What is Paganism? I describe it as a spiritual connection to land. I realized I was Pagan when I was in Wales and I wondered if the trees are our Gods. They witness so many generations of humans come and go, provide nourishment and our very breath. They are nourished by death and our breath, and they grow in cycles. That thought lead me to consider if Paganism is something anyone can be.
Most people can feel and understand the deep connection to nature and being in the natural world. It is different than being in a space of manmade materials and concrete. If a person can have respect for God/Source's creations on this earth, and understand that it exists not for our own pleasure and use, but for it's own purpose, anyone can be a Pagan.
Any person can label or identify their theological worship alignment as Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Atheist, etc and still be Pagan.
Graham Harvey explained his theory on the difference of fundamentalist or gnostic: He said, fundamentalist religion is like a single tree. That one tree is based and founded on a doctrine that members have to believe in order to be a part of that fundamentalist religion. Pagans or Gnostics are more like a forest of trees. It isn't founded on one idea, but many. It is founded upon beliefs that each individual seeks and knows within their own experience and understanding.
I found my path to Paganism years ago as I began to study Animism and Eco Feminism and celebrating the Wheel of the Year with a community of ladies called
Nourishing Kin. NK was started by a group of like-minded people seeking a community that longs for connection to ancestral pagan practices from Northern European roots. It isn't a closed group, open to anyone of any ethnicity or ancestral region. However, as a white person, I am careful about not indulging in cultural appropriation when practicing indigenous peoples connection with Land. We acknowledge the harm our recent ancestors have done with the ideals of manifest destiny and colonist behavior. We reclaim respect of the people of Turtle Island and seek to connect with our own Mother Lands. It is the work of confronting my own relationship to ancestral trauma and cultural appropriation. We gather at the Wheel of the Year occasions to learn and teach practices that feel like home to us. Â
In connecting with Celtic ancestral practices, I found the Sisterhood of Avalon. Avalon is an Otherworld mythical place in Arthurian Legend. This sisterhood has members in every corner of the world, and takes traditional Celtic mythology to a modern interpretation of healing and community. This aligned with my own desire to use ancient and modern Celtic healing practices in my work, and connect more with the land of Wales, Ireland, and England.
I had a very spiritual awakening experience on my first day in Glastonbury, England when I went on pilgrimage with the S.O.A. last August. In all my work and practice connecting with the sacred landscape from far far away in Utah, I was very eager to step foot on the actual land my ancient ancestors have buried their bones. We started a opening ritual at the base of the Tor. We stood in a circle to begin and I took off my shoes and socks to feel the bare earth. The grass was so soft and plush, not at all like the dry desert grass of Utah. As soon as I stood there, I could hear the voices of my ancestors. Not in my ears, but in my heart as I often have heard the Spirit talk to me. In this case, it was as if a radio I had been listening on static for years was finally tuned in clearly. I heard the voice so magnified into me, saying "Welcome, Daughter." I immediately flooded with tears to hear that. I knew I would be forever connected to the Land.
Ask yourself, if you: Look at the moon and find its existence magic. Wonder what a tree has seen in its lifetime. Ponder at the intricate beauty of working cells, a snowflake, the stars in the sky. If you love butterflies and compare the journey of their life to your own. If you find peace in nature. If you thank the sky for rain to cleanse the air and earth. If you feel gratitude at the garden you planted for producing food and marvel that all you had to do was plant it and cultivate it and you’ve got food to eat. If you clear the weeds and trash to make room for your plants to grow. If you bring plants indoors so you can benefit from the look and feel of real plants. If you ever stop to think how the Earth will take your shit, snot, and the very outward breath from your body and use it to make food, shelter, air and beauty from it.
If you have,
YOU MIGHT BE A PAGAN.Â
Resources mentioned or recommended in this episode:
-Root and Ritual by by Becca Piastrelli
-Celtic Spirituality, the Mist Filled Path by by Frank MacEowen
-Mary Magdalene Revealed by Meggan Watterson
-A New New Testament: A Bible for the Twenty-first Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts, compiled by Hal Taussig
Listen to this episode here: https://practicallymagick.podbean.com/e/paganism-the-spirituality-of-earth-and-sky/
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