Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-na-sa) is as good of a day as any to begin the first entry of this blog. Since Lughnasadh often refers to the “first fruits,” this blog can be considered the first fruit of a concept I have been nurturing for a long time.
Why I am starting this blog
I started this blog because for a very long time, I have struggled to align my spiritual and Pagan practice with the urgent needs of the Earth during this time. While I may offend people of various religions for saying this, I truly believe that the time we live in now is far more important than the times that Jesus, Muhammad, Moses and Buddha reportedly walked upon this Earth. That is not to say that the things they taught were not important. But the wisdom of these prophets will be an ironic footnote to a sad history if we make the Earth unlivable.
Not to say that those of us who call ourselves Pagans are angelic when it comes to saving our planet. Us Pagans often consider ourselves to be a Earth-centered or nature-centered religion. But I—and I’m sure many other Pagans—struggle to figure just what that means at a time when the Earth’s ability to sustain life as we know it is in peril.
This blog, The Earth Neopagan, is an effort to explore what it means to be a Pagan during times like these.
A little about me
I will talk about some of my own spiritual practices in greater detail, but I can share a little bit right now. I would best describe my Pagan practice as Celtic-influenced. A lot of my current practice is influenced by The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid by Joanna van der Hoeven. Though for various reasons, I don’t refer to myself as a Druid.
My ancestry is largely if not mostly Scottish, and so I use the Scottish names for the “Celtic fire holidays”: Samhuinn, Oimelc, Bealtainn, and Lunastal rather than the better known Irish spellings. I also celebrate the solstices and equinoxes even though the ancient Celts did not. I use names from the Germanic and Baltic Pagan traditions for the solstices and equinoxes, as I have heritage and feel connection with both of these areas of Europe. The deities I work with are mostly Celtic.
Times like these
But I think the best way to celebrate Lunastal is to start this blog, and encourage some thought about the times we live in. I don’t know if the video below shows a viable path to a lower-consumption future, but we certainly appear to be living in times LIKE these.