Duhovi Rastlin, Duša Stare Vere: The Use of Plants in Sacred Rituals Among Nature Worshippers in Slovenia
June 19, 2020 DOI: 10.1558/pome.38510 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
Slovenian Rodnovera and Starovera nature-worshiper groups frequently use 'sacred' plants in rituals. Participants listed plants for both sacred and secular purposes, yielding eighty-four categories. Most mentioned were Cannabis spp., Hypericum perforatum, and Salvia spp., with the latter two co-occurring most often. Interviews reveal plants play an integral role in sacred ritual life, with symbolic nature or 'spirit' of plants more important than physical properties, showing how these Pagan groups connect with divine conceptions of nature.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | Slovenian Rodnovera and Starovera nature-worshiper groups |
| Key finding | Symbolic properties of plants, such as their 'spirit,' are more important than physical properties in the rituals of Slovenian nature-worshiper groups. |
Abstract
Native Faith and nature-worshiper groups in Slovenia frequently utilize “sacred” plants in their rituals. Most participants identified with the terms Rodnovera/Starovera in regards to naming their beliefs, or preferred to eschew labels. A variety of plants were used for both sacred and secular purposes, with eighty-four categories emerging when participants’ lists were combined. The most frequently mentioned were Cannabis spp., Hypericum perforatum, and Salvia spp., with the latter two also being the most commonly co-occurring plants on lists. The interviews and plants used display the integral role that plants play in the sacred ritual life of nature worship groups in Slovenia, and underline the importance of the symbolic nature of the plants, or the plant’s “spirit.” These characteristics were of greater importance than physical properties, showing the importance of symbolic relations in how the Pagan nature worshipers of Slovenia connect with their divine conceptions of nature.