Core Order of Ritual Breakdown: Honoring the Earth Mother

Earth Mother, you grant us nourishment and stability. In your presence we flourish and grow. Mother of All, bountiful and filled with joy and prosperity, You are the source of continual creation, From who all life flows. Gracious goddess, We call to you and ask that you uphold this rite as we honor you. -------------

The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today we continue our discussion by talking about Honoring the Earth Mother The first being that the Core Order of Ritual requires to be called to is the Earth Mother. As Calling to Inspiration is an optional step in the COoR, the Earth Mother is often the very first being called to our rite, and is also the last being that we thank as we end the ritual. This placement is intentional as it is intended to emphasize the importance of nature and our connection to the world around us. For some people, the Earth Mother may represent the physical plant, while others may call upon Earth Mother deities from ancient myths, such as Gaia (Greek), Hannahannah (Hittite), Terra Mater (Roman), or Matushka Zyemlyah (Slavic). Some people also honor the Sky Father in this step of the COoR, and if that works for their practice I'm ok with that. However, I have never been comfortable with the binary imagery that it invokes so I personally do not do so. Additionally, my understanding of Honoring the Earth Mother is that we honor her as she is our home, the place that all life comes from and the place we will return when we die. I do not have that same connection to the sky and this is 100% just my opinion of course. Your practice may vary, and that's perfectly valid. If you have questions about this step, or any of the other parts of this series, please don't hesitate to ask. Have a wonderful weekend!