sudden_serenity

So, I've made a few of these over the years but I run out of time, energy, motivation or I just lose the log-in info. But here I am having another go.

I've been flirting with Paganism, specifically Naturalistic or humanistic paganism for a few years. I still have reservations as there seem to be about a million different options out there. What I'm looking for is a spirituality based in and around nature and time, marking the seasons, appreciating each for its gifts and beauties. I want something that reveres nature without making a religion of it. I want something that promotes gratitude and reflection and respect. I want something where I can consciously make decisions about my life and the way I live that includes nature, that lets me care for it and protect it. And that includes, at its most profound level, my fellow human beings although they are not necessarily the focus of it.

I don't cast spells, I don't hold rituals in the way that other pagans do, I don't offer to gods or goddesses or seek others to convert or share my faith (is faith even the right word?) I don't have a focus or alter.

I do appreciate and make time for the Earth. I do believe in science. I do believe that there is something spiritual and affirmative in preparing and sharing food with friends and family. I believe that if you do this with gratitude and love and mindfully, then it becomes a ritual in itself. It is a blessing and a celebration. I am thankful to the Earth and the Sun for my existence, but I do not thank them with prayer or offerings. I thank them with thought and I worship with my choices and how I live on this planet and in this universe. I do not speak to others of my beliefs, unless they ask me - I may wish them a joyful Midsummer or a happy Midwinter, I may mention Mabon or Beltane but not to teach, unless it is asked for. I bring flowers into the house, I keep houseplants, my windowsills are littered with shells and rocks and found things from nature. These are my focus. I keep the festivals of the Wheel of the Year, though you might not realise it if you saw it - in fact my own family have no idea although we all live together in one house at the moment. I have a huge interest in folklore and myth, in space and nature, in music and literature, in language and history. I love to learn. I am always seeking ways in which my beliefs can be made more real to me and imbue more meaning into my days.

We have one life. We can live in a way that leaves the world the same or better than before. This is my faith. To live well, to love all things, to feel gratitude for the things we have and to share them.

Today is the 1st September - one of my favourite days of the year. It is Autumn and this year it has come all at once. From 34 degrees to nights in single digits within a fortnight - it was a shock to us all, but welcomed here. In a couple of weeks is will be Mabon which I have always called Harvest. It is a time of fruitfulness and thankfulness. It is a time to wind-down from the busy days of summer and take stock of what you have achieved and what you still need to do. I will think on how I can mark it and reflect on what changes are happening and those that need to happen.