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The Modern Druid's
Understanding of Spiritualism and Naturalism By the druid Finn In the
age of AI, quantum physics, and space telescopes, it might seem like
spiritualism and naturalism belong to two different planets. One speaks the
language of soul and mystery; the other, of atoms and algorithms. But look
closer, and you’ll find these two worldviews not only coexist—but may serve distinct
and developmentally appropriate roles in the human journey. As a
"modern druid"—a thinker grounded in ancient symbolic wisdom and
contemporary science—we might begin to see spiritualism and naturalism not as
enemies, but as tools for different stages of life. Spiritualism: Survival for the Young Mind Let’s
start with spiritualism—the belief that unseen forces like spirits,
souls, or divine will, indeed my God, shape our lives. It’s easy to dismiss
this as superstition, but for children and early adolescents, spiritual
thinking makes psychological sense. Why?
Because young brains aren’t wired for complexity or existential ambiguity.
According to developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, abstract
reasoning doesn’t fully emerge until adolescence. Kids interpret the world in
symbolic, often magical ways. They look for intention and agency—even in
nature (e.g., “The moon is following me”). Spiritual
narratives offer: ·
Safety: “You’re never truly alone;
there's a guardian watching.” ·
Moral clarity: “Good is rewarded, evil is
punished.” ·
Meaning: “There’s a reason for your
suffering.” These
aren’t scientific truths—but they are cleverly devised fantasies,
that
help children, and yet infantile adults, develop a sense of order and
security. Think
about it: when a child loses a loved one, they don’t need a biology lecture
on cellular death. They need the idea of heaven. That’s
not weakness. That’s developmentally appropriate survival. Naturalism: Survival for the Grown Mind Now enter
naturalism—the view that everything arises from one set of natural
laws and causes. There are no supra-natural forces, only phenomena that can
be explained by physics, biology, and chemistry. Naturalism
doesn't offer comforting illusions. But it does offer something just
as powerful: clarity, autonomy, and actionable knowledge. As
adults, we have responsibilities. We must make decisions in healthcare,
politics, parenting, and ethics. These decisions can't be based on wishful
thinking or ancient cosmologies—they need data, reason (self-logic coherence) and
empirical grounding (meaning facts). Examples: ·
Climate policy isn’t a question of divine
wrath—it’s about carbon cycles and global systems. ·
Medical treatment can’t rely on faith healing—it
requires understanding disease pathology. ·
Ethical behaviour isn’t about heaven or hell—it’s
about empathy, consequence, and harm reduction. This is
what it means to apply a mature mind (i.e. reasoning) in a
complex (indeed
random) world: facing reality, however
difficult, with tools that work. From Magic to Method: A Developmental View Here’s
the key insight: Spiritualism and naturalism aren’t just beliefs. They’re
survival strategies—and they emerge at different stages of life.
This
doesn’t mean we “outgrow” spiritualism in the sense of rejecting all its
value. Rather, we integrate its symbolic power into a worldview that’s
no longer dependent on myth—but still open to meaning. The Modern Druid’s Wisdom The druid
of old, embedded in nature, wandered forests, communed with spirits, and
mediated between worlds. The modern druid must do the same—but between
childhood myths and adult realities. We can
honour the poetry of spiritualism without mistaking it for literal
truth. And we can champion naturalist rigor without losing wonder,
reverence, or intuitive depth. The modern druid’s spirituality is that of the
mature adult grounding action in factual knowledge, i.e. science. Because
in the end, the journey from spiritualism to naturalism isn’t about which
side you’re on. It’s simply about growing up—and getting smarter. For, as
the Druid said: “The
smart get to eat and mate. And the dumb get eaten.” Final Thought Spiritualism
gives us stories when we’re not ready for the harsh reality of the world.
Naturalism gives us structure, proven through evolution over 3500 million
years, when we’re ready to re-build ourselves as unique and original (bit-) actors
within reality. Both matter. But in a world that desperately needs mature
thinking, clear performance rules, and grounded solutions, naturalism, as the
spirituality of the mature adult, isn’t just helpful—it’s absolutely
necessary. And
perhaps the most evolved among us are those who, like modern druids, can hold
both: the wisdom of myth, and the power of reason. |