The Primal Pagan

From cave paintings to the latest interpretations of the Bible,
mankind has gone through many changes in regards to spirituality.
Throughout history, religion and its many facets have saved and
destroyed countless lives and civilizations. But through it all,
certain fundamental questions have yet to be answered. The entire
goal behind man's idea of religion and spirituality has done just as
much harm as good. Yet billions of people all over the world and from
numerous walks of life hold fast to their ideas and their beliefs,
regardless of any messages Mother Nature sends our way.

Mankind's first notions of "God" did not come until ages after his
first ideas about nature and the world he lived in. What Animism (as
we now call it) could not answer for him was left to mystery and all
of the questions eventually were directed to a higher will and power.
What man could not explain became the attributes of the Gods.

Ancient cave paintings in France give us the best evidence for man's
earliest beliefs. The oldest discovered painted images still in
existence can be found in the Chauvet and Cosquer caves in France.
Later cave art was also produced at Lascaux, France, and Altamira,
Spain. All of these paintings were most likely created as
superstitious attempts at ensuring a good hunt. The paintings,
created nearly 30,000 years ago, primarily depict animals. These
still retain an animation that is enhanced by the bold contours of
these painted representations. Tens of thousands of years later,
Egypt would become the earliest historical culture in the West to
produce an important body of painting.

But today the notion of a "good hunt" is often looked down upon by
modern day Pagans who lean more towards the idea that the animals of
nature are sacred and are in need of our protection rather than our
hunting of them. Of course, many of these same people will be buying
hamburger during their next trip to the store.

Ranulph Marett (1866-1943) suggested early religion was more
emotional and intuitional in origin. This is one of the leading views
of Animism. However, when religion began to take the place of
spirituality and God began to take the place of Nature, much of the
emotional and intuitional aspects of mankind's development were lost.
Suppressed by radical religions created to control the masses and
gain power and wealth rather than spiritual growth, the primal spirit
of man was suppressed and locked away in the depths of the mortal
soul for centuries. Only now has society changed in such a way that
those primal feelings and ideas can once again see the surface of
existence even though we have yet to bring them out fully.

But the bondage of religious belief is not easily broken. Diving into
the darkness of primal man is something few can muster the courage to
do. And those that have are changed forever.

Modern day Paganism attempts to reach back into time beyond the
boundaries set by those religions that suppressed the world. But
there are many Pagans who still suppress themselves through the same
tactics, the same bonds and boundaries used by organized religion,
but under different names. None of them based on anything but the
belief in someone else's thoughts and notions rather than nature. And
man is not nature. We are not gods here. We are not kings. Our "laws"
and notions mean little to those that are.

It is no secret that spiritual beliefs empower man. Some of the feats
mortals have accomplished with their spirit and mind are nothing
short of miraculous. Faith is truly one of mankind's most useful and
deadly weapons. It is the very key to unlocking enormous potential
and indefinable stores of energy that are so explosive that all of
the bonds and boundaries of our world snap in an instant, and what
was a normal person a moment before becomes an unstoppable force,
often with hazy to absolutely no memory whatsoever of what they
accomplished, for good or ill, when their primal spirit is unleashed.

Negative events can sometimes trigger the release of the primal
forces in all of us. A child in danger, a life-threatening situation,
and of course.... rush hour traffic.The release of primal energy has
even worked its way into modern psychology with the theory of Primal
Therapy, a form of psychotherapy in which the patient is encouraged
to relive events, often screaming or crying, to achieve catharsis and
a breakdown of psychological defenses. Venting, sharing, and laughing
can all help us feel better. The sudden and sometimes violent purge
of emotion through a catalyst in a safe environment seems to put the
beast within us all back to rest.

Metaphysically, the implications and utilization of primal tapping
can be devastating. The human ability to reach a level of primal rage
is bad enough without that same individual being armed with another
store of metaphysical energy. Should these two powerhouses be
unleashed at the same moment towards another human, the effects could
be deadly, even from the other side of the world. The power of the
Witch is not often bound by time or place. And the power of the
primal spirit within will not often be denied.

When we encounter the primal Pagans among us today, we sometimes see
them as distinctly two-sided. Near trusted friends, family, or in
times of rest, they are playful and fun, enjoying the day and the
company of his/her "tribe". But at the first sign of a threat or the
crossing of a mental or emotional line, the calm, passive nature
rapidly changes to the violent, uncontrollable rage of a wild beast.
Once unleashed, all rules, laws and reason are set aside until the
wrong is righted and the line restored. And in the aftermath comes
sleep, for both the primal Pagan and the loving Witch. The balance of
the world is restored until the next threat comes along, the next
door opened that will unleash the beast. So at the end of the day,
modern Paganism is the dream of primal man. Just as primal man is the
dream of modern Paganism.




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Footnotes:

http://www.buzzle.com/chapters/arts-and-literature_painting-and-
artistic-expressions_ancient-and-prehistoric.asp

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/animism.htm

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-psprimal


Copyright: Angel Snowden 2006