Named for the Greek goddess of the earth, Gaia is a widely inclusive term used to describe the idea that living organisms on a planet will affect the nature of their environment in order to create a more livable planet.
While not a religion in its own right, Gaia is a common concept in several earth-centered traditions within the Pagan, New Age, and UFO religions.
The Gaia Hypothesis is considered a science by some. Also known as the Gaia Theory or Gaia Principle, the Gaia Hypothesis holds that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings to form a self-regulating system that maintains and perpetuates the conditions for life on Earth.
In short, Gaia is believed to be the consciousness of the planet.
As a faith, or as a component of a spiritual tradition, Gaia is a Neopagan earth-centered faith that rejects Christianity. A mixture of Eastern mysticism, Paganism, science, and feminism, Gaia worship is central to the environmental movement. Although there have been other religions that have adopted a concept of the Earth as a living being or a deity, Gaia has united the environmental movement, New Age religions, many of the Eastern religions, and even several Christian leaders and denominations.
The Gaia Hypothesis, advanced as a science rather than as a religion, suggests that the biological entities of the Earth, along with the other elements of its environment, act as a self-regulating living system that maintains the conditions necessary for life. James Lovelock, who is credited with having founded the Gaia Hypothesis, believed that this living system was the result of a meta-life form that occupied the Earth billions of years ago, beginning the process of transforming the planet into its own substance, known as Gaia, and all of the life forms on the planet are part of Gaia. He viewed the Earth, not as a planet, but as a living being, which he named after the Greek goddess.
New Agers and Neopagans eagerly adopted the concept but, in order to get science-minded humanists and evolutionists on board, it needed to be presented as a science. Whether viewed as a religion or as a science, believers hold to the idea with all of the fervor of a cult.
New Agers and Neopagans are attracted to the mystical side of Gaia. To them, it is possible to experience a spiritual relationship with Gaia. The interconnectedness of all of the elements of the Earth, every living thing upon it, and mankind itself appeals to them.
While Gaia is a part of the belief system of several religions, traditions, and sects, it is the central component of others. Any sites whose content focuses on Gaia, the Gaia Hypothesis, Gaia worship, or the concept of the Earth and everything in it as a living system or deity are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
Created and maintained by Sky McCain, an American citizen living in southwest England, involved in green activism, and a co-founder of the Wholesome Food Association, the site discusses a number of subjects, including religion and spirituality, but with a focus on Gaia Theory, climate change, and the relationship between science and spirituality. The site includes opinion and informational pieces on the planet as an entity, and the Gaia mind.
http://www.earthenspirituality.com/
Founded in 1997, the Pagan, earth-centered, Unitarian-Universalist congregation meets weekly in Kansas City. Made up of a diverse membership united by a reverence for nature and the belief in the Earth as a living entity. Its membership policies, covenant, bylaws, minutes, and budget reports are posted to the site, along with a calendar of events, Sunday service schedules, a photo gallery, newsletter, announcements, and contact data.
http://gaiacommunity.org/
Gaia is a private school in Minneapolis, Minnesota that offers a holistic educational programs for students in grades kindergarten through the twelfth grade, with an emphasis on democratic process, individualized instruction, academic freedom, self-motivation, cooperative learning, youth empowerment, and environmental stewardship, based on the concept of Gaia as a living entity. Admissions policies, tuition, schedules, and a history of the program is presented.
http://www.gaiademocratic.org/
The retreat center and eco-community in Cuenca, Ecuador strives to live as one with Mother Nature and to live in harmony on the Earth, which is held to be a sacred being. Directions, photographs, and travel information are set forth, along with retreat dates and prices, reviews, testimonials, schedules, and reasons to choose Gaia Sagrada. Its shamans and staff are introduced, and an overview of its programs, facilities, and amenities are described.
https://gaiasagrada.com/
Presented as a model and metaphor for the 21st century, the Gaia theory describes a productive confluence between a concept of the Earth as a living system with new and ancient cultural traditions of humanity as a seamless continuation of that system. Featured are a series of short stories and academic essays on the Gaia Paradigm, a list of links to online resources that discuss Gaia Theory, and a reading list of books inspired by the concept.
http://www.gaiatheory.org/
Founded in 1987, Gaia Trust, Denmark is a charitable organization that supports sustainability projects internationally. It includes an international network of eco-villages, divided into three autonomous zones, known as the Global Ecovillage Network, as well as Gaia Education, which is a provider of sustainability education active on six continents. Its site also includes links, articles, and books about spirituality, sustainable development, and earth-centered projects.
https://gaia.org/
Gaia, Inc. is a global conscious media provider and community that operates a digital video subscription service catering to New Age, Neopagan, earth-centered, and environmentally conscious viewers. Viewing topics include interviews and documentaries of visionaries, spiritual teachers, and environmentally conscious media, personal development, and mind-body wellness programs, yoga, and similar topics. Articles on similar topics are included.
https://www.gaia.com/
Based in Shoreline, Washington, Gaia’s Temple offers Goddess worship services to a diverse membership of people who follow an earth-centered spiritual path that includes the Divine Feminine. Its board of directors, membership policies, youth programs, and a calendar of events are published to the site, along with podcasts, volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, and a photo gallery. Contact information is posted to the site, and contributions may be made online.
https://www.gaiastemple.org/
