In Greek mythology, Gaia was the mother goddess of Earth, so this is the name most often used to refer to the great spirit that is our planet. Gaia plays host to many forms of life, both physical and energetic, but the planet itself is also alive and very conscious.

Like everything with a physical body, Gaia has a complete chakra system and energy meridians (which are the systems that acupuncturists use to treat people). Chakra points and energy lines on the earth are particularly sacred places and should be treated as such. Energy meridians on the earth are also known as ley lines, or dragon lines. Our ancestors were very aware of Gaia’s chakras and energy points. Ancient sacred sites were built in such places, and many still stand, while countless others remain hidden.

Volcanoes, the movement of tectonic plates, and the movement of water (streams, rivers, oceans) all help to regulate Gaia’s energy system and keep her body healthy. Recent human activities have definitely harmed her health. Building dams on rivers is the equivalent of creating an energy blockage in Gaia’s body. Drilling for oil is the equivalent of siphoning off her blood. And pollution in all its forms is like creating multiple viruses to attack her body.

It is important, however, to know that Gaia can recover her health, and that we are returning to a state of balance. There is a shift in consciousness that is occurring on the planet that is helping her and all life on her to move into a higher vibration. In order for this to happen, Gaia is healing. She is clearing her chakras and releasing negativity. In the process, that which has long been hidden will be revealed, and that which must be healed will vanish or change in a way to allow that healing.

We can help each other and our Mother Earth by not participating in fear. Don't view Earth changes as negative. Give your fears to God and ask that the highest good be done, and don't be invested in the outcome, or how the outcome arrives. Simply trust.

The second way we can most help Gaia is to open our hearts. When we damage our environment, when we make decisions for short-term gain without regard for long-term consequences, our heart is closed. But if our heart is open, we know that we must treat the earth, the water, and the air with respect. We know that every living thing is a part of the whole, and that it deserves to exist.

Our ancestors knew how to live in harmony with Gaia, and there are many people alive today who still do this. Many Native Americans, Australian aboriginals, and indigenous peoples everywhere retain the understanding of Gaia's great spirit, the connection with her messengers in nature, and the language of the heart that allows us to play an appropriate role in the great web of life.

Living in harmony with Gaia does not mean that we must renounce all technology or convenience, however. We are more than capable of producing technologies that work in harmony with Gaia. Ancient human civilizations had greater technology than we do today, and it is still available to us if we shift our thinking.

Earth changes are happening, and they're important, but they do not signal "the end times." They signal a new beginning and new opportunities. How we choose to react to these changes will decide how easily—or with how much difficulty—they occur. Either way, Gaia and all of her children must return to a life of balance once again.

We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children.
—Indian proverb

All things share the same breath—the beast, the tree, the man, the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.
—Chief Seattle

Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.
—Indian proverb

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