Paganism: An Antidote to Cultural Appropriation in Spirituality?

Cultural appropriation (noun) – the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.

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Who among us does not desire for our existence to feel meaningful, purposeful, fulfilling, and connected? This urge is a part of human nature; after all, when you strip away the centuries-worth of societal conditioning, we are all wild and Pagan at heart.

A spiritual awakening gives us this opportunity; it invites us to look inwards and see ourselves clearly for the first time, to heal ourselves, and to connect more deeply and more richly with others and the world around us.

There are endless paths an individual might take on their journey towards spiritual enlightenment: Christianity, Isalm, Zen Buddhism, Norse Paganism, Wicca, occultism, Western esotericism, and on and on and on.

This was not the case thousands of years ago. Long before the internet, even before the earliest written texts, individuals learned the spiritual traditions of their parents and grandparents, who learned them from their parents and grandparents. These beliefs and customs were passed down orally.

Our ancient ancestors could not have dreamed of the wealth of knowledge that exists at our fingertips today. Books and websites have given us virtually instant access to all kinds of spiritual content.

On the one hand, it’s beautiful and powerful that we have the option to learn about and choose our own spiritual paths, regardless of what our ancestors used to believe.

On the other land, this is a lot of information for us to sort through, process, and understand — and perhaps this is part of what has led us to the dilemma of cultural appropriation in modern spirituality.

How Does Cultural Appropriation Show Up in Modern Spirituality?

Cultural appropriation refers to the act of adopting customs, practices, symbols, or other elements of a culture to which one does not belong, in a way that does not respect their original meaning or context.

By comparison, cultural appreciation refers to the act of learning about another culture in an effort to broaden your understanding and build cross-cultural connections.

Cultural appropriation is layered, nuanced, and multifaceted, which can make it difficult to understand and even more difficult to identify.

Unfortunately, cultural appropriation is rampant in modern spirituality — especially in New Age spirituality, which first gained traction in the 1970s.

Truth be told, much of what has been labeled “New Age” is in actuality sacred spiritual traditions and customs belonging to Asian and Indigenous North and South American cultures, that have been stripped-down and repackaged to appeal to white, Western consumers.

This process is incredibly disrespectful and harmful to the original culture to which the traditions and customs belong, for a number of reasons:

• The original context and meaning — which is a rich, sacred, and powerful part of that culture’s spirituality — is erased or glossed over.
• Individuals who belong to that culture are typically not the ones financially benefiting from the commercialization of their sacred symbols and traditions.
• There is no cultural exchange; rather, members of society’s dominant culture are taking from cultures that they have historically oppressed, without offering anything in return (and worse still, while ignoring the history of oppression and harm).
• As culturally appropriated practices become more popular, rising prices and power dynamics can prevent individuals who belong to that culture from engaging with that practice.

If you walk into your local New Age spirituality shop, there is a very high likelihood that you will find dozens of examples of cultural appropriation.

Common examples of cultural appropriation in modern spirituality include:

• Smudge kits featuring white sage and palo santo sold by non-Indigenous individuals
• Dreamcatchers sold by non-Indigenous individuals
• Yoga classes that emphasize fitness or beauty while ignoring the original Hindu spiritual philosophies
• Ayahuasca retreats hosted by non-Indigenous individuals that do not incorporate genuine sacred Indigenous practices
• Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and other methods of traditional healing practiced by individuals who do not belong to the origin culture and were not trained by someone belonging to the culture
• The casual use of phrases such as “spirit animal” or “shaman” without acknowledgment of Indigenous spiritual traditions
• Displaying a statue of Buddha in your home without practicing Buddhism or adhering to rules about how the statue should be displayed respectfully

It is important to note the specifics of the examples listed above.

I am not saying that a white individual cannot practice Ayurveda or Traditional Chinese Medicine; I am saying that they should not do it unless they truly believe in the practice, have learned from someone who belongs to the origin culture (via training, certification, books, etc.), and have a deep understanding of the history and context.

Gaining permission to participate in a spiritual tradition is a big part of avoiding cultural appropriation in spirituality, as is approaching the tradition with respect, curiosity, humility, and open-mindedness.

When you approach a spiritual practice from another culture in this way, you honor its sacredness, origins, history, authenticity, and true intent.

Why Do Spiritual Individuals Engage in Cultural Appropriation?

Why do so many spiritualists engage in cultural appropriation? The answer is surely not because they want to cause harm to other peoples and cultures; rather, they feel called to get in touch with Spirit, to bring deeper meaning and magic into their worlds…and New Age spirituality is one of the most accessible gateways to this new realm of being.

Whether you are visiting your local occult shop or browsing spiritual hashtags online, it’s impossible to avoid these commonly appropriated symbols, traditions, and practices. They are accepted and supported by the spiritual community at large — yet that does not make them right.

I am guilty of making these same mistakes. In high school, I felt very drawn towards the Buddhist and Hindu religions — enough to collect several figurines and statues and display them in my room, but not enough to purchase texts or attend classes to learn the meaning behind them.

As an adult, when I began developing a deeper interest in spirituality and magic, I purchased white sage and palo santo online from vendors who are not Indigenous, so I could “smudge” my home with them — without understanding that smudging is a highly sacred Native American ceremony, and that what I was performing did not not even come close to being a genuine smudge ceremony.

In these and other instances, I did not intend to disrespect or harm the other cultures; in fact, I thought I was appreciating them. As they say: “You don’t know what you don’t know.”

…But now, I do know. And so do you.

So, where do we go from here? How can white individuals of European descent who feel called to connect to their spiritual selves, to the Earth, to gods and spirits, and to the universe do so without committing cultural appropriation?

Coming Home to Paganism

We all have ancestors who were indigenous to somewhere, who had rich cultural and spiritual traditions that were passed down through generations, who were deeply connected to Earth and the rhythms of nature.

Sadly, many of the spiritual stories and customs from pre-Christian European cultures were lost centuries ago when our ancestors converted to Christianity, and when they uprooted their lives and traveled across the Atlantic (for those of us who were born in the United States).

Yet thanks to the combined efforts of archeologists, historians, linguists, professors, authors, and religious reconstructionists, we do know some key things about the spiritual beliefs of our ancient European ancestors.

We know that their spirituality was deeply ingrained with every single aspect of their lives, from farming and hunting to war, childbirth, and death.

We know that they worshipped in groves, near bogs and lakes, on hills and mountaintops — that these places were spiritual, powerful, and magical to them.

We know that the cycles and rhythms of nature — such as the seasons and the moon phases — were incredibly important to them.

We know that they were polytheists who worshipped many gods and goddesses, along with land spirits and ancestral spirits.

We know that they believed souls continued on after death in some form or another, often in parallel worlds that mirrored life in many ways.

We know that they engaged in various forms of divination, and that many communities relied on the wisdom of seers.

We know that they used local herbs and plants for healing, as well as to induce trances and aid spiritual rituals.

If you are a white person of European descent, how does reading the above make you feel?

For me, it feels like an awakening; like my body remembers the truth of this knowledge. It feels invigorating, emotional, moving. It feels like a homecoming.

To summarize, I believe that cultural appropriation is so rampant in modern spirituality because 1) people who are just getting started don’t know better, and/or 2) people believe it’s the only option.

By reconnecting with the spiritual practices of our own ancestors and our own heritage, we can find the spiritual fulfillment we are looking for and shift from a place of cultural appropriation to cultural appreciation — and even cultural exchange.

Cultural exchange occurs when one person learns about another person’s culture, and shares a piece of their own culture in return. This is a beautiful and reciprocal act that comes from a place of genuine appreciation and curiosity, rather than a place of scarcity and self-indulgence, and is something we should all strive towards.

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It’s true: the pagan path requires a willingness to study and learn. Answers often do not come easily (certainly not as easily as purchasing a “smudge kit” from Amazon), and abundant reading is required if you want to gain a deep understanding of your own cultural traditions and practices.

And that’s a good thing — spirituality isn’t something you can master by reading one book or performing one ritual. Rather, it’s a lifelong practice — or maybe, it’s something that cannot be separated from life itself, as our ancestors once believed.