by Susan Morris

Created on: July 08, 2008   Last Updated: July 09, 2008

Neopaganism and the Environment

Should all Neopagans be environmentalists?

Earth Based Spirituality is a very broad "umbrella" term, which can include belief systems like pantheism, (the belief that God is the universe,) transcendentalism, (being in nature leads to intuitive spiritual awareness,) Neopaganism, (a group of modern religions which are often reconstructions of ancient religions,) Wicca, (a group of modern religions largely based on western mysticism combined with European or Middle Eastern myth and folk traditions,) and indigenous religions. All of these share a reverence for nature.

The term, "earth centered spirituality," can be confusing for many, because it can conjure images of tree-hugging environmental activists, which doesn't describe everyone who practices earth centered or nature based spirituality.

The confusion hit home for me one night right after I had attended a particularly
effective, mystical Neopagan ritual. It was the sort of sublime transcendent experience in which I walked away feeling as though I were drenched in the sacred and it was still flowing from my pores. I was standing at the refreshment table, drinking hot cider out of a polystyrene cup. I was struck by the incongruence of that moment, blissfully immersed in enlightened earth based spirituality, holding what will soon become a piece of trash that will take 400 years to break down. The feeling continued as I walked to my gas-guzzling mini van, past several gas-guzzling SUVs belonging to my friends.

Not every Neopagan is deeply passionate about environmentalism. In fact, I have known many practitioners of earth-based spirituality who seem about as concerned about the environment as the average American mega consumer. Yet they are as devout in their beliefs and as dedicated to their spiritual principles as a person of any other faith. This remained a mystery until I came to the realization that earth centered spirituality, environmentalism, and eco-spirituality are entirely different things.

In his book, "Eco-Spirituality: Toward a Reverent Life," Charles Cummings defines eco-spirituality as "stewardship of the earth as a spiritual path." The author is a devout Christian, and his book is filled with Biblical passages which provide compelling argument for stewardship of the earth as an expression of Christian values.

An environmentalist is a person who works to protect the environment and ecosystems from pollution. This is more of a vocation that requires a certain level of

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