MOTHER EARTH

In Greek mythology Gaia is the mother of all. In ecology, Gaia is the earth and everything on it or in it. Earth as a self contained organism. And, perhaps, Gaia as part of a greater organism; the Sol system itself. When our sun begins to die, it will expand into a red giant star. It may expand enough take in the orbits of the inner planets. The bloated giant will shed great shells of gas into space carried on the solar winds. The gases may contain the remains of some or all of the inner planets and may rip away the outer atmospheres of the gas giants. Think of the elements in these clouds as seeds for another generation of stars and planets. One of the arguments against Gaia as a living organism is that a planet can’t reproduce itself that way smaller organisms can.

 

The cells in our bodies renew themselves. Their life cycles are very short compared to the life of a mouse, a dog, or a man. Perhaps the critics aren’t looking at life cycle that’s long enough.

 

So Gaia’s fire. The fire of creation. The warmth of sustaining fires. The fires could seed a new generation of star families.

 

Note: Gaia has a counterpart in the myths of Ireland. In that misty, emerald land she is called Danu.