My Favorite Earth Mothers
Late fall is a time to celebrate the earth. In many cultures this practice originated after the harvest had ended, seeds were collected for the next planting and the days were continuing to grow darker until the winter solstice. For many, the new year started at this time, in the darkest part of the year, as a time for rest and recovery. Autumn celebrates the end of the lifecycle and the quiet preparation before the dead of winter and the rebirth of spring. As we spiral into this darkness, every day growing darker and shorter we are ending what has been done and thinking about what will come with the new year. It is a time for retrospection and letting go.
Nearly every culture celebrates some type of earth goddess or earth mother, and many of these deities have multiples realms of responsibility such as fertility, agriculture, nature, death, and rebirth. Like all mothers, earth mothers can be both lovingly tender and alarmingly fierce when need be. The complexity of these deities are recorded in the myths and legends surrounding them.
In the spirit of this season of celebrating the earth and the harvest, here are some of my favorite earth mothers from cultures around the globe.
Ala
Earth mother of Igbo people of Nigeria
Ala serves both as the creatrix of humankind as well as queen of the dead. Her name can be translated to the word ‘ground’ and she also holds all deceased ancestors in her womb, as a reminder that…
