Oracle: Feet on the earth
The message: It’s a good time to focus on grounding. Let your feet meet the earth with love and appreciation.
A story:
As a child, I refused to wear shoes once the weather got warm. It didn’t take too long for my feet to develop tough calluses that helped me traverse any terrain, from soft green grass to sharp gravel driveways, carpets of pine needles to burning hot blacktop. I was always barefoot.
One spring, I stepped on a bee as I was running through a field. The sting was painful, yes. My parents made sure I knew that this wouldn’t have happened if I would have just worn shoes like they advised me. But I preferred to take the risk. And – I was stung again, not just once, but several more times that season, stepping on bees! My desire to be barefoot in the grass was stronger than my fear of being stung.
I still prefer to go barefoot. Navigating the poky acorn caps in my backyard is worth it when I get to the glorious moss carpet. The first day it feels warm enough to put my bare feet on the earth always feels like an affirmation that spring is in its prime, and summer is on the way. To me, it is a holiday – a holy day.
This oracle corresponds to Beltane, May Day, a time for celebrating the flowering of the earth and the ripeness of spring.
An invitation:
When was the last time you put your bare feet on the earth? Or laid your whole body down on the ground? There are documented benefits of doing just this, a practice termed “earthing.” They range from decreased stress to improved circulation to better sleep. If you are able to do this right now, it is a wonderfully healing practice. If the climate or other conditions are not right to literally put your bare feet on the earth, you can make contact with a tree, or consciously tune in to where your body meets the support beneath you, wherever you are, or enjoy a cup of tea. Let go of any preconceptions of what “grounding” means and simply allow yourself to experience the support of the earth in your body in whatever way feels supportive and celebratory. You may also feel nourished by offering your appreciation back to the earth through your feet. As Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.”
A prayer:
May the touching of our feet to the earth be an act of both giving and receiving love. May our connection to the earth help us to feel strong, supported, and present, so that we may offer that same steadiness to ourselves, and those in our lives.
