Blessing:
Gaia's blessing is life. All things that draw breath and nourishment, and have their homes upon the earth, do so through her. Every plant, animal, bird, fish, tree, rock is special to her. But that kind of love is impersonal. Because she cares for all things, she must consider what is best for the overall balance. And so the herd of gazelle is thinned out by the lion, because otherwise they would eat up all their food and starve to death. From the perspective of the individual gazelle this can seem cruel and uncaring - but when seen within the larger picture, we see that she does nothing needlessly, or overly cruel.
Epithets:
Kourotrophos (Nourisher of Children), Meter (Mother), Physis (Nature)
Symbols:
fruit, cornocopiae
Animal(s):
all of them
Sacrifices:
any grain, flowers, or plants, except for beans and aromatic herbs
Primary Cult Center(s):
Delphi
Festivals:
Earth Day: 21 April (modern)
Genesios: 5 Boedromion (September-October)
Ways to honor:
The best way to honor Gaia is to care for the natural world. Clean up pollution, protect wildlife, donate time and money to ecological concerns. Recycle. Buy wholesome foods that are made without pesticides or come without all the extra packaging. Conserve energy. Carpool or walk instead of driving. Be mindful of how your actions will affect the rest of the world.
For more information:
Apollodorus' Library 1.1.1-5, 1.2.1, 1.2.6, 1.3.6, 1.5.2, 1.6.1-3, 2.1.2, 2.5.11, 3.8.1
Hesiod's Theogony 116-187, 233-239, 459-497, 820-822, 881-885
Homer's Odyssey 11.576
Homeric Hymn to Earth, Mother of All 30
Hyginus' Fabulae 203
Pausanias' Description of Greece 1.2.6, 1.14.3, 5.14.10, 7.25.13, 8.25.8-10, 10.5.6, 10.6.6
Pindar's Pythian Odes 9.59-65
Copyright 2002 Sannion
All Rights Reserved
Posted with permission
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