Call From Earth: An Earth Day Message From The Mother

By Devina St. Claire

4/24/2025

Earth Day Matters

Earth Day Reflections: Creating Balance & Answering the Call of the Mother

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In this Earth Day reflection,  I will share some practical ideas for incorporating a more balanced, sustainable lifestyle on a personal and collective level, and the story that inspired the Two of Pentacles from the new one-of-a-kind 'Around The World Tarot. ' I was inspired to create a tarot deck that serves as an educational tool about our Earth, and share the rich history and stories of her people's triumphs and struggles from around the world.

As a child, my first love in this life was with nature, Mother Nature, and discovering the seemingly magical and mysterious world that existed outside. There was always something new to explore and discover, like finding turtles underneath the juicy, ripe blackberry-vines, catching horned lizards, we called 'horny toads' and enjoying the sweet scent of honeysuckle in the breeze. Being outside in nature was the best time. 

Now that I am older, I still love and appreciate this beautiful garden planet, our first Mother, our home. Revered in various cultures and known by many names, such as Gaia, to the Greeks, Pachamama, in the Andean/Inca Culture, Grandmother Spider, who wove the world into being for the Hopi and Navajo people, and Prithvi (pronounced p-r-ih-th-v-ee), the sacred ground to Hindus and branches of Buddhism.

Whatever name we choose to call our mother planet, she is the one who gives life to all of us in the material world by providing the perfect environment, mountains, meadows, fresh water, oceans, and open skies for every lifeform on this planet, provided mankind doesn't destroy her.

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As someone who has always had a deep reverence for the garden planet in our solar system, I can’t help but wonder why so many humans have forgotten to honor our Earth Mother. With all that she gives us freely: clean air, fresh drinking water, and the ability to have fertile soil for sustenance, it seems unthinkable that we reserve only one day a year to acknowledge her. One day simply isn't enough.

On this Earth Day, it is my prayer that as a collective, we think about how each one of us can honor our world and live a more harmonious life moving forward.

“We have the money, the power, the medical understanding, the scientific know-how, the love and the community to produce a kind of human paradise. But we are led by the least among us – the least intelligent, the least noble, the least visionary. We are led by the least among us and we do not fight back against the dehumanizing values that are handed down as control icons.” ~Terence McKenna

Terence McKenna summed it up best with his quote above. The obvious reason for many of our woes in this present day I believe may be due to a lack of human initiative, or more accurately put, the blocking of human genius and innovative methods by the policy of a few greedy entities, the least among us, and their destructive force mixed in with politics. Added to the conglomerate there is the societal programming where people have become accustomed to turning a blind eye, or those that care may feel as if there is nothing they can do to change the current system, so why worry with it.

Meanwhile, as we go about our day-to-day lives in the United States, our waters are being tainted with cancer-causing forever chemicals, silent and unseen, yet spreading into our bodies and the bodies of all living things. Sewage sludge, laden with environmental toxins, is being sprayed on lawns and the very fields that grow our food, and they aren’t entirely sure it is safe (see article in link above). I have my suspicions on why this is, but we won't go there today. And then there is the destruction of ancient, old-growth forests, as if trees are not our greatest allies in keeping the earth balanced and healthy. These trees, some centuries old, with the ability to live for several thousands of years, are not just beautiful; they are home to entire ecosystems teeming with life. And these are just a few of our real-world (modern-day) challenges.

In a time when our world leaders are more concerned with creating wars, leaving a path of destruction, along with PTSD, and when local governments, in some instances, appear to lack common sense altogether, the question that lingers in our minds and hearts is: 

What can we do to assist our earth mother and protect the future home for our children?

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Sustainability: Not Just An Earth-Honoring Practice But A Necessity

Choose at least one thing that you can commit to doing as a daily practice from the list below:

Honoring the Earth regularly is not only a spiritual act but a living practice of stewardship, reciprocity, and creativity. Just as we call her by many names, we can choose to give back in many ways. Below are some simple and practical ways to deepen our connection to the Earth and help restore balance.

1. Reimagine & Recycle: Create with Purpose

• Give items a second life. Old glass jars with lids can be reused instead of purchasing plastic containers.

• Use natural or reclaimed materials in your art. Let your creativity be a prayer and protest

• Worn fabric becomes art. Broken pottery becomes mosaic altars.

• Through upcycling, and the imagination, we can transform waste into beauty.

  
  

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2. Collective Sustainability Initiatives:

We need to look at countries that have a successful model that works with the most technologically advanced and efficient systems for recycling human waste, like Sweden and Denmark. Please read up on their systems if you are not familiar; these recycling protocols are needed if we are to tackle the beast of planetary pollution efficiently while creating more jobs and preserving life on Planet Earth. 

Sweden educates their citizens and has one of the most effective recycling systems in the world. After collection, recyclables are sent to specialized facilities: paper and cardboard become new paper products, glass is melted and reshaped, and metals are recovered for reuse. Plastics require more complex recycling, both mechanical and chemical.

• **For non-recyclable waste, Sweden uses waste-to-energy technology. These plants safely incinerate waste to generate heat and electricity, significantly reducing landfill use. With strict emissions controls and an efficient district heating system, the energy produced is distributed to homes and businesses, maximizing every possible resource.

• Denmark has a deposit and return system

  
  

  Return to the Soil:

Personal Level

• Returning organic matter like kitchen scraps, leaves, and garden clippings back to the earth adds vital nutrients, improves structure, and boosts microbial life. Compost is often called black gold for its ability to restore soil health.

  • Composting food scraps and yard waste is one of the most ancient Earth-honoring ways to feed the soil nutrients and grow healthy food. It is the gardener's best friend, and the best part is: it is free!

  • Cover Cropping

  Planting cover crops (like clover, alfalfa, or legumes) during off-seasons protects soil from erosion, retains moisture, and adds nitrogen back into the earth naturally.

  • Crop Rotation

  Changing the types of crops grown in a specific area each season helps prevent nutrient depletion and breaks pest and disease cycles.

  • No-Till or Low-Till Farming

  Avoiding heavy tilling protects the soil structure, retains moisture, and supports beneficial microorganisms and fungi like mycorrhizae that help plants access nutrients.

  • Biochar

  A charcoal-like substance made by burning organic material in a low-oxygen environment. Biochar is added to soil to improve nutrient retention, water-holding capacity, and microbial life while also sequestering carbon.

  • Fungi remediation

  Using fungi, especially mycorrhizal fungi, to detoxify and restore soil. These fungal networks break down contaminants and support plant health by connecting root systems underground.

  • Mulching

  Applying organic materials (like straw, leaves, wood chips) on the soil surface reduces erosion, maintains moisture, and breaks down into rich humus over time.

  • Integrating Animals

  Rotational grazing and the inclusion of animals (like chickens or goats) can help fertilize soil naturally with manure, aerate it through movement, and cycle nutrients more effectively.

  • Planting Perennials and Deep-Rooted Plants

  These help break up compacted soil, draw up nutrients from deeper layers, and reduce the need for constant soil disturbance.

  • Natural Fertilizers & Teas

  Using compost tea, worm castings, or fermented plant extracts feeds the soil without the harsh effects of synthetic fertilizers, keeping the soil biome balanced.

  
  

Community Gathering To Implement Sustainability

• Create local community gardens.

• Local communities or co-ops can formulate a once-a-month plant exchange for trees, houseplants, heirloom vegetables, and herbs.

• Create a beautiful flower garden, pesticide-free, by pulling weeds (hire someone if you don't want to do it yourself). Stop using toxic chemical herbicides like Roundup-that kill the pollinator honey bees, beneficial bacteria in the soil and that seep into the soles of our feet as well as harm animals.

  
  

Water Wisdom

• Collect rainwater for your plants, provided it isn't harming anyone. Avoid using known harmful chemicals in your yard or drains like 'Roundup herbicide' and other carcinogen-producing products.

• Support organizations that protect water sources. Water is life, and the most sacred of our natural resources on this planet. There are hundreds of non-profit organization doing the work that could use your support, I am sharing three.

  1. The Nature Conservancy

  2. Planet Water Foundation

  3. The Ocean Conservancy

  
  

Conscious Consumerism

• Support local artisans, eco-friendly brands, and companies committed to reducing harm. Bring reusable bags, bottles, and containers wherever you go.

• Boycott industries and companies that are known for exploiting the earth's natural resources. Hit them where it hurts, their bank account and perhaps this may be the only way for industries to understand that the people's voices really do matter. Better yet, create your own successful business that makes theirs's obsolete.

• Small shifts become big movements when made with intention.

Devina with her canine friend, Dara, a giant Irish Wolfhound

Take Action, Hold Intention

This Earth Day, I invite you to commit to balance in a new way:

1. Begin a small sustainable practice: compost, reduce plastic, or support local artisans.

2. Create a sacred moment with Earth: light a candle, speak a prayer out loud in the wind and plant something as a form of remembrance to honor your first mother, the one that made life possible for your mother and father.

3. Support the work of reawakening Earth consciousness: In addition to what we have previously discussed. Gift yourself or someone you know with a copy of the Around the World Tarot; an educational deck that honors global wisdom and spiritual ecology, card by card.

   
   

The Guidebook can be purchased separately and used as an oracle for guidance for those not interested in pulling cards. However, the 3x5 cards are beautifully illustrated so you may end up wanting them as a tool for guidance or divination as well. We are currently taking pre-orders.

*For a limited time, save $10.00 off retail by using coupon code PRE-SALE at checkout. The printers are wrapping up the order and adding gold foil, the complete set will be shipped in May.

This is where I would like to share the story behind the Two of Pentacles: a card that represents balance and harmony amidst the juggling of our daily lives, and goes along with my motto: "Earth Day-every day!"

ATW Tarot Two of Pentacles

A poem Inspired by the story of the Kogi tribe

Two Worlds

"In the jungles of Sierra Nevada's rugged land, a Kogi-big-brother stands with two worlds in hand.

Among the coffee and cocoa trees, he balances life with natural ease.

A jaguar prowls on his shirt of white, a totem of power, one fierce in the night.

Above him, a Toucan, bright and free, calls from the branches of a towering tree.

Two paths unfold, two futures shine as he walks in balance with a purpose, divine.

To guard the Earth, his mission is clear: protecting her heart he holds dear.

In silent wisdom, he takes a stand as a guardian of life, of the sky, sea, and the land.

Together, we rise hand in hand to find our balance, heal, and cherish this sacred land.

In Earth's great heart, we vow to care with a love eternal, beyond compare.”

The Kogi (KOH-gee), meaning "jaguar,” is known for their deep connection to nature and spiritual wisdom. They make it their priority to live in absolute harmony with their environment. They are one of only a handful of tribes in Colombia that defied the Spanish conquistadores by moving higher into the mountains, demonstrating flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing circumstances. 

Advice:

Life is a dance of balance, and you are gracefully navigating its rhythm. Like the Kogi's sacred duty to protect the harmony of the Earth, you are adept at managing multiple priorities with skill and purpose. This card reminds you to stay flexible, adapt to changing circumstances, and trust your ability to maintain equilibrium. By honoring the interconnectedness of all things, you can balance work, play, and your deeper responsibilities while remaining grounded and aligned with your values.

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To learn more about the Kogi, continue reading:

The Kogi of Colombia: Wisdom Keepers of the Earth

The Kogi people live in quiet reverence for the Earth. They are the descendants of the pre-Columbian, Tairona civilization (Tay-rona), calling themselves the Elder Brothers, spiritual guardians of the world. To them, the rest of humanity, or at least the majority, are the Younger Brothers, due to being disconnected from the sacred balance that sustains life on Planet Earth. In 1990, the Kogi shared this warning with the outside world through the film From the Heart of the World: The Elder Brothers’ Warning. In it, they pleaded with us to stop harming the Earth before it is too late.

With devotion and love, 

Devina St. Claire 

Founder, Earth Goddess Rising