Call Yourself A Pagan

Only Natural

With paganism on the rise around the world there are more and more websites sprouting up, and increasing numbers of books available about nature religions. But with so much information available it can be easy for young pagans (or those new to the path) to get lost in it all.

Increasingly this information seems to be about the rituals, spells and festivals of the individual pagan traditions, rather then the ethics and spirituality of nature religions. But proclaiming yourself pagan isn't just about burning candles and saying spells; and there is something that is more then ironic about doing so whilst leaving your DVD player on standby and your mobile charger plugged in or well, you get the point. If you say you worship nature surely you should try and experience it and better yet, work with it, enjoy it and protect it.

So if we want to follow a pagan or nature religion how do we go about getting closer to nature?

Walk In The Park

Getting close to nature doesn't mean being a nudist or a hippy. You don't have to get dirty or even enjoy camping, it just means going out in to the natural world and looking around you.

The great outdoors is a wonderful place to spend time, whether it's going for a walk or just taking a moment to sit quietly. There's so much to take in about outside world that it's worth taking a moment just to feel the air on your face, look up at the sky, listen to the birds and wind in the leaves.

Taking time to spend time in nature is good for us on a mental, physical and spiritual level. So why not try sitting out in the garden, walking through the park or even just opening the window and taking a moment to smell the air.

If you get a chance to walk then make sure you turn off your iPod and listen to the sounds of nature. Why not get a book to help you identify plants and birds or try walking meditation (we recommend Thich Nhat Hanh's Audio CD, Walking Meditation available from amazon.co.uk)

Seeds of Change

Growing things can be wonderful for the spirit as well as the planet. Many pagan traditions and festivals were based around the crops. The sowing and harvesting of food was important for people in ancient times, when getting food was more then just popping across to Tesco, and these events also marks the changing of the seasons.

To keep yourself in touch with these events why not try growing something. If you have a garden you might want to try vegetables like lettuce, courgettes, tomatoes or pumpkins. Even if you don't and only have access to a windowsill you can try growing herbs like parsley or thyme. Even growing sprouted seeds or mustard and cress can be satisfying and growing something you can eat links us to nature, the seasonal cycles of the year and the earth. It's also really satisfying to eat food or use herbs that you've grown yourself.

If you don't have a garden to grow things then why not try and get involved with a local gardening scheme? If you don't have one of these near you then you could try the Organic Kitchen Herb Windowsill Trio available from olivebarn.com

Mean Green

Of course, it's all well and good appreciating the earth but as someone who practices a nature spirituality you need to protect it to. We all know that the planet needs a little TLC at the moment.

CO2 emissions, acid rain, nuclear waste and the diminishing reserves of fossil fuel are things we here about again and again and yet most people still ignore what's happening to our earth mother. We still fill a kettle to make one cup of coffee, still buy food that has been flown half way around the world and still pile our landfill sites full of plastics.

If we claim to that our deities are of the earth and we worship nature then surely we should want to take care of it. So make sure you try and recycle, turn off lights and don't leave things on standby. If you want to really get involved then why not volunteer with a local group involved in anything from litter collection to tree planting?

Natural Gods

Even just remembering to recycle or turning off the tap when you wash your teeth can help, and by helping you are healing the rift that we have made with the natural world. I'm not saying that performing spell work, celebrating festivals and reading about your spirituality isn't important - it is. But make sure before you light a candle, form a magic circle or even open a book of spells, that you take a moment to look at the night sky, listen to the dawn chorus or breath in the smell of damp earth, for there in lies your altar, your temple and your deities. Remember, you have to respect something before you can worship it.