3 Ways to Honor & Connect with Gaia for Earth Day

Every year Earth Day rolls around and I get this sinking feeling in my stomach that I’m not doing enough. I’m quick to jump on the shame wagon and ask myself, “What more can I do to heal Mother Earth?” Sometimes, it seems like the small things I do, like taking reusable bags to the grocery, using reusable water bottles, and walking more just aren’t enough. There’s too much healing that needs to take place, how can my small acts make a difference?There is always more we could be doing, but it is also important to start where you are and slowly build in more habits and rituals to help the earth. Like any habit, taking on too many or too much at one time will inevitably lead to feeling overwhelmed and result in abandoning the habit altogether. Rituals are important for me, they make me feel more connected to the universe and help solidify the actions I want to take. To celebrate Earth Day and honor our natural home, I found several rituals for the goddess Gaia and think they’re a perfect way to feel more connected and spiritually in tune with Earth Day.

Who is Gaia?

The Greek goddess Gaia was born out of chaos. Gaia is the personification of Earth, the primal mother. She bore the sky and the sea, the sun and the heavens, and all of life. Gaia is the being that nurtures and heals us. She supplies our medicine, food, clothes, and shelter.

3 Ways to Honor Gaia for Earth Day

1. Get outside!

One of the best ways to honor the earth is to engage with the earth. In our homes, it can be easy to forget that we are earth. The land you live on has wisdom to share and the only way you can learn it is by engaging with it. Getting outside also comes with a slew of health benefitsNature doesn't move on our timeline, things move slower. Take your time forming relationships with your local plants and trees. After a time, you'll begin to connect with them and may start to receive intuitive insights from them too.If you're unable to get outside consider bringing in some earthy scents into your home, altar, or sacred space, like honeysuckle, spruce, or cypress. Visualizing a connection with the earth can be just as powerful and adding scents can enrich your experience.

2. Get involved locally

Find ways to support the earth in your community that are doable for you. It can be easy to focus solely on the big problems while forgetting that there are solutions needed for our local environments. Finding ways to support locally can have just as much of an impact long-term as global issues.

3. Gratitude Offerings

Bring some life to your altar or sacred space by making a fruit and flower offering to Gaia. Spend some quiet moments and deep breaths with this offering, asking Gaia for guidance this Earth day.

Rune Symbols: A Beginner’s Guide to Divination

Sometimes we just need a message from the Universe to pull us through. Does this ring true for you? My grandmother relied on answers from her pendulum for big and small life questions, her open-mindedness to divination tools caught my attention at a young age and I was instantly hooked. Oracle cards, tarot, palmistry, astrology, pendulums, tea leaf readings, name a divination tool and you’ll be sure I’ve dabbled in it. Runes are new for me though, I’ve always been intrigued by their symbolism but never knew how to use them.

You could be wondering how to proceed in a relationship, or just looking for some guidance as you start your day. Rune symbols can remedy many of the nagging questions you might have racing through your head. Here are some basic history and tips I’ve learned for getting started.

A Brief History of Rune Symbols

Before the Latin Alphabet, rune letters were used to write German languages. Their roots can be found in Old Norse, and they make up an ancient runic alphabet containing 24 symbols. Rune symbols have been found to date back as far as 150 AD. They have been discovered on spearheads, charms, and even on headstones in the form of spells! It is said that the word “rune” has come to mean “secret, something hidden,” and many people believe the symbols were used as a form of divination. Some people continue this practice today.

3 Ways to Use Runes as a Divination Tool

There are several ancient tales that explain how to cast the symbols.

THE 3 RUNE SPREAD

Around 98 AD a book was written (The Germania) detailing Germanic tribes. In this book, a story is told of symbols being chosen from “a nut-bearing tree” in groups of three. In this version, you will draw three rune symbols to answer your question.

YNGLINGA SAGA

In an Old Norse saga (Ynglinga Saga) dating between 1869-1872 a king learns his fate when all of the “chips” are cast. This refers to a full reading casting all 24 symbols

VITA ANSGARI

A biography of Saint Ansgar written around 875 CE, recalls the lives of some of the common people during the Viking Age. In the accounts of the everyday people, Ansgari describes several situations where runes are used for divination. He refers to these instances as “drawing lots.” This describes the method where you will draw only one rune symbol at random.

• The symbols should be cast East to West or facing the sun

• Symbols should be cast on a white cloth

• Facedown symbols shouldn’t be read

• Reversed symbols take on a different meaning

Meanings of the Rune symbols vary slightly from source to source, but here’s an image that shows the simplest meanings I’ve found. In general, the reversed symbols will mean the opposite.I purchased my new set of runes at a local crystal shop, but quite a few Etsy sellers offer handmade sets, here’s one of my favorite finds. Whether you’ve had experience with using Rune’s as a divination tool or you’re just starting out I’d love to hear about your experience!