When I first heard the word “rematriation,” I thought of it as the opposite of “repatriation”—which is the process of bringing an ex-pat back to his native country and reintegrating him into its society—a modern rendition of the Biblical story of the prodigal son. So rematriation must mean reuniting someone with the energy of the mother—nurturing, protective, all-encompassing.
After wading through my childhood swamp for a while, I realized that when we say “mother,” we don’t just mean a female parent. We’re recognizing an energy that is much larger, more universal—an energy that informs and inspires the female parent in all species. We’re referring to our Mother Earth, and through her, the Divine Feminine that exists within and around us in more ways than we can imagine.
Right now Mother Earth is in trouble and we, her children both human and non-human, are in this boat with her. During the last 20 years alone there have been summits, protests, boycotts, legislation, and more. Political and religious leaders have expressed concern over the effects of accelerated global warming. Even the children have stepped up to save the planet they will inherit. But nothing has changed. The patriarchy, in its insatiable greed and hunger for power, continues to ensure the enslavement of the feminine in all its forms—from depredation of our wildlands and the creatures that depend on their ecosystems to its current attempt to destroy Roe vs. Wade’s protections for pregnant women.
How has this happened? How have we strayed so far from home? Something must change, and change soon. Can we help bring about this crucial change, this rematriation? Can we come home to our Mother? Can we save Her and save ourselves?
Four Winds Journal Spring 2022 will present various responses to these questions.
We invite you to share your article, artwork, poetry, music, or other expression of your own thoughts and feelings on this topic. If you’ve previously written for the Journal, we welcome you back. If you’re new to us, we welcome you in.
FWJ Spring 2022: Rematriation: Coming Home to Gaia
Deadline for Submissions: March 15, 2022
Feel free to contact us with your questions, thoughts, or suggestions, and send your submission via email attachment to
Editor in Chief, Four Winds Journal
505-780-5990
Please know that Winds of Change Press plans to publish an anthology of these submissions in the coming year, so be sure to include a brief updated bio and recent headshot with your submission and visit our Submission Guidelines page for detailed instructions.