In our gratitude to Mother Earth, we are called to be Keepers of the the Earth. We honor her. In this earth ritual we celebrate her glorious green growing plants. This earth ritual could be done at any time, inside or outside, solitary or in a small group. In these times, group rituals are probably best done outside, while observing prudent COVID distancing. Wear your most artfully Pagan COVID masks! Or, you can adapt this ritual to do on an application like Zoom. For us pagans, every day is Earth Day. I’d like to see a bumper sticker that has a picture of the Earth and says “Love it or leave it!” Someone get on that please.
Altar items and supplies
- chalice, water, and salt, for purifying the space
- smudge stick, shell to set it on, matches, for charging the space
- athame or wand, for casting circle
- an Earth Mother and/or Green Man statue
- earthy altar decorations such as: flowers, crystals or other special rocks, statues of fairies, animals, etc.
- candles if you are doing this in a place where lighted candles are safe
- a small bowl of dirt or sand. Use a bowl that has a nice earthy look to it.
- each participant should bring one or more of those plastic 6-pack planters that bedding plants come in, filled with planting soil, and some sort of tray to go under it
- seeds to plant, enough to share if this is a group ritual. Labels with the plant name are a helpful addition.
- a pitcher of water on hand to bless (and water) the newly planted seeds
- drum or rattle
- a beverage and food for “cakes and ale”, and cups and plates to serve on
Bring seeds of things you actually want and have space to grow, and that will thrive in your climate. Be mindful of where you’ll ultimately be putting these plants, e.g. an existing garden or pots on a balcony. I used an old cast iron bathtub. Gardening newbies should talk to a neighbor who is an experienced gardener about what to do or not do with their baby plants, how to harden them off, when it’s safe to plant them outside, etc. It’s good magic to plant seeds, but not so good for them to die forthwith.
The Keepers of the Earth ritual
So. for the ritual itself…
Cleanse your space, cast your circle, call the quarters/ directions according to your tradition. The person directing the ritual says something like:
We gather to honor Mother Earth, The Gaia. Our existence comes from Her. Our lives depend on Her. She holds the air, the water, the plant people, the animals that provide food for us. Food doesn’t come from the store. It comes from Mother Earth, The Gaia. In this time of shelter at home directives, we become more and more aware of this. People are taking up bread baking and planning “victory gardens.” This is our ritual victory garden and recognition of our dependence on Mother Earth.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms slightly out from your sides. Visualize your own roots going down from your feet into the Earth. Feel the Earth energy flow up into your feet, your legs, your torso, down your arms to your hands and up your neck and face to your Crown Chakra. Let it pour out and down to envelop your body in sparkling green/ brown energy.
The person directing the ritual holds up the bowl of dirt or sand. Sing and drum or rattle;
“The Earth is our Mother, we must take care of her.” Repeat
“Hey yunga, ho yunga, hey yung, yung.” Repeat
“Her sacred ground we walk upon, with every step we take.” Repeat
“Hey yunga, ho yunga, hey yung, yung.” Repeat
Ask each participant to direct energy into their containers of soil (the 6-pack or whatever they have brought). Then ask each participant to direct energy into their seeds. Next, ask them to direct energy into the pitcher of water, perhaps saying a few words of blessing or intent.
Choose a participant to go first. This person should pour their seeds out in a little pile on the altar, and explain to the group what kind of seeds these are and why they were chosen. Everyone who wants that seed takes a turn approaching the altar, taking a seed or two, and planting them in a compartment. Each person does this in turn, presenting seeds and sharing them with others. Participants will end up with the seeds they want, planted one type per compartment.
Then the person directing the ritual waters each person’s seeds very carefully. (If this is happening in the era of social distancing, each individual can take the pitcher in turn. Be aware of safety and do what makes sense!) If seeds wash up, the participant should push them back under.
Participants gather round (with appropriate distancing) and direct more energy to all the 6-packs. Humming or ‘oming’ can help focus the energy.
Then the ritual leader says something like;
Let these seeds and the plants they will become remind us of our dependence on Mother Earth and also give us hope for future beauty and harvest. Beyond that, let us embrace as many as possible of the other ways to protect our Mother, including political activism and voting. We minimize our carbon footprint. Remember that we are Keepers.
How are you a Keeper of the Earth? Go around the circle and let each person share something they do to protect or tend the earth, or perhaps something they want to commit to begin doing. When everyone has spoken, sing and drum my song We are Keepers, available on the Crow Magic CD or download. If you don’t want to sing the song, you could play the recording or read the words aloud, taking turns reading the verses.
Keepers, we are keepers, we are keepers of the Earth.
We are keepers of the rocks and trees,
The birds and bees, the grass and seeds,
They and we are of the Earth, we are keepers.Keepers, we are keepers, we are keepers of the Air.
We are keepers of the wind and sky,
The clouds massed high, all things that fly,
They and we are of the Air, we are keepers.Keepers, we are keepers, we are keepers of the Fire.
We are keepers of the sacred hearth,
That gives us warmth, that lights the dark,
They and we are of the Fire, we are keepers.Keepers, we are keepers, we are keepers of the Water.
We are keepers of the streams and flood,
The frogs and mud, the clear life blood,
They and we are of the Water, we are keepers.Keepers, we are keepers, we are keepers of the All.
music & lyrics © Carole Louise McWilliams, 2011
We are keepers of our Mother Earth,
The air and fire and the water,
They and we are of the All, we are keepers,
We are keepers, we are keepers.
Continue drumming to raise energy. When it reaches its peak, release it with ululations!
Now, it’s time to have “cakes and ale”. The ritual leader pours wine or other beverage into disposable paper cups (or preferably reusable cups if separation guidelines have been eased). Set out crackers, cookies or whatever on a plate for each participant to take instead of feeding to each other.
To bring the ritual to a close, the ritual leader reads this quote from the novel Little Big Man
“There is no permanent winning or losing when things move, as they should, in a circle. For is not life continuous? And though I shall die, shall I not also continue to live in everything that is? The buffalo eats grass, I eat him, and when I die, the earth eats me and sprouts more grass. Therefore, nothing is ever lost, and each thing is everything forever, though all things move.”
Little Big Man: A Novel, by Thomas Berger, 1964
Dismiss the directions, then open circle. Socialize or feast as appropriate in the situation. This too shall pass. Stay safe and well.
Tend your seeds
Take your seed trays home and put them where they’ll get good natural light. Keep the soil damp until seedlings emerge. The time for that varies according to what you’ve planted. As they grow, they’ll need to be transplanted into larger containers until they are ready for their final location.
