Collin Gow, C.N.C.

Earth/Nature-based spirituality is the most ancient form of religion. You may know it by other names such as animism, pantheism, paganism, astrology, astronomy, astrotheology, sun-worship, magic, wicca, deism, shinto, shamanism, Native American religion, or indigenous religion. I call it Naturotheology™️—nature religion. It pre-dates Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and others. While one doesn't need to make nature their religion to be a naturevore, as modern American humans, or modern Western people for that matter, we certainly have a Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) and need to get outdoors more often. That need to get outdoors, for some of us, may reach a religious sentiment or approach a religious feeling. American and British children today spend half as much time outdoors as their parents did and more people today live in urban environments than rural ones. This is sad because having reverence for nature does bring us a bounty of health benefits, both cognitively, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. For example, spending time in nature or being exposed to nature is correlated with lower rates of depression, lower blood pressure, a reduction in ADHD symptoms, being a more caring person, a reduced risk for heart disease, less anxiety, less stress, increased energy, increased vitality, an enhanced sense of well-being and happiness, and better resistance to physical illness.[1–16] Recognizing and celebrating nature and the changing of the seasons by smelling the flowers and watching the butterflies in the spring, going to the beach and sun-bathing on a hot summer day, hiking in the mountains in fall and crunching the dead leaves with every step, or taking a dip in a hot spring on a cold winter day and smelling the pines—these activities invigorate us, let us commune with our natural environment, and make us feel whole and healthy as Homo sapiens. Who doesn't enjoy hearing the crackling of a warm fire, or listening to the melodies of songbirds, or feeling the cool breeze on their skin, or basking in the moonlight on smooth, cool sand, or viewing the clear skies on a perfect day? Participating in nature has been the norm for 99.9% of man's evolution. It is modern times with the cell phones, plastics, video games, televisions, air conditioning, white walls, sunscreen, and other synthetic materials insulating us from nature that is abnormal. Our identities have merged with machine and the synthetic, and we have lost our souls. We need to take back our identities as natural beings. When we embrace and enjoy what's happening right in front of us here and now, such as appreciating the change in seasons in nature, we become alive.

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Of course, excess pleasure of the senses comes with pain. We naturotheologists must be willing to accept that and remember that and be willing to sublimate the senses at times. But we also realize that nature is both the disease and the cure. If nature is indulged too much, nature also has the cure for that. On the other hand, if the synthetic is indulged too much and causes pain/disease, the synthetic solution to that only causes more pain/disease. Anyhow, in addition to enjoying the natural pleasure/pain sounds, smells, sights, and feels of nature, we should give thanks to mother earth for these and other gifts she bestows upon us. In giving thanks we appreciate what we have, which makes us happier and encourages us to take care of our home here on earth so we can continue to enjoy its gifts. Native Americans, with their earth-based spirituality, knew how to give thanks to mother earth; it's a key part of their culture. Knowing how to say thank you and appreciate life is a pretty spiritual attitude to me.

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Many traditional cultures have nature-based ways, and nature deities. Japan, the country with the highest life-expectancy, has clinical research showing the benefits of Shinrin Yoku, "forest bathing", with Shinto as their country's main belief system which pays homage to rocks, rivers, and trees. Pan was the ancient Greek god of the wild, the forest, shepherds, hunting, the mountains and the rustic. But, going back further, through much study, I have realized that most of the major, modern religions, especially Abrahamic religions, stem from older religions which are often based on either sun-worship or the worship of some other natural planet, natural satellite, or natural object. The Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans all worshiped solar deities such as Ra, Horus, Mithra, Attis, Helios, Dionysus, Sol Invictus, and Christ, to name a few. It's easy to see why ancient man would worship the sun. Before the marvels of modern technology, winter, when the sun was lowest in the sky, was actually a threat to man's survival. So, it was natural to celebrate the return of the sun back northward to all its glory from shorter days and the depths of the cold, dark winter, to longer days and the warmth and sunshine of summer. In fact, prior to Christianity, this is what Christmas was all about, only it was called Yule or Saturnalia or the winter solstice. The planet Saturn was venerated by the Romans at the end of December too because Saturn rules the constellation Capricorn, which is the constellation that the sun is in at the winter solstice. From summer to winter the sun moves southward in the sky. It hits its lowest point on December 22nd at the winter solstice, then it appears to stand still in the sky for 3 days (solstice from sol, "sun", and stitium, "stand still") because it stops moving southward. This occurs in the vicinity of the Southern Crux (Southern Cross) constellation in the sky also. On December 25th the sun begins moving northward and is "born again". So it is said that Jesus, the SUN of god died on the CROSS, was dead for 3 days, and was resurrected. This is what the sun does in the sky on the winter solstice. It's more complicated than this and there are other things to say astrotheologically about the death and birth of Christ and other events in the Bible. Plus, there are many many zodiacal correlations to the story, such as 12 disciples = 12 constellations of the zodiac, but you'll have to read my Naturevore book for all the rest. While there are many similarities between astronomical/zodiacal events and the events in the Bible, it is not a proven fact that the Bible is an astrotheological text, but the correlations are uncanny. Also, there are many different bibles and the real message in them may be different from the form the message takes, even if the form is actually astrotheological. By the same token, there is also zero historical documentation or proof that Jesus the man ever existed, other than what the Bible says. Nevertheless, I discovered that all the major modern American holidays, prior to their Christianization or secularization, at one point in time were based on the solstices and equinoxes, which are solar, astronomical events marking the changing of the seasons. These are natural events that happen every year. Other elements of nature were worshiped in other times, but it is my contention that honoring the sun is one of the more universal and more recent predecessors to anthropomorphized, modern, religious figures and modern holidays. Our ancestors, because they lived in nature and had no T.V., paid attention to natural events and were psychically and spiritually healthier for it. Apprehending that the sun's journey through the sky is what our ancestors were really celebrating, gives these holidays (holy days) a deeper meaning, especially for non-Christians, and gives us more reason to celebrate. Paying attention to and celebrating astronomical events happening here and now empowers us by connecting us to our environment, which connects us to our true selves as natural beings. Other forms of celebration, while they may empower us in some ways, dis-empower us in other ways because they ask us to give our power and identity over to another being, who most often was no more than a personification of the sun on its travels through the sky. Plus, if understanding some religions superficially, which most people do, then we think that they are telling us that this day, this earth, this life, this world are not important, they are ephemeral, and it's the next world, the afterlife which we should live for. We don't have to take any responsibility, it doesn't matter, God is gonna come destroy all the evil and we're gonna be raptured up into heaven for eternal bliss if we just believe and give ourselves over to this or that messiah. This allows us to not care about the earth, because it doesn't matter. Anyway, the sun is just one of the objects/entities of nature that has been held sacred, as I mentioned. Mountains, lakes, streams, animals, flowers, mushrooms, planets, the moon, the sky, the stars, and the earth herself have, in ancient times, enchanted man and been believed to be imbued with spirit. When we connect to nature through natural phenomena or through our everyday living and when we understand our ancestors, we connect to our authentic selves. When we connect we become whole, when we become whole, we heal. We need to study our history and nature to know who we really are. It's important to know who you are if you want to be psychologically and spiritually healthy. What I'm getting at is that feeling connected to the environment/nature/people/world/universe around you, feeling that there is a purpose and meaning to your life, knowing that you have an affect on the world around you and an important part to play, knowing that everything affects everything else, seeing things holistically, thanking your lucky stars, along with obtaining self and nature awareness, these are religious sentiments too, these feelings can be spiritual ones, and these also are some of the roads for some of us that lead to "God"/Source. 

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How does all of this relate to health and nutrition? In my opinion, health is physical, mental, emotional, AND spiritual and those who are spiritual live longer.[17–20] Yet, people who do not resonate with conventional religions are bereft of this benefit if they don't find or create another form of spirituality. Meanwhile, some of us are looking for a more down to earth spirituality. While a spiritual person may live longer in some instances, by my estimation, at the same time, there can be some negative health consequences that come from believing in modern, monotheistic, religious spirituality. One such consequence is that, if they make you believe that the sun was a man that lived and died, rather than the sun, then it ends up disconnecting you from nature. If you become disconnected from nature on one major level, then you eventually become disconnected from nature on all levels because of all the other unnatural influences besides these religions. This leads to becoming disconnected from eating and living naturally, which causes health problems. Also, if you believe there is only one god, or one redeemer, or one way to salvation, then you enter into a mind that is reductionist. A reductionist mind leads to the creation of refined foods, isolated nutrients, isolated bodily systems, synthetic foods, drugs, chemicals, allopathic medicine, only ever knowing one piece of the puzzle of health at a time, rather than seeing the whole landscape, and ultimately, a deplorable state of health and the destruction of the earth. I'm by no means saying that a few modern religions caused all these issues, that would be reductionist! There are a ton of influences, which is why I wrote a book.

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Understanding what I am describing here is essential to overall health, regardless of your beliefs. There are many many more details to this picture with examples and facts to back me up which will be revealed in the Naturotheology chapter in my Naturevore book coming soon. I do not intend to offend anyone, nor am I saying that my way is the only way or the best way. There are benefits to belief and faith no matter what it is you believe and have faith in. Christianity is not all bad. For many people, modern religions at least provide morals to live by, and who wouldn't agree with the golden rule: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". However, I find harmony in having an earth/nature-based spirituality and maybe you do too. If not, that's okay. There's plenty of purely nutritional information that I present for you to enjoy. I'm just sharing my journey and what I find solace in. To each their own.  Naturotheology is not for everybody and it shouldn't be. The Piscean Age had its day, with it's ultimate cult figure, "Jesus", at the helm, carrying the torch, carrying the message. Let bygones be bygones and let other archetypes be seen as true in their way, by their people. My religion is probably one that would resonate more with Virgoans. Let those who would resonate with the Piscean motif that Jesus represented continue to carry that torch if they wish. Each age, each sign, each figure is necessary to its time and to the grand scheme. In my opinion, there is more than one way to health and more than one way to God and I think Alvin Boyd Kuhn had it right when he said, "It is the likely truth that the segregation by religion of secular and profane interests and affairs from the area of the divine, sacred and holy has been close to the most disastrous error in human cultural procedure." Anyway, by far the most important things I want to express here are that some form of  spirituality is important for health, nature religions appear to predate modern religions, nature is missing in our Modern American Human Lifestyle™️ (M.A.H.L.™️), we are nature deficient, nature is generally good for us (though it can sometimes be dangerous if not careful), and man was once in touch with nature. I think most of us can agree on those things. 

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