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In Native Teachings it is said that the Earth is filled with Spirit. Everywhere we go there is Spirit, in some form or another, and everything is alive with Spirit. This includes the animal world, the tree and vegetation world, and also the rocks and land upon which we stand. It also of course includes the human world. In essence there is just one great Spirit, but this One Spirit manifests as a vast plurality of individual spirits. Each individual spirit has three main kinds of energy, as reflected from the One Spirit. These are vital energy (also known as prana or chi), emotional energy (such as love or peace or other qualities of being), and consciousness energy (which includes intelligence). Also in all things is a fourth aspect, which is creative beauty. In any of these energies, or aspects, each individual has a certain portion or degree, some more and some less. Sometimes this portion is pretty much fixed for that kind of being, though for human beings any of these can certainly be further developed or evolved.
So, everywhere we go there are spirits of nature. Each animal has its inner spirit, each bug, each plant, each tree, each mountain, each lake, each forest, and each place on the land. In Native Teachings every part of life, everything, is respected, because everything is known to have spirit; though it is also acknowledged that people have to eat and make homes and tools, which requires sacrificing certain lives, but all of this is done with sacred respect and gratitude. In geomancy also, which is the science and art of living in harmony with earth energies, the spirits of nature need to be recognized and respected, because these spirits are an integral part of the planet. Spirits are the individual consciousness' of the natural world, which should not be ignored, so we need to be sensitive to them.
Trees are the easiest form of the plant world to feel their spirit presence. Each tree has its own individual presence, which is its spirit. Older trees have even greater presence. And remember that some trees have been around for many hundreds of years. Each tree registers in its cellular memory the vibrational emotional qualities of those around it, so there are trees on this planet which have intricate memories of the local human history. Very interesting to hear this sometime, if possible. So, each tree has its own presence, which is the radiatory quality of its spirit, or consciousness. Or we simply say that the presence is the spirit, and the presence is also the consciousness. These terms all really mean about the same: spirit, presence, consciousness.
This is also the same for spirits of the land. Each place has its own spirit, its own presence, its own consciousness. This is often known as the spirit of place. Imagine or remember being in a particular special place. There is a feeling of particular presence here, a unique presence. This is the natural presence of the place. It is the natural spirit of the place. As well, it is the natural consciousness of the place. It is the spirit consciousness; the consciousness of this spirit. It is the presence of this spirit. This spirit-presence can be felt. We feel the presence when we are sufficiently sensitive and receptive. Yet we also have to be quiet enough and clear enough in our own mind, and also open in our heart. Then we can begin real noticing, real seeing, and real feeling.
Foremost, we can feel the
spirit-presence of a place, and
this will have a particular quality. It will have a particular
quality of feeling. We could also understand this as the particular
personality of the place. Each place is somewhat unique, but we could
categorize particular places as having certain general qualities,
such as love, peace, solitude, happiness, caring, etc. This can be
understood as one of the radiant qualities of this spirit presence,
as felt in our own receptive being. Also, if a place has a strong
spirit-presence, it will often give us a sense of awakening, whereby
we awaken more in consciousness, intuition, and wisdom. These can be
good places for spiritual visions.
As already stated above, each natural
place expressively shares three main kinds of energy. These are vital
energy (also known as prana or chi), emotional energy (such as love
or peace or other qualities of being), and consciousness-mental energy
(which also includes powers of intuition and intelligence).
The energies of consciousness and emotion in a place are also experienced as presence, which is the presence of the particular spirit of this land. This means that there is an awareness within the land, or within the area, that knows when we are there. Realize this and learn to make a relationship with this consciousness of the land, this spirit of the land. The land, or place, this spirit, also has its own particular intelligence. It has an intelligence of what is around, and of what is in harmony and what is not. And it has an intelligence of what best to do; so we need to learn how to listen to this intelligence, to hear its special wisdom. Each part of nature and each place in nature has its own special intelligence, as an aspect of its consciousness, so each place has a special wisdom to share with us if we are sensitive and able to hear it.
The spirit-presence also has an emotional component, or we can understand the land as having an emotional energy. The emotional qualities of a place resonate all through that area, like a sound would resonate in us, which affects us emotionally, much like music affects our emotions. The quality resonates through our emotional body. So a peaceful quality gives us a feeling of peace, a joy quality resonates joy, etc. Emotional qualities of a place are very important in our experience of the place, and they also have significant effects in us. Some places can have very positive effects on us emotionally, especially if we are sensitive in our feelings and come into meditative rapport with them. What we call sacred sites, or special places in nature, are these special places where the quality of energy, or quality of presence, is profoundly positive, healing and integratively balancing for our inner being. So, the emotional energy of a place is the felt quality of a place. It is the quality that this particular place feels to be expressing, such as peace, love, joy, or quietude. This can also be understood as the personality of a place.
Yet understand that any quality we attribute to it is somewhat general and limited by our own experience and vocabulary of expressive words. Thus, often we will realize that a particular place has a unique emotional quality that cannot really be encapsulated by one general word; yet if asked we might choose a general descriptive word. What really matters is in our own experience, not in our description.
One very special quality of certain places is beauty. In some ways, the beauty of a place can be considered an emotional quality, for beauty is emotionally felt, yet beauty could be considered as an energy category in its own right. So whether beauty is really a fourth category, rather than a quality of the emotional category, is debatable. For beauty is obviously related to both perception and emotional feeling. That is, we see beauty and we even discuss the perceptual features of beauty, but we also feel beauty and the ultimate judgment of beauty seems to be an emotional judgment. So beauty is recognized both in perception and in feeling. Beauty also has its own special enchantment, which feels to be spiritual, or we could even say spiritually powerful. People make life searches for beauty, as they would love. Lastly, let us say that all natural places on Earth have some sense of beauty, or some degree of beauty, even if this might sometimes be peculiar; for as long as it is truly a natural place, there appears to be some kind of beauty there. But certain places simply blow us away with their beauty; so beauty seems to have a very objective power to it.
The vital energy of natural places has already been mentioned, but more can be said. Each place has its own degree of vital energy; also called prana, chi, etheric energy, or often this is what is meant by earth energies. These are the most physical type of energies, but not quite physical because etheric-vital energy is not actually a physical energy but very close to it. Etheric energy, called prana or chi in eastern traditions, is a subtle kind of electro-magnetism which has formative and patterning power in relation to physical elements. This is also the hidden causative energy behind biological life. Every living form and even every place on Earth has this etheric-vital energy and cannot exist without it. In certain esoteric teachings this was called the essential fire of life; for it is the subtle secret energy necessary in all living things. Fundamentally, this can be understood as vital energy, the life-energy, or the energy of life vitality, vitalizing the natural world. But even the land and the rocks have this energy, and they give out this energy, so it is not just about biological things. The land has this vital energy and gives out this vital energy; and some places of land have and give out an unusual amount of this energy.
In addition though, this etheric-vital energy has a patterning power. It has a power to pattern the natural world with its subtle electro-magnetic field, which is partly the reason why many things of nature have similar geometric proportions in their inner structures. This is the patterning power of nature, but behind this is a higher intelligence; in other words, the etheric patterning energy is an instrument, as it were, of a higher intelligence and higher purpose behind life. This intelligence has already been touched upon, as an energy aspect of any thing or place, and we have mentioned this intelligence as part of the spirit-consciousness of a place. For remember that each place has its unique intelligence, consciousness, spirit. We can finally understand that the etheric-vital energy of place is really the vital energy of that spirit-consciousness-intelligence present there.
Let us now get more practical about all this, because the vital energy of a place has profound practical implications. First and most obvious is that we can immerse ourselves in and receive the vital energies of a place. Included in this are trees, because many trees have particularly powerful vital energies, which we can receive through touch, or some kind of connection, or by literally hugging a tree. Groups or communities of plants and flowers can also give us vital energies. Even the air has vital energies that we can receive. But remember in this that we can also receive important emotional qualities from any of these (land, trees, plant-flowers, or air); so along with basic vital energy, we can also receive qualities such as love, joy, peace, and emotional strength. We can also receive intelligence-wisdom, the wisdoms of nature.
Vital energies give us energy-vitality and also healing. This vital and patterning energy gives us health and healing. Receive whatever you need. Take as much as you need, just as you can breathe in the vital air as much as you need. Receive what you need from the Mother Earth, because you are loved. Receive the vitality you need and the health you need. We are all meant to be loved and to be healthy. And know that these energies of Earth contain the pattern of health.
This involves three aspects of place. First, be sensitive to the etheric-vital energy of the place, also known as prana, chi, earth energy, or life energy. Our main receptive centre for this is called the hara centre, just below the belly button, yet our whole body can be sensitive to the energy, especially our hands and the soles of our feet. The soles of our feet are especially significant, because they receptively connect us to the earth below. Thus, we can consciously sense the earth energy rising up through our feet, and we can also sensitively ground ourselves through our feet to the earth below. The Native wisdom says to be conscious of the Earth below, as we stand or walk or sit, and through our feet we can actually sense the living energy of Earth. Conscious breath is also very important, both for sensitivity and for intentional use of this energy. How to actually make use of the vital earth energy of a place is something to ponder upon and perhaps experiment with. Hints and suggestions will be made in various parts of these writings, but for now just experiment consciously with sensitivity and breath.
Next, it is possible to feel the emotional quality of a place. This is the feeling of a place. Each place will have particular qualities, usually a mixture of qualities but often one quality will be more apparent. Yet don't complicate this with thinking; just feel whatever you feel in the presence of this place. Perhaps you can feel the love and the beauty of the place.
Third, we can be sensitively open to the spirit-consciousness of this place. This could be thought of as the mind or intelligence of the place. Each spirit-of-place has consciousness and intelligence. Here is a practical suggestion. Allow yourself to be 'seen', and also be open to hearing any natural wisdom offered by the spirit-of-place.
Let us consider the possibility of seeing a nature spirit. Of foremost importance is the feeling of a particular place, or spirit of place. First feel the spirit there. Feel the presence. Then feel the overall quality of this presence. Feel what it is to you. It is alright to be subjective and trust in what you feel. If someone else feels a different quality, then this is because the place has more than just one quality, and some people feel/sense one quality, while others feel/sense other qualities. Most places have a few related qualities. Also, feel the love and beauty that is there. These are the most important experiences.
Next, perhaps, open your mind to seeing the spirit-form of this place. This is the form of this particular spirit-being -- how it looks. This seeing will be somewhat subjective, because each person sees it somewhat differently due to their particular imaginal mind, but nonetheless this is also an objective seeing a real spirit being of nature, and we each have a capacity to see these spirits of nature. And once we see the spirit and feel the spirit, we can then embark on developing a personal relationship with this, which has too many possibilities to mention.
So, the spirit of a particular place can be seen as a distinct form or image, and to do this we need to use our spiritual imaginal mind. We say here it is imaginal, because it requires the imagination. But the imagination is simply our mental tool for seeing a spirit form. We see this in our mind, using our imagination. But it is not merely an imagination, in the meaning of imagining what is not real. This is real. The spiritual form is real, but to mentally see it requires the imagination. So this is not a false imagination, but rather a necessary use of the imagination to see the spirit-form behind the obvious physical form. So this is an experience of what is real, though it is subjectively experienced.
Now, since we have mentioned the potential for seeing of natural spirits, this is a good time to consider elemental spirits. An elemental spirit is basically a little spirit. Each larger area, or what are calling a place, has its own spirit, which we have called the spirit of place. This spirit of the place enfolds and permeates the whole place/area, like a whole being-presence. Yet within this area, and within this overall spirit of place, are many elemental spirits; the spirit-elements of the overall place. These little elemental spirits will have, in their essence, the same energies and qualities of the overall spirit of the place; yet they have their own semi-autonomous individuality - within the overall deva-spirit of which they are a part.
These elemental nature spirits, or sometimes called little nature spirits, are of three basic types: the builders, the protectors, and the maintainers. The maintainers are very often happy little spirits; unless human beings come along and start messing up the energies and feelings of a place. The reader may laugh in thinking it silly that some little spirits are happy. But this is the best description for these little spirits. They are simply happy being who they are, living where they are, and doing what they do. And what is really great is that they give out a happy vibration, quality, feeling, and resonance. In other words, their happiness can make us happy, if we are sufficiently present and feeling. For some people, the word happiness seems trite and superficial, but this is not so. Happiness is a great and profound spiritual quality, so breathe it all in and find places that make you feel happy.
So, there are these special nature-spirit beings who emit happiness, or we could also say joy or even love. They dance and sing. These are commonly called the fairy spirits. Most people think this is all myth and children's tales. But fairy spirits are real; they are the happy elemental spirits. Enjoy being in the presence of these, and may the fairy spirit happiness be spread to all those who can feel it. The fairy spirits are also known as the dancing little lights, or as the sparkling lights. They have a kind of innocence or childlikeness. And so, children are especially sensitive to them, attracted and drawn to them; especially children who are able to be happy. They tend to live around flowers, but also rock areas, or they could be anywhere.
When in beautiful places in nature become sensitive and perceptive to these little dancing lights, these little spirits of happiness. If you cannot see them, then at least feel them. Use your inner natural senses. We each have natural senses for sensing natural beings and energies. Then, receive and fill up with all this beautiful, innocent happiness. Become naturally innocent in yourself. Leave behind all the complicated worries of life, and return to innocence. In this way, we can enter into an attitude or state of being whereby we are in tune with the little fairy spirits and the natural innocent happiness of living. Let go of all concerns, and just enjoy being presently here. This is how one can enter into natural innocence. Finally to mention is that we can play with these little fairy spirits. We can playfully interact with them, sing with them, dance with them. Let yourself be free! Free and innocent, and naturally happy. It is your natural right and in your spiritual essence.
The fairy spirits of a place can also be understood as the little spirit children of the overall spirit of place. So the fairy spirits have much the same qualities as the place. Thus, natural places with qualities of love, joy, and beauty will more often have fairy spirits somewhere. So these places of the fairies are great areas to quietly sit and appreciate the beauty all around and the feelings of love. They are good places for meditation, for painting or other quiet arts, for loving, and for small social picnics. But we should be careful in these areas to avoid being too loud or too chaotic, because the fairy spirits scare away quite easily. They can be our friends, sharing their happiness and joy, but only if we are respectful enough and in recognition of them. These are places of love and joy, but rowdy partying or obnoxious behavior will cause them to flee and hide away.
Another kind of elemental spirits to consider are the protective spirits. These are also little spirits, but they are not so nice as the fairies. In fact, these protective nature spirits can be quite the opposite of nice when they feel there is a threat to their place, because they are trying to protect the area. These protective spirits tend to be suspicious of people, until they gain a trust, and often they would rather see people stay away, so they can be unfriendly and might try to lead you away from the more sacred places. They are sort of like the police of the area. They can even be mean at times and send troubles towards a person. So obviously, we need to be careful around these kind of nature spirits. Yet if we show respect and show them that we can be trusted, then they will trust us and leave us in peace.
If you feel or sense mean or scarier energies, then the protective spirits are probably around. If you feel these, then it is best to stay away. However, it is also possible to make an agreement with them. Yet this is only possible if we first give them recognition and respect. Recognize that they are here to protect, so give them this conscious acknowledgement and respect. If we acknowledge and respect them, then they will respect us, as long as they feel we are not a threat to this natural area and are respectful of its sacredness.
So if we enter a natural area with sincere respect of its sacredness and with acknowledgment of the natural spirits there, then the protective spirits will feel our good intentions and know that we come in respect. It is helpful to keep holding good intentions and right respect in our minds and hearts, as we come into a special area, so that the spirits will feel and know our true intentions and respect. Then, they will trust us, and they will change from trying to push us away to being friendly and welcoming. Thus, make friends with all the spirits, and they will then be friends with you. So, this is the best way to come into any sacred area and make friends with the protective spirits, the 'gate-keepers', who very often protect the most sacred areas.
Now, let us consider some practices, or ways, to become more sensitively aware of the natural world, nature's spirits, presences, qualities, energies, and also beauty. (all of the terms above are meaningfully related)
Very important is to --
Be physically and energetically grounded, as well as being conscious in the here and now.
Don't just think that this is your usual state; because it probably isn't. And even if it is, one can be ever more grounded, present and in the moment. So to increase our grounded presentness will require some degree of intention and inner effort. Conscious breath is an important key in all of this, because breath can be used to ground our energy into the Earth, and breath is also used to remain conscious in the flow of the present moment and in awareness of the world around.
Use breath to be grounded by consciously breathing out a line of energy deep into the earth, sort of like using the breath as a tool to anchor our self into the earth. Then, in balance, consciously breathe in the vital goodness of earth, bringing in the good earth energies, sort of like a stream of energy connectively coming up from the earth into us. By this means, we can be connectively grounded with the earth below. It is hard to definitely say how long to consciously do this, or how many conscious breaths is required. Pick an esoterically important number, such as 3, 7, 11, or 18, or make 4 breaths each dedicated to one of the four directions.
This practice can also be simultaneous with a present moment practice, which is simply to be consciously present in this moment and in the outer space we are in. Once again, use conscious breath to help remain in this flow of the moment and to sense the world all around.
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Enter into real silence, with quieted mind and emotion, while listening in this silence. Listen within the silence. And feel within this space of quite silence. Allow yourself to dip into this silence and abide here, relaxed and comfortable here in this silence, which is to feel the spirit presence of this place. Notice the quality of being that this place is bringing you into. Then be grateful for being here.
Just quiet sitting, in inner silence, is a great practice. If sitting by a creek or some kind of flowing water, just listen to the water, and do nothing else. Just this simple listening, but with all of the mind, and not being distracted by extraneous thoughts or plans about what to do next, etc. Our mental patterns are so used to continuous thinking, or analyzing, or worrying, or planning; that just sitting with no thought at all, with just a silent and listening mind, is not so easy at first. Our mental habits of continuous thinking will, in their habit, have a tendency to arise and will lead us away from this simple practice unless our intention is strong and we make little small efforts to bring our mind back into a quiet settled space. It will also help to let nature help us in this. Because we can let go of unnecessary thinking and also let go of any unsettled or troubled emotions, by simply allowing all of this to drop into the compost of Mother Earth. As was explained more in another section, the Earth can receive our unnecessary thought-energies and any emotional energies that can now be surrendered or let go of, so give up all of your unneeded or troubled emotional energies to the earth below, which has the power to transform these energies, sort of like composting.
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Receptive space is another valuable practice. This is to do with how we see and know the natural world around us. Instead of seeing out into the surrounding space or area, now let what is out there come to you. Let the forms, the energies, and the spirit presence come to you. In other words, be in a receptive mode. Let seeing be a receptive activity. In this way, we are receptively accepting what nature is sharing.
Our usual mode of perception is a reaching out. It is often like a grabbing this or that; I will see this or that. We look out and we perceptively grab what we choose to see. Also, in this selectively reaching out mode, we see the nature around us as separate pieces or things, which we then pick out to see. This is sort of like picking out particular picture images to put into our perceptual slide viewer. So this is a kind of pick out and choose mode.
Therefore, our usual way of seeing or noticing what is around us is a kind of selective reaching out; whereby we select what we want to see. Thus, our subconscious directs this selective attention in such a way that we tend to only see what we want to see or what we expect to see. Because our ego or habit mind is directing the show, so to speak, we tend to see nothing much that is really new, since we see either what we expect to see or what we want to see.
But in contrast, the mode of receptive space is an allowing of what is out-there to come intimately here. So instead of reaching out and selectively picking out, we receptively allow nature to come into our awareness in just the way that it is, receiving into our awareness all that is being shared, rather than selectively choosing and reaching out to perceptually grab.
Another helpful key in this is to allow oneself to be seen. Allow nature, and the spirits of nature, to see you, and allow yourself to be seen. This could be understood as a reverse recognition. Normal recognition can, of course, interplay with this reverse recognition. For instance, as we recognize the spirit presence, or consciousness, in an area, we can also allow ourselves to be recognized by the conscious spirit-presence abiding there and by any of the little spirits of nature.
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sensitivity to energies and qualities
Open your mind and heart. Listen with both. Make an extra-energy effort to be more conscious of the surrounding natural world. Breathe consciously to increase the energy and continuity of consciousness. Increase sensitivity by consciously opening your heart love to the natural world, and receive what the natural world is giving and sharing. The energies of nature can be recognized with spiritual vision, felt within an open receptive heart, and also sensed by one's whole body. Dowsing rods and pendulums are often used as sensing tools; however, our body itself is a great sensing instrument, especially our hands.
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