North :: Earth

Grounding • Connection • Release

“Stand tall, feel your roots, and listen—there is wisdom for you here.”

Earth, the element associated with North, is the largest form of support we have. Literally. She holds us, feeds us, shelters us, and showers us with her beauty without hesitation. We came from her and when we die we will return to her.

As an archetype, North is an incredibly powerful symbol of wisdom, guidance, death, and rebirth. She is represented by the ancient forest, the rich soil, the dark cave, and the soft moss. Within the archetypes of the feminine, Earth is the wise old Crone who holds the secrets of our ancestors and the “old ways”.

North doesn’t shy away from hardship. She is brutally honest and at times eruptive. Her only mission is to strengthen our bodies and spirits so we can step along our path with courage and freedom. She invites us to shed the outdated stories that were never ours to carry and instead allow our bare bodies to be cradled in the valley of her breast.

North doesn’t shy away from the darkness, in fact, most of her magic can be found there. It’s in these places that the whispers of our ancestors invite us into the truth of who we are and where we came from.

Imagine yourself walking in the woods surrounded by towering evergreens. The scent of damp earth and decomposing wood fills your nose. You see mushrooms, moss, wild strawberries, and ferns as your bare feet touch the coolness of the ground beneath you. Your naked body is dancing with the shadows as the sun streams through the branches of pine, cypress, and hemlock. Something in you feels at home here. You don’t feel judged, or unworthy. Quite the opposite. You feel calm, grounded, supported, and clear-headed.

This is North.

The old woman who forages for herbs and mushrooms.

The old woman who drinks her ayahuasca tea to cleanse her soul.

The old woman who cooks her food over an open flame.

The old woman who lets the beauty of her body be seen by the moon.

The old woman who has let her tears wash over her like a baptism.

The old woman who has seen the darkness in every corner and has allowed it to make her wiser.

This is North.

When we connect with this archetype and let it guide us home we learn to trust that what wants to die away was never for us to keep. And that in its place a new offering will grow.

North is the physical realm. The realm of our environment, our body, our home, our things. North invites us to honor these things with reverence. I’m not sure about you, but this is an area I’m still learning and growing. To slow down, tend to my body with love and affection. To care for my space in a slow and thoughtful way… Which for this mama is pretty darn hard. 

To help illuminate some areas where North could help guide you, here are a few prompts:

1. What are three ways I can slow down in life and step outside of the “hustle”
2. What simple daily rituals can I do to honor my body?
3. Are there any rituals or ceremonies my ancestors did that I would like to incorporate into my life now?
4. Is there any darkness I feel in a particular relationship that I can call on North's stability to support me in learning more about?

Feel free to play with these in any way that feels inspiring. You can go for a nature walk and answer them while sitting among the trees, or sipping tea in your backyard. The most important thing you can do, though, is just sit and be present with the earth and see what wisdom it has for you.

Tanicia