Returning to our roots
Honoring la Madre Tierra on Mother’s Day
Yesterday was Mother’s Day. (Mamma, if you are reading this, I love you so much and gracias por tanto) A day to honor the mothers who have nurtured us. But beyond our biological mothers, there’s a deeper relationship calling for our attention, our relationship with Mother Earth.
La Madre Tierra has held us through every breath, nourished us with her waters, her soil, her fruits. Yet, modern life has made us forget this sacred bond. We treat her as a resource, not a relative.
This echoes what Robin Wall Kimmerer describes in Braiding Sweetgrass — how indigenous wisdom sees nature not as “it”, but as “kin” (family, relatives, or beings with whom we share a relationship of connection and belonging). When we lose this relational view, we lose the capacity to care.
In these times the call to regenerate is really a call to remember this relationship.
Girasol Áurea: a story of remembering
This reflection feels deeply synchronistic. As I write these words, I’m also in the process of illustrating El Sueño de Girasol Áurea, my first book. Illustrations are being made by Likaq, an artist I randomly met at a coffee shop one day and now we are just walking this path together. It’s crazy how the Universe just connects you with the right people at the right time.
Girasol Áurea is a tale of a golden sunflower who embarks on a journey of self-discovery, only to realize that she has always been part of something much greater, a timeless bond with Mother Earth.
This weekend, Likaq who is bringing Girasol Áurea to life shared a beautiful scene of the book: the appearance of Materna Terra. In the illustration, Materna Terra is safely cradling Girasol, and Girasol acknowledges that she was always part of her. This act of being held, of remembering her origin, mirrors the very essence of regeneration.
It’s not just a story, it’s an invitation to recognize that we too are held by the Earth, even when we forget.
Why regeneration matters (and why sustainability isn’t enough anymore)
Also this week, I’ve been researching A LOT about sustainability vs regeneration. This is my nerdy side, which I’ve learned to embrace. Through my research into sustainability frameworks like ESG and other indices, I’ve seen a common pattern:
They measure symptoms, not root causes.
They focus on minimizing harm, but rarely on healing.
They track numbers, but not relationships.
This critique is not new. Thinkers like John Fullerton argue that such frameworks operate within a degenerative economic paradigm, merely slowing down destruction rather than fostering systemic health. Similarly, Daniel Christian Wahl points out that sustainability often aims to maintain systems that are fundamentally extractive. True regeneration demands a shift in how we relate to life itself.
Regeneration offers a different path. It invites us to restore relationship. To participate in the healing of ecosystems, communities, and ourselves — not as separate tasks, but as an integrated way of being.
Regeneration is not about doing “less bad”. It’s about giving back. Co-creating with nature. Remembering that we are nature. This is the foundation of regenerative development, moving from a mechanical view of the world to a living-systems paradigm (Mang & Haggard, 2016).
The birth of MADRE: a regeneration hub
From this understanding and other life lessons and passions, MADRE was born. A regeneration hub inspired by la Madre Tierra herself.
MADRE (Modern Ancestral Development for a Regenerative Earth) is more than a project, it’s a living space where we weave ancestral wisdom, regenerative business models, and inner transformation. A place where regeneration starts from within, and ripples out to communities, ecosystems, and economies.
Exciting Announcement: We will be hosting our first Regenerative Experience in the Sacred Valley of Peru from October 14th to October 19th, 2025.
It will be an immersive journey for those who feel the call to reconnect with the Earth, themselves, and community through regenerative practices, business, ancestral knowledge, and deep nature connection.
If this speaks to your heart, you are warmly invited to reach out directly or to regenerate@madre.earth.
MADRE is a space for those who know that real change begins by healing our relationship with life itself and still want to co-create business and ventures that take this into account.
Journaling prompts to connect with la Madre Tierra
What does La Madre Tierra mean to me? Reflect on your personal connection to the Earth and how you experience her presence in your life.
In what ways can I show more care and gratitude for the Earth? Consider actions, big or small, that can strengthen your relationship with the Earth.
What do I need to release to better align with the Earth’s rhythms? Explore habits, thoughts, or patterns that disconnect you from nature, and reflect on what can be let go of.
A life of regeneration: coming home
This Mother’s Day, as Girasol Áurea finds herself cradled in Materna Terra’s hands, I’m reminded that regeneration is really about coming home.
Coming home to the Earth. Coming home to community. Coming home to ourselves.
Through MADRE, through Girasol Áurea, through every small act of care, we are not just imagining a regenerative future, we are living into it.
Regeneration is a mother’s legacy. It’s time we honor her.
Vamosss.
With love,
M.