by Nancy Robbins
ELEMENT PERSONALITIES, HOMES, and GIFTS SERIES
THE EARTH ELEMENT – Physical Power and Wisdom
Earth is the Power of the North. Earth is wisdom and physical power. Earth is stability, abundance, fertility, and healing. The earliest cultures honored the earth and considered it to be their Mother, providing for all of earth’s inhabitants. The ancient sensibility was of living in a deep-rooted partnership with earth instead of merely on it. As we honor our Mother Earth, we are honored.
The Earth Spirit brings stability, power, grounding, and strength. Earth is meadow filled gentle rolling hills, jagged snow-capped majestic mountains, or lush rainforests. Bringing the earth element in your home brings peace with grounded stability and sense of safety, a greater certainty of your direction in life, and a greater sense of inner vitality and strength. It is the powerful inner knowing that comes from being connected to nature – the Earth. It allows you to stand your ground and be rooted in health and vitality.
EARTH CORRESPONDENCES
Key Words: Nourishment, Stability, Permanence, Solidness, Foundation, Wisdom, Consolidation, Dormancy, Reflection, Health, Achievement, Attainment, Abundance, Patience, Sacred Knowledge.
Direction: North
Season: Winter
Time: Midnight
Moon phase: dark
Planets: Earth, Saturn.
Gender: Feminine
Colors: Greens and Browns, Black
Senses: Smell
Instruments: percussion, drums – that keep a steady rhythmic beat like the heart
Creatures: elephants, turtles, tortoises, hippopotamus, horses, earthworms, ants, beavers, wolf, ox, dog, cows, burrowing animals such as moles & gophers.
Natural Symbols: rocks, crystals, wheat, salt, soil, fossils, grains, seeds.
Trees: Oak tree, Redwood trees, Cypress, Pine.
Herbs/Oils: Sage, Pine, Patchouli, Balsam Fir Needle, Vetiver.
Incense: Myrrh, patchouli.
Metal: Lead, Iron.
Minerals: Emerald, Green Aventurine, Green Calcite, Hematite, Malachite, Moss Agate, Peridot.
Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Spirit Guides:
Gaia – Earth Mother goddess
Demeter – goddess of grain and abundance
Rhea – mother of all deities
Herne – horned god of the Green Wood
Pan – god of joy on earth
Archangel representing the North: Archangel Uriel is known as the “Prince of Light”, as he illuminates your path to your higher potential and dispels darkness and ignorance, and brings wisdom, insight, inspiration, and inner peace. He uses the white Resurrection Flame to bring you renewal, rebirth, rejuvenation, and peace.
Earth Elementals: The spirits of Earth are generally called gnomes. The main focus of earth elementals is ecological preservation. They work with soil, rocks, crystals, minerals, and plants. They assist with the cycles of growth, and help hold balance during the transmuting earth changes. They take loving care of the Earth, and work to instill the same dedication in the Human Kingdom. They also teach us how to nourish ourselves, and live in abundance, with a sense of stability as co-creators in balance and harmony. This means living responsibly, appreciating, and honoring all life on the planet as we gain understanding of the rhythms of nature, and our place within the world.
There are more types of nature spirits of the Earth than any of the other elements. They take care of the plants, soil, minerals and crystals of Earth and physical matter. In this category are Brownies (home energy workers), Gnomes (Earth’s Chemists an Craftsmen working with soil, minerals, and growth), Elves and Pixies (plant caretakers), Dwarves (Earth energy patternmakers working with sacred geometry and crystals), Dryads (Tree Spirits), Mountain Devas (Spirit of a Mountain), Tree Devas (the Higher Self of a tree). In the next higher level are the wise old sages (masculine) and loving old crones (feminine). The old sages work with the wisdom of the earth and the crones work with the power of love. This means that the love of Earth (the Goddess Gaia) is available to every creature on the planet without exception. On the next higher level is Pan
, historically known as the God of Nature or over-lighting Deva of the Nature Kingdom. Pan can be everywhere at once and he follows the will of the higher consciousness of Earth – Gaia. In a masculine/feminine balance Pan will share his higher spiritual duties with a feminine spirit that is also highly evolved, as with the Queen of the Air Element or Queen of the Nymphs with the water element.
The Gnomes are ruled by Ghob, a servant to Archangel Auriel, an earth gnome and guide of the earth journeys. Agla is the elemental king of Earth.
The Earth Elemental Within: We also have an Earth body elemental that assist us with our physical body composition, assimilation, and endurance. If we abuse our body, we abuse the elemental inside of us. If you are feeling lost in space or in a world of imagination, reconnect with your inner earth elemental for stability and grounding. Too much connection with our earth elemental will cause us to be narrow-minded and a “stick in the mud,” overly practical and skeptical. The gnomes are best directed through cheerful generosity.
Earth Qualities:
The earliest religions were earth-based, they desired to have a deep-rooted connection with Earth rather than just merely living on it. The earth was believed to be a conscious being who made her bounty available to humans – she was the Earth Mother. We are made up of her elements and are nurtured by our Earth Mother – she gives us Physical Power. Earth is the grounding energy that is the substance of all material things. Our nurturing Mother relates to health and the food we eat, fertility, abundance, and prosperity. It is the densest of all the elements, it stands for a strong foundation, deep roots, and stability. It involves deep rooted wisdom that is your foundation from which to grow. This energy helps us to take responsibility for ourselves and to nurture ourselves, be self-sufficient and patient. Its symbol is the wise elder.
Earth needs Water (love and emotions) to prevent it from becoming barren and dry, to keep it stable, but too much Water (emotions) will cause it to slip and lose some of its stability. Do you allow yourself to take in enough love to be stable, dependable, and reliable? Or are you overrun with emotional worries (flooded with Water) or obsessive desires (Fire)? It is the foundation for new growth and ideas (Air), but over-activity and zeal from Fire can cause it to also dry up and crack the foundation.
The Earth Personality:
Earth element people are home-loving, dependable and loyal, and happiest when surrounded by their family. An Earth person is very aligned with the Earth and defends the young and less fortunate. Their physical bodies and security are important to them. They have an affinity for working with plants, woods, and minerals. There are two types of Earth people the Practical and the Adventurer:
The Practical Earth Person – is stable, practical, earthy, grounded, solid and persevering – a salt-of-the-earth type who are creative, original, and work with their hands. They are slow and deliberate in their actions and discerning in their view of the world.
The Adventurer – these adventurers are earthy souls that are ready to take up a challenge, who share the sense of originality as the first type, who thumb their nose at the conventional and are non-conformists, and have a passion for life. They have good instincts and often respond on a gut level. Sometimes their deliberateness causes them to be stubborn and narrow-minded.
The Earth Home:
An Earth home has an eclectic, organic atmosphere that doesn’t follow the rules. It reflects the feeling of being deeply connected to the earth through the materials and decorations used in the home, which reflect natural earthy materials such as hand- woven textiles with natural fabrics, wood, clay, and iron. There are a lot of square, close to the Earth, low, box-like shapes. In the home the earth element predominates in areas of physical need and practical tasks, such as the dining room and toilet area of a 
bathroom, workshops, and greenhouses. Gardens are sensual with sights and smells, as in herb gardens, gardens filled with earthy clay pots, native plants, crystals and ornamental rocks, and elemental art such as statues of fairies or gnomes. Earth homes tend to blend in with their landscapes. Earth homes come in two varieties: the Organic Earth home and the Sensual Earth home.
Organic Earth home style: This Earth home has an eclectic, make-up-your-own-rules, organic atmosphere containing global treasures and folk art, rich textures, earthy accessories of clay, wood, wrought iron, woven baskets, lots of plants, natural fabrics such as unbleached muslin or linen, and herbal fragrant scents.
Sensual Earth home style: This Earth home is like the Organic Earth home but will play up the abundance a few more notches and become a rich, sensual home – rich in scents, tastes, and textural feel. Fabrics that are more abundant and luxurious such as velvets, velour, and satin will be used to enrich the senses.
Earth Style:
- Building Style: Wooden houses, Southwestern style, Western-ranch style, Mediterranean, Spanish hacienda, log cabin. Adobe, rick, stone, wood, or plaster construction.
- Colors used: rich earth colors such as burnt umber, orange, gold, brown, terracotta; all shades of greens and brown.
- Metals used: Iron, gold, brass, copper.
- Surrounding landscape: Garden is consistent with local climate and culture, very fragrant.
- Natural Environment: low rolling hills, plateaus, forests, parks, valleys, fields, gardens, and mountains for their strength and stability.
USING THE GIFTS OF THE EARTH ELEMENT
There are many ways to use the healing energy of the earth element to stabilize, and balance the energy in your space, here are a few:
- Woodland walks or Nature Retreat: Take a walk in nature and allow yourself to connect with the plants and animals you see – allow yourself to feel re-connected to the web of life, to feel love and respect connecting all hearts together, and to share in the beauty of all beings.
- Healing and Dedication with a Tree: Trees next to and around your home can be protective guardians and have been respected as divine sources of wisdom, as well. When coupled with a dedication they will deeply root and stabilize that dedication into a strong foundation. Trees are great channelers of energy between heaven and earth and therefore are also powerful transmitters of energy and healing for all in your household and land. Sit or stand next to a tree placing your hand on it’s trunk. Send love from your heart and strike up a conversation with the Dryad (spirit) of the tree. Trees hold Earth’s wisdom and truth and can help open your awareness and bring healing from the Earth. Ask and receive healing energy up through your feet all the way through the top of your head into the sky. Imagine it revitalizing every cell in your body as it surges upwards. Allow yourself to receive nurturing, healing sustenance from your Mother Earth. Give thanks to the Earth and the tree spirit.
- Create a garden: Get your hands in the dirt and create a garden. You can use the Perelandra process and ask the help of the earth elementals in advising where to plant and what fertilizer to use.
- Indoor Plants: Bring nature inside the home and place living plants in your home to improve the air quality. Add a kitchen window garden.
- Nourishing Food: Honoring the food you bring into your home activates the force of the earth in your home to bring nurturing abundance to our physical bodies.
- Natural materials: Add earthernware, ceramic pots, baskets, wrought iron, and anything made of wood to your home.
- Crystals: Crystals as products of the earth have different healing energies. Some crystals are great for absorbing or dispelling negative energy, and some like clear quartz can be “programmed” with a certain intent. Often these will need to be cleansed to maintain their vibrancy. Crystals contribute to balancing the energies in your energy field and the energetic environment of your home.
- Color: Use colors you associate with earth, such as browns and greens.
- Salt: Salt has remarkable purifying properties and has been traditionally used in rituals for cleansing and purification of negative energy in many cultures. You can place a bowl of salt in a room to absorb negative energies, or sprinkle salt in the corners of a room starting in the East travelling clockwise, then the center and spiraling clockwise. The salt can be vacuumed later.