Also called Ge, Gaea, Mother Earth, Ge Kourotrophos.
Their story
Hesiod says that first came Chaos, and then broad-breasted Gaia, the ever-sure foundation of all. She bore the sky, Ouranos, the mountains and the sea. Aeschylus tells that she was the first to hold the oracle at Delphi, long before Apollo.
Best times to give to them
- spring planting
- the harvest
- when breaking new ground or moving home
- in the morning in the garden
What they like being given
- water, milk or honey poured on the soil
- grain or seeds
- fruit
- compost or care for the land
- wildflower seeds
How to honour them
- Pour a libation straight onto the soil for Gaia and thank her for all that grows.
- Plant something, or tend a garden or allotment, in her honour.
- Walk barefoot on grass or earth and greet her.
- Cut down waste and care for the land as a daily offering.
How they can help you
- grounding and stability
- fertility and growth
- caring for the environment
- feeling at home in your body
Symbols
- the earth itself
- fruit and grain
- serpent
- cornucopia
Gaia received little formal cult in most cities, and there is no weekday traditionally tied to her.
More Greek goddesses
- Hera Queen of heaven and guardian of marriage
- Athena Grey-eyed goddess of wisdom and craft
- Artemis Lady of wild things and the hunt
- Aphrodite Foam-born goddess of love and beauty
- Hestia Goddess of the hearth and the home fire
- Demeter Mother of the grain and the harvest
- Persephone Queen of the underworld and the returning spring
- Hecate Keeper of crossroads and keys