Overview: Learning about Gaia is learning about ourselves and our relationships with each other. From the stories and myth to modern exploration and activism, we can move from a tenuous relationship to one that is reciprocal and necessary in the increasing proof of climate change.

When we save Gaia, we save ourselves.

Verdict: To give you some back story, the first deity in all of Greek mythology, Gaia was the personification of the earth and the universal mother. With her offspring Uranus, who symbolized the heavens, Gaia molded the universe to her liking.

The progenitor of most of the Greek deities, Gaia gave birth to the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the monstrous beings known as the Hecatoncheires. Through the prolific Titans, who each had many children, Gaia became the grandmother of countless mythical figures (including the Olympians).

Gaia’s role in Greek mythology is sometimes contradictory or surprising. She helped her son Cronus overthrow his father, Uranus, but later ushered in another new era in the history of the gods by nurturing the young Zeus and helping him dethrone Cronus. In many of her myths, Gaia also became an opponent of Zeus and attempted to overthrow him on several occasions.

In ancient Greece, Gaia was worshiped alongside Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, as part of a fertility cult. Even today, neopagan religious groups, such as Wicca, observe Gaia as the ultimate mother goddess and giver of life.

Furthermore, the name “Gaia” is also the ancient Greek word meaning “earth,” “land,” or “soil,” though the etymology of this word is uncertain. Today, it is usually thought that gaia and gē (a related word, also meaning “earth”) are non-Indo-European and pre-Greek in origin.

With regard her attributes, as one of the first deities of creation, as well as its first mother, Gaia was the source of all life. She oversaw the fertility of crops and safeguarded children and fledgling life of all kinds. The Greeks generally thought of her as a chthonic deity—that is, one of the gods associated with the earth and the underground world.

Gaia was not often depicted in ancient art, but when she did appear, her connection with the earth was strongly emphasized. She is sometimes shown as a motherly woman from the torso up, while the rest of her body is the earth itself. In other representations, she is shown reclining on the earth, sometimes surrounded by other figures symbolizing the earth and its bounty.

Thus, what renowned author Irisanya Moon has brought forth here in the impassioned, and informative Earth Spirit - Gaia: Saving Her, Saving Ourselves, is a variety of ways where we ourselves can connect with Gaia, a host of ways for us to live an Earth-friendly lifestyle. Complete with a host of meditations, rituals and even some bonding group activities, the book is one for us all to learn from, of that you have my word.

About the Author - Irisanya Moon is a Moon Books author who has published six books (as of 2022). She is also a priestess, teacher, and initiate in the Reclaiming tradition. She has taught classes and camps around the world, including in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. She lives in Santa Rosa, Ca.

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