With the coming of Spring, we’re inspired to spend more time outdoors enjoying nature’s colorful annual renewal.

Most faith traditions focus on studying a scripture indoors. At the Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, we “worship” in the outdoors, as well. A central UU principle expresses our deep “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

And included among UU core spiritual resources are “the teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.”
Indeed, some UUs also participate in Pagan (Wiccan, Druid, Asatru, etc.) groups, which honor the sanctity of nature as it manifests through the seasonal cycle of the year and the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. A few celebrate these cycles through rituals.

One explained, “If I miss a solstice ritual, will the seasons continue to turn? Of course they will. But If I do my solstice ritual, I will feel more connected to the seasons as they turn. The wheel of the year turns within me.”

Like Unitarians, Pagans hold a strong belief in humanity’s original blessedness, rather than original sin. Each person is encouraged to connect directly to the Divine through their own spiritual practice. Their moral codes, such as the Wiccan Rede, “An’ it harm none, do what you will,” are adopted by many.

Both Paganism and Unitarian Universalism honor the inherent worth and dignity of all people, encourage direct experience of mystery and wonder, and focus on the sacredness of this present world rather than on an afterlife.

Pagans and other earth-centered traditions constitute a few of the sacred threads within the interconnected web that is the Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

March 8, 2024