The Global
Robyn Williams: So there you've got an image of the earth, the planet as a god, but also a very sophisticated and credible scientific idea.
Tim Flannery: That's right. I was tempted in the book to simply give in and call it Earth System Science, because Gaia is earth system science and in many university departments around the world, as you'll know, Robyn, earth system science is a very respectable science. But as soon as you mention Gaia of course, the scepticism comes out. I didn't do that though, because I think there's a certain elegance to Gaia, to that word and the concept, and also because I think that within this century the concept of the strong Gaia will actually become physically manifest. I do think that the Gaia of the Ancient Greeks, where they believed the earth was effectively one whole and perfect living creature, that doesn't exist yet, but it will exist in future. That's why I wanted to keep that word.
Does he mean that the goddess Gaea will actually manifest within and to the world as a living, breathing Goddess? Some seem to have interpreted it that way, but as tempting as it might be to jump to that conclusion, what he actually meant might be far worse. There is a strong, vital goddess movement, albeit relatively small, that believes that, in fact, Gaea has already manifested. Who is she? Well, she is all of us. The following is taken from the website of Geon of Atlanta-
Who is Gaea? Why, you are. So am I. So are the great whales, and the plants that made the beans for your morning coffee. Gaea is the politician on your television, and the medium by which you are reading these words. Gaea, in short, is the entirety of the living, breathing world we call home.
So Gaea is a kind of collective consciousness of the entire world. Fine, I could be down with that, to a point, but the problem is, it gets problematic the minute you make the jump, a quite natural leap, that since we all share the same collective consciousness, we should all be the same. It not only gets problematic, it can be dangerous.
The Gaea worshipers, at least the ones on this site, are plain in their pronouncements that not all Gaeans will approach the worship of Gaea in the exact same way. The important thing is the end goal. So, what are some of the different ways through which one might decide to best show their devotion to the great Mother Goddess? Thankfully, the site provides some insight-
The stated goals of your basic Gaea devotee are as follows-
* We seek to provide fellowship and spiritual nourishment through reaffirmation of our unity with Gaea.
* We seek to promote the religion of Gaea, and the theaology of natural divinity.
* We seek to promote the ethics of individual liberty bounded only by individual responsibility and justice.
* We seek to promote the community of all earth-reverent religions, nourishing both its unity and its diversity.
Well, that doesn't sound so bad, does it? They even throw in a paean to "individual liberty", responsibility and justice. So then, what are some of the differing paths by which one might choose to achieve these goals. From the same page-
There is no “One True Way” of Gaea. There are several organizations and traditions that hold the basic Gaean philosophy as outlined above, yet differ wildly as to how to pursue the greatest good for the Mother. Some groups call for an end to technology, or capitalism, some for mandatory veganism, some for mass human suicide. The diversity of thought on the subject can be confusing, but it's probably a good thing. Diversity promotes evolution and strength. That principle works as well for ideas as it does for species. This site represents my experience, and compatible views of Gaea. I do not claim to speak as the voice of Gaea, or claim authority over what may someday be coherent opinions on her part. (Frankly, I would be very cautious of anyone who did).
Do note the author here is understandably suspicious of anyone that would deign to speak for the goddess, but evidently she is not suspicious or the least bit concerned that some of her fellow Gaea worshipers might promote mass human suicide. Doesn't that make you wonder just how prevalent such a mindset might be within the Gaea movement? It sure makes me wonder. That doesn't necessarily translate into the broader spectrum of earth sciences and environmentalist political activism, of course, but its worth noting that the influence of such radical philosophies is part and parcel of the whole.
They might well point out that humankind is itself suicidal to at least an extent, and that might well be a valid point. But in this instance, we see suicide as an accepted, and acceptable, doctrinal movement, an actual spiritual philosophy.
We are used to seeing Gaea "manifest", symbolically of course, as a youthful, wild virgin, as a Great Mother figure, and as an ancient wise crone, all timeless representations of various stages of life mirrored in the greater universe of the world and its environment. We have seen her presented as a kindly matriarchal figure, and conversely as a stern, disciplinary mother, even as a passionate lover and temptress on the one hand, and an enraged, vengeful dispenser of divine, impassioned justice on the other.
Now we are gifted with yet another vision, that of a remorseless, crazed murderess of her own children. Or, if you will, as a suicidal cunt.
At her age, perhaps the Goddess is merely suffering from an intermediary stage of Alzheimers. Whether she is or is not, or even if that is merely another one of her many varied and seemingly contradictory manifestations, it begs the question-should we her children not be providing for her care? I think we should, but in an appropriate way that is practical and in taking into consideration the needs of all of her children-seeing as how we are, of course, just another manifestation of her greater global consciousness.
It would seem that even an aged and revered goddess, for all her greatness and power, can suffer from the pangs of delusion and dementia. Unfortunately, with all too many of her followers, that seems to be the most prominent consciousness she has yet to manifest unto us.
What is worse, I have not seen any signs that her followers in the scientific community, or the ones in the world of progressive politics, have any better grasp of reality than those of her devotees that offer her scented candles and incense on Earth Day.
