Since 1914, Mother’s Day has been a national holiday in the United States. From there it was spread throughout the whole world. But already 250 BC, Greek and Roman goddesses were celebrated for their female energy. In ancient Greece, the goddess Rhea, mother of all gods, was worshiped every spring. Over the decades this celebration for the godesses was transfered to our own living mothers. Mother’s Day gives us reason enough to honor our own mother, grandmother and maybe even great grandmother. But we can also go one step further and celebrate our Mother Earth. For thousands of years she is very patient with her children, us humans. Especially in the last 100 years. High time to say ‘thank you’. We can do that by paying more attention to our Mother Earth (see tips below), or in some form of a ritual or ceremony.
Ritual for Mother Earth
A pachamama ritual (or mother earth ritual) is a sacred ritual which originates in Peru. There it is still preserved and practiced by the Q’ero Indians (descendants of the Incas). This ritual shows the love to our Mother Earth and reminds us that we are connected to all creatures and everything on earth.
Everything around us is filled with life and should be respected and honored as such. An unbalanced connection will affect our lives and our health. This ritual is a way to re-harmonize our relationship with nature.
The core of the ritual is a despacho, a bundle of prayer, a gift to our Mother Earth. For your own Pachamama ceremony, prepare a despacho. You can fill it with anything you want to give to Mother Earth. These can be written prayers, offerings and even personal belongings. The shamans of the Andes perform this ritual on various occasions (births, deaths, celebrations) and there are different forms.
The simplest and for me the most harmonious form is that the Despacho will be buried in the course of the ceremony. This is the most direct way to deliver the gifts to the earth. According to your wishes, you can also light a bonfire, invite guests and sing songs together and have a feast in honor of our Mother Earth.
3 simple tips to protect the environment
1. Reduce plastic: Everywhere we are covered in plastic, but we do not have leave it like that. Simply leave the plastic which wraps our food at the grocery store. As a concequence, the supermarket must take a set to reduce plastic. At home we can simply use glass instead of plastic. You can pack your snack without cling film in a box. There are already many plasic-free alternatives for everyday objects (eg bamboo toothbrushes).
2. Local and regional food: Food, which has to traveled across the world before it lands on our plate, is low on nutrient and is not as health as fresh food. Fresh fruits and vegetables are better than canned or frozen foods. This is not news, but now we can start acting on it.
3. Live mindful: Mindfulness is a new trend word, but actually it describes an ancient way of life: conscious and slow life. Anyone who consciously walks through daily life can take time for the little things. Those who are mindful are open for others and the environment. Open our eyes to the really important topics. A big one is that we are destroying our Mother Earth. Mindfulness is the first step in recognizing this and changing your own actions accordingly.