Shannon Kaiser, spiritual and self-love teacher
People are becoming aware of the world’s problems and the fact that outdated lifestyles need to change. Many are turning away from the noise and chaos of the outside world and looking for simpler solutions to calm their inner selves. There is a cultural shift back to basics and many are discovering the ancient wisdom of aligning with the healing energy of Mother Earth. Gaia.
In its simplest form, Gaia symbolizes life itself. Some say she is the soul of the Earth. Mother Earth as a goddess has been represented in cultures on nearly every continent for as long as humanity has existed. She appears in ancient art, shrines, and statues, such as the Paleolithic Venus statues found throughout Europe.2
She has many names, but the name Gaia, known as the primeval goddess in Greek mythology, comes from the ancient Greek “Gaia”, a poetic form of the word “Gaia” (or “G”), meaning “land” or “earth”.3 To the Incas, she is Pachamama.4 She is considered to be the life force of the Earth, her 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 infused into my new deck. Guidance from the Gaia Oracle: Exercises and Affirmations from your Spirit Animalsa beautiful and bold 52-card deck and guidebook. To combat this disharmony, I knew I needed to create a resource that harnesses the healing powers 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. Used with permission from Beyond Words. Copyright 2024.
Note
2. Andy Murphy, “Greetings to Goddess Gaia,” Gaia, April 13, 2016, https://www.gaia.com/article/goddess-gaia.
3. Francisco Huanaco, “Gaia: Symbols, Correspondences, Myths and Offerings of the Goddess,” Spells 8, August 31, 2021, https://spells8.com/lessons/gaia-goddess/.
4. Murphy “Greetings to Goddess Gaia”
Author Profile:
Shannon Kaiser She is a world-renowned spiritual and self-love teacher, speaker, and acclaimed empowerment coach, as well as the author of six best-selling books on the psychology of happiness and fulfillment. An experiment in self-lovewas voted #1 in the “Top 20 Self-Love Books to Inspire You.” Oprah She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Wellness Magazine and 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 highest potential. Shannon’s signature teachings are transformational, combining spiritual, ancient wisdom with modern, practical wisdom. Her books, programs, social media channels, and viral reels on self-exploration and personal transformation reach 22 million people each month. She has been named one of the Top 100 Women to Watch in Wellness. Mind Body Greensupporting your happiness health Magazine “One of the freshest voices in mental health and wellness” Chicken soup for a woman’s soulHer new deck Guidance from the Gaia Oracle Available online and in stores. Connect with her on social media @ShannonKaiserWrites and on her website. Play with the World and RadicalBodyLovewithShannon.com.
Source: Spiritual Media Blog – www.spiritualmediablog.com
