Hello all,
This month we are going to learn about my favorite Goddess (besides Freya) and her name is Gaia, her name means “Earth”.
In the time before time
I heard a call from the cosmos
of such illustrious beauty
I succumbed
answering the call of Gaia
to help her seed a new land
where love was all
and yet have I to yearn for the affections of another
Quite simply, Gaia is life. She is all, the very soul of the earth. She is a goddess who, by all accounts, inhabits the planet, offering life and nourishment to all her children.
In the ancient civilizations, she was revered as mother, nurturer and giver of life. It was
she who created and sustained us, and to whom we returned upon death.
She goes by many names, but in an effort to better connect and understand this energy, we'll explore the myriad of forms in which she appears on Earth.
Every culture has their version of the Earth Goddess. The Greeks called her Gaia, while the Incas know her as PachaMama. In some cases, she even predates writing: ancient, pre-linguistic references to her have been found, alongside shrines, statues and paintings of her in every corner of the globe. She is the First Goddess, the primeval one, the creator, and the fullness of her legacy is still being resurrected after patriarchal suppression.
The paleolithic Venus figures dot all of Europe, hearkening a worship of the feminine earth mother which has been lost to us. Despite the efforts of many historians, archaeologists and artists, we're only now beginning to remember the stories of the Goddess.
To the Greeks, Gaia was the ultimate goddess of raw, maternal power. In the beginning, there was chaos, nebulous ether waiting to take form. This primordial landscape awaited direction, it was then that the spirit of Gaia arrived to give structure to the formless and the Earth was conceived.
She became the Earth, birthing all form of landscape, plant and creature. Though her creation was majestic, her solitude was great. She longed for love and created the sky with whom she mated, igniting a creative force which birthed countless offspring. Time and the Fates, the Muses and the oceans to name a few. She is considered the primeval mother of whom all gods – and life itself, descended.
So what are the ways that we can honor and feel her presence?
Food – imagine your food that you eat as 'sacred nourishment'. Doing this can raise your vibrations as well as ensure more mindful presence that will allow you to be aware of where the blessings came from. Gaia not only provides the crops, but also the earth in which they grow.
From the wood under your feet to the siding/brick surrounding you - including the tar on the roof , all of these materials are grown on or in the earth. Be aware of all these blessings that we may not have recognized before. Who among you love crystals? Every crystal came from Gaia. In her love, she creates the most stunning specimens to support and ease our very existence.
If you love plants, and I mean lots of plants who should we thank? Yes, Gaia. From flowers, to trees, to mushrooms (yuck :-)) to bark, every culture understands the blessing of the plants to heal human ailments. Take time to actually listen to the plants around you for any messages they might be trying to share with you.
Earthing, a word I have seen used to describe time with nature. Be it a walk in the park, time in your yards, even enjoying your houseplants. I come alive when I can dig my fingers in the earth. I have been a nature lover all of my life and always will be. I enjoy meditations outside in my back yard with the sounds of birds, and squirrels. Breathe in slowly and deeply and remember how you feel....
Gaia is amazing, a huge part of my life and hopefully yours as well.
StormloverWolf
References
www.theoi.com
Image: Chris Abney on Unsplash