Sacred Earth

Decorating your altar with elements of Earth is a powerful practice. It doesn’t have to cost anything and it doesn’t require that much effort. I taught a workshop this year called “The Earth Element Within,” and making flower nature bundles was one of the practices we did together in community. It’s special doing these rituals with others, but you can also do them on your own.

Our bodies are sacred Earth materialized, and not Earth in the sense of the planet we live on, but in the sense of dense material parts that make up who we are. Earth is our bones, our skin, and the matter that make us solid. You can honor the Earth element by including parts of nature, which are parts of you, on your altar.

To do this, essentially use whatever you find outdoors; the pieces you choose can include sticks, dried flowers or herbs, tall grass, Palo Santo, and crystals like a selenite stick. Find a string so you can tie the bundled offering together.

Put your elements of nature together with intention, being mindful of every placement and purpose. When you have finished the creation for your altar, tie a string around it. Bind your sacred Earth offering with the power of the present moment. You can read these words from the Radiance Sutras as you place your offering on your altar.

Delight in the entire universe

As permeated with divine awareness,

And every area of your body —

Your feet, your face, your shoulders —

Made out of divine awareness.

The body of the planet beneath you,

Out beyond the farthest horizons,

The stars and the reaches of space —

All are arising from God-consciousness.

Know this, and dissolve into peace.

Below are two journal prompts to use for closure of your ritual. Write how you feel Earth within you; are you grounded or do you need to invite more of the Earth element in? What do you wish to create with the material elements you have at your power, and can you do so in the highest function? Be well as you design a beautiful universe around you.