Anna Walther | Naturalistic Paganism

As Pagans we seek to consciously align our lived experience with seasonal cycles, but those of us who live in a humid subtropical climate don’t have to pretend it’s Lammas right now. Here in Central Texas, when I come home in late summer to my own inner fire, I come home to the World. What are your body, the land where you are, and your communities calling you to do at this turn of the Wheel?

Building a Land Shrine, by Anna Walther

Posted on July 4, 2016 by NaturalisticPaganism

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why build a land shrine?
Why build a land shrine? Because I felt called to, and because it makes me happy. The shrine is a place for me to pay respect to the land beneath my feet and the other beings with whom I share it. A place for me to express wonder and gratitude for the vast underground Edwards Aquifer that supplies my water, the rocky soil that grows some of my food and provides a foundation for my home, the humid air and searing sunlight that surround my body and sustain life. A specific place where I can continue meeting and growing relationship with other animals, plants, and minerals. A physical focus for observation, prayer, and offerings.

Sacred Springs, Part 2 by Anna Walther

Posted on June 4, 2016 by NaturalisticPaganism

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In “Sacred Springs, Part 1,” I described my first visit to Barton Springs, the most famous limestone springs in Austin, and explored the role that Barton and other major Edwards Aquifer springs play in indigenous spirituality. But there are many other artesian springs along Austin-area limestone creeks, including a small, unnamed spring just a mile from my home, near the headwaters of Walnut Creek in Northwest Austin. Last summer I spent time there grounded and centered, with senses wide open.

Sacred Springs, Part 1 by Anna Walther

Posted on June 2, 2016 by NaturalisticPaganism

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Last summer I swam in Barton Springs, a spring-fed pool in the heart of downtown Austin. Native Americans have a vital, ritualistic relationship with the spring waters. The precise role the springs held in pre-Columbian indigenous spirituality is lost to time and conquest. I can take inspiration and guidance from Native American ways of relating to the Land, but must make my own practices and prayers.