kissing the ground

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where we meet in a circle.

Earth Bhakti is an initiative in Northern New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. The root for the word “enchantment” is  — a bewitching, a conjuring, an act of magic; with a secondary sense of speaking or singing aloud. “To enchant” is from the Latin “in-cantare” – to sing into or to sing upon; an enchantment is a spell-song. It is on the magic land of Taos/Santa Fe/Abiquiu that we gather and sing.

why ritual?

The poet Rumi said: “There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground; there are a thousand ways to go home again.

Rituals are intentional acts that connect us with our inner selves and the divine. They serve as a compass, guiding us toward our true essence. Through practices like intention-setting, invocation, and interaction with elemental forces, we deepen our connection to this internal space, which represents the convergence of our higher selves and divine energies. The elemental kingdoms—Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and Ether—symbolize manifestations of Mother Earth, while various cultural names like Sophia, Gaia, Shakti, and others represent the Great Spirit. Rituals ground us, enabling clarity in understanding our role within the cosmic dance of existence. She dances and swirls with her partner, the Great Mystery, known by names like Father Sky, Yang, Christ Consciousness, Shiva, and others. Together, they form the swirling of our inner space, imbibe our senses to project possible outer worlds, and rituals help us become grounded to see with clarity the Divine play and our place within it.

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what forms of ritual?

(i) WE ARE CREATED BY SOUND:

The story goes that Bhrama as a non-dual state of no-thingness wanted to experience, ‘isness’ and that of his own Being, and with the sound of AUM split into duality, the primordial energy of Masculine/Shiva and the Feminine/Shakti, which became the vehicle to experience the Self – the ‘isness’ of Brahma. We are the experiental vessels for the Divine.

All ceremonies include the practice of Nāda yoga, an ancient Indian metaphysical system, encompasses philosophy, medicine, and yoga. It revolves around the idea that everything in the cosmos, including humans, is composed of vibrations known as nāda. These vibrations constitute the fundamental energy shaping the cosmos. Nāda yoga encourages a reverential approach to vibrations, highlighting the spiritual significance of silent self-vibrations (anhata) and sound/music vibrations (ahata). By embracing these vibrations, individuals can deepen their connection to both the external and internal cosmos, facilitating a profound unity.