Recent family bereavements, plus the fact I’m approaching the age my Dad was when he died 22 years ago, has made me ask some questions about both mortality and spirituality.
I’ve always been an atheist. I don’t believe in the supernatural, only in the evidential. Anything that has undergone the scientific method and come out shiny is what I’m inclined to think is “the truth” until proved otherwise.
I’ve also found that I get solace, energy and some kind of transcendence out in nature. Whether that be a walk on the beach, planting new seeds for the greenhouse, or repairing holes that Marley (my nutty Springer Spaniel) has dug up in my gar-Dunn.
So what can combine my “no-woo” scientific leanings plus the luminance in nature that neatly ties in my core values? What can provide a framework that won’t condemn me in this life or any afterlife (which there isn’t IMHO).
I’ve discovered Atheopaganism. It has roots in, or indeed may be known as, Naturalist or Humanist Paganism. For me, it’s a personal framework to hang my values, behaviour and sensibilities. It’s based on science that actually happens in the reality around us.
Atheopaganism (AP) is based on 4 key pillars and 13 principles. Both of these elements will be explored in future posts.
For those out there who are innately skeptical, questioning, but grounded in reality, who have a love for nature, environment, and their “fellow passengers to the grave,” as Dickens would say, AP might be something you want to explore for yourself.
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