Shortly before her marriage to Howard Hollister, socialite Laura West meets Stephen Rhodes, who introduces her to the cult of the East Indian goddess Gaia - the personification of Nature, the Eternal Mother. Though Laura is fascinated, she shies away from Rhodes's efforts to initiate her and make her his earthly personification of Gaia. Laura and Howard marry, and they spend happy newlywed days, but Laura's continued interest in Gaia and frequent daydreams of herself leading the cult upset Howard, who angrily urges Laura to return to reality and her work in the tenement slums. Falling asleep after their quarrel, Laura dreams that she becomes queen of the cult - richly adorned and ardently worshiped. She comes to realize that Rhodes's purpose is his own sensual gratification and decides that life is no longer worth living. Rhodes's attempts against the life of her child cause Laura to awaken, screaming.