In my first days of getting to know Paganism, I was pulled by the dream of just taking in everything. The sea and the earth, day and night, Sun and Moonᅳthat has a kind of beauty, a nod not to big ideas but to things we can see, hear, feel, and taste. No matter how much we think we are overseers of the environment, we are indeed tiny in the face of nature. And I think nature is worthy of veneration, which seems to echo through the ages and across cultures.
But what is Paganism, really? It's a vexing term that has changed over the years. Historically, it referred to the polytheism of old, the beliefs of ancient cultures. The definition has expanded to include many traditions and practices. At its core, Paganism celebrates the immanence and transcendence within nature, a connection modernity often gives short shrift.
The idea of the world's disenchantmentᅳa gradual loss of the magical and sacred from our worldviewᅳresonates deeply with me. Reality once was imbued with meaning; now, it has become disenchanted, with a sense of emptiness in its place. That disenchantment owes to many factors, including scientific rationality and religious changes.
However, enchantment is multilayered and close to the human experience. It works its magic across nature, the power of human creativity, the power of stories, and the depths of spirituality. Embracing enchantment affords the finding of beauty and meaning in the ordinary and re-engages a person with their core innocence and curiosity. Enchantment, nurtured in our lives, can fill life with awe, mystery, and fulfillment beyond any literal, ordinary existence.
So, what if we could re-enchant the world? What if we could find divinity in the every day, in the tangible world around us?
This is where Paganism offers a compelling perspective in that I'm invited to see sacredness in the mundane and to seek it in the natural world. For me, sacredness is interconnection, and this comingling of energies brings an awareness deeply aligned with meaning and spirituality seated within the here and now.
In crafting my own Paganism, I find inspiration in diverse sources, from ancient myths to modern philosophy. I am comforted by the words of poets and philosophers who write of the intrinsic beauty and intelligence of the natural world.
However, Paganism does not come without its pitfalls. There are those who distort its teachings and try to use it to further exclusionary and hurtful ideologies. In this regard, I believe in a Paganism which celebrates unity among beings and fights bigotry and hatred.
Finally, Paganism has given me the means by which to re-attune to the sacred, to revisit the wonder and awe that permeate our world. It is a journey of self-discovery and spiritual refreshment for which I am grateful.
Blessed be.
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