Earth Mother Goddesses by Unity
It's April, and in the Northern Hemisphere this means it's
Springtime! The energies of the season to work with are: fertility, growth,
renewal, rebirth, new life, transition, new beginnings and change
The 22nd April is also World Earth Day, when events such as
tree planting and litter picking are held all over the world to encourage
people and governments to become more environmentally aware and to respect and
appreciate Mother Earth. As Pagans I feel it is something we should all get
involved with, and most areas of the UK will have different events going on
that you can join in with. If that’s not possible for you, have a think about
what you could do to make a difference, even if it's taking a reusable cup to
the coffee shop on your way to work, or turning your heating down a notch or
two!
Spring is the perfect time for Pagans to work with and
honour the Earth Mother Goddesses.
An Earth Mother Goddess is a goddess who represents, or is a
personification of the earth, motherhood, nature, fertility, abundance,
creation and destruction. She is the nurturing primal source of all life,
Universal Mother and Cosmic Womb, and to her all things must return at the end
of their days. She provides food and shelter to sustain all life, she is both
the womb and the tomb and is sometimes described as Mother Earth or Mother
Nature.
Call on the Earth Mother to bring growth and fertility to
your gardens and local wild spaces. Dedicate seeds and bulbs to her before
planting; create a mandala from flowers, leaves, herbs and stones in her name.
Research ways to become more environmentally aware
Spend as much time as you can outside, connecting with
nature, walking in woodlands and hills, breathing in the fresh air and just
appreciating all that the earth gives us. If you haven't got a garden you could
plant up some culinary herbs in pots for your kitchen or learn about native
plants and trees. If you have any old packets of seeds you don’t want, try a
bit of Guerrilla gardening and bring beauty to neglected waste land.
Below I have listed a few Earth Mother Goddesses, that you
may want to research or work with this Spring.
Terra Mater: Also known as Tellus Mater. An early Roman
Earth Mother Goddess of fertility who watched over marriage, childbirth and
agriculture. Terra was often connected with Ceres and they shared several
festivals throughout the year including Fordicidia, a festival of fertility and
animal husbandry on April 15th and Sementivae in January, a sowing festival;
she was also honoured at the Secular Games.
Gaia: The Greek primordial Earth Mother goddess. She was
said to be the mother of all creation. The gods were descended from her union
with Uranus, the sky god, the sea gods, from her union with Pontus and the
giants, from her union with Tartarus (The Pit) and mankind, who were formed
from her earthly flesh.
Nerthus: The Roman historian Tacitus wrote about this early
German Earth Mother goddess. A sacred image of her was taken around the country
in a covered chariot by priests, and everywhere she went there were
celebrations and peace. She was associated with fertility, fecundity,
sexuality, abundance, the harvest, wealth, creativity and passion.
Pachamama: Also known as Mama Pacha. To the Pre-Incan
people, Pachamama is the earth personified in her many forms. She was honoured
at planting and harvesting times. They
believed that Pachamama embodied the mountains and fields and caused
earthquakes when people failed to honour her; her name translates as 'Mother
Universe'.
Papatuanuku: Also known as Papa, the Maori earth goddess who
with her consort the sky god Ranginu or Rangi created six children: Tawhiri,
god of weather, Rongo, god of crops, Tu, god of war, Tangaroa, god of the sea,
Tane, god of forests and Huamia, god of plants. They also created the first
humans, water and everything between the earth and the sky.
Coatlicue: In Aztec myth Coatlicue was the primordial earth
goddess who gave birth to the moon, stars and Huitzilopochtil, the god of the
Sun and war. She was seen as the creator and destroyer of the earth and mother
of the gods and humans. The goddesses Toci, 'Our Grandmother' and Cihuacoatl,
'Snake Woman' patron of women who die in childbirth, were also seen as aspects
of Coatlicue.
Asase Yaa: The Ashanti people of Ghana regard Asase Yaa as
Mother Earth. She governs the fertility of the soil and sacrifices were made to
her to ensure an abundant harvest. Asase Yaa has no temples, and is worshipped
in the fields, her themes are death, truth, fertility, morality and the
harvest.
Sources:
ancient-origins.net
The White Goddess.co.uk
Theoi.com
goddessesandgods.blogspot.co.uk
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