“The earth is at the same time mother,
She is mother of all that is natural,
Mother of all that is human,
She is the mother of all, for contained
In her are the seeds of all.
The earth of humankind
Contains all moistness,
All verdancy,
All geminating power.
It is in so many ways fruitful
All creation comes from it
Yet it forms not only the basic
Raw material for humankind,
But also the substance
Of the incarnation of God’s son.
—Hildegard of Bingen
