Gaia’s Mantle: The Greening of the Earth
(Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository)
As
Spring approaches and we find ourselves at another turn of the Great
Wheel, opportunity abounds for making deeper connection to the
natural world and Gaia’s greening of it. Gaia is seen as the maiden
offering the promise of new life in a womb that is still developing
and preparing for what will be birthed in full glory as the summer
approaches and the peak of all living things is held in father sun’s
gentle hold. It is Her sweet breath that breathes life into what lay
in wait to be birthed and it is Her gentle hand that guides the
process of renewal.
This time of reaffirming fertility and
its progeny of new life marks the Spring Equinox. What was weighted
more heavily at the time of the Solstice has now achieved a certain
state of balance and equilibrium, before it seesaws once again
towards one polarity’s weight. As we look around at our earthly
world we can marvel at the cyclical nature of new life, maturity and
the eventual harvesting and clearing which renders the ground fallow
as quickening awaits its rhythmic cue. We have emerged from Winter’s
hold of stillness and illusory death and now stand at the time of
balance and the drawing together of what was and what will be in an
organized and synthesized manner so that the promise of newly created
life may flourish.
Visually, Spring is the time of donning
new color, shape and form. Gaia offers up the splendor of her
multi-colored cloak as all manner of life bursts forth in texture and
hue. The energy of this palette enlivens our being and the call to
warmer air and out of doors activities entices even the most
reluctant homebody. As life blooms all around you, how will you
answer the call to take up the robes of nature’s finery? Where will
you invest your energy in renewing what has lain dormant awaiting the
gentle push of Gaia’s hand? Will you dare to step into the mantle
of the Goddess that she has lovingly crafted for you and claim your
place as co-creator in the greening of the world?
I invite
you to take a journey with me as the Wheel turns…
Gaia’s
Mantle Pathworking:
Take a deep breath inhaling and
allow the rhythm of your breathing to establish a gentle and regular
pace. As you deepen into this relaxed state you shift your awareness
to your inner screen. As you sit as observer you see a veil of pale
violet mist form in front of you and as it parts you see yourself
sleeping peacefully as the energy of the space builds around you. As
you turn greater awareness to this sleeping image of yourself you
merge to become one with it and are now the active participant. You
awaken to find yourself in the middle of a dense and green forest
just prior to dawn. You stretch and extend, feeling the cobwebs of
restriction opening and giving way. The potent smell of earth fills
your nostrils and the soaking heaviness of moisture fills your being
as you drink thirstily.
You sense that it is dawn and
sunlight filters through tree branches in slender slivers of thread
as beads of dew sparkle like small diamonds strung upon the finest
silk. You sit up and pull yourself up to standing, again stretching
and reaching upwards with breath coming in long deep inhales and
exhales. You take a few steps forward and the soft ground below gives
ever so slightly under weight of your foot. Your senses are keen and
alert and it seems that you can feel every granule of dirt and leave
and stone underfoot, despite the padded soles of your shoes. As you
move forward, the light grows brighter with each step and you find
yourself in a clearing. The ground is still covered in a light bed of
thin mossy green and patches of dried grass and you know that this
field will be full of flowers and butterflies in just a few weeks.
This image flashes quickly before you and then returns to the space
of fertile ground that will soon peak.
You close
your eyes for a moment and feel the last nip of winter’s cold air
pass over you, quickly followed by a warm breeze that is light and
airy. You open your eyes and see a few yards ahead of you the form of
what appears to be a young girl. The sun is directly behind her and
flashes brightly in your eyes, making clear definition difficult. You
see that she is approaching you and you take a few steps forward in
greeting to meet her.
As you move closer, you now have the
impression that this form is not what you thought. There is
resemblance to human form, but the energy and lightness of its
quality seem otherworldly. As you move closer still you can now
discern that this shape of a young woman is the movement and gentle
breeze of seed, earth, and leafy grass moving and swirling. You stop
and your eyes follow the path of this unusual sight. Every area of
the field it touches responds with the bursting forth of small shoots
of flower and fragrant grass. Every area it passes over transforms
into haven and home for bee, blossom and butterfly. The fragrant
breath of tiny buds wafts delicately in the air and the gentle shape
of this breezy maiden of flora moves with focus and precision.
You
close your eyes and simply rest in this energy of renewal and growth.
You feel a gust of wind surround around and know that this maiden of
Spring is now enfolding you in her transformative embrace. You feel
the movement of her gentle breath clearing away the debris of what
has lingered too long and is not of your best interest. You smell the
fragrant and fertile earth of planting that is awakening the seeds of
potential within you. And, you feel the weight of her cloak of
greening as it presses against your skin reminding you that you too
are part of this cycle of new growth.
You open your
eyes and look down at the beauty of the mantle she has placed about
you. Tiny leaf and budding flower are woven into a tapestry of vine
and slender root. The smell of new verdant life is intoxication and
you revel in the finery that Gaia has gifted you with. You feel the
gentle kiss of a butterfly’s wing, fresh from the slumber of its
cocoon and you know that another turn of the sacred wheel has been
rendered. You take a deep breath in, filling your lungs with the
freshness of a Spring day’s promise and as you exhale, the cloak
falls away and you are once again standing in the open clearing that
has yet to be birthed from Spring’s womb.
You sigh
into a deep exhale, knowing that the greening will occur as it has
every cycle and that you will be active participant in welcoming the
warming tides. A single stream of air encircles you and you know this
is the blessing of Gaia and the promise of her transformative magick.
As these thoughts flood through you, a violet mist forms around you
and the landscape gently fades from your sight. You become aware once
again of your inner screen and pull that awareness back into the
sensations of your physical state. Each breath of inhalation draws
the energy of the space in which you are sitting back to your
conscious awareness. And, each exhalation brings focus back to the
gentle and easy rhythm of your breath. Continue in this manner for
several more breaths, and when you are ready, gently flutter your
eyes open and be fully present and enlivened by Gaia’s
Mantle.
Blessed Be!
***
About the Author:
Robin Fennelly is a Wiccan High Priestess, teacher, poet and author.
She is the author of (click on book titles for more information):
The Inner Chamber Volume One on Amazon
It’s Written in the Stars
Astrology
The Inner Chamber, Vol. Two
poetry of the Spheres (Volume 2) on Amazon
Qabalah
The Inner Chamber, Vol. Three
Qabalah
The Eternal Cord
Temple of the Sun and Moon on Amazon
Luminous Devotions
The Magickal Pen Volume One (Volume 1) on Amazon
A Collection of Esoteric Writings
Aligning the Parts of SELF
Musings on the Magick of the Natural World
Sleeping with the Goddess on Amazon
Nights of Devotion
Musings for the Year
Her books are available on Amazon or on this website and her Blogs can be found at: Robin Fennelly
Follow Robin on Instagram & Facebook.