Humans in the pagan worldview – being part of the web of life and divine nature

Nicole
Jan 5
6 min read

In a modern world that often elevates humans above nature, the pagan worldview feels almost like a counter-model – and perhaps that is why it is so refreshing. Here, humans are not the crown of creation, not divinely appointed stewards, and not distant observers of nature. They are part of it, woven into a network of relationships, cycles, forces, and stories far older than any human culture.

Pagan understanding of nature is not just a spiritual stance. It is a life philosophy, a cosmos, a worldview. And especially today – in a time of deep ecological crises and existential questions – it touches many people because it offers something that few modern perspectives do:

A sense of deep interconnectedness.

But what does this concretely mean? What role do humans play in this perspective? And how does the Norse-pagan concept of Wyrd – as a cosmic web of fate – fit into this picture?

Let’s dive deeper.

A Human Among Many – Embedded, Not Elevated

While in some religious traditions humans occupy a privileged position, paganism does not see humans as the center. Instead, humans are members of a larger community, part of a vast web.

This community includes:

Plants
Animals
Rivers and mountains
Ancestors
Place spirits
Elements
And countless other forces, often beyond human perception

Humans are not superior. They are not more important. They are unique in their own way – just like every other being. The pagan worldview does not rely on a linear hierarchy, but rather on a web of relationships, in which each being has its own place, tasks, and dignity.

A Sentient Universe – Animism as a Core Principle

One of the central ideas in many pagan and nature-spiritual traditions is animism. Practically all pagan currents share an animistic worldview. Animism means: everything is alive. Everything is ‘ensouled’.

To avoid misunderstandings, this does not mean “life” in the biological or scientific sense. Rather, it refers to an inner life force, a presence, a consciousness that exists in everything.

Pagan worldviews assume that this ensoulment is not a poetic metaphor but a fundamental reality of the universe. The world is not a mechanism of lifeless parts – it is a network of relationships, forces, and realities that communicate with one another.

In this view, for example:

A forest is not just a “forest.”
It consists of many individual trees, each with its own kind of spirit or energetic signature – and at the same time, there is a larger forest presence, a sort of collective spirit or Genius Loci. You can imagine it like individual voices forming a choir.
A river carries personality.
Some traditions speak of river spirits, nixies, or the river mother; others describe the unmistakable intelligence of the water: its strength, pace, mood, and history.
Animals are not just living beings but allies or even teachers.
In many cultures, animals are seen as bearers of wisdom – not projected, but experienced through observation, encounter, and intuition.
Stones store memory.
Not literally, like a data chip, but as resonators. Rocks, mountains, and minerals are considered long-lived consciousness forms that “hold” landscape history, emotions, or events.
Places echo their histories.
An abandoned farm, an old temple, or a well-trodden path carries an atmosphere that is more than architecture. Pagans often call this the Genius Loci or the place power.
Ancestors are not gone but present.
The line of forebears is experienced as active – offering support, inspiration, or warnings depending on the relationship.

In all these examples, the same basic assumption emerges: humans are not the only beings with consciousness, intention, or wisdom. They are embedded in a cosmic field of living presence, where every being is a subject, not an object.

This leads to a central question:

👉 How does one behave in a world where everything is a counterpart, never merely an object?

The pagan answer: with respect, mindfulness, and relational awareness. Not as a moral obligation, but as a natural expression of a worldview in which everything is interconnected.

Wyrd – The Web that Weaves Everything Together

In some belief systems, there is a clear name for this interconnectedness, this embeddedness. In Norse paganism, this principle is called Wyrd.¹

Wyrd is one of the central – and complex – concepts of Old Norse spirituality. It is often translated as “fate,” but that captures only a tiny part. Wyrd refers to something much larger: the web of all relationships, actions, consequences, and possibilities that shape life.A cosmic network that continues to weave itself with every thought, step, and decision.

Imagine it like this:

Everything that exists is a thread.
These threads touch, influence, and connect with one another.
From these connections, the pattern of the world emerges. Symbolically, this pattern can also be seen as a world-web.

This pattern is constantly changing – nothing is fixed. Wyrd is not a rigid predestination waiting for you, but a dynamic fabric encompassing past, present, and future.

In Norse tradition, the following shape your personal thread in the web – your own Wyrd:

Your deeds
Your words
Your relationships
Your loyalties
Your mistakes
Your healing
Your ancestral line

... your personal thread in the web – your own Wyrd.

Wyrd as an Expression of Absolute Interconnectedness

Wyrd confirms animistic thinking in a Norse way: Humans are never isolated. They are nodes in a vast network of natural forces, stories, ancestors, places, animals, decisions, and chance events. Modern psychology might say: we are systems within systems. Norse mythology says: we are threads in the great loom of Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld.

Why This Concept is So Powerful

Wyrd explains:

why places can seem to “follow” you,
why certain people shape you for a lifetime,
why some decisions have butterfly wings that create large waves,
why contact with nature can feel like a conversation,
why we sometimes feel “guided” or “called.”

Why Responsibility is Central in Pagan Thinking

And here we see why responsibility is so important in paganism:Everything you do resonates through the web. Not out of fear, moral pressure, or divine judgment – but because you are part of the pattern.

Unlike worldviews where responsibility is often delegated to a higher power, here it arises from interconnectedness itself: your actions have effect because you are entwined – with nature, people, ancestors, and the web of Wyrd.

Every choice, every act, every encounter leaves traces in the web – sometimes visible, sometimes subtle. And this is not a burden, but an invitation: to live consciously, act mindfully, and sense the consequences of your deeds.

Humans in the Web – Freedom and Shared Responsibility

Pagan thinking sees humans not as isolated subjects responsible only for themselves and their immediate circle, but as nodes in a living network.

Freedom and responsibility are inseparable here:

You are free to make decisions.
You are free to act creatively.
And you carry responsibility because your actions influence the web.

This interplay makes humans conscious co-creators of the world – without controlling everything, yet without being at the mercy of a higher authority.

Practical Implications for Modern Life

What does this mean today?

Awareness of interconnectedness: When everything is interwoven, everything we do has effects – on nature, other people, our surroundings, and ourselves.
Mindfulness and attitude: Respectful action arises from insight, not obligation. A forest, a river, a conversation, a decision – all are part of the living whole.
Personal responsibility instead of delegation: You don’t have to wait for divine judgment or an external “right or wrong.” The impact of your actions unfolds in the web, and you are invited to shape it consciously.
Cycle instead of linearity: Mistakes are not final judgments. Everything flows, becomes part of a new pattern, and can often be corrected or balanced.

Practical Invitation for Experiencing the Wyrd in everyday life

Knowledge of animism and Wyrd is not just theoretical – it can be experienced. You don’t have to study ancient texts or perform rituals to feel connected. Small gestures can open the doorway to life’s web:

Take conscious time to observe a place: a forest, a park, a river. Feel how the presence of nature, animals, or history affects you.
Observe your actions: every small choice – how you treat someone or use nature – resonates through the web.
Reflect on relationships: who are the people, animals, and places that shape you? How are you part of their pattern?
Write or meditate on your own Wyrd: which threads do you weave consciously? Which unfold unconsciously?

Closing Thought

Pagan thinking invites us to live embedded, mindful, and consciously.We are not isolated actors, but threads in a great living fabric – carried by Earth, ancestors, natural forces, and Wyrd.Responsibility is not a burden but an expression of our interconnectedness.Freedom, shared responsibility, respect, and mindfulness – these are the tools with which we consciously weave our own pattern.

Perhaps this is one of the strongest messages of paganism today: You are part of the whole – and you can help shape it.

--------------------------------------

¹ The term Wyrd comes from Old English wyrd (“fate, that which has become”) and derives from the Proto-Germanic word wurđiz, often rendered as “Wurd.” This, in turn, comes from the Proto-Germanic verb werþan (“to become, to happen, to develop”).

Core meaning: “that which has become / that which is continuously unfolding.”