According to Marija Gimbutas, pre-Indo-European societies lived in small-scale, family-based communities that practiced matrilineal succession and goddess-centered religion[2] where creation comes from the woman.
According to Boyer, early humans were forced to locate food and shelter in order to survive, while constantly being directed by their instincts and senses.
Among the first parts of nature to be worshiped were rocks and hills, plants and trees, animals, the elements, heavenly bodies, and even man himself.
Instead of simply trying to find belongingness and empathy from the relationships with others, humans created and evolved God and spirits in order to fulfil that need and exploration.
There is an array of groups and beliefs that fall under earth religion, such as paganism, which is a polytheistic, nature-based religion; animism, which posits that all living entities (plants, animals, and humans) possess a spirit; Wicca, which holds the concept of an earth mother goddess as well as practices ritual magic; and Druidism, which equates divinity with the natural world.
The Dahomey mythology has deities like Nana Buluku, Gleti, Mawu, Asase Yaa, Naa Nyonmo and Xevioso.
In Baltic mythology, the sun is a female deity, Saulė, a mother or a bride, and Mēness is the moon, father or husband, their children being the stars.
Unlike "The X-Files", this cinematic feature faced mixed reviews from the Earth Religion community due to its sensationalized portrayal of witchcraft.
[11] A few years later, programs such as "Charmed" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" became widely popular, further introducing audiences to Earth Religion themes.
Meanwhile, "Buffy" was notable for casting a Wiccan character, Willow Rosenberg, albeit within a fantastical context given the show's focus on vampires.
[11] The genre of Earth Religion in popular culture expanded with films by director Hayao Miyazaki, like "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbor Totoro", which delve into human interaction with nature spirits.
These films illustrate the consequences when the harmony between humans and nature is disrupted, resonating with Earth Religion principles.
[12] Other films like "The 13th Warrior", "The Deceivers", "Sorceress" (1982), "Anchoress", "Eye of the Devil", "Agora", and "The Wicker Man" (1973) have also explored earth religion and nature worship.
Each film, with its unique narrative and setting, contributes to the diverse portrayal of Earth Religion in popular culture.
[13] For instance, the religious aspect in "The Deceivers" is primarily embodied by the Thuggee cult's worship of the goddess Kali, a deity in Hinduism.
Although Kali worship is a part of Hindu tradition, the portrayal in the movie is associated with violence, robbery, and ritualistic murders carried out by the Thuggee cult, which is far from a representation of Earth religion or a reverence for nature.
Moreover, the Thuggees' criminal activities and the religious fanaticism depicted in the movie serve as a plot device to drive the narrative forward, rather than an exploration or demonstration of Earth religion.
[14] The focus of "The Deceivers" lies more on the historical thriller aspect, religious fanaticism, and the moral dilemmas faced by the protagonist, rather than on exhibiting practices or ideologies typically associated with Earth religion.
[15] Similarly, online communities and social media platforms are used to discuss and spread Earth Religion ideas.
[22] This argument is fueled by the fact that those people socialized into 'western' world views believe the earth itself is not a living being.
Wesley Smith (of the conservative Discovery Institute which advocates for Intelligent Design ) believes this is "anti-humanism with the potential to do real harm to the human family".
[citation needed] Much of the criticism directed towards earth religion stems from the adverse actions of a handful of individuals who have faced reproach for their deeds.
From the Wiccan perspective, however, earth religion and Wicca lie outside of the phenomenological world that encompasses Satanism.
[27] Neo-pagans, Wiccans, and earth religion believers do not acknowledge the existence of a deity that conforms to the common Semitic sect religious concept of Satan.
Organized Satan worship, as defined by and anchored in the Semitic worldview, is characterized by a relatively disorganized and often disparate series of movements and groups that mostly emerged in the mid-20th century.
The issue is further complicated by the theory that the intra and extra-biblical mythology of Satan that is present throughout various Semitic sects may have originally evolved to figuratively demonize the heathen religions of other groups.
"[32] This maxim was first printed in 1964, after being spoken by the priestess Doreen Valiente in the mid-20th century, and governs most ethical belief of Wiccans and some Pagans.
[39] This term is what Emma Restall Orr calls reverence for the earth in her book Living with Honour: A Pagan Ethics.
We recognize and revere the divinity of Nature in our Mother the Earth, and we conduct our rites of worship in a manner that is ethical, compassionate, and constitutionally protected.
"[38][40][42][43] This resolution was a significant step towards addressing and condemning abusive practices while also aiming to dispel common misconceptions and stereotypes associated with Earth Religions, particularly Wicca and Witchcraft.