Our
Environment

 

 

Gaia
by Ron Leadbetter
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Gaia, known as Earth or Mother Earth (the Greek common noun for "land" is ge or ga). She was an early earth goddess and it is written that Gaia was born from Chaos, the great void of emptiness within the universe, and with her came Eros. She gave birth to Pontus (the Sea) and Uranus (the Sky). This was achieved parthenogenetically (without male intervention). Other versions say that Gaia had as siblings Tartarus (the lowest part of the earth, below Hades itself) and Eros, and without a mate, gave birth to Uranus (Sky), Ourea (Mountains) and Pontus (Sea).
Gaia took as her husband Uranus, who was also her son, and their offspring included the Titans, six sons and six daughters. She gave birth to the Cyclopes and to three monsters that became known as the "Hecatonchires". The spirits of punishment known as the Erinyes were also offspring of Gaia and Uranus. The Gigantes, finally, were conceived after Uranus had been castrated by his son Cronus, and his blood fell to earth from the open wound.

To protect her children from her husband, (the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, as he was fearful of their great strength), Gaia hid them all within herself. One version says that Uranus was aghast at the sight of his offspring so he hid them away in Tartarus, which are the bowels of the earth. Gaia herself found her offspring uncomfortable and at times painful, when the discomfort became to much to bear she asked her youngest son Cronus to help her. She asked him to castrate Uranus, thus severing the union between the Earth and Sky, and also to prevent more monstrous offspring. To help Cronus achieve his goal Gaia produced an adamantine sickle to serve as the weapon. Cronus hid until Uranus came to lay with Gaia and as Uranus drew near, Cronus struck with the sickle, cutting the genitalia from Uranus. Blood fell from the severed genitals and came in contact with the earth and from that union was born the Erinyes (Furies), the Giants and the Meliae (Nymphs of the manna ash trees).

After the separation of the Earth from the Sky, Gaia gave birth to other offspring, these being fathered by Pontus. Their names were the sea-god Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto and Eurybia. In other versions Gaia had offspring to her brother Tartarus; they were Echidna and Typhon, the later being an enemy of Zeus. Apollo killed Typhon when he took control of the oracle at Delphi, which Gaia originally provided, and then the "Sibyl" sang the oracle in Gaia's shrine.

It was Gaia who saved Zeus from being swallowed by Cronus, after Zeus had been born, Gaia helped Rhea to wrap a stone in swaddling clothes, this was to trick Cronus in to thinking it was Zeus, because Cronus had been informed that one of his children would depose him, and so to get rid of his children he had swallowed them, Gaia's trick worked and Zeus was then taken to Crete.

Gaia being the primordial element from which all the gods originated was worshiped throughout Greece, but later she went into decline and was supplanted by other gods. In Roman mythology she was known as Tellus or Terra.

Related information
Other names
Gaea
Ge
Pronunciation
{jee'-uh}

Etymology
"Earth"

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Source(s):
David Sacks. Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World.
Panaghiotis Christou and Katharini Papastamatis. Gods and Heroes in Greek Mythology.
Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins. Ancient Greece a handbook.
Geddes and Grosset. Classical Mythology.

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Wildlife & Fish: Whales & Marine Animals: In Brief: News Navy Sonar System Threatens Marine Mammals The U.S. government may allow use of a powerful new system despite evidence that military sonar kills marine animals. http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/marine/nlfa.asp

 

Did you know with only 5% of the world's population, the United States has the highest per capita consumption of energy in the world? The U.S. uses --30% of the planet's total natural resources including --25% of the world's fossil fuels --20% of the world's metals.

 

The number of motorized road vehicles worldwide - presently in excess of 800 million - is expanding at a faster rate than the population or the GDP, and the trend is general; road traffic - cars and lorries - could increase faster still. Air transport has the highest growth rate. Generally more respectful of the environment, the use of public transports (rail and bus) is in decline in numerous countries. In short, transports aren't sustainable. The effects of motorized transport on public health and the environment are well known. They include global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, the dispersal of toxic substances - organic or not - among which tropospheric ozone, the rarefaction of oil and other natural resources; not to mention soil and landscape degradation. In the last thirty years, developments have aimed at pollution control and energy efficiency with a view to reduce the impact of transport on health and environment. But the results have been nullified by the increase in ever more powerful vehicles and their use.

http://www.yannarthusbertrand.com/

For - Caring for Environment

Have you noticed the amount of tragic deaths as a result of major floods, avalanches, hurricanes, tornados, droughts and eruptions in the 12 months?

Could this be Mother Earth crying out!?

Increasing World population will reach 6Bn by the year 2020

Global warming - ice caps melting - leading to conveyor belt halting therefore no warm current in Pacific - Ice Age

Rain Forests - cutting down so many trees per day - depleted CO2 in atmosphere - need trees & vegetation (coral reefs) to breath and live

Air / Water pollution - cars/ CFC's leading to ozone layer depletion

Diseases - Aids, Cancer, viruses , love bugs

What about our kids - future of World

We're just killing ourselves!

Vs. - Who Cares!!

Global Warming is just related to Sun Spots, Ozone hole is beneficial to chanelling energy

Who cares - we'll be dead by then

Ce Sera, Sera - whatever will be will be

Other Issues

In China, a single child may have to support his/ her whole family when they retire!

Africa - water irrigation, famine etc.

In the next decade will be more elderly people than young people.

Also theory that sun spots related to Flu epidemics

Monsanta

Chemical Idustry - shutters come down when questions about environmentally unfriendly chlorine related chemicals

cyanide spill in Hungary - killing lots of fish

As within so without - the external environment is mirroring our inner environment - we are hurting our planet one end for the sake of the other - like the right arm stealing from the left. Cancer could be related to the state of the planet

We (qigonghealing.com) maintain the following earth-friendly practices:

100% of our electricity is generated from wind-power.
We use recycled paper, computer discs, packaging material, checks (printed with soy ink), and other recycled products.
We recycle and reuse our own materials whenever possible.
We use only biodegradable cleansers.
Our toilet is an ultra low flush model.
We support local businesses that support the environment.
Because jet travel is the MOST polluting form of transportation, we travel exclusively by car or train within North America.
We use older, low megahertz computers with state of the art electromagnetic field screens.
We do NOT upgrade our software regularly or contribute to Silicon Valley landfills.
We are actively involved in local political and environmental decision making and have, through personal testimony, stopped polluters in their tracks.
We donate money regularly to environmental and indigenous rights groups.

 

Links

To save some trees click here:http://rainforest.care2.com,

http://www.earthtransitions.com/drunvalo.htm

Environment and End of Life

The World's Best Electric Vehicles - We are a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of electric bicycles, electric scooters, electric motorcycles and other electric transportation and recreational products. No matter what you do, ZAP has a "Zero Air Pollution" way to make it easier. Since 1994, ZAP® (or Zero Air PollutionT) has literally "ZAPPED" thousands of people in almost every part of the world with quiet, energy-conscious human-electric transportation. ZAP's fun, innovative and affordable products have pioneered a new niche in personal transportation

 

References:

1. The Benefits of Meditation

http://soulconnection.org/medi/medi_benefits.html

2. EEG and Meditation

http://www.create.org/healingarts/patheeg.htm

3. Dr. James V. Hardt: A Tale of Self-discovery

[Published in Megabrain Reports, May, 1994, edited for the web],

Biocybernaut Institute,

Alpha Feedback Training May Be A Closer Parallel To Zen Than To Yoga

http://www.biocybernaut.com/publications/closer-zen.html

4. R. Adam Crane BCIA, ACN, NRNP:

SLOW WAVES, PROFOUND ATTENTION, A COMPASS FOR THE GIFTED THINKER

Presentation at 2nd Annual SSNR Meeting,

Las Vegas May 1994

http://www.mindfitness.com/adam0.htm

5. The Biological Perspective

http://www.williamjames.com/Theory/BIOLOGY.htm

6. James L. Oschman:

What is Healing Energy? Part 3, Silent Pulses

http://www.angelfire.com/or/mctrl/oschman.htm

7. Tony Smith's Home Page:

Schumann Resonances, Geomagnetic Reversals, and Human Brain States

http://www.innerx.net/personal/tsmith/Schumann.html#brain

8. Harold Aspden:

BRAIN WAVES AND ALPHA RHYTHM

Research Note: 06/97: March 31, 1997

Schumann Resonance

http://www.energyscience.co.uk/notes/rn9706.htm

9. Scott Fusare: An experimenters approach to detecting the Schumann Resonances.

http://radio-research.bei.t-online.de/project5/schumann1.pdf

10. Earthgate Project: http://www.angelfire.com/in/earthgate/earthgatee.html

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