Uncovering Religion and Spirituality

Lately I have been thinking about the relationship between religion and spirituality. Like most people, I originally came to Paganism through Wicca, and I spent several years as a self-proclaimed Wiccan—though that I ever was one in earnest is doubtful. Either way, I eventually realized that the Wiccan path I had been walking was not for me. So, I wandered away from it, wanting to find something more historically accurate and less “fabricated.” After a few years of research and soul searching, I finally decided that the title of Gaelic Polytheist fit my religious beliefs best. Since then I have been quite content.

Nevertheless, I have recently had some experiences—or maybe I have just been paying attention for once?—and they have told me that, while I am religiously happy as a Gaelic Polytheist, I spiritually need to be a Witch—a title that I left by the wayside long ago when I meandered from Wicca. This self-discovery has caused a bit of turmoil in my life; I just cannot see the two systems cohabitating. Gaelic Polytheism is, in many ways, very reconstructive. Witchcraft, on the other hand, is infamous for borrowing, mixing, blurring, and falsely attributing historical facts, practices, and ideologies. Bringing the two together, then, could be a bit like mixing baking soda and vinegar: Something is bound to explode. Still, I feel the need—and, indeed, the prompting—to live both. This has led me to rethink and reform my ideas of religion and spirituality.

RELIGION

Dictionary.com gives a nice definition of religion, calling it “a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.”[1] Taking this definition piece by piece, the general nature of religion becomes clear. First, religion is a set, or in a better word, a system. As a system, it has many ideas and beliefs that work together in order to create a comprehensive outlook. Secondly, the goal of religion is to explain the universe, particularly its origins and its direction. Third, it (often) concerns superhuman powers—i.e. divinities. Fourthly, religion involves the enactment of certain practices which embody religious ideals. And finally, religion prescribes a code of conduct by which its adherents are prompted to live.

I find all of these nuances fulfilled in my Gaelic Polytheistic beliefs: they provide me with an understanding of the universe in the doctrine of Talamh (Land), Neamh (Sky), and Muir (Sea); they acknowledge the oversight of the Túatha Dé Danann; the have a number of Feiseanna (festivals), such as Samhain, Imbolg, Bealtaine, and Lughnasadh, by which I am reminded of my sacred connections to my Gods, my Ancestors, and my Tribe; and they supply me with a set code of ethical actions in the Values of muintir (family), fírinne (truth), and aíocht (hospitality) as well as in the Virtues of Túath (Tribe), Cumhacht (Power), Cóimheá (Balance), Fios (Knowledge), and Críonnacht (Wisdom). Clearly Gaelic Polytheism is my religion: It is my foundation of belief and thus the metaphorical rock upon which I build my “church.”

SPIRITUALITY

The idea of spirituality has always been hard for me to grasp. Prior to all of this crazy Witch mess, I had never been able to conceptualize spirituality as truly being distinct from religion. Even now it is a bit hard and frequently awkward to do so. Still, I can theoretically see where one stops and the other begins.

If I may barrow from the World English Dictionary, spirituality is “a distinctive approach to religion or prayer.”[2] In other words, spirituality is the way in which a person enacts his or her religion; it is religion informing everyday action. So, whereas “love thy neighbor” is religion, helping the widow next door bring in her groceries is spirituality. To go back to my rock metaphor, then, spirituality is the way in which a person builds the church on the rock.

The fact that spirituality is so personal is what gives rise to the multitude of ways in which any one religion is practiced. For example, the Roman Catholic priesthood and Roman Catholic Franciscan monasticism are very different paths, and yet they are both fundamentally Roman Catholic. They are simply different spiritualities—different ways of understanding and living this common faith.

As I am increasingly coming to understand, Witchcraft plays an integral role in my own spirituality. Many people in the Pagan community readily lump Witchcraft with the Wiccan religion—both intentionally and inadvertently. For this reason, Witchcraft is often considered a religion or, if not, at least a religious practice. I, however, understand this system in quite different terms. While the details are a bit too much to get into right now, my basic—but still a little exhaustive—definition holds Witchcraft to be an esoteric practice, which seeks to make the practitioner aware of the interplay of the Energies of Life and Death as they weave within, with-out, and through all things. In this respect, it is a fairly open-ended philosophy—well as far as interpretation goes, anyway.

With the abovementioned definition in mind, I am finding that Witchcraft and Gaelic Polytheism can work together quite nicely in my life. I have my footing in Gaelic Polytheism, and this informs my practice as a Witch, giving it a moral and cosmological framework in which to function. On the flip side, Witchcraft reaffirms my place in Gaelic Polytheism by providing me with ways in which to express my religious dedication. In my life, each of these systems necessitates the other.

Essentially, this whole stream of rambling boils down to a very simple phrase, the very phrase which, in fact, prompted this whole creative mess:

I am a Gaelic Polytheist because of the Gods that I serve
I am a Witch because of the way in which I serve these Gods.

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[1]"Religion." Dictionary.com. Web. 02 Jan. 2011. .
[2]"Spirituality." Collins English Dictionary. 10th ed. 2009. Dictionary.com. Web. 02 Jan. 2011.