Inner Ascension: Uncovering the Divine Within
In the pagan understanding, spirituality is not so much acquired as it is awakened within a person through the recognition of their innate divine image and a deep connection with nature. Here, spirituality is defined as something that already exists in the individual and throughout all of creation, and to reveal it, one must pursue profound self-knowledge and the aspiration to see the reflection of the divine within oneself and the surrounding world. This means that the path to spirituality consists in undertaking a deep inner investigation—knowing oneself (γνωθι σαυτόν)—to realize that both man and nature carry a divine spark. Thus, achieving spirituality involves transcending the everyday shell of material existence and aspiring to “ascend” to a higher level of understanding, where the revelation of the divine is felt not as an external gift, but as something already present within.Supporting citation(s):"Man, truly having the image of God, also possesses the organ of divine knowledge in his profound self-exploration: γνώθι σαυτόν means both know thyself and know God. And all of nature bears the same image, for it too is human; the revelation of Divinity fills all of creation in its wisdom." (source: link txt)"And all of nature bears the same image, for it too is human; the revelation of Divinity fills all of creation in its wisdom. Paganism is regarded as the ascension of man, a breakthrough through the thickness of natural existence. Even the fall could only obscure, but never paralyze, the revelation of God in the world." (source: link txt)