Gaia, Goddess, The Earth

I have used the name "Gaia" loosely here -- and I extend my apologies to those who know Gaia in a more specific or different form.  I chose the name "Gaia" to represent the spiritual aspects of environmentalism. I thought about merging this information with the Pagan Theology page, but on further reflection it seemed that Gaia deserved an elevated status in a nature religion.  Thus, Gaia leads the way in the Spirituality section of Solitary-Pagan.net.

The Gaia Hypothesis

The Gaia Hypothesis "proposes that our planet functions as a single organism that maintains conditions necessary for its survival," according to Dr. Chamberlin of Fullerton College.  The term is attributed to James Lovelock who promoted the idea in the 1960s and has since published numerous books on the topic.  A lengthy article on the Gaia Hypothesis, several conferences, support and criticism, and the new home for the theory in Ecological Science can be found at Wikipedia (Gaia Theory, Science).

Deep Ecology

Deep ecology is concerned with the interconnection between human beings and the various ecosystems or planetary systems.  It has also been described as a philosophy based on our sacred relationship with Earth and all beings and as an international movement for a viable future.  

Marian Green, a well known witchcraft author wrote, "I think that if some of the witches of today thought more about the actual working of Nature and less of book-bound, set knowledge, they would gain more power in their magics, more joy in their celebrations, and a greater sense of unity with their ancestors and the ancient faith they aim to follow" (page 47, Thirteen Moons).

In the essay "What is Deep Ecology?" Fritjof Capra explains that shallow ecology is anthropocentric while deep ecology does not separate humans from the natural environment.  Shallow ecology places human beings above nature, valuing nature only for its usefulness.  Deep ecology places human life as "just one particular strand in the web of life.  Deep ecology views all living things as interdependent, interconnected, and valuable" (page 20, Deep Ecology).  

Ecofeminism

Another interesting area to explore is Ecofeminism.  While any new movement is hard to define, it appears that many feminists have noted the similaries between the domination of women and the domination of the Earth's resources.  Ecofeminist writers often have a spiritual, transcendent element to their work that is similar to deep ecology, such as that expressed by Eli Galla and in the Wikipedia articles on Ecofeminism.

Additional Resources

Although it may be hard to read something you disagree with, you can learn a great deal that way.  You'll also find that there are many religions concerned with ecology -- not just Paganism.  For example, if you search for "ecology" at About.com you'll find articles from Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist perspectives.

I highly recommend is Deep Ecology for the 21st Century: Readings on the Philosophy and Practice of the New Environmentalism.  I's a wonderful collection of relatively short but information and thought provoking essays.  Most of the articles are less than 10 pages long. Another book I highly recommend, although it isn't specifically on deep ecology or Paganism, is The Sacred Depths of Nature by Ursula Goodenough.