The Skin of the Earth

The legends tell us that the gods fashioned the first humans out of mud. We are creatures of the soil and our bodies are borrowed from the clay of the earth. When we separate ourselves from the ground we lose the stability of our roots. We become like dry leaves blown by the wind. The medicine of the clay is a ritual of humility and remembering. It is the act of covering our skin with the sacred mud to remind the spirit of its true vessel. The clay pulls the toxins from the blood and the heat of the sun bakes the medicine into our pores.

The Ritual of the Turtle

To wear the clay is to enter the shell of the turtle. As the mud dries it tightens around the body and creates a second skin. It is a time of stillness and gestation. We wait in the warmth of the sun and feel the earth working upon us. The clay absorbs what no longer serves us. It takes the sickness and the sorrow and the stale energy that clings to the aura. When we finally wash the mud away in the cool waters we emerge reborn. The old skin is gone and the new skin is soft and open to the world. We stand on the ground with bare feet and feel the pulse of the planet beating against our soles.

Prayer to the Earth

Tonantzin Venerable Mother of the corn and the stone
We cover ourselves in your sacred robe
Take what is heavy and turn it to dust
Fill our bodies with the strength of the mountain
And the patience of the ancient tree
Hold our feet to the path
And keep our spirits close to the root
We are the clay and the breath United in you
Ometeotl