Earth is Not a Property: Remembering the Planet’s Sovereignty
Hey friends, it’s Whit here. Today, we’re exploring a topic that lives deep in my heart and spirit: the living, breathing sovereignty of the Earth.
This blog is going to flow a little differently than usual, because it begins with a piece I channeled during a time of deep reflection and pain over the continued violence happening across the planet in the name of ownership and borders. I offer this piece as an energetic anchor for the message to follow:
Mother Earth. Gaia. Terra.
Beautiful, living, breathing being.
Gratitude and love for allowing humanity to live and evolve with you and for your patience as we remember who you are. Who we are.
Just as our human bodies aren't meant to be poisoned or enslaved, your planetary body isn't meant to be polluted or owned.
May we all remember. And so it is.
Love to you in all of your borderless, free-flowing power.
This came through after seeing increased global conflict over land. Ppeople arguing over who it belongs to, who has rights to it, who is entitled to it. In the midst of this noise, I felt Gaia whisper: I am not a possession.
Why Do We Believe the Earth Can Be Owned?
From my perspective, there’s a long, complicated history of disconnect from the Earth that led to this idea of land ownership. A system of control, colonization, and disconnection told us the Earth is a resource to be divided, labeled, fenced, and bought. That it exists for our use, rather than in relationship with us.
But just as your human body is sovereign, sacred, and alive, so is the Earth. You would never (I hope!) say, "I own this person" because you injected them with medicine, planted crops on their back, or built a house on their leg. So why is it okay when it comes to land? When we inject chemicals into her soil, strip her forests, or build fences and say "this is mine," we’re replicating the energy of ownership, colonization, and control. Not stewardship. Not love.
A Message from the Earth Body
Let’s explore this a little deeper. Imagine someone says to you: "I'm going to inject you with synthetic hormones so you can work longer hours without needing rest. You won't have a choice, because it's better for our economy." Or, "I'm going to put you in this small square of space, fence you in, and use only this part of your body for production. The rest of you doesn't matter."
Sound awful? It is. And it's what we've done to the Earth for centuries. She is not a rock beneath us. She is a conscious, breathing, evolving being.
Ancient Wisdom: Stewardship, Not Ownership
In many Indigenous traditions, land is not something you own, it's something you are in relationship with. You care for the land, and it cares for you. The word ownership often doesn’t even translate. In many Native American and Indigenous languages, there is no word for “land ownership.” These concepts simply don’t exist because the worldview is built on unity, not control.
Land Back movements around the world are about more than returning acreage to specific groups, they’re about restoring the original relationship between humans and the Earth. Not dominion. Not possession. But respect, reciprocity, and reverence.
Scientific Lens: The Earth Is Alive
From a scientific standpoint, we’re beginning to catch up. James Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis proposed decades ago that the Earth operates as a self-regulating organism maintaining temperature, atmosphere, and balance in ways eerily similar to a biological body. We now know that forests communicate through mycorrhizal networks, that whales store carbon, and that soil contains microbiomes that are essential for planetary and human health alike.
Everything is interconnected.
In 2022, a report from the UN Convention on Biological Diversity emphasized that biodiversity collapse is closely tied to how we view and treat land. The more we divide and dominate, the more we damage. And yet, science continues to show us: when we let the land be, it heals.
Practical Reflections: How Are You Relating to the Earth?
Here are some ways to explore your current relationship with the land and Earth body:
If you own or rent a home: How do you relate to the land it's on? Can you acknowledge it as a living being and not just a "lot" or a "property"? Try spending time with the land each day. Sit. Listen. Offer gratitude.
Consider replacing "own" with "steward": If you garden, hike, camp, or spend time in nature, shift the language and energy from ownership to stewardship. What would it mean to tend to the land as a partner, not a possession?
Ask yourself:
Have I ever treated the Earth as something separate from me?
What is one new way I can show love and respect to her this week?
How do I feel when I let go of the idea that anything here is truly "mine"?
Be curious about local Indigenous teachings: What do the original stewards of the land you live on say about its care, its history, its energy?
A Gentle Invitation
This isn’t about shame. It’s about awareness and reconnection. Just as you wouldn’t shame your body for the programming it’s taken on, don’t shame yourself for participating in systems you were born into. But do bring presence. Bring choice. Bring love.
Let this be your reminder:
The Earth is alive. She is not a resource. She is not a border to be fought over.
She is not a commodity to be bought and sold.
She is a being. A mother. A mirror. A mystery.
And she is sovereign.
Love to you, always.
*I HIGHLY recommend checking out Native and Indigenous sources to do a deeper dive into the topic covered. The very short paragraph included here has the intention to bring awareness to this perspective, but not speak for it. Please check out more in depth information directly from the source!
