The term ‘Cosmology’ is used decidedly because what is being discussed here and what PaGaian Cosmology is about, is a Place – the Cosmos – as sacred (as many of our ancient forebears apparently knew their Place to be). It is not a theism of any kind – be that ‘a’, ‘pan’, ‘pan-en’ or whatever, nor even a thealogy. Any references to deities is understood to be metaphor. I have discussed this in various ways in PaGaian Cosmology, but particularly in this excerpt from Chapter 1 (p.42-43):

I wish to be clear that what I am speaking of, is not a Deity: this is therefore not “theology” nor even “thealogy”. It is a cosmology: what I am speaking of and with is Cosmos – a Place. Thomas Berry has preferred to be called a “geologian” or “cosmologist”, perhaps for a similar reason: he is speaking about a place, not a deity – as such has been understood by “theology”. Earth-based religious traditions and Goddess traditions speak of this Place as sacred. “PaGaian” cosmology is a way of speaking about this Place: it implies a metaphor and a practice. ... Cosmos is a Place, dynamic and moving, alive and changing, which is indistinguishable from participatory selves, which remains ultimately mysterious and indefinable; thus ultimately only able to be spoken of metaphorically. This then is Poetry.

And the Place of Being that is spoken of is understood to be a layered reality, a holarchy of the particular self, in a particular context of Earth, and Cosmos. It is a Place that is indigenous to all humans (and other beings on this Earth). It is not confined to the part, although it is particular, in relationship with the particular. All beings inherit this ‘blood-line’, may participate consciously in the cosmos-creating endeavour.

It is ‘PaGaian’ because it has required a planetary sense – a whole sense of Gaia. Such a perspective is more embodied when Southern Hemispheric senses – seasons, skyview and place – are reckoned into the equation: and when any ‘Other’ is reckoned into the relational web. It is the hope of the authors of this site … and all who participate become ‘co-authors’, that PaGaianism (or Pagaianism as it may be written) could be a framework that could be applied to any geographical location on Earth by any human with an interest to do so. Perhaps such cosmological celebration informed by scientific perspective, could help meet the spiritual needs of people without the power, control and manipulation so often present in religions.

In the sub-title of the book PaGaian Cosmology, the word ‘religion’ is used, because ‘cosmological celebration’ is a ‘connecting’ practice – a consistent practice of intention, attention, meditation and ritual, that enhances a personal and communal sense of belonging.

This site is an invitation into an open-source spiritual framework called ‘Pagaianism’ – into a process of creative collaboration in expression and invocation of the Creative Cosmos that humans find themselves in. It will always be particular – to bioregion, to small self telling the story, thus great receptivity is required: this is more than ‘tolerance’. The receptivity required is a gift of openness, a reciprocity, in a sentient Universe that is open, seamless.