Reflections: The Divinity Within

At Mystic Market, I believe spirituality is a journey, not a destination. It is not about memorizing doctrines, nor about living in fear of eternal consequences. It is about discovering the sacred that already lives within you, and walking through this world with reverence, compassion, and courage.

Laurie, the founder of Mystic Market, follows a form of modern Paganism shaped by animism and rooted in the echoes of ancient Norse and Viking traditions. This path runs counter to rigid, fear-based dogma, instead embracing the idea that the divine is not separate from us—it is us.

You may hear me say: “The gods help those who help themselves. YOU are God. ‘God’ lives within you.”

The Flame Inside

To say that “God lives within you” is not to deny the existence of the divine—it is to affirm that every soul carries its own spark of sacred fire. This is an invitation to recognize your inherent spiritual capacity: your ability to know right from wrong, to act with kindness, to create meaning, and to live in balance with the world around you. That includes ALL beings everywhere. Human, animal, and yes even bugs. (lol)

You do not need the threat of punishment to guide your choices. You do not need to fear a fiery brimstone to be compassionate. True goodness comes from the freedom to choose it.🥰

Love or Fear?

Here lies one of the greatest critiques of fear-based religion: when a god demands worship under threat of eternal damnation, what kind of love does that cultivate? Is it really love if it is coerced?🤔

Love cannot be forced. Reverence cannot be threatened into existence. A god who asks for worship through fear may command obedience, but obedience is not devotion. True reverence, I believe, belongs to the gods, spirits, or energies that inspire us through love, awe, and mutual respect.

This is why I also often say, “If any god threatened me with damnation because I did not worship him/her, I would not want to be where they are anyway.”

The Pagan Lens: Spirit in All Things

Modern Paganism, especially in its animist expression, sees the world as alive with spirit. The wind has a voice. The stones hold memory. Rivers, trees, and animals are not just resources but kin—each with wisdom to share.

For me, Norse and Viking traditions hold a special resonance. These cultures lived close to the natural cycles of the earth. They honored gods and goddesses who were not abstract figures, but beings tied to storms, the sea, the hearth, the hunt, and the unseen threads of fate. Their worldview was not about escaping life for heaven or fearing hell—it was about living with honor, courage, and respect for the natural world.

Empowered by Choice

My path is not a religion in the traditional sense. It is a way of life that rejects fear-based moral compasses and embraces the radical responsibility of choice. When you choose kindness, it matters more than if you were simply following orders. When you live with integrity because it feels aligned with your soul—not because you fear punishment—you embody authentic spirituality.

This is what it means to honor the divinity within.

Living the Practice

At Mystic Market, I create sacred space for this kind of spiritual exploration. Here, the inner spark is nurtured through meditation, sound healing, ritual, and connection to the cycles of nature. We honor the wisdom of the old ways while remaining open to new understandings.

We believe that every person has the right to find their own relationship with spirit—whether through ancient gods, ancestral traditions, or simply through the deep knowing of the self.

To walk this path is to honor life as sacred. To honor yourself as sacred. To see that divinity is not something you must beg for or fear losing—it is something you already carry within.

Closing Reflection

The choice is always yours: will you live guided by fear, or by love? Will you see yourself as small and powerless before a judging deity, or as a divine being capable of creating beauty, compassion, and meaning?

At Mystic Market, I honor the truth that you are not separate from the sacred. The gods help those who help themselves, yes—but more importantly, you help yourself because you are divine. Spirit is not far away, waiting to punish or reward. Spirit lives in you, around you, and through you.

And that is where the real magick begins.

Until next time...

Live, Love and Magick!