Nature Spirits

All around us

Nature spirits are normally associated with, and bound to, features in the natural world. There are spirits of trees, spirits of streams, of rocks and rivers, of particular animals or species, or of the sea or weather. They can be found anywhere in nature; they are in plants, water, stones. They are all around us and are dependent for their appearance and characteristics on the natural phenomena to which they are bound; though most of us simply do not see them.

Guardians

Another way of looking at them is to say they are, like the guardians: constructs, but constructed by nature rather than by man. All are concerned with what we might call routine maintenance work; they rarely have any physical existence, operating on levels outside of such existence, and are traditionally classified according to the symbolic images and forms by which they are sometimes 'seen'. Fairies are associated with plant life in general; goblins and dwarves with the slow changes of minerals (hence the pick and shovel in the classic image of the dwarf), and the provision of the mineral needs of plant life; naiads and dryads are associated with water-supply and with trees; and so on.

Restore the balance of nature

Nature Spirits sometimes appear to me, often to ask for help in healing a land site they occupy which has become polluted from any number of sources,such as: concrete and building work, atmospheric, ground or water contamination, the creation of ponds and other water features, etc. Nature Spirits were created to help restore the balance of nature, and assist with the overall smooth workings of everything to do with nature. They do have form and personality; I believe the form they take is their choice, and they assume such a form as to be recognised.

Nature Spirits reference

Nature Spirits draw our attention to the lost harmony of the natural world which has been disrupted by the impact of human culture. It is a tragic situation but one which can be redeemed if we rediscover our long-lost sensitivity to these realms and learn to heal the disturbed elemental world. For a detailed description of the various elemental beings and their roles in maintaining the web of life, and for insights into related topics, such as the flow of energies within the landscape, I would recommend Nature Spirits & Elemental Beings: Working with the Intelligence in Nature by Marko Pogacnik (Findhorn Press. ISBN 1899171665).