Nature Spirits (ritual, Earth, hell, America, experience)

[t3gah]

Ted Andrews, in his teachings, shared this list of things he believed were indications that you have been experiencing the Spirit-That-Resides-In-All-Things or "Nature Spirits." If you can answer "Yes" to any of these, you can begin to open your thoughts to the idea that you can experience and be aware of these energies today.

1. Have you seen a sudden flash of light or sudden quick movement out of the corner of your eye that could not be explained?


2. Have you seen flickers of light around your house plants or flowers?

3. When out in nature, have you felt that you were not alone?

4. Have you walked down the street when the fragrance of a tree or flower hit you strongly? (This is often a signal that you are being greeted. Some people experience this while those they make be walking with do not.)

5. Have you ever seen children talking or singing to themselves while playing outside (probably near a tree).

6. Do you find yourself talking to a plant to help it grow?

7. Do you ever find yourself brushing away a spider's web when in an open field? (They don't build in an open field, they need something to hang on to.)

8. Do your dreams constantly involve outdoor scenes?

9. Did you hear (or do you now hear) music and you can't figure out where it is coming from?

10. Have you ever been sitting outside and singing or humming and noticed animals drawing closer?

11. Have you ever found things disappearing in your house, only to find them later in a place where they couldn't have got by themselves or by you?

12. Have you ever found yourself excessively sleepy when camping or on extended nature outings. (The energies of nature spirits can induce altered states of consciousness.)

13. Do you feel upcoming changes of weather before there are any signs?

14. Is your favorite time of day at dawn or dusk? Favorite times of year spring or autumn?

Andrews suggests that there are some ways to get in touch with these Spirits.

1. Awareness or observance - Being open to the idea that there is more to our natural world then we can see with our naked eye. Again this makes sense to me, because quantum physics teaches us that a particle becomes real when it is observed. I also believe that this is one of the reasons why so many Americans are interested in the Native culture. In order to believe that there are indeed Spirits at work in the world today, we must first be able to conceive of the idea.


2. Engaging in creative projects - Any "creative" project that we may engage in puts us in closer alignment with these creative energies. This makes sense to me as our ancestors were often engaged in not only artistic creativity, but also in creativity as a means of survival.

3. Appreciation - We must value and therefore spend time with these elements of Spirits. As mentioned in the short piece about the stream in the Alabama Coushatta Reservation, this makes sense with what we know from our ancestors.

I believe the 3 suggestions for getting attuned with the elements of nature could very easily be used as plans for living today. This could be the key to holding our families together, of attracting a mate or even increasing our incomes. No wonder people are rediscovering the wisdom of the aboriginal peoples.

http://www.powersource.com/talkingleaf/

[Feathers in Hair]

From "Enchantment of the Faerie Realm", right? I enjoyed that one.

A much better one by the same author is "Animal Speak."

[kreeden]

I enjoyed " Animal Speak ", but personally , I wouldn't rely on Mr. Andrews as my only " teacher " of N.A. Spirituality .

[Feathers in Hair]

Completely agreed, Kreeden. There are many others I enjoy. "Dancing with the Wheel" was a favorite, but I don't recall the authors right offhand.

[kreeden]

I figured that you would Feathers .

[t3gah]

The Turtle - Lakota

Animals that live in the water - bugs, fish frogs and turtles - also were thought to have specific sacred knowledge and powers. The turtle is probably the most prominent of these. The Lakota believe that the Earth was built on the back of a turtle. Therefore the turtle is synonymous with Mother Earth, the female procreative power. Beaded or quilled Cekpapii (charms) fashioned in the shape of a turtle are made for newborn baby girls. Lizard-shaped effigies are made for baby-boys. In this umbilical bundle is placed the dried umbilical plug from the newborn child. The turtle symbolizes the care of Mother Earth and evokes the protection of the turtle's famous shell, just as the lizard symbolizes a sturdy constitution and good health. The symbolic basis for the representation of the turtle is the belief that the turtle has power over the functional diseases peculiar to a woman and also over conception, birth and the period of infancy. The eating of the living heart of the turtle is regarded as a positive cure for menstrual disorders and barrenness.

("Walking In A Sacred Manner" by Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier)http://www.powersource.com/talkingleaf/105.txt

[painted wolf]

I would be very careful of any 'native american spirituality' that you read about in a book.
Selling religion is a big 'no-no' and often the people passing themselves off as teachers of native faith are hucksters and charlitans.

I have a copy of Animal speak and it is an intresting book, but I wouldn't say it represents native faith... since when are penguin, elephant, lion and tiger native american totems?
It is a new age book with a native american spin.

wa:do

[Master Vigil]

I agree with Painted Wolf, even though I am not native, I got to meet one a few months ago. Animal Speak was very new age.

[Feathers in Hair]

Very true. I actually don't know why they try to pass it off as 'native' wisdom, especially (as PW said) with so many creatures not coming from the north american areas. One of my favorite moments was when my friend/ mentor said that he liked "Animal Speak," but since then "the guy went all New-Agey on us." (What I loved about that was that this was a fellow I hadn't heard speak an unkind word about most anyone, and that an unenlightened few might think being able to talk with tree, mineral and animals spirits is "New Age", too.)