Nature Spirits

Nature Spirits

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TOPIC: Nature Spirit Magic
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/2d6ce0c8c947261d?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 6 2008 9:22 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

Nature Spirit Magic
Larry Cornett

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Introduction
Each plant, animal, rock, and other entity has a spirit (consciousness resonance matrix). These spirits can join together, in a hive-mind, as a spirit of an area. Nature spirits include real biological intelligences, are psychically powerful, and are much less abstract and controllable than the Elementals that many magical people who perform all of their rituals indoors are familiar with. They can be extremely powerful allies. It is possible to sense nature spirits, to determine if they are receptive to a ritual planned, and to have them actively participate in magical workings if they are.

Some Effects Of Working With Nature Spirits
Spectacular physical manifestations can happen when working with nature spirits in the wild. I have personally seen actual foxfire mark the boundaries of a magic circle at a location that was identified as a receptive power spot and attuned to a planned ritual the day before. I have seen more than one site attuned for ritual be dry and comfortable, with a round hole in the clouds overhead, on days that were cold and rainy at other nearby locations. Birds have joined in rituals, flying around the circle when energy was being raised; and insects, birds and animals have joined in chants. In addition, the wind often responds to invocations. Generally, these spectacular manifestations happen unexpectedly.

With or without such manifestations, nature spirits often will channel tremendous amounts of power into the magic being performed. It is suggested that you do not consciously try for specific manifestations. Let Nature channel her power into the magic in her own way. If approached with respect, nature may give you many pleasant surprises.

Spectacular physical manifestations are not a necessary sign of success. If you need a spectacular manifestation and nature spirits know this, you will get it. The best success in magic is on the inner planes and more subtle than such manifestations. This success involves beneficial changes in consciousness that last and helpful chains of synchronicity. In addition, working with Nature Spirits can also bring a deep sense of partnership with Nature, and bring new levels of attunement.

To get the best results, perform nature spirit attunement several hours to several days before the main ritual. The purposes of such attunement are to find suitable power spots and to get the help of friendly nature spirits. This timing gives Nature time to gather her children and to prepare to actively participate in the main ritual.

What To Not Do
If nature spirits are approached with disrespect by attempting to command them rather than listening to them and inviting them to work with you, nature spirits may flee, rebel, or attack. I once attended a ritual by some pseudo-Crowleyites who attempted to perform the "Ritual of the Barbarous Names" at a power spot in a forest and then to extend the circle several hundred yards in all directions.

While the forest in general had loud insect and frog noises, the area at which the ritual took place got quiet immediately when the main ritualist declared that all spirits were subject unto him. The vibes from nature could best be characterized as "Oh yea, Mother!" One participant was quickly possessed by an angry spirit and kept repeating "You killed my children, your children will never live in peace." When the priestess stepped out of the boundaries of the original circle, she was attacked by bees; and bees covered the Book of the Law. Magicians should know better than to attempt to command spirits whose true names they do not know!

Calling Nature Spirits
To make the most out of working magical ritual in the wild, one should find power spots where nature spirits are receptive to the ritual planned and approach the spirits with respect, as equals. In my experience, the most effective power spots for working with the living intelligences of nature are located in wild areas with diverse, active ecologies.

When entering a wild area to find a site for a ritual, find a place that feels good. Then do the following, either individually or, if in a group, as a guided meditation:

1.. Relax, while standing upright, and focus on your breathing. Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm. Breathe together if in a group.
1.. Feel the wind, and let it relax you and awaken your spirit within, as your deep breathing takes you into non-ordinary reality.
2.. Picture, in your mind's eye, a light inside you. As you breathe, feel the light expand, purify and energize you - as it expands to fill your aura.
3.. Feel yourself glowing, balanced, purified, and full of power.
4.. Connect with your inner self (your higher self), and feel your intuitive self operating.
2.. Feel yourself as:
1.. The wind, full of life and intelligence, communicating with all round.
2.. The Sunlight, warm, alive, channeling the power to communicate with nature and energizing all around.
3.. Water, emotional, intuitive, refreshing, and connected with nature.
4.. The Earth, and note how your physical body is able to wander while remaining part of Mother Earth.
3.. Focus on your spiritual self, and:
1.. Note the light within and feel it as love,
2.. Expand the light and love beyond the immediate aura of your body to the surrounding area - where you will go to find a power spot and contact nature spirits.
4.. Telepathically (by thinking while channeling the love and light energy) send out signals to nature spirits to emerge and be aware of your presence.
1.. Say why you have come, and invite them to join in sharing, mutual celebration, and the work you intend.
2.. Visualize the light and love energy you are channeling extending out and merging with the light from distant places.
3.. Feel the power of the Earth flowing up through your body and feet.
4.. Feel the power from the sky, and channel this power also to further energize the carrier signal of light and love for communicating with nature.
5.. Visualize the light expanding and merging.
6.. Continue to send out telepathic signals.
5.. Now go deeper:
1.. Close your eyes, sit on the Earth, and feel your connection while you channel more light and love.
2.. Continue modulating the light and love with your thoughts - inviting receptive spirits to join with you and to make themselves known.
3.. If in a group, someone should start playing a drum at a rate of about one beat per second; and you should listen to the drum and let the drum take you deeper.
4.. Affirm that you are a nature magician, a medicine person, who knows and communicates with nature. Let this part of yourself emerge to full consciousness. Let the drum and the connection to your inner self awaken that part of yourself that naturally communicates with other life forms. Let it awaken your telepathic senses.
5.. Continue sending telepathic signals to nature.
6.. When you feel ready and an inner urge to begin, open your eyes a crack and look around, while continuing to channel love and light and telepathically calling for a response.
7.. You may see light coming from certain areas that are receptive. You may get other signals, such as a feeling of power or love returning in a certain direction. Perhaps the type of response to this work will be unexpected; follow your intuition in interpreting it.
8.. You may test your connection by communicating (mentally) instructions for signals for yes/no responses (such as light getting brighter for less and darker for no) and then mentally ask questions and observe the responses.
6.. When you have found an areas that seems to be responsive and receptive, begin walking to the area, while beaming love energy. Extend your aura to the area and sense the energy.
Entering A Power Spot
1.. Before entering a power spot, ask permission to enter. If the response is good, enter; if not, locate another more receptive area.
2.. When entering the power spot, look around. Perhaps the responsive energy will be concentrated around some singularity (a bush, a tree, a specific branch, a moss covered rock, or other entity that stands out). Perhaps the energy will be more general. Use your intuition and feedback from the spirits to guide your actions.
3.. If it feels right, send out a signal that you would like to touch the singularity (or the ground) for better communication. If the response is good, approach beaming love energy, and then touch or hug the singularity (or the ground).
4.. Treat the spirits as you would other Pagans you meet for the first time - be sensitive, open, and listen.
Deepening Communication With Nature Spirits
1.. Now that you have made contact with spirits that seem receptive, deepen the communication:
1.. Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm, and with each breath, feel more refreshed.
2.. Now imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree; and, from its base, roots extend deep into the Earth. Deep into the rich moist Earth.
3.. With every breath, feel the roots extending deeper,
4.. Feel the energy deep within the Earth and within the waters of the Earth. Feel your roots absorbing nourishment from the Earth and from its waters.
5.. Feel the moist, warm energy rising.
6.. Feel it bursting up from the Earth and rising up your spine, like sap rises in a tree.
7.. Feel the energy rise to your crown chakra (at the top of your head).
8.. Now imagine that you have branches, branches that sweep up and then bend down towards the Earth, like the limbs of a willow.
9.. Feel the branches extending and interweaving with your surroundings.
10.. Feel the warm, moist energy of the Earth flowing through your branches. As it flows, feel yourself being purified, centered, and connected to the Earth.
11.. Feel the power from the Earth flowing through your branches and then down back to the Earth, like a fountain.
12.. Note how your branches absorb energy from the air. Also, feel them receiving light (fire) from the sky.
13.. Feel the energy from above penetrating deep through your body into the Earth.
14.. Feel the warmth of the Earth rising also.
15.. Feel the energy circulating.
2.. Notice how your branches intertwine with the branches of energy surrounding you.
1.. Feel the energy dancing among your branches and the branches around you.
2.. Notice how your roots also intertwine with underground energy channels.
3.. Feel the energy dancing between your roots and the surrounding energy patterns.
4.. Notice how you and the life around you are rooted in the same Earth, breathing the same air, receiving the same fire, drinking the same water, sharing the same underlying essence. You are one with the magical grove.
3.. Telepathically mention the time in the past when nature spirits and people communicated regularly and the need to establish such communication now.
4.. Test your connection by asking questions and observing the responses.
Working With Nature Spirits
1.. Explain to the spirits the purpose of your coming to them and the nature of the ritual you plan.
2.. If the spirits you contacted are receptive:
1.. Explain to them the details of the ritual and invite them to provide ideas.
2.. Listen, you may receive suggestions on how to improve the ritual. Such suggestions may come in the form of hunches, visions, answers to yes/no questions using pre-arranged signals, or in other ways.
3.. Explain what type of space is needed and ask what the best place to perform the ritual is.
4.. You may see light or get other psychic signals leading you to other sites, or you may be at one of them.
5.. You may also ask what the best places for other aspects of the planned work are (picnicking, individual vision quests, etc.).
6.. If preparation of the site is needed (removing briars, preparing a fire circle, etc.) ask permission of the spirits before proceeding with such action.
7.. Before you leave the power spot, tell the spirits you have contacted when you plan to return to do the ritual (visualizing the associated lunar and solar aspects can help with this communication).
8.. Invite them to join in the ritual when you return and to bring their friends.
9.. Ask if it would be best to return silently, with drums, with chanting, or with some other form of approach.
10.. You can also ask the spirits to provide guidance for working in balance and to provide a teacher to provide further guidance.
3.. Before you leave the power spot:
1.. Thank the spirits,
2.. Channel love energy,
3.. Trigger your memory of the experience, and
4.. If it feels right, leave an offering of tobacco, or beer and honey poured on the ground (or other suitable material).
4.. Leave in peace and love.
5.. Proceed to other sites that were indicated by the spirits, doing similar meditations at each site.
6.. If you need something, like a staff, a Maypole, or a wand, you can also ask where you can find it and follow the guidance you receive (not slavishly, but as you would guidance from another Pagan).
7.. Before leaving the general area in which you found power spots and contacted nature spirits:
1.. Channel love energy towards the receptive sites you found,
2.. Thank the spirits of the land,
3.. Pull back your roots and branches,
4.. Ground any excess energy into the Earth (placing your hands on the Earth, breathe in any excess energy, and channel the energy down your arms, while visualizing and feeling the energy going into the Earth), and
5.. Leave in peace and love.
8.. Naturally, you should leave the area at least as clean, and preferably cleaner, than you found it.
9.. If you work with techniques of Wicca or Ceremonial Magic, you may find that by casting a circle, calling the Elements, the Goddess, the Gods, and the local nature spirits while you are at receptive sites, you may be able to greatly increase communication.
10.. Through the use of drums and other power raising techniques, it is even possible to energize receptive nature spirits. The results can be very interesting. If with a coven, such circles can be done as part of a group attunement to a power spot you have located.
11.. If you do not get good feelings in response to your explanation of the ritual and are unable to come up with a ritual that gives good responses, do not try to force a good response. You would only be fooling yourself.
1.. Thank the spirits for their attention.
2.. Ask them why they are not receptive (if it feels right and they are communicative).
3.. Trigger your memory.
4.. Pull back your "roots and branches," return any excess energy you feel into the Earth.
5.. If it feels appropriate, leave an offering of tobacco or other appropriate material, out of respect for the spirits.
6.. Move to a more receptive site.
12.. If it is hard to find a site that is really receptive, you should:
1.. Consider any impressions you got of why the nature spirits weren't receptive in the area you were in, and re-think your plans for a ritual, as necessary and appropriate.
2.. It may also be appropriate to look for another general area in which to find a suitable power site that is receptive to the work planned.
What To Do When Returning
It can be very powerful to purify and center yourself and to attune to the spirits of the land using the techniques previously described for calling nature spirits immediately upon returning to the site.

Often, individuals may have found small specific power spots to which they have a special attunement, where the spirits are interested in participating; but where the site is too small, has too much vegetation, or is otherwise unsuitable for the main ritual. Individual attunement to the spirits in such areas and inviting them to participate in the main ritual can be worthwhile.

Then approach the main ritual site using the previously arranged technique. You should have the details worked out with the spirits of the land. An exceptionally powerful technique involves doing a procession through or past receptive power spots, inviting nature spirits to join as you pass each power spot, and then moving to the central power spot for the main ritual. If participants are at individual power spots, they can join the procession as it passes nearby.

When consecrating space in the wild, or casting a circle, do not set up the perimeter as a barrier to all outside forces; it should be a beacon to attract friendly nature spirits, a container for holding magical power, and a barrier to spirits who it isn't right to be with.

One thing that is fun and worthwhile in nature is to bring instruments, such as a rattle, a flute and/or a drum, to tune in to nature's sounds, and to make music in time to nature's sounds. You may be able to get some very interesting back and forth exchanges of music going with selected creatures of the wild, and get into an amazing jam session.

After the work is complete, be sure to thank the spirits for their participation. Libations and other offerings may also be left for the spirits during and/or after the ritual.

Acknowledgments
There are other ways of working with nature spirits. This is one approach. The author thanks Selena Fox for teaching the basic guided meditation technique for locating and contacting nature spirits at a tranceworking session sponsored by the Chameleon Club (part of the Association for Consciousness Exploration) in 1981, Vicky Smith for editorial review of this article, Isaac Bonewitz for the outline of the expanded tree meditation, and Carlos Castenada, Black Eagle, Pasha, the Goddess, the Gods, and various nature spirits for teaching the rest of the good methods.

Most of this article is an expansion of an article by the author titled "Finding a Sacred Grove for Druid Initiation" by Larry Cornett, published in The Druid's Progress and in Amaranth Anthology.

Rights To Distribute This Article
This article is written by Larry Cornett. It is copyrighted l988; and it is hereby placed by the author in the public domain, providing it is not modified without the explicit permission of the author and providing the author is acknowledged. It may therefore be distributed freely to any BBS or other Electronic Forum or copied and handed out for free. Permission to reprint it in a publication for sale may be requested from the author, and will generally be granted in exchange for a copy of the publication containing the article. This copyright takes precedence over any copyright expressed or implied by any BBS or commercial system on which this file is posted.

Larry Cornet
9/24/'88 9527 Blake Lane, # 102, Fairfax, VA 22031 (703)352-3791
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?" --Albert Einstein

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TOPIC: Nature Spirits II
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/e64c6e94855102b9?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 6 2008 9:28 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

Who Art Thou, Nature Spirits?

By Kathryn Casternovia

I have no other wish than a close fusion with nature and I desire no other fate than to have worked and lived in harmony with her laws. - Claude Monet

When in nature, I have a strong sense of the presence of Nature Spirits, Elemental Beings, and other-worldly beings that weave their way into the physical world around me. The imaginations that arise are living, vivid images. For many people, being in nature can bring images that can only be described in spiritual, rather than a materialistic language. With the visible world, there belongs the invisible world and together, these form a whole. Behind the external veil of the sense world is a world of ideas, and wisdom.

I believe it is my purpose to work with the spiritual world in practical applications to help heal nature. When I first knew this to be true, I was unclear about how this was to come about. In my search to understand the world of Nature Spirits, I turned to Rudolf Steiner's work because it made the most sense to me. His life work was dedicated to building a bridge between the worlds of inner and outer experiences. He said that through observation, meditation and concentration we develop the organs to perceive into the spiritual world. I invite you to examine what I'm about to share with you. Allow images to arise in your imagination, live with them and see what rings true. Imagination is perception of the archetype; without it, we could not imagine a god.

To begin, consider what forces must be present in order for the plant-world to arise in the form it does. How do the cosmic and earthly forces work on the plant? Steiner's Biodynamic agriculture (BD) holds the view that behind everything in the material world there is a spiritual force or being. Through BD practices, which utilize folklore, intuition, imagination and inspiration, as well as scientific research, we awaken ourselves and the spiritual beings.

There is a host of beings which were known in older times but which have been forgotten. They were referred to in the Vedas and the Bhagavad-Gita as well as in writings of the Western world. The cosmology of the Middle Ages was suffused with the belief in numerous "supernatural" beings, and there was more interaction with Nature Spirits at that time.

In Steiner's imaginations of pre-earthly conditions, the Earth and all it's substance was fluid. As the human was beginning to develop, other beings were forming as a result. Some beings came from other realms in sacrifice so that humankind could be created-the Nature Spirits were created during this process. Steiner said that the earth, as we see it now, is the corpse of a once living, thinking cosmic body. It had to become a corpse in order for the human to arise in our present form. It is interesting to note that he explained how humankind was on Earth originally and "afterward the animal evolved out of what could not become human," which is the opposite perspective of Darwinism.

Toward understanding the elementals, or nature spirits, let us first look at the elements. We must differentiate between element and substance. In the work of Aristotle the substance of water is a perceivable object; the element water is an interaction of qualities, comprehensible only on a spiritual plane. When we study the elements, we enter into a living process, with substances we are confronted with objects. "It is through these ideal perceptions of the elements, we can penetrate the life processes of the plants . Without foregoing the view point of modern chemistry, we must add Aristotle's view lest the laws of form-expression manifest in life remain an unsolvable riddle." We can become familiar with this realm only by transcending our sense perceptions, which are dependent upon material manifestation. Aristotle, who understood the underlying spiritual process of the elements, observed how life works within these substances, as in water proceeding from the quality of moistness, and he presented the thesis that we must first study the four qualities: warm, cold, moist, and dry; and the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water, which originate from the interaction of the four qualities.

a.. Dryness permeated by cold forms the Earth element-the root realm.
b.. Cold permeated by moistness forms the Water element-the leaf realm.
c.. Moistness permeated by warm forms the Air element-the flower realm.
d.. Warmth permeated by dryness forms the Fire element-the seed/fruit realm.
Nature Spirits
Steiner described nature spirits as a particular class of spiritual beings in the etheric world of the plant kingdom, as they related to the elements, explaining that the plant sends roots into the ground, where in the earthly-moist warmth, they are surrounded by root spirits called gnomes. The midwives of plant reproduction, gnomes bring the mineral kingdom of the earth into flux in order to conduct the minerals and life-ether to the roots. Like our eye or ear, they are entirely "sense beings." Just as we turn our head toward the light, so do they turn towards what seeps down spiritually from the plant; what the plant has gathered, the secrets of the Universe, the sun's warmth and light from the plants blossoms, and what comes from the distant stars and planets into the plant's structure. The gnomes perceive what the world-the sun and air-has brought to pass in the plant, and drive the plant up out of the Earth.

The world is an embodiment of universal ideas, of universal spirit, not abstract ideas of mechanical laws of nature. This is the world of the gnomes, who look down at our incomplete understanding. We have to think things over and use our logical mind. They just have understanding. Their manners are ill toward us. They are in the earth with ideas of the universe, but they hate what is earthly because they are afraid of taking earthly form (like a frog or toad). This fear and antipathy toward the earth gives them an upward striving direction and the power to drive the plants up out of the earth.

The plant moves up from the moist-earth sphere into the moist-airy sphere. Now there are other beings at work, water-spirits, or the undines. They are not a sense organ for the cosmos except for what weaves and works in the airy-moist element, therefore they don't have the clarity of the gnomes. They are dreamers. Their dream is their own form. As they dream their own existence, they bind and release, bind and disperse substances of the air. They are world-chemists with the mysterious combining and separation of substances, which emanate from the leaf, and carry chemical-ether to the plant.

The plant grows into another domain of spirits, which live in the airy-warmth element, the sylphs, or spirits of air. They press themselves to, relate to and gather the light. They dwell in the moving current of air. What the bird sets in motion as it flies through the air creates music the sylphs can hear. It is here they experience their "I" or ego and feel most at home. Because this ego comes from the outside, the sylph becomes the bearer of cosmic love. And the bird would say that the sylph inspires its beautiful song. The sylph's task is to lovingly convey light to the plant. They weave the archetypal plant within the plant from light and the chemical working of the undines.

Now the plant passes through the sphere of the elemental fire-spirits, the salamanders dwelling in the warmth-light element. When earth is warmest, they gather the warmth together and carry it to the blossoms. Pollen provides little air-ships to enable fire-spirits to carry warmth into the seed. Warmth is collected with help of stamens, carried by pollen from anthers to seeds and seed vessels. Contrary to materialistic thinking, what is formed in seed-bud is the male element, which comes from the cosmos. For plants the Earth is the mother, the Heavens the father. This reproductive process is the result of the combined working of the gnome (earth) and salamander activity. The salamanders draw forth the male-principle from the universe. They experience their ego in the insect world, especially butterflies. The insects help distribute warmth for the seed-buds. As the bee buzzes from flower to flower, it is has a luminous, wonderfully radiant, shimmering aura. This aura is actually a fire-spirit. This light shimmers forth into the cosmos. This light and warmth attracts humans to descend again into physical incarnation.

We are uplifted and inspired by the plant world. Where the inter-working of the downwards streaming forces of love and sacrifice, and the upwards streaming forces of density, gravity and magnetism meet, plant-life develops on the earths surface. Plant-life is the outer expression of world-love and world-sacrifice, with world-gravity and world-magnetism. This understanding of the plant world, which is necessary to the art of healing, has been lost to most of present day humanity.

Elementals are on the other side of the threshold. According to Steiner, we can perceive gnomes when we first fall asleep, sylphs when we are in deep sleep, undines just before awakening, and fire-spirits when we are in waking consciousness but can stand outside ourselves. It is then we see that our thoughts are not enclosed inside the skull, but revealed as world-thoughts.

Nature spirits are repulsed by materialistic thinking. They need wild places, biodiversity, our consciousness, our moral deeds, rituals of love and gratitude, artistic or creative ceremony. I recommend walking your land or in nature every day. Ask, "What does the land need to heal?"
Biodynamics is alchemy, harmonizing the inner with the outer. Alchemy is the synergy of the interaction between humans and nature. Steiner said that through our consciousness and deeds, we can disenchant these beings so we can both evolve to the next stage.

They need us, as we need them.

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References and further reading:

World Ether - Elemental Beings - Kingdoms of Nature, E. Hagemann.

Planetary Influences Upon Plants, A Cosmological Botany, Ernst Michael Kranich.

Meteorology and On Coming to Be and Passing Away, Aristotle.

R. Steiner, Man and the Nature Spirits, Man As Symphony of the Creative Word and Spiritual Beings in the Heavenly Bodies and In the Kingdoms of Nature, (the later is on-line at Steiner Archives).

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Kathryn Casternovia, an organic gardener for33 years, has studied Biodynamic Agriculture for ten years. She is a member of the Oregon Biodynamic Group, and is a professional landscape and garden design consultant who also provides BD consultation for farm or garden. Kathryn can be reached at natspir@medford.net.

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?" --Albert Einstein

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 7 2008 9:29 am
From: Carolyn Summers

Thanks, Ed. My friend has bought biodynamic planting calendars for us for
the past few years. For the last 3 years (at least), I have used the
calendar to dictate when I plant trees. Neither of us totally understand
the finer points of this complex system, but we¹ve figured out that trees
need to be planted on ³root² days. Incredibly, it virtually always rains
either before, during or just after the ³root² days. The biodynamic
calendar has been far more accurate, at least in the short time I¹ve been
using it, than any other weather predictor for rain events. I started out
quite skeptical, but I¹m now convinced to the point that I will not schedule
any major tree planting effort for any day that is not a ³root² day. (Out
of necessity, I¹m a little less particular about perennials and veggies.)
--
Carolyn Summers
63 Ferndale Drive
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706
914-478-5712

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TOPIC: Fw: [ENTS] Re: Nature Spirits II
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/8079a3bfc922b75a?hl=en
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From: dbhguru@comcast.net
To: Edward Frank
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 1:07 PM
Subject: Re: [ENTS] Re: Nature Spirits II

Ed,

The subject of nature spirits is an interesting topic for ENTS, but one to be broached at one far end of the ENTS subject matter spectrum. The existence of nature spirits is a topic that we have obviously avoided up to your two e-mails, probably unintentionally on the part of most, but quite intentionally on the part of others, including me. Although I have not mentioned it before, I have long been an investigator of sorts into subjects psychic, particularly telepathy. However, my years of psychic investigations have not oriented me toward the positions taken by the advocates of nature spirits and how those spirits presumably operate. Nor have I closed the door to the possibility of the organization of conscious energy somewhat along the lines of the advocates of nature spirits. On numerous occasions, I have been in the company of people including dear friends who claim to see or perceive ;in some way nature spirits. Do I cureently think that nature spirits are limited to the realm of human imagination or do I believe that there more to the nature of nature than its evolutionary organization in purely physical terms and sensed by us in 3-dimensional reality through our 5 senses? To believers in nature spirits, they are part of creation and as real as any accounts of Biblical miracles are for the religiously orthodox. When the going gets tough, the big question for me invariably devolves into the question of science versus faith. I have always erred on the side of science. However, as I move into my late 60s, I have found bridges between the two worlds.

For those who wish to remain within the sphere of science, but delve into the organization of consciousness as a form of energy, I highly recommend "Science and Human Transformation - Subtle Energies, Intentionality and Consciousness" by William A. Tiller, PhD. Dr. Tiller is one of the world's leading scientists on the structure of matter. The book is heavy reading, to be meticulously studied paragraph at a time. Dr. Tiller is currently Professor Emeritus at Standford University. He is absolutely brilliant and his book has the power to open the eyes of all but the most close minded scientists. His book is well beyond most of the lay public. For anyone wanting to read the book, plan to live with it. It calls upon Einsteinian relativity, quantum mechanics, Cosmology, Parapsychology, you name it.

Bob

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TOPIC: Nature Spirits III
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/7ed857264553b37d?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 7 2008 7:41 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

ENTS,

The following are some excerpts from various internet sites on the subject:

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/d/devas.html

Presently devas are more commonly thought of as nature spirits. They are invisible to most people, except those possessing the psychic ability of clairvoyance. They are said to communicate through means of clairaudience and meditation.

There seems to be a cooperative partnership between devas and human beings which has attracted attention in this time of increasing ecological consciousness. This partnership was discovered in the produce of Findhorn in Scotland and Perelandra in Washington, DC. It seems that devas are the `architects" of nature. A deva is assigned to every living thing, even the soil. They are the blueprint designers for all living things, and control all necessary energies for growth and health. At the two above mentioned facilities, it is said devas dispense information on planting, fertilizing, watering, and general plant care.

Devas seem very astonished and disturbed about man's destruction of the environment. But, they remain willing to work with people who strive to understand the intricacies and harmonies of nature. A.G.H.

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http://www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/devas.htm

Fauns: Fauns are nature spirits with half animal, half human appearance. They might follow humans around but are harmless. Traditionally they are depicted as young men with the lower body of a goat and horns on their head. Fauns are tree spirits, in the sense that they help trees grow. They direct the growth of trees in certain useful directions. They have a relative autonomous intelligence with which they can watch the environment of the trees both below and above the ground. Thus a faun offers his consciousness to help the tree grow harmoniously into its environment. In return the tree provides the faun the opportunity to gain experiences in matter. Through this reciprocal action the faun is tied to the tree for its entire lifetime.

http://www.crystalinks.com/nature_spirits.html

To 'talk telepathically with nature spirits is to understand that they were created to help restore the balance of nature as humanity is bi-polar and in a constant state of destruction. The destruction of the exco-systems around the world - the Amazon ran forests - are just example. There are those of us who love the gentle and compassionate frequencies of many nature spirits - working with them - or just being in their energies as we move towards the evolution of consciousness. Nature Spirits are one way that allows human consciousness to connect beyond the physical and other stand other realms. Pan is the God of the nature spirits. He is half man and half goat. The nature spirits are for the most part composed of etheric matter. Their job is to build the plants. They channel the etheric forces they receive into physically constructing the particular plant patterns they are receiving from the devas. They are the physical workers who carry out the architectural blueprints. They express great joy and delight in their work. They vary in size from a fraction of an inch to elves who are three to four feet tall.

The 'tree' represents the Tree of Life - the feminine, nourishing, sheltering image of the Great Mother, rooted in the earth
reaching toward the heavens, evocative of eternity. Nature spirits live in forests and connect with the tones of the trees.
As you sit at your computer close your eyes. Visualize a tree ... whose branches extend around
and through planet Earth connecting everything forming a matrix that links everything together.

http://www.devas.org/

Cedar Tree Janet Dane
519.925.1990

Allow yourself to notice how your energy is affected by the natural world. Notice what happens to the air around you, to the light around you in the presence of birdsong. Notice the difference in sensation as you walk in the presence of trees. Become aware of the shift in your energies with the scents of the forest -- the sweet scent of poplar, the rich scent of cedar. (This is the introduction to a passage from a longer essay/meditation I would encourage people to read.)

http://www.mythinglinks.org/ct~NatureSpirits.html
Nature Spirits of the World (This is an index of other sites)

http://www.differentnature.com/
Would we treat nature less indifferently if the forces behind nature´s processes became visible to us, had a "face"? Literally. Could it make us reconsider our views on nature and eventually stop us messing around with her? It might...Well, paradoxically, it looks like our own technological evolution is going to achieve just that. I will tell you upfront that you will probably find it hard to believe the pictures on this website are real.. Or you might not see anything at all, for that matter.
(This person has photos on his site which to him appear to have actual faces of nature on them. Interesting, but I really don't see them beyond the suggestion they may be there - much like images in clouds.)

Edward Frank

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?" --Albert Einstein

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 7 2008 9:19 pm
From: James Parton

Ed,

You have just kept me occupied for awhile.

James P.

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 7 2008 10:03 pm
From: James Parton

Ed,

I gotta say, I like the change of pace you have in posts like this. I
myself am interested in the paranormal. I have studied mythology &
legends in a number of cultures, especially the Celts. I have also
done some reading on ghosts, spirits etc. Three other members of my
family have an interest in the paranormal. My sister Rebecca is the
most interested in this subject. She has read & studied on it for
years. About a month ago, Her, Joy & I went to a very old cemetery at
dusk to see if we could pick up ghosts on our cameras. We all had a
few orbs on our photos. What exactly orbs are is up to debate. Camera
artifacts? Dust? Moisture droplets? or Ghosts? It is something Becky
& I are still reading on. Becky has had a number of " supernatural "
events in her life. Mine are minimal. I tend to be very rational about
things. Very critical. I try to explain anything odd I see with
possible natural causes. Only if I cannot will I then consider a more
supernatural one. I am not saying I do not believe in Ghosts or
spirits. I just wanna know that is what it is when I see one. Becky
thinks I am too logical. Too critical. Like Star Trek's Mr. Spock!

Keep up these kinds of posts. I love em'!

James P.

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 8 2008 5:47 am
From: "William Morse"

Ed/ENTS,

I would suggest visiting the little community of Lily Dale <
http://www.lilydaleassembly.com/>. It is in the Town of Pomfret, NY. Many of
the ideas, notions, beliefs in this thread are shared by the flocks that
gather there each summer. Not to mention, the community contains Leolyn
Woods, a looming stand of old forest around Cassadaga Lake. You can't take a
picture in those woods without picking up orbs, foxfire, or other
unexplained mysteries/odditites.

A second place to check out if you ever get a chance is the Hotel Colorado
in Glenwood Springs, CO <http://hotelcolorado.com/>. The Hotel served as an
infirmary and was owned by the mob through the course of its history. The
natural hot springs just below the hotel were of great spiritual
significance to the Utes. That is an interesting story by itself. I grew up
in that area and there are many strange occurrences that are just passed off
as "the powers that be." Of particular interest is a small cemetery where
Doc Holiday is buried on a peak overlooking the community.

Travis <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old-growth_forest>

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Nature Spirits
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/09961de1a50f6eec?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 9 2008 6:08 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

ENTS,

There are a couple of threads on the Penn State Paranormal Board (about 11,000 members). That I thought might be of interest to some of you. The first is the thread I started on Tree Spirits: http://forums.pennstateprs.com/index.php?showtopic=1948&hl

This is an unusual encounter in the woods: http://forums.pennstateprs.com/index.php?showtopic=2451&hl

A comment about trees: http://forums.pennstateprs.com/index.php?showtopic=1751&hl

Ed Frank

== 2 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 9 2008 8:26 pm
From: Steve G

Ed-

I signed up and logged in to the Penn State board--some interesting
stuff. While I'm not at all discounting nature spirits, I feel
experiencing forests and natural areas serves as a catalyst for our
own spirit(s), and allows that part of our being to be expressed---the
tingle up the spine is from within, helped along by the natural
setting(the tree or woods as a spirit guide?).

But my view doesn't change anything, other than semantics. The feeling
many of us get in a wild spot is as real as a cold beer, and measuring
trees, like fishing or hunting, may just serve as a plausible excuse
to get out in the woods and enjoy the revelation. We humans are as
much a part of nature as anything else, and have connections with
everything around us.

Steve

== 3 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 9 2008 8:42 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

Steve,

I am investigating the idea. I am not an adherent of the concept of nature
spirits, but at the moment I am willing to consider the possibility of there
existence. That is one reason I am haunting the paranormal boards - to find
someone who does believe to aid in the investigation.

Ed

== 4 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 9 2008 9:04 pm
From: James Parton

Ed,

Interesting. My sister Becky may find the Penn State Paranormal
Society very interesting. Possibly enough to join.

James P.

== 5 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 9 2008 9:11 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

James,

It doesn't cost anything to join and is straight forward. There is a place
for a paid subscription, but that option is not available - everything is
free. Your email and names are masked.

Ed

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research,
would it?" --Albert Einstein

== 6 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 9 2008 9:15 pm
From: dbhguru@comcast.net

Steve,

For me measuring trees can be a form of forest meditation - a kind of communication, especially if the tree is exceptionally charismatic. But I don't enter into the meditative state with just any tree. Young trees have an undifferentiated, mass kind of energy or effect. There is nothing there to draw one to any particular tree in a young stand. However, the energy of old forest giants has become individualized, concentrated, and powerful. So, it is the larger, older trees I seek.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect that some people feel insecure when in the presence of a forest giant. Their urge is to reduce everything to human proportions and lifespans. But most reflective souls are attracted to the energy of ancient trees. One's receptivity to the energy of forest giants may be a measure of soul development. Of course Ents are at the top of the order in that department. So sayeth Tree Beard.

Bob

== 7 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 9 2008 9:52 pm
From: James Parton

Bob,

Very well said. That is the way I feel about trees too. Young ones
having a collective energy. Old ones having a more concentrated
focused type. I love trees both young and old but there is something
that draws me to old giants. It is more than just mere appearance.

James Parton.

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