Page 26 - Oundle Life February 2025

PAGANISM
Re-discovering nature
Our modern rat-race consumer society, with its high-pressure lifestyles and the constant push to do more, be more, buy more, and above all to do everything ‘on the go’, often leaves no time for ourselves, each other, or the world around us on any meaningful level.
Now people are turning to the
natural world to find meaning. For
thousands of years we have lived in
harmony with the world around us, dependent on it for our needs, and in tune with the turning of the seasons and the rhythms of nature. This instinct is so deeply ingrained in our
psyche that the modern world cannot completely eradicate it. Deep down,
we still need this connection. Many
people feeling this ‘call of the wild’ are
spending at least some time in nature,
even just to sit in a park or walk in
the woods. This re-connection with
nature and the sense of something
‘other’ about being in it, increasingly draws us to explore the spiritual side of our connection to the natural world. This is Paganism, the beliefs of our ancestors in the rhythms of the natural world and their spiritual connection to it.
Despite the pressures over the last nearly 2,000 years, Paganism lives on. It is the fastest- growing spiritual grouping in the UK at a
time when church congregations
are dwindling to an all-time low
and many are in danger of failing completely. The census in 2021 found that Paganism is the 7th largest spiritual / religious group nationally in the UK and in some areas, including Northamptonshire, is the 6th largest.
Paganism covers a range of connected traditional beliefs. It
includes Germanic, Slavic, Scandinavian/Norse and Celtic traditions, along with Druidry, Wicca/Witchcraft, Shamanism, and others. To
Now people are turning to the natural world to find meaning
be clear, Paganism has nothing to do with Satanism, evil spirits, etc.
In Britain people have followed the old ways and honoured the old Goddesses and Gods for over 10,000 years from the end of last Ice Age, before the arrival of the first church missionaries. If you are interested to find out more about Paganism, what
Pagans believe, and its place in modern society; then this book explores those topics and more.
“My name is Susan Pentelow and I’m a personal travel advisor based in Titchmarsh. With over 25 years’ experience in the travel industry, I will take all the stress out of planning your perfect holiday.”
01832 734152 • sjp@designertravel.co.uk • www.sjpholidays.com
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‘Book of Shadows’ by WoodWight
ISBN: 9 781739 715267
Available from online bookstores including Amazon, price £10.00