INTO THE WILDWOOD: QUEST FOR CONNECTION ©
by Owen Gwalchmai
Being a child of the sixties (I was born in 1961) and something of a “nature child” it seems a little ironic to me that so many of my pertinent
conversations anymore are done via virtual connections, more often than not
through email. Tira and I were having an email “conversation” recently and
we were struck by the utter lack of any real connection to nature the
contemporary pagan community holds. Oh sure, the entire community pays lip
service to it, but does such connection truly exist?
At best, the general pagan community’s connection to nature is woefully
superficial and inadequate. I get a strong sense that the community as a
whole shares a belief that as long as we are doing seasonal rituals in sync
with solstices and equinoxes, and as long as we are dutifully taking care of
our recyclables, this somehow makes us magically “in tune” with nature. I
beg to differ, strongly.
Don’t get me wrong, seasonal timing of ritual is important and, at the very
least, is a way for us to acknowledge the importance of natural rhythms to
our ancestral traditions. but consider this; our pagan traditions, be they
Celtic, or Germanic, or Hellenistic, or what have you, all evolved out of a
primordial, visceral connection with the pulse, rhythm, and language of
nature. They grew out of a primordial and visceral understanding that our
well being as a species relies, absolutely, on the well being of Nature (or
you could substitute “Earth” here.), on an absolute understanding that we
and Nature are one. Does our doing ritual on the equinoxes and solstices
really truly tap us into that visceral stream, that primordial connection?
I don’t think so; certainly not that alone at any rate.
Sadly, Pagan folk are putting the cart before the horse, so to speak, by
seeking “magical power” and focusing on the learning of spells and rituals
when what they need to be doing is building their foundation by seeking
spiritual connection with Nature. I cannot stress enough how pagan
traditions are rooted in Nature; thus, our spiritual power is rooted in
Nature. If you are not truly tapping into this natural fount of spiritual
power you are robbing yourself of your ancestral spiritual birthright.
I’m not saying that if you don’t have access to an ancient oak grove for
ritual there’s no hope of making any real connection to spiritual power.
What I am saying is that our acknowledgement of Nature in our traditions and
practices absolutely must reach beyond level of superficial lip service. We
must, as a community, dig down deep and access our primordial connection to
Nature. And though I can see it argued that our rituals and practices are
designed to do just that, overwhelmingly what is being manifested as a
result proves the opposite. The proof being in the pudding, survey the vast
output of the pagan community in print and on the internet; rank the vast
array of concerns and preoccupations you see manifest there, and then you
tell me how integral Nature really is to the contemporary Pagan community.
Again, I will argue, outside of superficial lip service, it is not.
In this new Earthsongs Nature column I hope to address this issue from
various perspectives including approaches to Nature connection via myth,
ritual, science, imagination, nature awareness, and eco-literacy among
others. I cordially invite you to join me on this “quest for connection”
and I encourage you to share with me your thoughts, concerns, ideas, and
your personal practices of Earth/Nature connection.
Owen is a lifelong learner and spiritual seeker and holds a bachelor's
degree in Ecopsychology, which is loosely defined as the study of the
interconnectedness of the human psyche and Nature. Owen lives in the
Cascade Mountains of Northwestern Washington State with his wife and three
boys. Owen can be reached at anotherheathen@hotmail.com.
Into The Wildwood: Quest for Connection copyright © 2006 by Owen Gwalchmai, all rights reserved. Used with permission. Top of Page
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