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| Do you follow a nature oriented path? |
| Yes: Explain |
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50% |
[ 7 ] |
| No: explain |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Not really: explain |
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28% |
[ 4 ] |
| My thoughts are: |
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21% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 14 |
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 Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 8:59 am
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. Many pagan paths are considered to be Nature oriented. I was wondering what you consider that to mean and how does it apply (if at all) to your own religious practices? By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 9:48 am
To me nature based means that you respect and revere the natural world around you. You may probably believe that everything in nature has a soul. The elements have a special spot in your rituals and the deities are tied into nature.
I study Egyptian Paganism and I really do not find it to be that nature based. I worship the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt, I make prayers and offerings but I do not cast circles or call the quarters.
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 10:33 am
Hm.
Well nature oriented to me means holding nature as a key part of your belief system.
For example, my belief system (Eclectic Neopaganism- the type most books claim to be "Wicca") holds nature as sacred. Something to be respected and cared for. I call quarters and cast circles inviting guardians of air, earth, fire, and water to join me. I am very connected to the earth anyway. I love going out into nature and watching how each animal and plant interact with one another. I try my best to do things such as recycling, planting herbs, and anything reasonably "Green".
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 1:57 pm
I'd see something nature oriented as working with nature, whether it be seasons or just nature itself (ie trees, flowers, wildlife, weather).
I personally do none of the above. For the wheel of the year, I just kinda watch it go by. I know the next season is going to come whether I celebrate it or not, and I don't really have any reason to celebrate it. I just observe the daily changes.
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 12:44 pm
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. I think for me Nature oriented means that I understand the cycles of life and death interact. How the earth is our home and how we can not live with out the earth. Religiously it means I understand that my God and Goddess are the Earth both physically and spiritually. It means being attuned to the cycle of nature and doing your best to keep nature clean (recycle, reuse, ect). By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 9:50 pm
Nature centered to me means a reverence for nature, holding it as sacred.
In my practice I work very closely with the spirit of a given location. The energies specific to a certain place that emulates from the land itself. I work with trees, herbs & found natural objects. My God and Goddess are directly tied to nature and are more personification of it than they are separate beings that rule over it. In order to honor them I work to take care of nature, keep it clean, be as ecologically responsible as I can. I also honor each of the seasons as they come.
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 3:23 am
I tend to regard nature oriented worship (or observation) as observing the seasonal cycles and working them into your practice.
If I had an altar I would decorate it using stuff I find in my garden. What I would find would be dictated by the season of the moment. I also tend to focus on the fragility of life and nature. It helps me to stay grateful for what I have.
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 3:08 pm
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. Underworld Priestess To me nature based means that you respect and revere the natural world around you. You may probably believe that everything in nature has a soul. How are you defining soul in this context? Underworld Priestess The elements have a special spot in your rituals Why would the elements play a major role in a nature based faith? Underworld Priestess and the deities are tied into nature. Can you give an example of what you mean? Underworld Priestess I study Egyptian Paganism and I really do not find it to be that nature based. My studies have shown me that there are elements of nature reverence in the religion but not its main point. The main point in Egyptian religion seems to focus mostly on the afterlife. Underworld Priestess I worship the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt, I make prayers and offerings but I do not cast circles or call the quarters. I respect that and understand that. Do you have a way of creating sacred space? By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 5:44 am
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. CilverCyanide Hm. Well nature oriented to me means holding nature as a key part of your belief system. In what way? CilverCyanide For example, my belief system (Eclectic Neopaganism- the type most books claim to be "Wicca") holds nature as sacred. Something to be respected and cared for. Which is something I feel all people should do to begin with... CilverCyanide I call quarters and cast circles inviting guardians of air, earth, fire, and water to join me. To you what do the quarters and elements have to do with nature based? CilverCyanide I am very connected to the earth anyway. I love going out into nature and watching how each animal and plant interact with one another. I do too. CilverCyanide I try my best to do things such as recycling, planting herbs, and anything reasonably "Green". Reduce reuse recycle? By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 5:48 am
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. kage no neko I'd see something nature oriented as working with nature, whether it be seasons or just nature itself (ie trees, flowers, wildlife, weather). So working with the forces of nature. Ok. How is that different than a witch who used herbs, stones, and the forces of nature in their spells? kage no neko I personally do none of the above. For the wheel of the year, I just kinda watch it go by. I know the next season is going to come whether I celebrate it or not, and I don't really have any reason to celebrate it. I just observe the daily changes. I celebrate because to me if you watch the seasons you can basically see the cycle of life. I know the next season will come. For me it's not so much about insuring that the next season comes rather than honoring the cycle of life and adding my energy to the fertility of the land. By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 5:58 am
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. MercyWild Nature centered to me means a reverence for nature, holding it as sacred. I guess we need a definition of sacred in this discussion. What exactly do you mean when you say nature is sacred? MercyWild In my practice I work very closely with the spirit of a given location. So you work with the genus loci? I've never really done that. Do you have a special technique that you use to contact those spirits? MercyWild The energies specific to a certain place that emulates from the land itself. Have you found any significant differences between different places like a school vs a business location? MercyWild I work with trees, herbs & found natural objects. Do you have specific trees you work with for specific reasons? MercyWild My God and Goddess are directly tied to nature and are more personification of it than they are separate beings that rule over it. In order to honor them I work to take care of nature, keep it clean, be as ecologically responsible as I can. I also honor each of the seasons as they come. Can't they be personifications of nature as well as ruling over nature? By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 6:03 am
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. doistu I tend to regard nature oriented worship (or observation) as observing the seasonal cycles and working them into your practice. And is there a specific way that should be done? doistu If I had an altar I would decorate it using stuff I find in my garden. What about during the winter and late fall? doistu What I would find would be dictated by the season of the moment. Would it change as different flowers became available as different flowers bloom at different times in the year? doistu I also tend to focus on the fragility of life and nature. It helps me to stay grateful for what I have. I agree. I also find nature oriented to be focused on the acceptance that once we are born there is only one definite. One day we will die. When we die we return to the earth and the cycle starts again. By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 10:20 am
Loona Wynd "THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. So working with the forces of nature. Ok. How is that different than a witch who used herbs, stones, and the forces of nature in their spells? *points to the last part of your question* Working with nature. ;D Loona Wynd I celebrate because to me if you watch the seasons you can basically see the cycle of life. I know the next season will come. For me it's not so much about insuring that the next season comes rather than honoring the cycle of life and adding my energy to the fertility of the land. By the power of the mind much is possible Maybe I just rarely see a need for a ritual or anything like that. If I'm gonna do something, I'd rather interact directly (like hugging a tree!).
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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:35 pm
A nature oriented religion is one that places man as a part of nature, not above, below, or separate from it.
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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 10:48 pm
I've always considered myself nature oriented on the basis that I do not personify God. To me God is immanent in all creation, and all things contain godliness. As such, I've always been nonplussed by religious establishments, as they always attempt to define god. The only way to define something is by defining what it is not, therefore any definition of God will end up excluding a part of what God is and so be inadequate. I don't think of God as a person, I think of God as all of nature, and so I consider my path a path of nature.
That being said, I do not particularly value the "natural world" as it exists without human influence. I see nothing wrong with pursuing technology and subjecting plants and animals and entire environments to our own ends.
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