Calling the Element of Earth: A Ritual

Deep down, deep into the earth my roots go
Draw up Earth Mother power, she will help me grow
Rise up, fill me, give me life, strengthen me
A mighty tree, nourishing power from below

from Calling the Elements by Carole McWilliams

Indigenous people around the world have honored the Earth Mother for thousands of years. They understood all too well that their survival was tied to Earth’s bounty and they practiced rituals of thanks or, in bad times, of pleading. 

Now, especially in the U.S., more and more people live in cities and suburbs and have lost that tie to the land. In many minds, food comes from the supermarket. Water comes from the tap.  The food, plastic, and other stuff we throw away magically disappears. Out of sight, out of mind. Humans are separate from and above Nature, or so they think.

Modern Pagans and other environmentally-minded people are working to restore the psychological and spiritual link with our Earth Mother, with life giving water, and with air and fire, and the moral imperative to take care of these blessings for ourselves and future generations, and for all the other creatures that share this beautiful planet.

My song, Calling the Elements, was written out of my love and respect for earth, air, fire and water; the elements of nature. It can be used to call all the quarters to begin a ritual. We, in the Crow Women, have used it that way for many rituals. Or, a ritual could focus on just one element and use one verse as a chant. In this case, a chant for the element of earth.

Getting out into nature can be its own ritual. Something formal, or just being there with awareness of earth’s magic. That’s easy for us rural Wiccans/ Pagans – if we make time for it. What if you live in an apartment in the city, surrounded by asphalt and concrete? That will take more effort, and again, making time for it. Especially if you are practicing as a solitary, designate time for it on your calendar, so it doesn’t get displaced by busy work. Maybe a park in town will work, if it’s not too crowded and hectic. Or find a public natural area outside of town. I have a small grove of scrub oaks on my land, with built-in privacy and a circular clearing just the right size for small group rituals. Our circle did a dedication ritual for it several years ago. I’ve also done solitary ritual there. No matter where you live, there is someplace where you can deepen your spiritual connection to the earth.

A ritual for connecting with the earth element

• Select a place. During the days or weeks leading up to the ritual, look for a place that calls to you, perhaps a special tree, boulder, bank of flowers…where is the element of earth strong? Gaze at it and ask its permission to do this ritual with it.
• Prepare for the ritual. If you wish to call upon a particular deity of earth, do some research. Does she or he have special symbols? On the other hand, instead of a deity, you may choose to connect with the earth element generally. Or, you could seek the earth elemental, Goddess, God or spirit of your location. That’s ecomancy! Whatever aspect of earth you choose, spend time meditating on it in advance to deepen your magic.
• Dress for the ritual. Choose earthy colors. You might put on an essential oil that smells earthy, like sandalwood or patchouli.
• Gather your materials. Go through the ritual below, decide how you want to do it, then make sure you have everything needed before you leave home!
• Cast your circle. Go to your chosen spot and create ritual space. How you create your sacred space will depend on how public it is. You can just close your eyes and visualize a sphere of light around yourself and the space. Or, if you have privacy, you could sprinkle saltwater to purify and waft incense to charge, then define the space by walking around it with a wand or athame while speaking or thinking of your intent.
• Call quarters. Since this is a ritual for earth, you can call them all in terms of earth: air that caresses the earth, fire of the earth (lava), water of the earth (mud), and, well, earth.
• Call in Deity. Invite in the earth deity or sacred earth spirit you have prepared for. Speak from your heart, aloud or in your mind. Take the time to feel for the presence of this being.
• Focus on your intent. You could read aloud the verse from my song. This will begin to activate the spell. Deep down, deep into the Earth my roots go. Draw up Earth Mother power, she will help me grow. Rise up, fill me, give me life, strengthen me. A mighty tree, nourishing power from below.
• Meditate. Start by visualizing your roots descending into the Earth, drawing up Her power. Then visualize white light also streaming down from the Upper World into your crown chakra, until you are filled and surrounded with both shimmering energies. Bask in the knowledge that you are an embodiment of the World Tree that connects the lower, middle, and upper worlds.
• Do a little magic. A few suggestions follow, or you could invent something else. The point is to help the earth strengthen you, give you life and nourish you, as in the song lyrics.
  • Give an offering to the earth. Cornmeal is a traditional choice. Earth’s small creatures will carry in into the ground for you.
  • Use some of your ritual saltwater and some of the soil of the place–mix it together and draw on your skin with it. Let the design emerge from your inspiration of the moment.
  • If the place gives you permission, take a token from it. Perhaps you will feel called to take a fallen leaf or a pebble. Hold the item and ask the earth elemental to imbue it with earth energy. Later, you can put in on your home altar or into your medicine bag. It can be like a battery of earth energy you can draw upon.
• Raise energy. Use the chant once more, reading it aloud or singing it as a chant three times. (If you don’t have enough privacy, read it silently.) Each time, increase the power you put into the words. Remember, this is a spell! Then, release the energy you have raised. I suggest you send it to a specific environmental issue that matters to you.
• Ground the energy. Some good methods are to touch the earth with your hands, or eat and drink. The latter is often called “cakes and ale”, but any earthy nourishment is fine.
• Release the circle. Thank the energies that came to the ritual, then walk back around the space releasing the circle, or imagine the sphere of light dissapating.

Earth’s magic will strenghten and nourish you. Your magic can return energy to the earth. But your actions are important as well. Join with others who are working to protect our sacred Mother from corporate desecration for the sake of short-term profit maximization. This is the only Earth we’ve got. We should treat her accordingly!