by Alana Yon
Mother Nature is a part of you, and you are a part of her. But there are times you can feel disconnected from her. Mother Gaia is nurturing and gentle but also powerful and fierce.
She inhabits the darkness below us, and her energy courses through the network of mycelium in the Earth, weaving through the dirt and connecting everything around her.
Through hyphae she emerges to the surface as mushroom bodies before disappearing back into the Earth, and, in the process, she breaks down dead matter and transforms it back into life.
She is the ultimate alchemist and magician.
How would the world exist without her? You long to know her and wonder if you can work with her. What would it look like to collaborate with her as you create your life?
You know that you need her in order to birth your world into existence.
Ana Mendieta, a Cuban-American artist born in 1948, collaborated with Mother Nature in her work.
She created a breadth of artwork in her short life, dying at age 36. Ana explored what it means to be human through her relationship to nature.
Imagine de Yagul is one image in a series called Silueta Works where she placed herself in different scenarios gently interacting with nature. At times, it’s difficult to distinguish her from her surroundings.
Imagen de Yagul, from the series Silueta Works, 1973 – 1977, Ana Mendieta
Physicality
In this scenario, Ana lays in a tomb that has been excavated and then documents her interaction.
The flowers overtake her and hold her to the Earth. She seeps into Mother Earth, because she is of the Earth.
Through her process of finding moments to immerse herself physically and visually into nature, she explores her physical relationship to the natural world.
In her Silueta Works she roots herself into the Earth by physically laying in the dirt, covering herself in mud, flowers, twigs, and leaves, sometimes placing impressions of her body in nature.
The material of her body and the material of the Earth intermingle, transforming into Mother Nature herself and leaving traces of these interactions after she is gone.
Spirituality
Ana works as an alchemist, attracted to the elements of blood, water, dirt, fire, and spirit.
Silueta Sangrienta, 1975, Ana Mendieta
Where does the spirit lie in all of this? For Ana, blood holds special power, containing our life force.
She also sees the deep-rooted power of Divine Mother Earth and her life force, her sap, the primordial ooze of life in which Mother Nature creates all things.
Humanity holds the power of the Divine through the fluids of the body, making blood transformative and magical.
Ana’s work explores the life force connection between humans and nature/divine through these images.
She says, “I wanted my images to have power, to be magic.” And, to me, she has succeeded.
In essence, Ana Mendieta has embraced the power of her root chakra through her artistic process.
The root chakra is the energy center through which you develop your connection to the Divine, and this level of consciousness holds your feelings of being supported and taken care of.
In your root, you carry any problems you may have with the Divine, such as mistrust, inaccessibility, or fear.
You hold feelings of betrayal and separation from spirit.
The red of your root chakra references your internal body, your organs, fluids, and blood. The body contains this wet essence that holds your life force.
The physical and the spiritual meet in the blood red liquid of your body.
Your spirit is physically grounded to your body and deeply connected to the Earth and one with Mother Nature.
Embrace your inner alchemist. What would it look like to work alongside the Divine in your life?
How can you transform the elements of your choosing into a magical life? What elements will you choose?
This process of exploration can get messy—let it be messy. Immerse yourself in the muck of life.
Practice
Here are four ways you can practice your connection to nature through your root chakra.
1. Use guided meditations
that focus specifically on developing your root chakra and connecting you to the Earth.
These meditations affirm that you are of the Earth and where you are right now is where you are meant to be.
You belong in this place. Say to yourself, “I belong here. I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now in this moment in time.”
There are a lot of free resources for this online. But, if you’re interested in my Earth Radiance Meditation, feel free to visit my site here.
2. Write a poem or letter to Mother Nature.
You can call her a sorceress, an enchantress, a goddess.
She is all of these things. Find a name that feels right for you.
What you want to say in your poem or letter is, “I am ready to start this journey to connect to you. I want to work alongside you in my life.”
It could look something like this:
Enchantress, please help me to find my way.
You charm with light and life in all you do.
I want to change and move to embody you.
You spread in tendrils, seep in things that stir.
In woods and swamps you live with love and make
Concocting forms of death and life that flow.
I long to be a maker of this place
To bathe in cloud and fog to touch the moss.
I just wanted to work with my own hands
To sense something I cannot find in words.
So I keep striving to find your power
And hope to become rife with your essence.
Read this poem out loud every day. Feel what it would be like to deeply connect with the Sorceress of the Earth.
3. Ritually take a walk every day and physically touch the Earth.
Go to your favorite spot in nature.
Sit on the ground, on the dirt and moss and leaves. Rub your hands together.
Place the palms of your hands on the Earth beside you or in front of you and close your eyes.
Say this mantra:
I am here in this spot connecting with you, Mother Nature.
I feel you on the palms of my hands.
Thank you for everything that you do.
You are full of miraculous moments.
You breathe life into everything that is around me.
I deeply and completely trust you.
I feel my body filling up with your energy.
Every cell in my body is filled with your love.
Every fiber of my being trusts you.
I am filled with your Divine presence.
I am Divine.
Dedicate a small amount of time every day to building this relationship between you and the Earth. Here, you can explore elements of your choosing to help you further connect with Mother Nature.
4. Take the poem or letter you wrote to Mother Nature, Sorceress, Enchantress, Goddess, etc. and bury it.
Choose a spot that you will see on a regular basis, so it reminds you of this first step in communicating with the Divine.
When you bury your letter or poem, place an element of your choosing in the ground with it.
You can use a crystal, a stick, your clothing, your hair, or your blood. You could even burn your letter and bury the ashes mixed with your blood in the ground.
Mark the burial spot with a rock or object of some kind to serve as a reminder for you.
Please share your experiences and collaborations with Mother Nature.
I would be honored to hear from you. Post them on Instagram and tag me @alana.yon.art with #enchantressjourney.
I love hearing your stories, and I wish you the best on your journey to connect with Mother Gaia.
IN CONCLUSION
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About the Author:
Alana Yon is an artist, teacher, Reiki healer, and fierce advocate for women and the Earth. Her journey seeks to discover the divine feminine and explore her relationship with nature. She is also here to witness the journey of other divine feminine creatives in the world. Check out her website at alanayon.com to see her current projects, artwork, and course offerings. Sign up for her email list where she sends free content every two weeks about all things creative and related to nature. You can also find me her on Instagram.
featured image SCOBY Blanket, 2013 – Present, Alana Yon – inspired by Ana Mendieta
