Gaia - Earth Mother and Turtle? Ancient Wisdom For Conscious Living

Written by: Tania Marie
Published on: May 20, 2012
Category: Spirituality

Gaia is etymologically a compound word composed of two elements: Ge, meaning "Earth," which is also a pre-Greek substrate word related to Ki in Sumerian, also meaning Earth and Aia comes from an Indo-European derivative meaning "Grandmother." Therefore, the full etymology of Gaia was once "Grandmother Earth." Most of us know Gaia simply as Earth or Mother Earth; the primordial element from which all things originated, which is what the Romans believed as well. They knew Gaia, the Great Mother, as a single living entity that encompassed the totality of every element in the Universe; land, sea, or sky. The Greeks knew her as an ancient primeval goddess who personified the Earth and whose emergence appeared at the creation of the Universe, born from Chaos. Gaia's power was far reaching in Ancient Greece, making oaths sworn in her name to be the most binding of all. If only such value for her was still a part of our lives, perhaps we'd discover more honor in promise to the planet we live on and more synergy and harmony through conscious, symbiotic care of the collective she signifies.