The Pocket of Ala | May 4, 2025 | Rev. Dr. Kathryn Benton

Holy Mother Earth

She who guides those who live upon Her,

She whose laws the people of the Igbo follow,

living in the honesty and rightness

that are the ways of Goddess Ala;

it is She who brings the child to the womb

and She who gives it life,

always present during life

and receiving those whose lives are ended,

taking them back into Her sacred womb,

"the pocket of Ala."

The opening words are from the Igbo people of Nigeria. They tell of the ancient Earth Mother, Ala who brings the child into the womb.  The word Ala actually means ground. This means that even as we walk on the ground, we are walking on our mother. Not only is she in charge of fertility, both plant and animal, but she is also the source of a kind of morality...a way of living that includes honesty and rightness. She is with us our whole life, reminding us, guiding us...and when we die, she takes us back into her womb, the pocket of Ala.

I was reminded of this tryst with the Earth Mother at the burial of Dorsey Blake…a time when he was clearly being taken back to the womb of the mother…the pocket of Ala. I also experienced the death of my mother-in-law Maria recently. My grandson asked about where his great-grandmother went and, for that matter where he had come from. His father could only say, we do not know, but he supposed that it was a similar place…where we come from and where we go. I want to believe that all have and will go back to the pocket of Ala…the womb of creation where what John Mbiti called the living dead and all our ancestors reside.

This could be such a comforting feeling, if only we actually respected the Earth Mother…if only we were able to sense this Goddess as the ground of our being…if only we were able to recognize our responsibility to her as the source and goal of our longing…that from which we have come and that to which we return. Instead, we are so removed from the earth…in our daily round of shopping, scrolling, travelling…of separation.

I have been experimenting recently with the practice of grounding…that is paying attention to the present moment and seeking an anchoring presence…perhaps connected to gravity and roots…most certainly connected to the ground of my being…perhaps the pocket of Ala. Here is an example of this grounding practice:

Of course, it would be helpful to practice this outside…either on a park bench or actually on the earth. But even if we are practicing this online, in front of a screen, it can be helpful. I have a fellow student that I practice this with when I was experiencing a lot of anxiety. Through this kind of grounding meditation, led by my classmate, I was able to experience a kind of anchoring…a tethering to the ground of my being. I was able to connect to this ground and experience the ways of Ala. And this is something that we always have access to, anywhere, anytime.

This is the Holy Mother Earth. Ready and willing to hold us…all of us. In the words of Sobonfu Somé:

We can learn a great deal from the way Mother Earth holds us all – the criminals, the saints, the weak, the strong, the rich, the poor without rejecting us,

 and always giving us a chance to start over.

This is the unconditional love of the mother. But our mother is no longer able to hold us all…least of all those that are the most vulnerable. Humanity has put so much stress on our mother that she is becoming unable to respond. Ala is no longer able to guide us, especially when we pay no attention to her laws. Even those who want to follow her ways…want to be guided by her are unable. Our One World is in a dire crisis and Ala is weeping.

According to Igbo tradition, Ala is also the Goddess of morality. She is involved in judging human actions.  There are consequences when we break the laws of Ala…when we desecrate…disrespect our earth mother…when her principles are no longer heeded…when there is a breach of our commitment to our mother. There are also consequences when we do not live in the honesty and rightness that are her ways. This is called nso ala and is seen as a violation of the laws of the earth. This impacts the entire community. In order to prevent these breaches in the relationship between Ala and the people, buildings called mbari were built in gratitude and reverence to Ala. They were built out of ant-hill dirt and were traditionally left to decay so that new ones could be built. This signified the renewal of the builder, the renewal of the community and the renewal of devotion to the Goddess. In a way, the building of the structure was, in itself, its significance…the buildings were creative expressions of honor and reverence to the creator and sustainer of life. Imagine if we were to build our churches…or community meeting places out of dirt and imagine if they were left to decay naturally. The ultimate in recycling!

This is sustainability…working within the realm of the mother…offering her praise and honor. The people offer her understanding and they follow the ways of the mother. When we do this, then we can always access our Holy Mother Earth…the one who does not discriminate between criminals and saints…between the weak and the strong…between the rich and the poor. The One who does not reject us…the womb of Ala offers a place for all...with a chance to start over, even when we have messed up or when we have been a victim of unspeakable acts or forces. Unspeakable acts and forces are happening now…all over the world. Some of the evidence of this can be seen in the suffering of the people of Nigeria…Ala’s people…

This is just one example of a breach…and we must judge this action…as the Earth Goddess Ala judges it. This is directly related to the cuts in humanitarian aid from the United States, as directed by President Trump. And of course this is only one example of current crises. The crimes against the Earth Goddess call for action…protective action…corrective action with the guidance of our mother Ala. We do not have to look far for examples of this action in the world. Pope Francis was one example of one who took this call to action seriously. In 2015 he wrote the encyclical, Laudato Si’: Care for our common home. In this thorough consideration of the state of the world, Francis called upon St. Francis of Assisi to provide a framing of our common home as our sister.

And finally, as an example of someone who took action on behalf of our Earth Mother, I would like to honor Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement which planted millions of trees across Kenya. Maathai was appointed deputy minister for the Environment and Natural Resources and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. On that occasion she said:

Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking,

so that humanity stops threatening its life-support system.

We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds

and in the process heal our own - indeed to embrace the whole of creation

in all its diversity, beauty and wonder.

Recognizing that sustainable development,

democracy and peace are indivisible is an idea whose time has come.

The Goddess Ala is beckoning us…speaking through her daughter Wangari and so many others…she is calling us to heal her wounds and in the process, heal ourselves by embracing the wonder of creation…by recognizing Ala as the ground of our being and by taking action…by living in honesty and rightness…by following her ways of sustainability, equity, justice and of peace. The time has come to trust in the wisdom of our mother.