Gaia, the Embodiment of the Earth

In Greek mythology, Gaia personifies the earth. Her name is of questionable origin, but many scholars agree that it is pre-classical in nature.

Mythology and History

She was born of Chaos, and brought forth the sky, the mountains, the sea, and the god Uranus. After hooking up with Uranus, Gaia gave birth to the first races of Divine beings. The three Cyclops were one-eyed giants named Bronte, Arges and Steropes. The three Hekatoncheires each had a hundred hands. Finally, the twelve Titans, led by Cronos, became the elder gods of Greek mythology.

Uranus wasn't thrilled about the offspring that he and Gaia had produced, so he forced them back inside her. As one might expect, she was less than pleased about this, so she persuaded Cronos to castrate his father. Later, she predicted that Cronos would be overthrown by one of his own children. As a precaution, Cronos devoured all of his own offspring, but his wife Rhea hid the infant Zeus from him. Later, Zeus dethroned his father and became the leader of the gods of Olympus.

She was instrumental in the war of the Titans, and is referenced in Hesiod's Theogony. "Cronos learned from Gaia and starry Ouranos (Uranus) that he was destined to be overcome by his own son, strong though he was, through the contriving of great Zeus.Therefore he kept no blind outlook, but watched and swallowed down his children, and unceasing grief seized Rhea. But when she was about to bear Zeus, the father of gods and men, then she besought her own dear parents, Gaia and starry Ouranos, to devise some plan with her that the birth of her dear child might be concealed, and that retribution might overtake great, crafty Cronos for his own father and also for the children whom he had swallowed down."

Gaia herself caused life to spring forth from the earth, and is also the name given to the magical energy that makes certain locations sacred. The Oracle at Delphi was believed to be the most powerful prophetic site on earth, and was considered the center of the world, due to Gaia's energy.

The Gaia Controversy

Interestingly, a few academics suggest that her role as an earth mother, or mother goddess, is a later adaptation of the neolithic "great mother goddess" archetype. This, however, has been questioned by numerous scholars, as there is little supporting evidence, and the existence of Gaia herself as a goddess has been questioned as speculation or, at the very least, a translation error. It is in fact possible that the names of other goddesses — Rhea, Demeter, and Cybele, for instance — have been misinterpreted to create the persona of Gaia as a separate deity.

Depictions of Gaia

Gaia was popular with Greek artists, and was often portrayed as a curved, voluptuous woman, sometimes shown rising directly from the earth, and other times reclining directly upon it. She appears on a number of Greek vases from the classical era.

According to Theoi.com,

"In Greek vase painting Gaia was depicted as a buxom, matronly woman rising from the earth, inseparable from her native element. In mosaic art, she appears as a full-figured woman, reclining on the earth, often clothed in green, and sometimes accompanied by troops of Karpoi (Carpi, Fruits) and Horai (Horae, Seasons)."

Because of her role as an earth mother, both as a creator and as the earth itself, she has become a popular subject for many modern Pagan artists as well.

Honoring Gaia Today

The concept of an earth mother is not exclusive to Greek myth. In Roman legend, she is personified as Terra. The Sumerians honored Tiamet, and the Maori people honored Papatuanuku, the Sky Mother. Today, many NeoPagans honor Gaia as the earth, or as the archetypical embodiment of the Earth's power and energy.

Gaia has become a symbol of many environmental movements as well, and there is a good deal of overlap between environmentalism and the Pagan community. If you'd like to honor Gaia in her role as an earth goddess, you may want to consider some of these environmentally friendly activities, to recognize the sacred position of the land:

• Organize a cleanup of a local area that's been neglected
• Plant trees or a garden
• Set up a recycling program for newspapers, glass, cans, or even electronics
• Adopt a stream or stretch of highway to care for
• Help educate friends and neighbors about programs to save water, energy, or fuel

For other ideas, be sure to read 10 Ways for Pagans to Celebrate Earth Day.