In this paper we present a mathematical modelling framework for chiral phenomena associated with rotational motions, highlighting the combination of gyroscopic action with gravity. We discuss new ideas of controlling gravity-induced waves by a cluster of gyroscopic spinners. For an elementary gravitational spinner, the transient oscillations are accompanied by a full classification and examples, linked to natural phenomena observed in planetary motion. Applications are presented in the theory of chiral metamaterials, and of the dynamic response of such materials to external loads.