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Elemental Paganism :: Part 2

This really is the last page of stuff about my path....I swear!

As I'm sure it is with several of you, my beliefs continue to not so much change, but rather "fill out" a bit. I received an email from a visitor to the main site the other day, and while writing my response to her, I realized that my path has indeed altered itself somewhat. So, I thought I'd discuss the revised Elemental Paganism briefly; both for everyone who reads this, as well as for myself. I'll start off writing as if none of you have read the previous version, for the benefit of those who haven't.

What exactly is Elemental Paganism? To be perfectly blunt, it is a term I "created" to describe my path. I am not Wiccan, nor am I a witch, as the word is used today. I am a Pagan according to the true definition of the term. Pagan, literally translated, means Country Dweller. Pagan received its religious connection during the time of the forced conversion of the ancient peoples to Christianity. The first to surrender the old ways and embrace the new religion were, as is usually so, the city people. The people who remained in the secluded areas, the "country" as it were, remained true to the Old ways. Therefore, to call someone Pagan meant that they lived in the country, and were therefore still following the ways of their local gods and goddesses.

Now for the Elemental part of it. On the surface, it would seem that this means, simply enough, that I call upon the Elements/Elementals rather than upon a god or goddess. This is partially true. What I was actually trying to convey was a sense of the antiquity of what I believe. When I refer to Elemental, I am referring to the literal definition of the word:

  1. Of, relating to, or being an element.
  3. Of such character as to resemble a force of nature in power or effect: elemental violence.


Fundamental or essential; basic

This is the core of my beliefs. I look at the world as I believe the earliest of humans would have. Thunder and lightning are powerful forces to be respected (although not feared). Trees are objects to be revered for their longevity and strength. Plants and herbs are to be appreciated for their beauty and usefulness. Animals are to be respected for their many individual personalities and qualities. Essentially, my path is an Animistic one; spirit infuses every object on Earth. To me, everything is a sentient being whether it be the tallest of trees, or the tiniest of pebbles.


Constituting an integral part; inborn.

This is the second half of my beliefs. While I freely admit to being a tree-hugging environmentalist, I have no tolerance for those who view humans as seperate from the environment; as an intrusion into the natural world. Humans are an integral part of life on this spinning blue-green orb. In recent history, many have lost their way and have started working against the course of nature in their efforts to subdue and exploit the Earth and its gifts, but humans are nonetheless an important part of this planet's past, present, and future. It is my belief that the Earth will eventually bring back the balance that humankind has disrupted.

Regarding the "inborn" part, this is also one of the key foundations of my path. My goal has been, and remains to be, to strip from my spirit that which has been forced upon it; that which colors my view of the world. By this I mean the religious & societal views that are forced upon many of us as children. I desire to reach the point where I can view the world using only my inborn filters, free from the residue of a suffocating belief system. My upbringing would tell me that sex is vile and needs to be controlled. My instinct, conversely fights against such restrictions. Likewise, the religion of my ancestors would have me believe that man has dominion over the earth and should feel free to plunder it for whatever I desire. My instinct tells me that anything which is taken must be replaced. Where my past contends that there is good and evil in the world, my instinct tells me that there is only nature and spirit and that neither is inherently one or other, but both yet none. It is this that I seek; the ability to see the world at its most basic; its most elemental.

That covers the philosophical basis for my path; now what about the actual reality of it?

I believe that, since all natural objects are infused with Spirit, we can request assistance from these objects. Since the essence of any object on Earth is Spirit, we can draw it into ourselves, or pour it into another. While the essence of any object is Spirit, it presents different faces depending upon the object in which it resides. An example of this would be my previous post in meditations about allowing a tree to draw out my weaknesses and fears and replace them with the tree's attributes of strength and strong roots. It is my belief that strong roots are essential to the growth of a person into a true human being. By this transfer of essences, what is called magick is performed. For instance, if I were feeling run-down and sluggish, I might ingest or merely hold Ginseng in my hand to absorb it's essence of energy. This is also the basis behind working with crystals and stones.

Scrying, and other ways of seeking answers to our questions can be useful methods if you know the fundamentals of how they work. When gazing into a pool of water or a globe of quartz, the object itself is not giving you the answers. The object is distracting you from You. Because of the many filters through which we view the world, we need a way to focus our minds on our inborn ability to see what we need to see, and distract us from the trappings of society which say we can't. The answers we seek are inside ourselves, we just need a way to reach them.

As far as actual rituals and such, I tend to make them up as I go. I frequently will build a small cairn of stones in deference to the "gods of the trail" while hiking. I celebrate the changing of the seasons. I might call upon the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water if they will aid me in a particular task. I do not, however, have any prescribed, elaborate rituals, as they would interfere with the nature of my path, which is by definition, basic.

Well, that's it. I won't say that I won't add to this later, but it won't happen soon.


Okay, you can go to the message board now.
Click over there. Yes, there....to the right a bit >>> I wanna talk to y'all!


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