Table of Contents
Nationalism and Identity
I consider myself a child of the universe and not a citizen of any nation on earth, or any other planet for that matter. I do not consider myself a citizen of any nation. This statement may seem radical in a world that so often revolves around flags, anthems, and borders, but for me, it is a truth born of both intuition and spiritual conviction. I believe that the ideas of patriotism and nationalism, far from uniting people in meaningful ways, often breed hatred, fear, and division based on the most artificial of reasons: imaginary lines drawn on maps.
We are born not into countries, but into the living Earth. Before the concept of countries, before empires rose and fell, there were forests and rivers, mountains and stars. The world did not need passports or pledges of allegiance to know who belonged. And neither do we. We are all children of the universe, and we are all connected.
A Child of the Universe
To say “I am a child of the universe” is not to deny culture or history. It is to transcend the illusion that any single human-made structure defines who we are at our core. When we define ourselves by nationality, we often unconsciously accept the terms of exclusion: this is “my” country, and that is “yours.” These are “my people,” and those are “others.” From such distinctions come policies of discrimination, wars fought in the name of identity, and the all-too-common idea that to love your country, you must dislike or even fear another person’s nation or origin.
Patriotism: The Lie that Divides
Patriotism, when it becomes blind loyalty, ceases to be love and becomes idolatry. It demands conformity rather than truth, allegiance rather than compassion. Nationalism goes further, urging us to believe in the superiority of one group over another, based on something as arbitrary as where someone was born. In this mindset, borders become sacred, and human lives expendable. Entire groups are labeled “foreigners,” “aliens,” or “invaders,” when in truth, no human being can be illegal on a planet they were born into.
Pagan Mysticism offers a completely different way of seeing the world. It invites us to remember that we are all part of the sacred web of life. Pagan traditions, rooted in the rhythms of nature and the reverence for all beings, do not draw hard lines between peoples. Instead, they emphasize relationship, interconnectedness, and the living presence of spirit in all things, whether animals, plants, rocks, rivers, and yes, even strangers from faraway lands.
In Pagan Mysticism, the Earth is not divided into nations, but into sacred landscapes. Each place has its spirit, each tree its wisdom, each creature its medicine. These are not “resources” to be claimed by any nation but kin to be honored and respected. This perspective doesn’t just dissolve political boundaries. It renders them irrelevant.
Many Pagan paths teach that the divine speaks through the natural world. The moon phases, the turning of the seasons, the migrations of birds; all are part of a vast and mysterious spiritual system. There is no passport required to feel the presence of the divine wind or the fire in the stars. When I walk through a forest, I do not ask which country it is in. My experience of the forest as a child of the universe does not depend on the arbitrary border that the forest lies behind. I listen to the trees, the whispers of the ancestors in the leaves, the heartbeat of the land. That is my homeland.
To embrace Pagan Mysticism is to remember that we are all earth-born. The divine is not locked away in churches or temples, or sealed off by customs checkpoints, or hidden behind border walls. It flows freely like a river, and so should we. If I feel kinship with a wolf in Canada or a hawk in Egypt, why should I not feel kinship with the people who live there as well?
I do not deny that cultures are unique and meaningful. We all have roots, and a part of Pagan Mysticism is honoring those roots and remembering our ancestors. But culture should be a celebration of diversity, not a weapon of division. The more we embrace the idea that we are all children of the universe, the more we begin to dismantle the systems that divide us. Pagan Mysticism calls us back to the sacred whole, the great circle of life, where all beings are relatives, not rivals.
So no, I do not stand for a flag. I stand for the people that the flag is supposed to represent. I stand for the Earth, for the mystery that connects us all, for the ancient truth that we are stardust and soil, blood and breath. No border can change that. No anthem can drown it out. I am not a citizen of any nation.
I am a child of the universe. And so are you.
Share Your Thoughts!
Are you a child of the universe? Do you think arbitrary borders and nationalism have gone too far in dividing us? Share your thoughts in the comments below!