“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” – Carl Sagan

And here we are. Another year, another Earth Day. This Wednesday is Earth Day, and I always find myself wanting to celebrate this day in some small way every time it comes around. We just recently entered Taurus Season on April 19th, and it’s such a perfect time to focus our attention on Mother Earth. Her beauty, the way she nurtures us and all living things on the planet, and shelters us as we are suspended in time and space.

This day comes at an interesting time in our global society. We’re currently in the midst of a global pandemic due to COVID-19, and this virus has essentially brought the world to a standstill. But in reality, it’s really brought the people of the world to a standstill. We still see evidence of wildlife and nature thriving beautifully during this time. Before I continue on, I want to ensure I’m not diminishing the devastating and tragic effects of this virus. It’s so sad to see what is happening worldwide. So many deaths, people losing their jobs and financial security, children not getting the food and access to education they need, depression, suicide, and so many lingering effects that are being caused by this virus. But us humans have gone through worldwide crises before (the world wars, past pandemics) and I know that together we will all get through this one too with hope, compassion, collaboration, and extra love.

But there is always something positive to find in every crisis. We’re seeing how people are coming together, while apart, to support one another in ways we haven’t see before. More families are home playing and bonding with their children and pets. Less traffic crowds our highways, train stations, airports, lowering our carbon footprint (even if just temporarily). The air and water around all our cities is beginning to clear, our national parks aren’t swarmed with tourists, allowing the wildlife to live in peace.

In a way, I think the consciousness of Mother Earth has taken this opportunity to reset human activity on the planet. We were simply moving too fast. So busy with our lives, traveling the world, working long hours, shopping for things we don’t need, without much thought of the effects we were having on each other, the plants, the animals, and our own nervous systems. We’ve been “grounded” both literally and metaphorically. The way parents send a teenager to their room when they’ve misbehaved to ground them. That’s what mama earth just did to all of us. She sent us to our rooms to contemplate our collective actions. But we are also being “grounded” in the metaphysical sense. Connecting us back to our root chakra which is responsible for our sense of security and survival, and connection to our family and the earth. We needed to look at our collective root chakra which has come out of balance in our modern age. We were losing connection to the people around us by being too consumed with work, technology, and schedules.

My wish is that as we come out of this pandemic, which I know we will in time, that we pause to consider what the “normal” we’re so desperate to return to should look like. We have never been granted such a massive and collective reset in our lives before, and we likely won’t see something on this global magnitude in our lives again (at least I hope). So for those of us who are fortunate to have jobs, safe homes, health, and comforts, we should really consider how we can return to an even better world through our actions. Consuming and doing less is obviously possible. Spending more quality time with the people we love, and also spending just as much quality time with ourselves is worth incorporating. Commuting and traveling less might be a new way of living as well. With all the companies who are discovering that their employees can work from home, we may see more people having control over their schedules and staying off the roads and rails throughout the week. I’m hoping we look at how the Earth is able to heal without so much human activity, and that we hold on to elements of this when we resume our activity. Reducing our pollution, not littering, and giving back parts of the earth to the animals, once again living in harmony with all beings.

It takes massive and dramatic events to enact change. I truly believe humans are getting an “upgrade” as a result of this pandemic. We’re being given the chance to tap into our gifts and purpose on this earth and move through our lives with more intention. It’s not easy to lose control, and I admit this is all really hard. I have some days where I’m feeling great, and other days where I let the tears flow. But that is all part of the process. We’re human! We’re grieving parts of what we’ve lost, but we’re making space for what’s to come. And I do believe it’s going to be beautiful.

I’m optimistic that all is unfolding as it should be. 2020 adds up to the number 40 (20+20) and that is an incredibly spiritual number. I recently learned the word “quarantine” originates from the Venetian dialect form of the Italian quaranta giorni, meaning “forty days”. We see many references to 40 days being a symbolic time to retreat and renew. In many cultures new mothers stay in the house for 40 days after giving birth to recover, and there are many stories in the bible of prophets and Jesus heading out to be in isolation for 40 days and 40 nights. Afterwards, there is usually a spiritual awakening. Maybe that’s what this year is for! A time for the global collective to move inwards and prepare for a spiritual awakening.

These are some of my hopes as I sit here and jot down these thoughts at the beginning of Earth week, eight months pregnant with a little girl on the way. In this beautiful season of renewal, rebirth, blooming flowers, and sunshine, I can’t wait to give birth to my sweet baby. And I know that her generation will be children of Earth, protecting all the precious plants and animals and landscapes that nourish us all.

Join me for a live meditation on Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, I am hosting a 30 minute live meditation on my Instagram account. I will be going “live” on my instagram account and this will be free for any and all to attend. We will use this meditation to collectively raise our vibration and send love outwards from ourselves around the globe.

As a way to give back to organizations that are helping protect the Earth, I will be offering a way for people who join the meditation to donate a few dollars which I will gift as a group donation to one of two organizations. I’ve selected Oceana and The Rainforest Trust as two great organizations that are working hard to protect our oceans and the lungs of the planet.

If you’re interested in sending me a donation to either of these organizations you can venmo me @erin-nicole-pratt or send through PayPal at erinnicolewellness@gmail.com. Alternately, you can send your own donation to either of the organizations above or select your own!

As we all gather together to join in a live, group meditation, we will work on sending love from our souls out to mother earth. By raising and healing our own vibration and light, we can help lift the vibration of the planet around the world. We’re all in this together and our world could use a little love right now. I can’t wait to meditate with you on Wednesday!

Virtual New Moon Circle

I will also be hosting a new moon ceremony this Wednesday which aligns perfectly with this Earth Week. We will be discussing the energy behind the Taurus season – one of the most earthy and grounded signs. You can sign up for this virtual moon circle on the FierceOm website.

How are you feeling during this pandemic? What are your thoughts about how we might come out of this? Do you think there is any greater purpose behind what we’re going through? I’d love to chat with you about it! Happy Earth Week my friends. Try to get outside if you can to breathe in a little bit of that magical fresh air and feel the sun on your face this week. Nothing like nature to heal the soul and body.