Modern Earth Day
The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 by Senator Nelson as a grassroots demonstration to show support for the environment. It has been observed every year since then on April 22nd as a way to think about the environment and how we can help better our living on Earth.
This year will mark Earth's 54th annual Earth Day, and is celebrated in over 192 countries around the world. The goal of this holiday is to help make our planet "greener" and cleaner. This day brings hopes to us all that the celebration and love of Mother Earth will extend into our everyday lives and improve living for all of today and tomorrow.
The Original Goddess of Earth
Gaia is the Greek Goddess of Earth, and is actually the first God in Greek Mythology. She is known as the "Great Mother of All," and was born from Chaos. Known also as Mother Earth or Mother Nature, it is from her that all life was born, and therefore all life will return when its time has ended.
She is the personification of our Earth and our ecosystem, always working to reach and maintain peace and balance within the environment. Mother Nature heals, nurtures and supports life, and all life and health depends on Her. Gaia is a more docile but Yin way of healing and all we need to do in order to regain our health is to return to her bosom and live by Her laws. Mother Earth is a healing goddess, and in time she heals all.
Gaia Hypothesis
Created by James Lovelock in the 1960s, the Gaia hypothesis states that all life, and all living things on Earth, are part of a singular, all-encompassing consciousness he coined Gaia. It's this global entity, Gaia, Mother Earth, Mother Nature - that enables our planet to support life while the other planets in our solar system remain barren and lifeless.
Via Lovelock's hypothesis, all living things are continuously interacting with their surrounding environment to maintain harmony, balance, and continuity of Life. We are to live in balance with Mother Nature so that health and healing are ours, but those who violate Her laws are subject to punishment by way of pain and disease.
Celebrate
In a way, Earth Day has become the modern celebration of Gaia. What are some ways you can celebrate Her and Earth Day?
Five Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
Plant a flower that attracts pollinator friends like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Clean up your street, neighborhood, road etc.
Plant a tree!
Conserve water.
Swap out your kitchen and household items with biodegradable products.
Earth Day Poem
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.
And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.
That’s why we
Celebrate this day.
That’s why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
– Jane Yolen
Comments