Earth: Signal for the turn of each of the four seasons
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Earth’s the 18-day transition period between each of the other four seasons. This is when the energies of yin and yang come into balance before one of them begins to dominate the other.
In TCM’s understanding of Earth, Earth provides a home for Metal and controls Water by forming river banks. Fire forms ground for Earth and Wood controls Earth through its ability to mold Earth into a dam, for example.
Earth Energy in the Body
Earth associates with the digestive system—the stomach (middle of the body) and the spleen. Earth also relates to the sense of taste.
Earth types should avoid foods that antagonize the stomach. This is because they may already have an intolerance to insulting foods. Earth types are often prone to ulcers or indigestion. Earth types should consider avoiding indulging in sweet foods and rich desserts.
Stomach illness and Earth imbalance tend to show up as deep sagging facial lines from the base of the nose to the outer corners of the lip.
The energy of the Earth element also helps to support the flow of lymph in the body.
Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells that bathe the tissues and drain toxins through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream. For this reason, each of the four 18-day between seasons periods of Earth are the best times of year to detox skin and body.
It’s also the time when toxicity conditions might flare up such as acne to give one example. Toxicity is a condition of Earth imbalance.
PHYTO5’s Earth quantum energetic line of skincare addresses the energetic imbalance of conditions like acne, blemishes, toxicity and enlarged pores. Quantum energetic means the skincare line potently helps balance emotions as well as skin and vital energy. (All PHYTO5’s five element lines are quantum energetic.)
In the case of Earth, the out-of-balance emotions discussed in this article you can bring them to balance. Primary examples are excessive rumination and feelings of overwhelm and getting stuck. The Earth quantum energetic line of skincare work to get you feeling more free to express yourself creatively. With an emotional shift you can move off dead center and complete unfinished projects.
Click here for the dates of the four 18-day periods of Earth.
Earth Energy in the Personality
More abstractly, Earth’s emotion is patient, reliable, logical, governed by service and duty to others, militaristic, stubborn, and very energetic.
An energetic balance of Earth is exemplified by such ideas as:
home
safety
stability
grounding
support
love
nurturance
practicality
reliability
industriousness
pensiveness
seriousness
conservatism
instinctive awareness
reflection
empathy
honesty
kindness and prudence.
The home is very important to the Earth type who creates a cozy and comfortable home. Their homes are relaxed and put visitors at-ease so much so they don’t want to leave.
Earth types love to decorate with stuffed furniture, thick rugs and ornate elements. But out-of-balance Earth types will overdo their home decorating with clutter. Maladapted Earth tends to collect, even hoard, material things in order to create a sense of security around them.
The Earth Archetype
Plains and valleys are the yin or feminine expression of Earth.
Hills and mountains are the yang or masculine quality.
Well adapted Earth people are connected to the Earth itself. Being outdoors and with nature, plants or animals is important to them. They love these complete spiritual experiences.
The Earth element represents balance. She is the Mother Goddess—the Mother/Provider archetype of unconditional love, nourishment and nurturance. She is fertile, nurturing, grounding, strong and constantly transforming.
‘Mother Earth’ never stops providing and caring for us. She supports all kinds of copious plant life to grow in her rich fertile soil. Earth devotes herself to nurturing and sustaining all her sentient beings.
Like a matriarch, the Earth archetype in balance is pillar of the family and often the community. Earth types offer love and support to others no matter what happens.
Earth types are in-balance when they live in yin-yang balance. They create a safe, secure enriching environment and always with a steady hand and loving touch. They value friendship enormously. Earth types are very kind and nurturing to their friends. And as the element name implies, when in balance, they’re spiritually and emotionally well grounded individuals.
Not only do well adapted Earth types nurture loved ones and friends, they nurture themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Balanced Earth types offer many gifts to those they love and care about:
For all of these reasons and more, everyone wants to be balanced Earth’s friend.
But Earth types can also be out-of-balance. In that case, they tend to be selfish. They can be:
self-absorbed
overly pensive; gripped by paralyzing mind chatter
needy; uncooperative with others, and/or
judgmental and rigid (including physical inflexibility)
But out-of-balance Earth types truly can transform:
self-absorption>>>to empathy and selfless caring for others
the prison of an overactive ruminating worrisome mind>>> to the freedom and the comfortable ability to take action
neediness>>> to dependability so others will know they can be counted on and are loyal.
The Spirit of the Earth Element
In traditional Chinese medicine, the intellect is called Yi. It’s the spirit of the Earth element and also our center. It balances the transformation processes of all the other elements.
Yi is our capacity to make scholarly achievements, to set intentions and digest thoughts and information all while keeping us centered in our core. But Yi becomes damaged if the mind is allowed to overthink and then evolve to worry.
On the other hand, healthy Yi is able to remain present attuned to the gut-brain axis(1) and the solar plexus chakra. This may seem somewhat esoteric, but balanced Yi supports healthy physical digestion.
Attune yourself to the Earth element. It’s very therapeutic. It brings us into harmony with nature assisting the Yi spirit. Yi will be able to sustain a calm clear mind as it listens to the gut-brain for intuitive information.
The Balanced Earth Personality
The balanced Earth personality is all about nurturing relationships, satisfaction, contentment, sensuality, centeredness, calm, peace and harmony. But an undernourished childhood—both literally, through lack of nutrition, physical touch and nurturance, and figuratively, through lack of unconditional love and emotional support—may negatively affect the Earth energy.
The quest to fill the void left by an inappropriate maternal experience forms the source of maladaptation and inability to respond resiliently to stressors for the Earth type.
All children need to be held in their mother’s arms, most especially. They need to be told everything is alright. They need to feel a deep connection with mother. Children require mother’s unconditional love, affection, attention and care.
But a lack of motherly nurturance may affect Earth’s ability to genuinely and empathetically care for others. They may find it difficult to achieve contentment and satisfaction in family, work and relationships. These have the very real potential to create an out-of-balance Earth type.
Earth types need to know they will be heard, understood and supported. But if they’re out-of-balance with Earth energy they can become needy. In neediness, they’ll often turn to whoever will listen to them as they seek attention through complaining.
They’ll also be constantly striving to fulfill their need to be listened to and understood. Maladapted Earth will want their plights recognized. The sympathy and empathy they elicit from others proves their friends and loved ones understand them.
Maladapted Earth can also become overly self-sacrificing as they completely ignore their own needs. This behavior can often be inappropriate as they cross boundaries in the spirit of helping someone else. Earth type personalities feel very challenged to simply be empathetic and allow others to work through their problems themselves. Maladapted Earth wants to solve others’ problems for them.
Out-of-balance Earths may find it difficult to care for themselves. Their driving force and reason for living gets replaced by taking care of others. They find their identity and worth in this which is not healthy.
Earth types who are out-of-balance can also often feel anxious and insecure when their stable predictable lifestyle has been threatened. They may worry about this or other issues excessively and obsessively. This worry prevents them from making decisions and completing projects they’ve begun. Their mind goes into chaos and they feel paralyzed.
The maladapted Earth type can find a pathway back into balance through service, gratitude, self-care, and mindfulness practices.
Utilizing the Energies of Earth
The Earth element is substantive. Earth can conjure fierce images in our minds like erupting volcanos and intensely vibrating earthquakes. But Earth also and mostly calls to mind nurturing soil, the bounty of the Earth, its healing crystals and stones, and all the plants and animals it sustains.
We may even visualize Earth itself from space as a gentle reminder that we live on a magnificent celestial island.
We can call upon Earth’s energies to facilitate our manifestations by helping us put down strong roots so our dreams grow into reality. The Earth element provides us with a sense of reality and productivity. It gives us the capacity to turn nearly everything we touch into something tangible.
Earth can be not only a great ally but wise guide. Whether you’re an Earth type or not, you can call on Earth’s energies for assistance with grounding, growth, protection, your work with the Law of Attraction, and the inner workings of your soul, life cycle and abundance.
Earth holds a gateway for us to communicate with animal and plant spirits. She provides us the grounding to keep one foot firmly planted on terra firma. Especially if you’re a gardener, crystal worker or herbalist, Earth will support you in your service.
The energies of the Earth element will help keep you aware of your valuable and enlightening ancestral roots. They’ll also encourage you to keep the garden of your life free of weeds in the here and now.
Whether you are in- or out-of-balance as an Earth type, feel gratified by your Earth Mother archetype and reach for her wondrous qualities of composure and serenity whenever you feel unsure. Ask yourself, “What would the Earth Mother do?”
…
Endnotes:
Gut-Brain Axis (GBA): Researchers now call the gut the second brain having discovered there is an enormous number of neurologic connections and neuro-regulatory bodies in the gut microbiome. From the nasal sinuses to the rectum, the GBA comprises the largest macro-membrane in the body with a surface area of two tennis courts.
…
Sources:
Levitt, Susan. Taoist Feng Shui: The Ancient Roots of the Chinese Art of Placement. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1999.
Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2010.