The topic of the month for April is the element of Earth.
Here, everyone can post information on Earth as an element: what it means to you, craft ideas, magical/spiritual properties, experiences, meditations, and more! Have fun with it!
Re: TOTM: Earth By: aquaaura
Post # 2 Apr 02, 2016
Do any of you have any meditations of any kind that helps you or makes you feel more connected to earth??
I've posted information on this before, but thought it would be relevent to share here.
"Going Under" is a practice that normally involves going under something (an animal hide, a blanket, the ground) and using sensory deprivation to achieve an altered state of consciousness. But I don't see why it couldn't be used to connect and meditate upon Earth if done for that specific intent.
One way of doing this in variation would be to dig a large hole in the ground, ideally out in the woods or some other peaceful environment. You dont want the sun shining directly in your face, so take into consideration your surroundings when you begin to dig. Once youve dug the hole, and youve got in it to make sure it fits you well, you need to consider how much of yourself you want to cover back up with the dirt. I find that if you cover all except for a small portion of your face (to breathe) the experience is a little more intense, and definitely not for everyone. The ground does have this weird feeling the longer you are in it. Its not necessarily bad. In fact, it often feels very warm and comforting. But it is a heavy-ish, closeness feeling and can cause a lot of issues if you are not good with tight spaces. Generally, depending on how long you are going to be in this hole, your body will have the occasional twitch or tremor, and you have to do your best to completely ignore it and otherwise not distract yourself. Trying to jerk around while youre buried isnt going to end well, so try calming yourself with breathing techniques. These techniques are also great for helping you achieve the desired state for your workings.
Now, if youre planning on doing this for a substantial amount of time there are things you do have to consider. For instance, I doubt you can hold your bladder forever. If youre under for less than a day, you could possibly try and hold it all in- providing you do not have any bladder, liver, kidney problems etc. Most people who go under for a long time such as this will fast in the days before, so there is less to actually have to prepare for or worry about. That would just leave the issue of said bladder. Depending on your personal preference, theres a ton of ways you can solve that: using a catheter, digging a deeper trench in certain, specific place, etc. Its up to you to figure that one out. Another issue, occasionally, is the fact that you may become stressed for oxygen. If youre covering yourself all the way up, you are not getting the same amount as you usually would. I have known some people to take an oxygen tank with them for the longer durations. Water is another important factor. Youre going to need it. You COULD have your companions occasionally pour water into your mouth for you, but I find that would be more distracting than you need. The smarter way to do it would be to get one of those camel-type bags with a long tube that you can easily rest in your mouth and get your own water without really having to focus on it.
Once you are in the ground, you could spend however long you desire simply meditating on earth and what you experience. The physical sensations: the heat from the top upon your face and the cool from the bottom where you are buried, the pressure as earth pulls you down and holds on to you. You could also focus on t he symbolism or the energy that is moving around you. It would be a neat experience, I believe, just for that purpose alone.
Represents: Femininity, strength, stability, prosperity, wealth, fertility, mothering and caring.
Gender: Female
Direction: North
Time: Midnight
Season: Winter
Colour: Green, yellow, brown and black.
Zodiac signs: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.
Tarot suit: Pentacles
Type of magick: Gardening, kitchen, crystals, knot and money spells, grounding, runes, and herbalism.
Craft ideas: making runes.
For my altar I have some volcanic rocks and this is one of the items I use to help me ground myself if I can’t get outside.
https://www.princeton.edu/~ezb/geomancy/geohome.html
Describes divination by drawing a series of dots in the sand. It might be interesting to test out on other mediums, such as stones.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomancy
Some background information on the practice above.
^ This has been talked about before, but one could make a clay pot or use rocks found in this method of divination. Both would involve a literal connection to the earth.
Also, deities that have chthonic aspects could be a way to connect with things in and under the earth.
Personally, I feel more connected with things the earth symbolizes for me (stability, action, focus) when I exercise, do house work, work in the garden, take care of animals, or just focusing on tasks and completing them.
I love to go outside deep within the trees and meditate there. Recently I found out how to really connect with the earth.
What you need:
4 big white rocks
4 small white rocks
Shovel or something to dig with
Some trees that can surround you
fallen leaves that are on the ground near those trees
First off dig off the top layer of grass and make a circle that can fit around you perfectly. Make sure there are a few trees near by. Where north, south, east, and west place the 4 big white rocks. At North East, North West, South East, and South West place the 4 small white rocks. Grab the fallen leaves of any kind or shape and sprinkle them on top of the circle you dug. Sit in your circle and meditate while thinking of the enviroment around you.
The rocks help direct energy from every direction and since there white they only keep good energy flowing inside the circle. The leaves keep you connected to the trees. The circle that you sit in keeps the energy flow in your reach at all times.
