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Gaia's
Angels
By
Jesse Wolf Hardin
Name a little girl or boy who wouldn't be comforted by the
vision of a smiling apparition, gently descending on them like
a blessing or a smile, like a soft summer breeze or a silken see-through
curtain! A kid's budding spiritual identity is  fashioned
not by the fear of demons so much as the assurances of fairy-hearted,
gossamer winged angels. It's easy to envision these mystical
guardians watching over us in our sleep at the end of a long,
long day... or preventing bad things from happening to us when
our mother is called away.
No matter how else we might come to think of them, all angels
are spirits – intentionally or unintentionally contributing
to our soulful growth. They function as a resource to be tapped,
as well as a sacred reality check. And it needs to be said that
the most accessible of these speak not from some distant galaxy
or otherworldly dimension, but from close at hand –
through the spirits and beings of this magical planet, and the
aperture of our deeply feeling hearts. The word itself derives
from the Latin “angelus,” meaning literally “messengers.”
Angels thus function not as intermediaries between us and the
experience of God or Spirit, but as communicative conduits, as
connective tissue helping link us to the rest of the miraculous
and informative whole. Even the most ethereal or metamorphic angels
are integral extensions of, or relatives of this inspirited living
Earth: “Gaia”... expressing the will and grace of a
divine and purposeful universe.
Such angels aren't necessarily here to make things easier.
They're neither vacation directors, cosmic crosswalk
guards, providers of convenient parking spaces, nor pillows waiting
to catch us if we fall. As extensions of spirit and agents of
truth, they'd be loathe to save us from the very mistakes
that temper our strength and provide us with our necessary lessons.
If they allow us to stumble it is not out of indifference
or neglect, but out of deep noticing, unequaled empathy and caring.
No ally would deny us an opportunity to grow stronger in the face
of struggle... or deprive us of the chance for significance, distinction
and nobility that comes from our doing the right thing with no
certainty of assistance or success. If dovish wings are spread
it is not to shelter us, as that might block our access to the
sky. Any wings would be intended to keep even the mellowest angels
moving... and thus remind us that we, too, can fly.
The most beneficial angels encourage in us resolution more than
relief. Relief is sweet in the short term but can easily result
in a lulling of the senses, in decreased awareness of the dynamics
and implications of the world unfolding around us. Resolution,
on the other hand, is a perfect mix of clarity and action, completion
and satisfaction. It is a level of contentment dependent less
on accomplishment and success than on knowing we've done all
we can... plus our gracious acceptance of any rewards. These angels'
mission is not simply to comfort the angst or aggrieved, but to
awaken and alert us to our divinity. Our responsibility. Our opportunities
to give, to manifest, to excel. They manifest not as accomplices
in our transcendence or escape, but as accessible resources and
aides in a ritual, heroic reconnecting – with our authentic
selves, the rest of the natural world, and our most meaningful
purpose.
And there are embodied angels all around us as well, the many
messengers of the many faces of God: the infant who climbs onto
our laps at work, insisting we stop to play. The cook who guarantees
we notice and taste our food, by threatening to take our muffin
away. The compassionate and kind – as well as the sparkling
river, rescuing us from a loud and busied mind. And those
who love us no matter what, as well as they who provoke us to
stretch, to deepen, to change. What makes them angels is not how
brightly they glow, but the way they open up so that each person's
light can shine through. And sometimes the most important message
they can impart to us is to say: “Sister, or brother, it's
up to you!”
Angels are reminders more than guides, helping us recall (call
back!) our missing parts, our unquenched desires and needs, our
unfulfilled dreams. Reminding us of the importance of authenticity,
mission and honor. Reminding us to fully live before we die! And
the cottonwood tree shakes its leaves, to remind us to get out
of our minds and back into present time. Their shared message
is to “feel deeply, respond sincerely, give much, and accept
all gifts.”
In whatever guise or incarnation, Gaia's angels are committed
to reuniting us with our sacred, responsive Animus – our
creature beings and magical selves. Theirs is a sacred covenant:
to help rejoin us to the cycles of life and death, to the God-filled
universe and this living, giving Earth. And to support us in seeking
affirmation, direction and advice first from our own flawless,
angelic hearts.
Jesse
Wolf Hardin is the author of Kindred Spirits: Sacred Earth
Wisdom (SwanRaven 2001) and Gaia Eros: New Nature Spirituality
(New Page 2004). Contact: The Earthen Spirituality Project, Box
509, Reserve, NM 87830
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Messengers