Are Pagans Required to
Be Environmentalists?
Lupa
When I first discovered Paganism in the 1990s, it was common for Pagans to refer to themselves as practitioners of “earth-based religions.” A lot of this had to do with the increasing popularity of Wicca at the time, not just in the Pagan community but in general. Non-Pagans often reacted negatively to the rise of Witchcraft in their communities, partly due to lurid rumors of devil worship and evil deeds. So, in self-defense, many Wiccans and other Pagans began to emphasize their spiritual connections to nature. This helped to open more constructive dialogues with non-Pagans, but it also cemented the idea in many people’s minds that Paganism equals nature worship.
They’re not entirely wrong. Lots of Pagans follow very nature-centered paths, myself included. However, there are Pagans whose paths are centered on the worship of the gods or spirits, or the reconstruction of pre-Christian religions. These Pagans may not consider their spirituality to be anything more than peripherally related to nature at best.
This doesn’t mean Pagans can’t be environmentalists even if they aren’t earth-based in their beliefs. There’s no holy writ that forces us to be more eco-conscious, though. In fact, we’re just as likely as the rest of the population to throw cigarette butts on the ground, burn fossil fuels, and throw out some of the food we buy. Our altars are full of tools and decorations made from petroleum-based plastic and metals mined with polluting byproducts, manufactured in filthy factories by abused workers, and sent overseas on massive ships leaking oil into the ocean.
Despite this, we are still not required to be environmentalists. Humans have wreaked great devastation on the planet, yet we are creatures of free will: there is no universal law that stops us from consuming all of the resources left to us. If we wanted to, we could be a species of Neros fiddling while the whole Earth burned.
Yet plenty of us want to avoid that desperate, final fate. So we try to walk lightly on the land and encourage others to do the same, through education and example. Pagans don’t have to be environmentalists, but for those who choose that path, please consider the following spiritual-environmental connections to help guide you on your way.
Nature-Based Paganism
You’d think that all proclaimed nature-based Pagans would be environmentalists, wouldn’t you? Yet “nature-based” has a lot of different interpretations. On one end of the spectrum we have people for whom environmentalism is a religion in and of itself, clothed in mythos and meaning but rooted firmly in the physical world. Every act and every breath is in service to the planet and its denizens, and these Pagans make every choice they can with that devotion in mind. They may go so far as to attack other Pagans for being “not committed enough,” though I don’t recommend that as an effective way to win over hearts and minds.
At the other end of the spectrum are Pagans who give lip service to the earth. They’ll speak of the sacredness of the seasons and animals and nature’s beauty in ritual but will then turn around and serve the ritual feast on disposable, non-biodegradable styrofoam plates. There’s a fundamental disconnect between what they say is sacred and how that translates into their behaviors.
Most of us nature-based Pagans fall somewhere in the middle. Perfection is a pretty impossible standard to uphold, so we make mistakes even though we know better. But unlike some religions that guilt-trip you for every single screw-up you make, Paganism allows you to be human and therefore imperfect.
In the end, all environmentalism—or, if you prefer, conservationism—is in service to the earth. All that’s needed for a nature-based Pagan to make that service spiritual is to add your intent to your actions and to see those actions as sacred.
That means that even if you can’t be what you see as a “perfect” environmentalist, you’re still making a difference whenever you try your best under the circumstances. You might not have as much money or time or energy to give, but most Pagans don’t get to practice their religion as consistently as they’d like. In the end, all environmentalism—or, if you prefer, conservationism—is in service to the earth. All that’s needed for a nature-based Pagan to make that service spiritual is to add your intent to your actions and to see those actions as sacred. Beyond that, it’s up to you as to how closely the two are intertwined.
Deity/Spirit-Based Paganism
Let me preface this section by saying there are a lot of deities and spirits out there, far more than I can discuss in this one little article. Some of them are very blatantly nature-based—gods of storms, spirits of rivers, totems, fey beings, and so forth. Others may seem further removed, such as techno-spirits in computers and cars.
In the end, all of them can be traced back to nature in one way or another. Zeus is easily embodied in the wild storms that pass overhead. Computer hardware is made of silicon, copper, petroleum, and other natural materials, though it is reformed by human processes. We humans are primate mammals ourselves, and our actions are extensions of our complex animal nature and needs. Aphrodite may have floated in on a seashell, but the love she brings forth is based in a chemical process in the brains and bodies of many animals.
All of the houses of the spirits and gods, everything they embody and represent—ultimately it all comes from nature. We have only fooled ourselves into thinking we’re separate from the rest of nature. By reforming that connection to the natural world, we also strengthen our bond with the spirits and deities that are as much a part of it as we are.
One of the best ways to honor these beings is to honor the nature that they’re connected to. You might clean trash out of a river as an offering to the spirits who live there, or you could recycle an old computer rather than throwing it out as a sacred act to the techno-spirits in it as well as the spirits of the minerals, metals, and other components. If a particular animal is sacred to a deity you worship, do something to help the species, like donating toward its conservation or not buying products that threaten its habitat.
Culture-Based Paganism
Culture-based Paganism is really a whole selection of Pagan traditions, each with its own unique community and practices and traditions. Some of these paths are deeply rooted in the ways of a particular culture, while others are more eclectic in their sourcing. What’s important to keep in mind here is each culture’s attitude toward the environment, as well as your own personal feelings on the matter. After all, cultures are made of individuals, not hive-minds.
Some of these communities have deep-seated connections with the natural world. There may already be long-practiced ways to honor the earth and treat it well. Some of these may have been interrupted or even lost due to oppression by other cultures, illnesses that devastated entire populations, or loss of oral traditions. That makes it even more crucial to protect the traditions that are still there.
Other cultures may have lost their connection with the natural world entirely, or at least think they have. Here it’s important to create new eco-friendly traditions and practices, as it is these cultures that most frequently lead the way in environmental devastation. Spirituality brings people together in incredibly strong ways, and through rites and shared social mores, positive changes can be brought about.
A culture is, in part, an expression of the relationship between the people and the land. Spirituality is one of the most vulnerable and powerful manifestations of this bond. By practicing environmentally friendly ways and creating new ones where needed, you are honoring both the culture you are a part of and its spiritual path.
Putting the Sacred into Action
So what can we do to counteract the daily assault on the earth, even if we’re limited in finances or lacking in time or energy?
A lot of this comes down to everyday choices. What we eat, where we live, how we get from place to place—all of this affects our relationship with nature. Some of the easiest environmental actions start at home. If these actions are daily devotionals, then more intensive volunteer efforts are sacred rituals. Many areas have environmental groups of some sort to which we can donate our time, doing everything from litter pickup to invasive species removal to pollution monitoring. In the absence of such organizations, just going out and collecting litter can make a huge difference. Try going out on the sabbats or esbats, or on other sacred days in your path.
But what of offerings? Leaving a sprinkling of small crystals or a splash of water at a ritual site may be romantic, but in the long run it is ineffective on a practical level, as it makes no positive, physical change to the place. If you want to make a bigger impact and you’re able to spare the funds, consider making a donation to an environmental group that helps protect local waterways or landscapes. Or make a gift to those who fight air pollution, climate change, and other widespread problems.
Many of the worst environmental ills are perpetrated by large entities such as governments and corporations. By sending letters to your elected officials or other people in power, and by voicing your concerns to companies (especially those trying to sell you something), you can let them know you are paying attention to their actions and you want them to make certain choices. It may feel intimidating trying to be one little voice, but if a lot of us stand up and speak, we’re more likely to make a difference. Remember, you are one little voice, but there are a lot of “one little voices” refusing to be silent.
Finally, if you aren’t indigenous to the place where you live, look into how the indigenous cultures relate to the land. Those are traditions and practices that have been developed over centuries, and while not every single one may be the best for the land, they often are more eco-friendly than newer alternatives. Just be respectful when inquiring about sensitive cultural traditions; don’t barge in like the Great Environmentalist out to save the land. Instead, listen carefully and with humility when someone chooses to share their practices with you.
There are plenty of other ways to be a Pagan environmentalist. These are just a few suggestions. With time, you’ll find routines and actions that work best for your lifestyle and resources, and learn how to adapt when your situation changes.
Recommended Resources
A Pagan Community Statement on the Environment, http://ecoPagan.com
Cultural Survival, www.culturalsurvival.org
National Audubon Society, www.audubon.org
Natural Resources Defense Council, www.nrdc.org
Peace Corps, “Environment,” www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/learn/whatvol/env
Rewild.com, http://rewild.com
Richard Louv, http://richardlouv.com
Volunteer Match, www.volunteermatch.org
Waterkeeper Alliance, http://waterkeeper.org
Lupa is an author, artist, amateur naturalist, and wannabe polymath in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of several books on nature Pagan practices, including Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect with Totems in Your Ecosystem (Llewellyn, 2016), and is the creator of the Tarot of Bones. Her primary website is www.thegreenwolf.com.
Illustrator: Rik Olson