Pantheism as a term was coined in by John Toland in 1702 from the Greek; PAN meaning all of everything and THEOS meaning divine. Therefore, pantheism means all that exists or is real makes up a whole which is divine. The concept entered western philosophy in 1677 with the publication of Benedict de Espinosa’s (aka Baruch Spinoza) Ethics written in 1664 and 1665 and since has been used by anthropologists to define indigenous religious systems throughout the world. These pantheisms have existed for millennia and evolved independently of each other.
Each pantheist community has its own named language for its philosophy and/or religious beliefs. These languages are used to describe divinity. Therefore, pantheists who identify with Druidry, see their Druidry as the name of the language they use to interact with the divine. This, however is not nature mysticism. Pantheists do not worship nature; they do not believe in a personal anthropomorphic god. Divinity instead is all encompassing. Including both the built, constructed and material aspects of our world as well as natural phenomena. That said pantheists do engage in environmental awareness and protest, but this involvement is dependent on ethics not beliefs.
But, then how does Pantheism marry with modern Druidry which is animistic in nature? Basically, the same way pantheism sits side by side with animism and polytheism in some African and First Nation indigenous religions. As animists, we are concerned with our own immediate landscapes and environs seeing natural features and beings within them as people. Over time, the most important landscape features for human survival may gain interpretation as polytheistic deities. But this is not applied to the wider world, as it’s too vast and complex for local traditions to comprehend. Therefore, many animists are also pantheists as pantheism allows them to understand and interact, when needs be, with the wider world.
So how did we come to have Pantheists practicing in Britain a predominately Christian country? In answer; timing. From its inception into modern western philosophy in the 17th century; Pantheism has been labelled a grave heresy by established European religions. Leading philosophers and early scientists who understood and developed the concept to be kicked out of their religions. With the removal of their incomes, status and social safety net; these individuals and their families formed interfaith friendly societies. Their emphasis switched from allegiance to the contemporary elites who had previously funded them to the welfare of and equality with the masses with many becoming doctors and educators.
Persecution of pantheists in Europe however is nothing new; from the 4th century onwards Rome has sought to stamp out all pantheist leanings within Christianity as it replaced with its own mythology earlier Christian teachings which were in essence pantheist; Jesus as spiritual guidance with regard to an all-encompassing god. The last echoes of these earlier beliefs can be found as foliate head carvings produced between the 1180s and 1420s to decorate churches and cathedrals to denote divinity within the external natural world encompassing the built religious interiors. When the pantheistic meaning of these were rediscovered in the late 18th century; pantheist friendly societies took the name Masons in honour of the stone masons responsible for the carvings. The word Free was added to denote Free Thought independent of any established religion. About this time, Freemasons as they became known revisited John Toland’s reports from 1700s detailing his excavations and now defunct conclusions about stone circles in particular Avebury and Stonehenge, which he claimed were built and used by pantheist druids. Adopting ancient druid imagery of cloak, beard and staff allowed Freemasons to disguise their identities when out and about undertaking philanthropic activities within their local communities. Though as time went on with many orders dropping the ideals of freemasonry to become trade unions; dressing up as druids in public often with stick-on cotton wool beards, became more about group traditions than self-preservation.
From the 1870s to 1920s various spin offs such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn whose leaders started as Freemasons attempted to establish a British pantheist religion. By aligning their contemporary understanding of pantheism with that of indigenous religious systems. At the time they felt the need to do this out of respect. Though it is now seen rightly as cultural misappropriation. The 1940s onwards saw a move away from religious pantheism in the west to a scientific approach. With Albert Einstein and later Carl Sagan amongst others influenced by Spinoza and describing themselves as pantheist by comparing all matter in the universe to the human ideal of divinity while developing theories on reality and time. For Einstein; there was no past or future, only now. From 1970s onwards, scientific pantheism has sat in three schools of thought. Idealist; all reality is mental or from the mind and applied to matter. It’s opposite, Materialistic; all reality is matter and applied to mentality, and Neutral; all reality is found both in mind and matter. Within Druidry as a pantheist tradition which is also animist with animism’s love of balance; it is more than likely that most Druidry pantheists identify with the Neutral position.
So, in the 21st century as we are, what brings Druidry pantheists together as a group? As with all forms of Druidry and for that matter all Pantheisms; our doctrines, practices and understanding are particular to ourselves, our life experiences and where we live. Ask 20 druids; get 20 different opinions holds true here. From modern scientific thought Druidry Pantheists understand; all is now. From the older philosophical understanding; all is sacred and from the enlightened 18th century with its friendly societies; all are equal.
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