The Elements Part 1 Earth

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit - these five basic elements, represented by the points on the pentagram, are common to many Pagan traditions. They are the powerful energies which surround us, that which we call upon to witness and guide our sacred rituals. In this series, we'll explore the basic meanings of the elements and the connections between them. We begin at the foundation of our physical existence: the Earth.

The element of Earth reveals our connection with the land. Earth's direction is North, and its time is winter and midnight. The colors of Earth are dark and restful: chocolate brown, forest green, deep black like the night sky. Giant mountains, mighty trees, and burrowing creatures sing to us the slow, patient song of Earth.

We live in our physical bodies here on the Earth plane. We are rooted to the Earth through our cells, our ancestors, the land we inhabit. As we observe the land where we live, watching the seasons change, we connect ourselves deeply to the energies of our sacred spaces. We notice the slow changes, the dance of time. When we are more nomadic, traveling across the surface of this vast planet, we can see the changes of the Earth's terrain as we move through space.

Earth is what we are made of, the matter of our cells and bones and muscles. Our bodies long to experience nature: to stand barefoot on the ground, to walk through the woods and feel the sun and wind, to look up in awe at the stars. We nourish our bodies with Earth's bounty, the fruits and vegetables and grains that grow from the soil. When we lie down to rest and fall asleep, we allow our bodies to be held in Earth's embrace.

The instruments of the Earth element are drums. A slow, steady rhythm reflects the deep heartbeat of our living planet. It connects us with our own heartbeat, the personal rhythm that we dance to from the womb to the moment of our death. As we hear the beating drums, we touch the rhythms of our ancestors, those who came before us and whose bodies now sleep in the Earth. We are a part of all who have come before us. We arise from the Earth and to the Earth we will return.

"Nikki Starcat Shields is the author of Starcat's Corner: Essays on Pagan Living". She blogs at http://www.starcatscorner.com, and is also the co-founder of the Feline Dreamers website.

By Nikki Starcat Shields STARCAT'S CORNER; ESSAYS ON PAGAN LIVING. Starcat offers thoughtful essays on reverently walking a spiritual nature-based path in the midst of a frenzied consumer culture.