By Shannon Kaiser, spiritual and self-love teacher
People are becoming aware of the world's problems and the fact that outdated ways of living need to change. Many are turning away from the noise and chaos of the outside world and looking for simpler solutions to soothe their own minds. There is a cultural shift towards going back to basics and many are discovering ancient wisdom by aligning with the healing energy of Mother Earth, also known as Gaia.
In its simplest form, Gaia symbolizes life itself. Some say Gaia is the soul of the Earth. Mother Earth as a goddess has been represented in cultures on nearly every continent for as long as humankind has existed. She appears in ancient art, shrines, and statues, such as the Paleolithic Venus statues found throughout Europe. 2
Gaia has many names, but her name, known as the primeval goddess in Greek mythology, comes from the ancient Greek “???”, a poetic form of the word “???” (or “G?”), meaning “land” or “earth”.3 To the Incas, Gaia is Pachamama.4 She is considered to be the life force of the Earth, whose essence is the Great Mother Energy and the protector of all life.
Gaia's guides, or spirit animals, represent partnership and sacred union with the oneness and harmony we can all enjoy. We all have a role to play in working together to protect Gaia, and in return, Gaia enriches each of our lives with nourishment, support, and wisdom. Working with Gaia is more than saving the planet, protesting environmental issues, or participating in Earth Day celebrations (although these are all important). We can celebrate this sacred partnership and treat each day as a ritual. Being in authentic, connected relationship with Gaia means we recognize her profound gifts and are ready to embrace her wisdom. In return, we honor Gaia by caring for her with graceful energy, thoughts, and actions.
For centuries, we have known that getting outside and being in nature is good for our health, and our ancestors understood the harmonizing effect of connecting with the Earth every day, as the Earth holds immense healing energy. Gaia is a symbol of the Earth and its energy, which is maternal, warm, nurturing, peaceful, and does not tolerate cruelty, destruction, or abuse. The Earth is full of bounty and supports all life. However, as most of us spend most of our time indoors, we have become increasingly disconnected from the Earth that nourishes us. Humanity is silently suffering from an epidemic of disconnection and isolation that is causing emotional, physical, and mental stress. With mental disorders, stress, anxiety, and depression on the rise worldwide, we seem desperately searching for tools to transform chaos into calm and frustration into freedom.
As someone who has been diagnosed with clinical depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia (a chronic, widespread muscle pain illness) linked to chronic stress and disconnection from myself and the natural world, I know firsthand the impact of mind-body imbalance and the power of returning to one's roots. Spending time in nature every day and connecting with Gaia in various ways, including healing herbs, plant therapies, nature walks, therapy (water and plant therapies) and spiritual animal guides, has dramatically improved the quality of my life.
I believe we all have the power to balance and heal ourselves if we trust our innate wisdom within and align with the supportive and compassionate energies that are all around us. Gaia's energy is loving and generous, the guardian of truth and harmony, and is here to support you with the collective energy of the Spiritual Animal Kingdom. Gaia, simply put, is All That Is, the Soul of the Earth, and has an innate consciousness. Gaia knows how to realign, balance and heal herself.
This is the same energy that has been infused into my new deck, a beautiful and bold 52-card deck and guidebook, “Guidance from the Gaia Oracle: Practices and Affirmations from Your Spirit Animals.” To combat this disharmony, I knew I needed to create resources that harness the healing power of nature and animal spirit guides to help people live more authentically and in harmony with Mother Earth.
Excerpted from Guidance from the Gaia Oracle by Shannon Kaiser. Adapted with permission from Beyond Words. Copyright 2024.
Note
2. Andy Murphy, “Greeting Goddess Gaia,” Gaia, April 13, 2016, https://www.gaia.com/article/goddess-gaia.
3. Francisco Huanaco, “Gaia: Goddess Symbols, Correspondences, Myths, and Offerings,” Spells 8, August 31, 2021, https://spells8.com/lessons/gaia-goddess/.
4. Murphy “Greetings to Goddess Gaia”
Author Profile:
Shannon Kaiser is a world-renowned spiritual and self-love teacher, speaker, and acclaimed empowerment coach. She is the author of six bestselling books on the psychology of happiness and fulfillment, including The Self-Love Experiment, which was named #1 of Oprah magazine's “20 Self-Love Books That Will Inspire You.” She is also the designer and creator of two other oracle decks and two mantra decks. She guides people to awaken and align with their true selves and live their fullest potential. Shannon's signature teachings are transformational, combining spiritual and ancient wisdom with modern, practical wisdom. Her books, programs, social media channels, and viral reels on self-exploration and self-transformation reach 22 million people every month. She has been named “Top 100 Women to Watch in Wellness” by mindbodygreen, “The Go-To Happiness Booster” by Health magazine, and “One of the Freshest Voices in Mental Health and Wellness” by Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul. Her new deck, “Guidance from Gaia Oracle,” is available online and in stores. Connect with her on social media @ShannonKaiserWrites and on her websites PlayWithTheWorld.com and RadicalBodyLovewithShannon.com.
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