We share this world with many beings—both in the seen, and the unseen. For many shamanistic
or animistic cultures, our interaction to and relationship with the unseen world
was the foundation for health—not only personal health, but the health of our families,
our ecosystems, and the world. Everywhere you go on the earth, there's a particular set of
spirits in the unseen that want to work with you. I'm Asia Suler of One Willow Apothecaries,
and this video is here to help you learn how to work with land spirits.
So who are the land spirits? Land spirits are any beings that dwell in the seen or unseen
that are connected to the land. But most often, when we talk about working with land spirits,
we're talking about working with those that most people don't perceive—beings
that live in the unseen world. So this could be devas, which is conceived of as the oversoul
of a certain plant or plant realm. This could also be the spirit of a tree,
the spirit of a creek, or the spirit of a whole ecosystem. When i say the word spirit,
you can also conceptualize this as a soul. So the soul of a tree, or the soul of a river.
Another kind of spirit that dwells within most ecosystems on Earth are the spirits of
the ancestors. So anyone that dwelled on that land, and had a deep connection to that land.
Especially ancestors that caretook for the land, that had a harmonious, heartfelt relationship with
the land—those ancestors will still be there on those landscapes. Will still be there, and
wanting to be working with you, to help protect and safeguard and nourish that land. Where my
ancestors come from, a type of land spirits that are often talked about are fairies. There's other
names for these beings in the unseen, including gnomes, or dwarves, but any of these iterations
point to whole cultures of beings that exist in the unseen, and are attached to and part of,
a natural landscape. So wherever we go on this earth we are not the first beings there, and in
fact we're entering into a relationship—a tapestry of relationships that already exist in that place.
So why learn how to work with land spirits? Well everything within an ecosystem and here on earth
is a co-creation. We are not the sole creators on this planet, and in fact we're more collaborators
than anything else. So we are here to learn how to listen to these beings that already
live in the land, that already do so much to caretake, nourish, and protect these landscapes,
and to learn how to work in communion with them. I truly believe that humans knew how to do this.
This was an ancestral skill for human beings, and it's one we're learning how to reconnect to now.
When we learn how to work with land spirits, we can create more harmony on the land in which we
live. We can create more diversity, and more flourishing. If you want an amazing example of
this, look up the Findhorn story in Scotland. This is an amazing story about a group of people who
moved to this rocky, barren place in Scotland, and were able to—through their communications
with the beings in the unseen world, the land spirits—actually work with the land to recreate
abundance there, to recreate an ecosystem that supported many different forms of life. It is a
living example of what happens when we can learn how to communicate with the spirits that live in a
landscape. As many indigenous cultures around the world name, human beings are the younger brothers
and sisters of existence. We are very new on the scene. So these spirits that dwell in a landscape
are much older, they're much wiser, and they understand what the landscape, and the ecology
as a whole, needs. Which is something we as human beings are constantly needing to tune into,
and to learn how to listen to. So of course it makes sense that we would want to work with the
land spirits, but it's also true that land spirits want to work with us. Human beings are powerful.
We are movers, and shapers, and creators. And so the spirits of a landscape see this and understand
this, and they believe and know that we can work together. To create balance to create harmony to
create and nourish ecosystems that feed us all. So how do you start working with land spirits? Well
i have three core practices that I engage with in the land where I live, that really helps me stay
in relationship to the beings that live there. The first practice is to create a land altar.
To create an altar space somewhere outside in the landscape, where you can tend that altar,
you can bring offerings. I like to keep stones on the altar that represent certain aspects of
the land. So a stone that represents the tree people, a stone that represents the waters,
a stone that represents the mushrooms. And when you have this layout, it gives you a place to go
to commune and communicate. And it also gives the land spirit the tableau to reach back to you.
So you might find that you create something on this altar, and then you go back out and
it's shifted or changed. And that in and of itself can be a communication to you.
I like to make sure that i touch base with this altar at least once a month,
but ideally for me every week, or every other week. Just to go out and refresh the flowers,
to sweep it clean, to keep it tended in this way. To keep the life of our relationship fresh.
Sometimes it can help to have this altar near a tree or a stone on the land that feels like
a gatekeeper for the land as a whole. So maybe you have a big tree that really feels like it's
holding a lot of energy for the landscape. At the roots of that tree would be a great place
to have an altar. Or maybe there's a boulder on the land that really feels prominent.
Something about it seems like it would be a protector or a gatekeeper for that space.
You could also put your altar there. It's always good to ask the spirits, "is this where you want
this altar to be?" Again, this is a co-creation, and the easiest way to hear that answer is just to
feel it in your body. Do you feel settled with where this altar is? Does it feel
comfortable? Can you feel relaxed? Can you feel yourself expanding? These are all signs that
the spirits there like the placement of the altar and would want to work with you there.
The second practice is land blessings. So I like to do these ceremonies every other week, or with
the moon cycle. So the moon cycle just helps me to remember to do it, so whatever makes sense
for you. So if i'm not going out every other week because i don't have time, I'll try to make sure i
go out on a new or full moon, or at the very least on the major holidays on the Wheel of the Year—so
this can be on the equinoxes, on the solstices, and on the halfway points inbetween—which would
make for eight land blessings a year. So these blessings can be super simple. It could
be bringing a cup of water out, and blessing that water, and pouring it into the roots of the tree.
It can be standing in place and naming all of the beings that you see around you, just to say their
name is a form of blessing and empowerment. I like to call in the four directions. This helps ground
and center me. And then i like to call in any of the mountain ranges near me, or major parts of
the landscape and the place in which I live. And from then on, I start naming any other beings that
i can think of that live on that land with me. So i name the spirits of the trees, the spirits of
the water, I name the fairies and the unseen ones. I name the ancestors. So this process of naming,
it's a meditative process, and it's also a form of honoring. Just by naming these beings,
you are giving your energy and your blessings to them. And just know that this energy and attention
that you're bringing is a form of blessing. It does not need to be elaborate. And on that note,
the third, and perhaps simplest thing you can do are just land offerings. And you can do this
whenever you're feeling called. Perhaps you've got a bouquet of flowers and when you feel like
you've soaked up all the beauty of those flowers you bring them out and you lay them on the earth,
perhaps in the form of a mandala or a pattern. You could again do this ritual with a cup of water.
You can go on to the earth and simply sing a song to the earth. Any of these are just offerings that
you can give in small or large ways, but just like we give gifts to those we want to be in
relationship with, when you give a gift to the land you're creating this deeper relationship.
I guarantee you, if you look at your ancestors and your heritage, you're going to find examples
of offerings being left to the unseen beings of the land. So i know, in my Irish ancestry,
it was common to leave out cups of milk or honey for the fairies. This was a way in which people
kept the relationship, between the human and more-than-human world, sweet. So be creative with
this. Maybe you'll have a meal, and you'll decide to put a small plate out for the unseen world.
Know that whatever your offering is, it can be spontaneous, it can be small, and it can be just
something that speaks to your heart, and if it speaks to you, it will speak to the beings that
live in that land. Now any of these practices can be taken to any landscape that you go to.
So i know that when I travel it feels really important to me to be able to ground in that place
by first greeting the spirits that live there. It's important to introduce yourself. It's a
form of honor and respect. Now when I'm traveling, because i won't be staying in those landscapes for
a long period of time, I often won't create any kind of permanent altar space, but I will bring
offerings, and i will say blessings. Even if it's just a short blessing every morning, just thanking
the spirits of that land for having me there. Naming all the beings that I can by name that are
surrounding me, and just giving earnest gratitude for the opportunity to be there with them.
There's a quote by the poet David Wagoner that I always return to in these instances: "stand still.
The trees behind you and the bushes before you are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
and you must treat it as a powerful stranger, must ask permission to know it and be known."
When you make this connection with the land spirits where you live, or where you're
traveling to, untold blessings can come your way. The spirits that live here on earth want
to collaborate with us, they want to work with us, and they have important messages to share.
My new book, Mirrors in the Earth: reflections on self-healing from the living world, was written
in tandem with the spirits that we share this earth with. It is a collection of affirmations
and messages from the living world, helping all of us to see and understand our innate worthiness.
Because it is through understanding ourselves and seeing with compassion the wholeness of our beings
that we can really embrace our gifts on this planet. I've been so delighted to be able to share
this book with all of you after so many years of working on this true heart project. It's been an
incredible experience so far. If you haven't gotten your copy yet i'll put the link here below.
So for those of you who've already dove into the book, or got your feet wet with it,
I'm curious—what chapter are you loving the most, or what message from the earth is really landing
with you? And for those of you who work with land spirits, who are in active communication
with those beings that live on the land with you, what have you found from this relationship? What
have you realized? Have you had any amazing experiences of synchronicity or connection?
I would love to hear about it in the comments below. The earth is speaking to all of us all
the time. Our only job is to learn how to trust ourselves enough to truly listen.