By Spiritual and Self-Love Teacher Shannon Kaiser
People are becoming more aware of the problems in the world and the fact that outdated ways of living need to change. Many are turning away from the hustle and chaos of the outside world and are looking for simpler solutions to calm their inner landscape. There is a cultural shift to get back to the basics, and many are discovering the ancient wisdom in aligning with the healing energy of Mother Earth, also known as Gaia.
In the simplest form, Gaia symbolizes life itself! Some say she is the soul of planet Earth. Mother Earth as a goddess has been represented in nearly every culture across continents for as long as humanity has existed, appearing in ancient art, shrines, and statues, such as the Paleolithic Venus figurines found across Europe.2
While she has many names, the name Gaia, as she is known in Greek mythology, as the primordial goddess, originates from the ancient Greek ????, which is a poetical form of the words ?? (or G?), meaning “land” or “Earth.”3 To the Incas, she is Pachamama.4 She is considered the Life Force of the Earth, and her very essence is the Great Mother Energy and protector of all of life.
The Guides of Gaia, the spirit animals themselves, represent the partnership and divine union with the oneness and harmony available to us all. We all have a part to play in working with Gaia to protect her, and in exchange, she enriches our individual lives with her nourishment, support, and wisdom. Collaborating with Gaia is more than saving the planet or protesting environmental concerns, or participating in Earth Day celebrations (although these are all important); we can celebrate this divine partnership and treat every day like a ceremony. To be in a sincere connected relationship with Gaia means we acknowledge her profound gifts and are open to receiving her wisdom. In turn, we respect her by taking care of her with our gracious energy, thoughts, and actions.
For centuries, we have known that getting outside and being in nature is good for us, and our ancestors understood the harmonizing effects of connecting with Earth daily, as it has immense healing energy. Gaia is a representation of Earth and its energy, which is maternal, warm, nurturing, and peaceful, with no tolerance for cruelty, destruction, or abuse. It is abundant in its gifts and supportive of all life. Yet we have become increasingly disconnected from the Earth that nourishes us, with most of us spending the majority of our time indoors. Humanity is silently suffering in an epidemic of disconnection and isolation, which is causing us emotional, physical, and mental stress. With mental disorders, stress, anxiety, and depression on the rise on a global scale, we seem to be desperate for tools to turn the chaos into calm and the frustration into freedom.
As someone who was diagnosed with clinical depression, anxiety, and fibromyalgia, a condition of chronic, widespread muscle pain, all tied to chronic stress and disconnection from self and the natural world, I know firsthand the implications of body and mind imbalances, and the power of returning to our roots. Spending time in nature daily and connecting with Gaia in myriad ways, such as with healing herbs, plant medicine, nature walks, therapy (water and plant medicine therapies), and spiritual animal guidance, radically improved my quality of life.
I believe we all have the power to balance and heal ourselves when we trust the innate wisdom within and work with the supportive, benevolent energies all around. Gaia’s energy is loving and generous, a protector of truth and alignment, she is here to support you with the collective energy of the spirit animal kingdom. Gaia, quite simply, is all of life—the very soul of Earth, and she has an innate consciousness. She knows how to recalibrate, balance, and heal herself.
This is the same energy infused into my new deck Guidance from Gaia Oracle: Practices and Affirmations from Spirit Animals, a beautifully bold 52-card deck and guidebook. To combat this disharmony, I knew I needed to create a resource to empower people to live more authentically and aligned with Mother Earth by tapping into the healing power of nature and animal spirit guides.
Excerpt adapted from Guidance from Gaia Oracle by Shannon Kaiser, with permission by Beyond Words. Copyright 2024.
Notes
2. Andye Murphy, “Greeting Goddess Gaia,” Gaia, April 13, 2016, https://www.gaia.com/article/goddess-gaia.
3. Francisco Huanaco, “Gaia: Goddess Symbols, Correspondences, Myth & Offerings,” Spells 8, August 31, 2021, https://spells8.com/lessons/gaia-goddess/.
4. Murphy, “Greeting Goddess Gaia.”
Author bio:
Shannon Kaiser is a world-renowned spiritual and self-love teacher, speaker, and acclaimed empowerment coach; a bestselling author of six books on the psychology of happiness and fulfillment including The Self-Love Experiment, named number one of the “20 Self-Love Books That Will Lift You Up” by Oprah magazine; and the designer and creator of two other oracle decks and two mantra decks. She guides people to awaken and align to their true selves so they can live their highest potential. Shannon’s signature teaching is transformative, bridging spiritual and ancient wisdom with modern practical wisdom. Her self-inquiry and personal transformation books, programs, social media channels, and viral reels have reached 22 million people a month. She’s been named among the “Top 100 Women to Watch in Wellness” by mindbodygreen, “your 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 her websites PlayWithTheWorld.com and RadicalBodyLovewithShannon.com.