Mother Earth – Giver & Sustainer of life

Mother Earth is a term given to the whole planet & all its inhabitants, the home of creation, nature, the seasons & everything that is sourced from her. Mother Earth is made up of the physical & non-physical, the Deva’s & the Elementals, nature & plant kingdoms & all animal beings including humans.

There are many stories about the origins of the planet, how the earth came into being & many terms for Earth Mother Goddess. The Greeks believe in the female earth guardian spirit, Gaia. South American Inca society worship Pachamama, not only great Mother, but ‘Mother World’. Acua’ba is considered Africa’s primal Mother & goddess of fertility. For the Irish it’s Danu.

The Aztecs had Toci, the Egyptians, Mut or Nut. The Romans began with a belief in Terra Mater & festivals were held to honour Ceres the Goddess of the harvest & food supply. Hindu’s show devotion to all empowering Mother Durga & Devi, the creator of nature & ruler of the nature spirits.

The Hopi in North America believe Earth, the land …  IS life, they are one & the same. There is a deep respect & acknowledgement of mother earth & nature, her animals & nature spirits, reverence to the seasons & an understanding of the continual cycle of life. Every part & object of nature has a “spirit” or energy that is created by its connection to source, earth, nature. Nature herself has sacred places where the human spirit may connect more easily to all that is – a place to commune with the Universal spirit. This may be a lake, a mountain, a tree or a rocky outpost as examples. These places were seen as sacred areas due to their concentration of spiritual energy.

Similarly, the Australian Aborigines:

“Aboriginal people believe there is no separation between the health of the land and the health of the people. They have long known that to care for the environment is to care for all the living things; that all life is part of the enormous network of relationships that were created by the Great Spirit ancestors of the Dreaming.” AwabakalEEC

In Wiccan & Pagan society, Mother Earth & nature are worshipped as the centre of all life. She is to be served & respected, honoured & revered for she is the bearer, bringer, creator, nurturer & sustainer of all life & our connection to the Universal spirit of source.