an astrological spin, read Jumpin’ Jupiter, Happy Thanksgiving on The Radical Virgo.

Four Element Series
Air - Air Born
Fire - Hearts Afire
Water - Wetting Reception