Nature as the Original Maternal Force

“I remember feeling like pieces of me were scattered around the world; I belonged to her, Mother Earth.” Raquel Cepeda wrote this in reference to her upbringing, though the sentiment resounds across disciplines and generations. When we feel scattered, alone, and broken, nature has ways of taking care of us and revealing her true essence: original maternal force. The earth provides nurturing, nourishment, life, vitality, energy, and depth of wisdom; these are the qualities that give way to a truly maternal essence. When we start to place our trust in the earth, to allow her to guide us and listen to what she has to say, we begin to feel a sense of belonging and love. Thich Nhat Hanh said, “When we recognise the virtues, the talent, the beauty of Mother Earth, something is born in us, some kind of connection, love is born.”

True feminine or maternal energy is never ending, strong, and cyclical. As Thich Nhat Hanh posits in the above quote, when we recognize what the earth offers us, we too realize those loving and connective qualities in ourselves. Something is indeed born in us when we trust Mother Nature’s divine wisdom, her sublime environments, and her millions of children. We can see nature as a mirror of ourselves. When we see the world around us as a fear-inducing, negative, untrustworthy place, we begin to more easily embody those qualities. Conversely, when we start to trust nature and her ability to heal, nurture, and mother us, something positive and powerful is born in us. When we see Mother Earth not as an endlessly giving resource, but as a living being who cares about her inhabitants, we begin to take increased responsibility for ourselves and our own well being.

RedCliff Ascent is a therapeutic wilderness program, nestled between two mountain ranges in the high desert of Enterprise, UT. We focus on adolescents ages 13-17 who are struggling with various challenges from anxiety and depression, to school abandonment and the need to reconnect with their family. With over 25 years of experience, RedCliff uses a relational model and narrative therapy to drive an outcome and an evidence-based approach. RedCliff Recovery offers an experience like no other through a proven, 12-step, adventure-based wilderness program. For more information, call us today: 801-921-8488