We need to recognize that developing a love-bond with the Earth is part of developing into a happy, balanced, healthy human being.
In the 1950’s, psychologist Ashley Montague did research to establish that human touch is an actual need for healthy human development. His research showed that infants that don’t experience loving human touch have developmental problems. This work had a very important influence on Western culture at a time when white men in white coats in the profession of Western medicine had virtually usurped women’s choices in relation to breastfeeding, childbirth and infant care.
Now, over 50 years later, I think we need to re-examine our view of human needs to include the importance of developing a love bond with the Earth.The Earth is our home and provider of all our physical needs. The Earth is our mother. This is not just a metaphor.
In present-day psychology, there is a lot of importance placed on the process of bonding with our biological birth-mothers, and rightly so! We now understand this, and there is ample literature on this subject, and specialized professionals practicing many different approaches to attend to this need.
I think it is time we recognize that it may be even more important to bond with our meta-Mother, the Earth. Only a very slim slice of humanity has any personal relationship with the Earth at all. Bonding is a two-way street. It is a process of communication and building positive relationship. Through building positive experiences of mutual respect and caring, true love ensues.
James Lovelock’s work, establishing through scientific research that the Earth is a living being, which some still consider to be a hypothesis, is now widely recognized as the truth. A truth that has been honored continuously by indigenous people all over the world. Many modern people now also recognize the Earth as a living being. However, few relate to Gaia as a real, alive relationship of importance in their lives, returning to her/him the generous love that she/he gives us. (Always referring to the Earth as feminine feels biased to me.) Reclaiming the love-bond with Gaia is both an inner process and an external one that takes place in 3-dimensions in very pragmatic expressions.
The study and practice of Permaculture helps us interact with the Earth, learning how to mimic Nature, to arrive at systems that function like living ecosystems, and that don’t harm her. Permaculture is an Rx for global post-colonialism recovery. It helps us perceive how to disengage from the colonialism of today—The Corporatacracy. It helps us see that yes! I am the change agent I’ve been waiting for, and it provides the “How To”.
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The learning process that yields skill in “sustainability design” can take years to become really accomplished at. Concurrently, our life-style choices shift to reflect more and more what we say we believe. We become conscious consumers not only on a cognitive level (eg.remembering to bring a container for take-out food), but also a recognizable discomfort arises with poor consumer choices until an inner revolt happens and each individual finds a place to take a stand. For example, for me, I simply cannot buy drinks in “thow-away” containers any more. As we engage in this learning process– cup after cup and design project after design project– love for the Earth, our mother, grows.
Conversely, the inner work of re-building the Love Bond with Gaia, usually proceeds via time spent in nature, and memories, dreams and reflections thereof. Time contemplating in the cathedral of Nature, where there are no constrictions on the thought stream, allow the love juices for the Big Mama to flow and grow. With immersion in the wilderness, and in the garden, insights and A Ha’s abound. Nature is the ultimate “life coach”.
Nature is the
Ultimate Life Coach
These journeys in the emotional and spiritual realm are essential to authentic transformation of how we relate to the Earth. As this process unfolds, the desire to learn pragmatic skills for how to sustain a relationship with Mother Earth of genuine mutual respect grows. Given the status of modern culture, it takes conscious attention, a process that may require years, to re-establish one’s bond with our Mother Earth. Once this bond is re-established, the desire to serve the common good is unshakable, because we realize that truly, we are interconnected with all our relations. This three word phrase from the plains Indians of North America, but repeated in many forms by indigenous people around the world, says it all.
