Seeds of Wisdom
13-Week Email Course

Wow! It’s been 8 weeks since we started working with the Seeds of Wisdom themes in this email course. Give yourself a warm hug of encouragement and celebration for tuning in to your inner wisdom and including this material in whatever ways have resonated with you.

This week’s theme is Gaia. Take a moment to complete with last week’s theme of Light: clear your altar, take some notes, have a centering breath.

Gaia is one of 12 essential themes for guidance and growth in my book and deck, Seeds of Wisdom. Let’s use the familiar rhythm for exploring each week’s theme: read… reflect… respond… Four possible practices are included for embracing the wisdom of Gaia in your life.

You can write about your process with Gaia in your journal or in this printable companion workbook: https://www.eastlycreative.com/s/GaiaWorkbook.pdf

Gaia is our sacred Mother Earth.

Two stalks of grain curve to embrace the planet. How do you interpret these simple symbols? The text below is a very brief excerpt from the full chapter on Gaia in the Seeds of Wisdom guidebook. What comes up for you as you look at the image and read through the text?

Read…

a brief excerpt on the theme

A Pagan priestess may tell you that Gaia is a deity from the Greek pantheon. A Jungian psychologist may say that Gaia is an expression of the Great Mother archetype. A biologist might know Gaia as James Lovelock’s theory of the Earth as a single, unified organism.

We can imagine the priestess, the psychologist, and the biologist each gazing upon our blue-green planet from their unique points of view. They would find common ground in the idea that Gaia is the living spirit of the Earth.

Gaia is a bountiful home to a diversity of life. She provides nourishment; in turn, we must care for her well-being.

As a wisdom theme, Gaia is an invitation to focus on basic things, like health. Recognize what nurtures you, and cultivate that. Notice how you are giving and how you are taking. Strive for balance and reciprocity. Consider your relationship with the concept of “mother.”

Reflect…

in meditation and in writing

As you connect with the image, the text and the perspectives it references, what wants to be included in your awareness? Are there certain lines of text or keywords that stand out to you?

Reflect — in meditation and in writing — on your personal understanding of Gaia. What wisdom does this theme offer you?

Let your reflection process have some especially nourishing qualities for you this week. Remember that any act can become a meditation. Would it be fruitful to reflect on Gaia while you are cooking a meal or drinking a cup of tea?

Respond…

by placing symbols on your altar

What symbolizes your understanding of Gaia? What objects do you have — or can you easily gather — that symbolize your understanding of Gaia?

Perhaps it feels right to include photos of your mother or ancestors of your maternal lineage. Or maybe you’d like to place a favorite food on your altar and use it in a meal at the end of your week with Gaia. Whatever your intuition suggests, follow it.

If you have the Seeds of Wisdom cards, you may want to place the Gaia card on your altar. If you don’t have the cards, you are welcome to print the image above and use that.

Over the next week, let yourself pause at your altar frequently and discover how the theme of Gaia offers its wisdom for you.

Possible Practices

for exploring the theme

Here are some possible practices for exploring the theme of Gaia. Keep in mind, these are optional! It’s entirely up to you how much time and space you want to dedicate to this process:

• Practice 1 — Nourish Your Body
  Be mindful this week of what you are eating. What are you putting into your body physically?

• Practice 2 — Nourish Your Mind
  Add to the above practice by noticing what thoughts and energies you are feeding yourself. Are you feeding yourself love energy or self-criticism?

• Practice 3 — Align with Your Values
  What are your values regarding the Earth’s well-being? Take one new action that aligns with your values. For example, say you care deeply about pollution from plastic waste. See if you can go the week without consuming anything that adds to plastic waste.

• Practice 4 — Enjoy Gaia’s Gravity
  Lay down on the ground outside. Feel gravity as a comforting hug from the Earth.

Completion

toward the end of next week

Let your process with Gaia come to a close as you approach the end of next week.

Use your journal to take notes on your experience with the theme. Take a photo of your altar if you like.

Next Sunday you will receive an email introducing the next theme. Be sure to clear your altar to mark your completion with the theme of Gaia.

May your process with Gaia nourish your soulful connection with your own body and the body of the Earth.

Remember: If you happen to miss any emails during the course, you can always find them here:
https://www.eastlycreative.com/email-course-content

Blessings,
Elka

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May your inner wisdom guide you always!

Seeds of Wisdom Family of Tools:

~ Guidebook + Oracle Cards ~
~ Online Oracle ~
~ Flower Essence Companion ~
~ Email Course ~
~ Wisdom Program ~

Please note: This course is a self-directed process intended to support your spiritual growth. It is not therapy or medical care and is not a replacement for either. I am not a medical practitioner of any kind, and do not diagnose, prescribe, or treat medical or mental health conditions.