My friend thea Gaia : 80 years old

thea Gaia is my friend - an amazing Woman, who is known to be one of the early driving forces behind the Goddess Movement in Australia. She was a minister of the Church who asked enough questions to hear her own faith, to find where she stood as Woman of the Earth and learnt to give her life meaning. through Ceremony and trust in her feminine Self. She travelled to the US and met Carol Christ, Starhawk, Vikki Noble and others and brought back their ideas - then transformed them to fit into the Australian Way. She published posters of Ancient Goddesses and taught Women that all forms of the feminine is Divine. Today my dear friend thea turns 80. I will go to a celebration of 13 women and we will hold Space and Ceremony til late in the night, to honour this amazing life that has so far been the life of thea Gaia. And so I share with You, the poem I will take to share. Bless.

- Read more about thea Gaia's story in Doug Ezzy's book : Practising the Witch's Craft: Real Magic Under a Southern Sky, where there is an entire chapter dedicated to the story of her journey from Church minister to Woman Goddess. 

thea the Amaz-ing

There is a Woman I know,

I found her in a book

And upon reading her story I knew

I must find her and look -

At this Woman I know

And share her rainbow colours

cos the work she is known for

inspires my work with others.

And so this Woman I know

her name being thea

has changed the lives of women

even those who do not meet her.

For this Woman I know

is brave, cheeky and wild

The Goddess saw her coming,

and proclaimed with a smile

That this Woman I know

will weave a new world

simply by talking

about what it is to be a girl

And then this Woman I know

made waves in the church

right up to the steeples and

set the girls off with a lurch

This Woman I know

Taught a whole new way of being

She showed Women they were special

with a new way of seeing

This Woman I know

made way for the new

and together with others

she became more than a few

Now this Woman I know with her cheeky wild ways

is 80 years old on this very day.

She's brave and strong and is known to be

the one who inspired courage in Women like me.

And so as I stand with this Woman I know,

I celebrate with knowing and grace,

giving thanks for all that has gone

for I will always know her beautiful face!

-with Love from Hollie B.
 

A wish for thea Gaia

from Hollie B.

I wish I wish with all my might,

That your life is full of joy and bright-

shining things in every colour;

Love and Grace and friends and others.

This wish is granted here right now,

With the help of a Goddess who wears a crown,

and She Who Is of many things,

Like laughter, stars and dancing rings.

And on this night when you go to bed,

You'll rest and be happy with all in your head,

For as the Earth turns slowly round,

Happiness and pleasure you know you've found.

So at this time and as I wish,

I wish that you may also wish;

for all that makes you happy this day,

and that you get all you want in every way.