that women are closest to the earth because since human beings come through them and they are at that time nurtured by the earth, they are pretty much recycling and transferring the earth (nutrients, minerals, etc) to the child and that child continues and carries on the earth...our bodies are made up only of things within this planet so it makes sense to me...

also it is interesting that because women are indeed closer to the earth, that the God concept had to be directly opposed to it and thus we have the "booming voice in the sky" god concept, in which god (although a "part" of everything) is separated from human beings...

had the concept of the woman deity continued strong, i think people wouldn't feel so disconnected from the divine.