The word “Spirituality”
often crops up in discussion amongst Pagans. It’s an interesting concept, Pagan
spirituality can almost seem like a contradiction in terms to the individual
outside the Pagan realm; references to Magic and occult ceremonies, an
assertion that the divine feminine loves all beings and that eternity is not
judged by this life alone. In fact Pagans tend to resist the whole concept of a
“Day of Judgment” Referring instead to laws of cause and effect; the three fold
law or versions of Karma. The rewards or punishments of actions will be
received either in this life or in another incarnation. That, in itself,
presents a rather different concept. To the Pagan community, there is no
permanent Hell. When you have sufficiently made recompense for your actions you
may move on. This is best illustrated by the following story;
“Once there
was a Priest whose duty was to prepare Goats for sacrifice. One day as he was
commencing his duties the Goat he was preparing began to laugh, a very human
laugh. Startled, the Priest asked ‘Why are you laughing?’ The Goat replied ‘For
five hundred years I have been born as a goat to be sacrificed, born and reborn
for the same fate but this time, when I am sacrificed I will be reborn as a man’
The Priest congratulated the Goat and said he was happy it would be so. Just
then he saw a tear in the Goat’s eyes. ‘Why the tears?’ Asked the priest. ‘Because’
replied the Goat ‘five hundred years ago I was a Priest who sacrificed Goats’
The question
that is then asked, and it is a fair question from the religion point of view,
is that if there is no immediate judgment and everything will balance out in
the by and by, what is the incentive for being spiritual?
Another
apparent contradiction to Pagan Spirituality also raises itself. Pagans often
speak of using Magic to manifest desire; Pagans frequently find themselves
defending gay marriage and group arrangements. There is Sex Magic, The Great
Rite and men and women jointly performing rituals naked, or “Sky Clad” as it is
often called. This manifestation of Earthly desire and the glorifying of the
body appear to the outside as the very opposite of spirituality. These
questions bring us to the very foundation of what makes the Pagan, the Magical
People, different.
Religions see
a duality of Body and Spirit, Religions see them as separate entities and
insist that the Body with all its earthly desire must be controlled and
subordinated. The Pagan sees no such duality. To the Magical People there is no
duality in that sense. We are one person and honoring our body and the body of
another is a spiritual practice. The phrase often heard in Witches Coven and
Druid Grove alike is;
“We are not
bodies having a spiritual experience. We are spirits having an earthly
experience.”
Once this
concept is fully grasped then the questions of birth, death and re-birth are
easily answered. The fulfilling of the Mortal experience is the aim along with
a realization that such an experience must be done carefully, thoughtfully and
with attention to the ripples it may cause. “Do as you will but harm none” is
still the best counsel though the application is not as easy as it may sound.
Pagan Spirituality is not about controlling or abandoning the desires of the
body, Pagan Spirituality is about recognizing the whole person. Completely
existing in this incarnation and living life to the full.
Have a
wonderful and Magical life my Brothers and Sisters. All that this World has to
offer is yours. Do not be distracted by the poverty of mind or the poverty of
circumstance that many find themselves in. The Magic and the Blessings of the
Gods are yours in abundance, you just have to learn how to claim your
birthright.
Your
birthright and your joy and the honoring of all that you are lie in the Love of
the Earth and the Love that the Goddess has for you. This is Pagan Spirituality.
