Sometimes I go to my local park or outside my home and meditate. I can feel as if the spirits are speaking to me, especially when the wind wisps through my hair or in my face, it's like receiving a kiss from the divine herself or hearing them sing, and sounds of nature and the comfort it brings is like a hug from the spirits. 😏
I'm always caring for my special garden, trying to make it a nourishing and safe place for all the little creatures and spirits who live around me 🐦🐁🐸🦎🐍🐛🦋🐌🕊🐜🐝🐞🦗🕷🕸🌱🌼
I work with my geomancy tools to find a leyline where they can come and go freely or if I want to local and immediate land spirits I use my familiar as a guide and it lends me aid so i can speak with them.
I ask them to visit my friends and family to give them comforting messages and sometimes warn them. I make artwork and hang it on trees sometimes. I think my assigned ones like this sometimes. Also excerising ourside in nature and observing birds and other animals is something that the land spirits like to see people doing where I live particularly. Thank you.
I really love this, I identify most with pantheism so connecting with the earth is a way bigger part of my practice than working with deities because everything on earth is divine
I can't imagine feeling connected to the land while being in a city. I feel lucky to have always lived in the countryside. It's nice to go for a walk in the fields or woods and see some new wild plant or butterfly you never noticed before.
I connect best when I am outside and just sitting quietly letting my mind wander. I feel a deep sense of peace come over me. There are times when I get help. When I am grieving for my best friend Kat and it is pulling me into a dark hole dragonflies show up. Dragonflies were her spirit animal. It really helps. When things get so overwhelming I tend to go the beach and sitting and watching the waves come in and go out I start to realize just how timeless the ocean is and that in the face of the power of the sea my overwhelming problem is nothing when that happens I feel as if I have been wrapped in a loving mother's arm for a moment. I have been listening to nature since I was little I got in trouble saying the trees talked to me. I had to go to confession for that but I refused to say I made it up. So I got a lot of Hail Mary's and it was a lot for a child. I couldn't explain how they talked because of course they were speaking a human language I was picking up the spirits. I think most children can do this but stop when they realize that it is frowned upon. I had a traumatic childhood filled with abuse. The spirits of the land kept me company. I held tight to them. And when I left Catholism took a detour to the Church of Latter Day Saints before finding Wicca I realized what was going on who I was connecting with.
thats sucks you were told that was bad to talk to trees. i remeber growing up mormon and had a love for nature and wanted to connect to fairies and stuff but was always told they wernt real. its so dumb becuse whats it gunns hurt to have a kid connect with a nature spirit if its real or not. kids need to connect wirh something and using imagination is healthy to do
This makes my animist self happy. My first exposure to pagan faith was adopting Shinto. That's coloured my spiritual journey so I've always had an animist way of looking at the world since then. It's not something often talked about even amongst pagans. :)
I've lived near Chicago, and now in SD. I visited San Antonio, Texas last year and was pleasantly amazed by the diverse different flora that grows wild in some areas there. It must be painful for you to leave your plants here.
It’s so funny that this video just showed up in my inbox. I was thinking last night how growing up Christian, reverence for nature was viewed as a bad thing because it’s witchcraft. It’s so sad because they miss so much. Yet if you think about it, if you believe in one all powerful god that created nature, it seems it would be right and good to be in tune with your gods creation. I have a hard time labeling my religious views. Because I am surrounded by Christians, I say I follow a nature based spirituality.. I practice witchcraft and the funny thing is I don’t do anything that goes against the teachings of the Christian bible. I admit my experiences in the Christian church as left me with a prejudiced view against Christians. I’m working on that. But according to the teachings of the Bible, I am more Christian as a witch than most people in the church.
I walked a very similar path myself; born and raised Christian, ended up converting to paganism in January this year. You're absolutely right about the relationship Christians ought to be having with nature. Some will say we're supposed to take care of it, but precious few care enough to do so. :( Which shouldn't be how things are. Keep true to your path! You're on the right track. ^_^
Oooh that really was a video close to my heart! And so true, every place has its own spirit and energy and that is why it is so important to get familiar with the magick around you. I am just working on a new witchy tag video to inspire people to look into their own culture, nature, and surroundings to connect deeper with their craft and make the entire scene a bit more colorful, less mainstream and culturally diverse. I would looove to see a spiritual video, connecting with its spirits, if you find the time, from your new place of residence
When I first moved to central Germany, I had a strong feeling of being in the midst of a fairy tale - densely wooded hills, meandering rivers, small villages with half-timbered houses. Only later did I learn that the Brothers Grimm once lived here and collected some of their fairy tales right in this area. Once I was walking through the woods and came to a beautiful spot atop a hill - stately beech and oak trees towering over a carpet of grass with piles of stone and earth along the perimeter. As soon as I stepped into this place, I had a stronger feeling of spiritual power than ever before. When I looked at the map, I discovered it was called "Eckelskirche", where "kirche" means "church". And after doing some research later on, I found out that it had indeed been used for Christian rites, but even before then had long been used by the Celts and their predecessors, probably as a place of sacrifice. Now I make a pilgrimage to this spot whenever I get a chance.
I have never heard of this place, but now I'd like to go visit it. Always amazing to find out more about my country. The great things about Germany is that there are many towns that feel old because of the houses. It gives that feel of being in a medieval fairy tale, as you said. Thankfully Germans love their "Spaziergänge", so there are still many spots of nature, because it is important to us.
I live in the Zion area of Utah, and my favorite way to connect with the land and its fiery spirit is to meditate under the heat of the sun. Typically lying on a nice rock near the virgin river (yes, that's the name of the river), soaking up the scorching energy that fuels the desert and the little rivers that flow through her heart. I'll marvel at the creatures I see and take note of each animal spirit's attributes. My craft is based around the earth, sun, and carving. I typically carve antler bone (from naturally shed antlers) or avocado seeds by inspiration, usually taking form of an animal depending on what aspects I feel inspired to send the person receiving it. My work is usually expressed in gifts.
One of my favorite ways to connect is through gardening. You get such an intimate look into the circle of life. You see many creatures throughout your planting days, some of whom you will grow to love. You gain a new respect for plants and what it takes to create food. And there’s nothing quite like sitting down in the middle of your garden, sweat dripping from your skin, lungs out of breath, but still you smile at the pure amazement of nature surrounding you
My office window overlooks a large green-space full of trees and blackberry bushes. I can see and hear the creek that runs past the building. Where I park there is an abundance of holly and ivy. Where I walk into the building is a large birch tree. All of these plants have deep symbolic meaning to me. I watch them throughout the cycle of the year. 😊
I feel like with connecting with local land spirits one also must deal with settler colonialism and colonial history because this traditionally has not been white euro-pagans' land and that the actual indigenous caretakers of the land still exist but are marginalized.
I was also thinking about this. Although this probably applies to every country on the planet if you go back enough. But the spirits she is feeling might be the same that the natives felt when they had ownership of the land. Spiritual practice involving the land you are on is completely removed from any colonial influence if it's done correctly.
@@acmulhern I can see that. For me personally I feel like, because the indigenous land protectors *currently* exist still, one cannot remove colonial legacy from the practice.
I personally want to connect with my local spirits, and I'm still finding my way but not in a rush. 😅 I remember watching from Molly Robert's video about Connecting with Genus Loci, and this video definitely complements that. Thanks for sharing this video. 💚
For an adventurous kind of witch, to connect with the land spirits, I'd recommend some magic kind of shrooms. Watching "maria sabina in english" may help using those "spirits" properly (on a dirt floor, in the mountains, candle light, no electricity, etc...).
Just to be clear because many people don't know: there's a difference between animism and pantheism! Pantheism means that there is One, non-personal spiritual essence underlying everything in nature. Animism is believing that there are individual, personal spirits that exist in everything in nature. Humans are naturally animistic. I'm animistic and not pantheistic.
Colorado Springs/ Pikes peak region/ Sangre De Cristo mountain area (originally from Moline/ Rock Island and then Kentuckiana and then Alabama I've lived quite a few places) here in my area of Colorado nature is engrained in everything. I go hiking and just absorb the energies. I also leave gifts to the spirits here in return. I try to show appreciation as much as I can.
Moving is the worst non-emergency event that can happen to a person! I'm looking forward to seeing your comparison/assessment of TX vs IL land spirits. Good luck on the trip south.
Welcome to Texas Scarlet! I’m from SW MI. I’ve been in Texas 20 yrs now. I LOVE it! No snow and lots of 🌞! I do miss the seasons. So I completely redecorate my house for each season.
i connect with nature by just going hiking and backpacking and just listaning to the sounds around me. i also have a big back yard that mushrooms frequently grow everywhere in.
Everywhere i've lived i've had places where i felt especially drawn to because of the energy i felt there and the sense of peace that i felt in that place so connecting to land spirits has definitely always been a big part of my pagan practice. Good luck and many blessings to you in your new life in texas !
I’m Swedish and had never heard of landvättar (the Swedish spelling) so I had to google it. Seems like it was mostly tied to west nordic mythology (primarily Islandic). It was very interesting so I’m gonna do some more research and see what I can find in Swedish. I love how your videos helps me discover more about my own (and my area’s) history. 😊
Fellow Swede here. I'll answer in English, in order to not confuse all the Anglophones. The landvättar were probably known under several different names in different parts of Sweden and Norway. "Vättar", "vittror" and "huldrefolket" were probably just dialectal interchangeable labels, the designation varying depending on location: Vättar in the south, huldrefolket somewhere in the middle (close to the Norwegian border) and vittra up North. Folkloric local tales and customs documented by early ethnologists in my whereabouts as late as in the 1860s and 1870s spoke of "vättar", and I'm from Småland in the south. Before American readers jump the gun, I have to stress that the 19th century people who described these tales and customs would have defined themselves as Christians. Rural Lutherans before industrialisation managed well to include pre-Christian folklore into a Christian worldview, even if bishops and Enlightenment-philosophers disapproved. _That's not the same thing as surviving organised Paganism._ Today, there are too many Romantically inclined enthusiasts out there who confuse surviving folklore and surviving organised Paganism with each other. According to Icelandic sources the Old Norse world-view also included now usually forgotten beings like "äringsmän" (the harvestmen). The meaning of the word "huldra" seem to have been slightly fluid: On the Norwegian side of the mountains it usually refer to a collective of wight-beings, but on the Swedish side, depending on geographical area, it may be used in the Norwegian sense or used to refer to the being known as the female "skogsrå" (of skog, "forest", and rå/rådare "guardian spirit") or "skogssnuva" further south. On Gotland the skogssnuva is male, and is called "Bysen" (the Byse). Perhaps "alver" (elves) was just another name for the landvättar, too, but Professor Britt-Marie Näsström however suggest that the word "alver" _perhaps_ might refer to male persons belonging to the Vaner gods, "diser" being the female counterpart. It's probably better to be cautious, and not form any firm opinion on this particular issue, but it is interesting to take part of the different interpretations available.
Bloke Inconnu Thanks for the reply, I live in the north of Sweden! :) I remember as a child I used to read stories about skogsrået, näcken, tomtar, troll etc but it was all kids books. I find it very interesting to come back to it as an adult from another perspective (potentially seeing it as spirits/energy rather than physical beings). I saw a livestream on facebook a few weeks ago with a guy who had studied swedish folklore which was interesting, can’t remember the guys name tho. Do you have any recommendations for resources (preferably in swedish) on this subject?
@@mikk5540 My experience is the same: A lot of Swedish folklore is kept alive as amusement for children, which is a perfectly understandable development from a literary standpoint, but disappointing if you approach the material in search for spirituality. Children's books are also usually bad at distinguishing between different regions/provinces of the country: The noun "vittra" and the adjective "oknytt" are particularly northern, and known here in the south only due to their fairly recent use by novelists, including authors of literature for children. I don't have any fresh reading recommendations, but the source material collected by ethnologists in the late 19th and early 20th century might shed some light on the matter. Emanuel Linderholm's "Signelser ock Besvärjelser från medeltid ock nytid" (P.A. Norstedt & söner 1917-40) is a good example. And yes, he did spell the word "och" in a way we find unusual today. If you compare Linderholm's collection with A. Chr. Bang's "Norske hexeformularer og magiske opskrifter" (1901-02), you'll find that folklore was fairly similar on both sides of the mountains, some of the "spells" almost identical.
@@mikk5540 Your question made me curious, and in the search engine of Swedish Royal Library I found two books of particular relevance for the northern part of Sweden: Torsten Kolmodin's "Folktro, seder och sägner från Pite Lappmark" (1917) - which seem to be a collection of source material - and Bo Holmberg: "Den förälskade vitterkarlen och andra ångermanländska berättelser om vittra" (1999) - which seem to be a modern re-telling. I haven't read any of them myself, yet. The way we conventionally use the expression "northern Sweden" is slightly ridiculous: More than two thirds of the country is located in the North. I might be a southerner, but I am fully aware that Hälsingland, Västerbotten, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the other provinces mentioned in ducal titles each are quite distinct areas culturally and dialect-wise, and it is actually silly to lump them all together as "the North". The rest of the country usually don't understand the difference between Värend, Finnveden, Njudung, Tjust and Möre in my part of the country, either.
Take a look at everything written by Carl Herman Tillhagen. Numerous authors have written lots of studies concentrating on folklore from particular parishes (socknar), but the choice depends on which part of the country you are interested in, of course. These studies are too numerous to list here. Perhaps these more general studies? Tobias Norlind: "Studier i svensk folklore" (1917) Gustaf Renhorn: "En samling folkminnen från Västerbotten" (1925) Ebbe Schön: "Folktrons år" (1989) Catharina Raudvere: "Föreställningar om maran i nordisk folktro" (1993) Mikael Häll: "Skogsrået, näcken och djävulen" (2013) Olof Bannbers: "Råndan, trollen och de underjordiska" (1918) Maja Bergstrand: "Näcken som musikaliskt väsen" (1936) Bengt af Klintberg: "Folkminnen" (2007) Bengt af Klintberg: "Vänster hand och motsols: magiska riter från förr" (2020) Sven Lampa: "Folktro om trollen" (1900) Thede Palm: "Trädkult; studier i germansk religionshistoria" (1948) August Rudberg: "Träden i folktro och folksed" (1908) Wikman (red.), Leonhard Fredrik Rääf: "Svenska skrock och signerier" (1957) John E. Wilhelmsson: "Krånka och skrömt" (1959) Hilding Celander: "Om Eldborgs skål som eldoffer och orakel" (1931) Gullan Gerward: "Majgrevefesten: En kulturhistorisk analys" (1996)
Great to see heathens that understand the role of animism. Very good to see this homey / lifestyle type material for us pagans. I recently moved to a new country and found this comforting. Thank you and wish you the best in Dallas!
Shintoism its interesting also in thailand people connect with local land spirits by making a mini house and they make offerings interesting thing to do.
I think the nature spirits such as gnomes can communicate with each other from miles away in a sort of 'chinese whisper' fashion as I can go in a different area from Manchester, only for similar experiences to happen locally afterwards which will mean those in Texas already know you are going there and are waiting for you. Animal spirits will also have been informed that you are going to live amongst them. Hope you will see wild growing cacti there as I love those I keep here in the UK .
This was great, thanks for sharing your journey! I feel very connected to the land spirits here in my local county of Devon, particularly the trees and can't wait for the day I get to have my own garden where I can grow herbs and local plants and maybe even grow my own tree! 💛
Very nice video Scarlet. I noticed you mentioned to the affect of, some people focus on Gods, Goddesses & Pantheons. & I think I've done this as well. I've focused on grandioso images of lightning bolts & thunder also, or Great King Neptune in the big sea. Anyways, Thank You, for adding clarity, simplifing, & explaining to me the concept of land spirits or spirits of the land, in a way that's easier for me to understand. I like how you explained, how every place is different, that's the part I had trouble with. I like he imagery you used of place to place, how many places have the same concept, yet use different names to describe the same idea. I also liked how you used yourself as an example of going from A to B, explaining how & why things would be different. Also: how you used the concept of animism, to define & bring life into things. In Rome there were lares in the home & at the crossroads? , or genius loci the spirit of a place?, and as you said, every place has different versions & names of how they describe local land spirits. Landvaettir is the name of Norse land spirits. Could a person use the concept of Nature Spirits? Awesome Video, educational & fun! Thank You. ps: You have my best wishes on your new move. I understand 3 or 4 years some where & it's time to move on ...
Thank you. Reverence for land spirits and household spirits are indeed the basics of Paganism. The official pantheons of pre-Christian civic religion belong to another level of religious expression, and doesn't need to bother the household devotion of ordinary persons much, if adherents don't want. A lot of people try to build their Paganism from top to bottom instead, which I find puzzling. It's another situation when someone experience a deity to invite them to devotion, but such things happen on an individual and deeply private level, and can't be generalised.
@@ScarletRavenswood Yes! Please do! That would be amazing. The similarities between beliefs about household spirits in different linguistic regions are surprising.
I put out bird seed but not every day as they need to remember how to forage for themselves and to teach their young and also i have some cat fur from my ragdoll that they can use to warm their nests.... stay beautiful xx
Hi Scarlett! I just moved to Dallas from Virginia right before Christmas and I've been having a hard time adjusting and connecting with what's around me. It's very different! So I'm excited to witness your journey to see how you get along after your move :)
I know what you mean by local Spirits . . I live in Milwaukee, and being close by Chicago, have visited there numerous times (love your museums). I've found that the Spirit of Chicago is totally different from Milwaukee's. I've noticed that Chicago's is much higher classed, it's very inclusive, and therefore, in my experience, the more preferred (Spirit wise)
Glad to hear you'll be joining us in the Lone Star State! 🤘 I live in the Central region right along the Hill Country...like all places, Texas has its pros and cons, but I have no doubt that you will connect with it and its Spirit in your own special way! I follow a Slavic (Polish), folk magick path of Traditional Witchcraft, and also know many Germanic/Norse Pagans (as well as those from myriad other traditions) in the greater area as well. The ancestors speak loudly, here...I've heard their comforting voices throughout the land since I can remember. Safe travels, Raven, and witamy to you! 🙏⛤💞 #PeaceAndBlessedBe Oh, and the food's pretty good here, by the way...if you don't already know what breakfast tacos are, be prepared for a (likely) pleasant surprise! 😉
Hi Scarlet, Thanks for the video. I am new to this. How do I know if a tree, plant, or other things are animated? How do I reach out and begin those relationships? Thanks
I live in the mittle of a forest and have always liked to just sit on a rock to rellax. Latly when I have gone to one of the parts of the forest I got a feeling that the whole forest had gone sad and lost something. Is there something to do about it? Now whenever I go there I feel like crying.
We actually just purchased a house two hours Southwest of Dallas 🙃 having lived in California for 6 years previous to that and traveling the West coast and Midwest and settling here I'm definitely having to learn this area from my childhood again. Maybe I will learn along with you 🥰
I've wanted to become familiar with the spirits in my home (Salt Lake City). There are times when I feel things but I want to avoid crossing the line of cultural appropriation. Do you find that spirits in your area, that used to belong to Native Americans, respond well to an approach that is European in descent?
I live in the suburbs about an hour from you. It's not been easy to me tbh because I am much more used to living in less populated areas like the Pine Barrens of NJ, Gulf Coast of MS (pre Katrina and tourism boom) or Motta Sicily. I just don't feel like I am connecting here.
I have been watching your videos a lot and I love them! Could you do a video on Hellenic paganism. I feel called to that path and I do research but I can’t find any videos about it.
@@ScarletRavenswood Do you believe that the Norse, Roman, and Greek deities in some cases, to be the same gods with different names? For example Freya = Venus = Aphrodite. Odin = Jupiter = Zeus. The Roman's encountered the Norse pantheon when they first met the Germanic tribes, the Roman's simply assumed that the Norse gods were their gods with different names, with Christianity and Judaism they had more problems. Part of the reason Christian's were fed to the lions was their tendency to say that the Roman gods did not exist, and then there were the Emperor gods, I'm not sure Nero or Calligula would count as Hellanic deities, I tend to doubt it.
![ILLSLICK - THE KING'S LANDING [Freestyle]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/feIJJnNkTfk/mqdefault.jpg)
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How do you connect with your local land spirits? Share in the comments below. :)
Sometimes I go to my local park or outside my home and meditate. I can feel as if the spirits are speaking to me, especially when the wind wisps through my hair or in my face, it's like receiving a kiss from the divine herself or hearing them sing, and sounds of nature and the comfort it brings is like a hug from the spirits. 😏
I'm always caring for my special garden, trying to make it a nourishing and safe place for all the little creatures and spirits who live around me 🐦🐁🐸🦎🐍🐛🦋🐌🕊🐜🐝🐞🦗🕷🕸🌱🌼
I work with my geomancy tools to find a leyline where they can come and go freely or if I want to local and immediate land spirits I use my familiar as a guide and it lends me aid so i can speak with them.
@@Ruudes1483look you are preaching to the wrong choir.
I ask them to visit my friends and family to give them comforting messages and sometimes warn them. I make artwork and hang it on trees sometimes. I think my assigned ones like this sometimes.
Also excerising ourside in nature and observing birds and other animals is something that the land spirits like to see people doing where I live particularly. Thank you.
I like to sit near a river and just.. listen. Not even to silence, or music, but to the sounds of nature.
Same 😉
Ich rufe ein Taxi um punktlich mit Dir zu sein)
I like doing that too
100% my favorite way to ground myself
I listen to the frogs and it puts me into a trance
I really love this, I identify most with pantheism so connecting with the earth is a way bigger part of my practice than working with deities because everything on earth is divine
I can't imagine feeling connected to the land while being in a city. I feel lucky to have always lived in the countryside. It's nice to go for a walk in the fields or woods and see some new wild plant or butterfly you never noticed before.
yeah city's are pretty loud with alot of people but there are always parks you can go to
I connect best when I am outside and just sitting quietly letting my mind wander. I feel a deep sense of peace come over me. There are times when I get help. When I am grieving for my best friend Kat and it is pulling me into a dark hole dragonflies show up. Dragonflies were her spirit animal. It really helps.
When things get so overwhelming I tend to go the beach and sitting and watching the waves come in and go out I start to realize just how timeless the ocean is and that in the face of the power of the sea my overwhelming problem is nothing when that happens I feel as if I have been wrapped in a loving mother's arm for a moment.
I have been listening to nature since I was little I got in trouble saying the trees talked to me. I had to go to confession for that but I refused to say I made it up. So I got a lot of Hail Mary's and it was a lot for a child.
I couldn't explain how they talked because of course they were speaking a human language I was picking up the spirits. I think most children can do this but stop when they realize that it is frowned upon. I had a traumatic childhood filled with abuse. The spirits of the land kept me company. I held tight to them. And when I left Catholism took a detour to the Church of Latter Day Saints before finding Wicca I realized what was going on who I was connecting with.
thats sucks you were told that was bad to talk to trees. i remeber growing up mormon and had a love for nature and wanted to connect to fairies and stuff but was always told they wernt real. its so dumb becuse whats it gunns hurt to have a kid connect with a nature spirit if its real or not. kids need to connect wirh something and using imagination is healthy to do
This makes my animist self happy. My first exposure to pagan faith was adopting Shinto. That's coloured my spiritual journey so I've always had an animist way of looking at the world since then. It's not something often talked about even amongst pagans. :)
I've lived near Chicago, and now in SD. I visited San Antonio, Texas last year and was pleasantly amazed by the diverse different flora that grows wild in some areas there. It must be painful for you to leave your plants here.
It’s so funny that this video just showed up in my inbox. I was thinking last night how growing up Christian, reverence for nature was viewed as a bad thing because it’s witchcraft. It’s so sad because they miss so much. Yet if you think about it, if you believe in one all powerful god that created nature, it seems it would be right and good to be in tune with your gods creation. I have a hard time labeling my religious views. Because I am surrounded by Christians, I say I follow a nature based spirituality.. I practice witchcraft and the funny thing is I don’t do anything that goes against the teachings of the Christian bible. I admit my experiences in the Christian church as left me with a prejudiced view against Christians. I’m working on that. But according to the teachings of the Bible, I am more Christian as a witch than most people in the church.
I walked a very similar path myself; born and raised Christian, ended up converting to paganism in January this year. You're absolutely right about the relationship Christians ought to be having with nature. Some will say we're supposed to take care of it, but precious few care enough to do so. :( Which shouldn't be how things are. Keep true to your path! You're on the right track. ^_^
Michael Day wow you are a new pagan. Blessed be. This is a beautiful journey.
@@angellagoff3061 Blessed be. :) Thank you Angella. I am indeed very new but learning quickly. So far it's a very fulfilling journey.
Oooh that really was a video close to my heart! And so true, every place has its own spirit and energy and that is why it is so important to get familiar with the magick around you. I am just working on a new witchy tag video to inspire people to look into their own culture, nature, and surroundings to connect deeper with their craft and make the entire scene a bit more colorful, less mainstream and culturally diverse. I would looove to see a spiritual video, connecting with its spirits, if you find the time, from your new place of residence
When I first moved to central Germany, I had a strong feeling of being in the midst of a fairy tale - densely wooded hills, meandering rivers, small villages with half-timbered houses. Only later did I learn that the Brothers Grimm once lived here and collected some of their fairy tales right in this area. Once I was walking through the woods and came to a beautiful spot atop a hill - stately beech and oak trees towering over a carpet of grass with piles of stone and earth along the perimeter. As soon as I stepped into this place, I had a stronger feeling of spiritual power than ever before. When I looked at the map, I discovered it was called "Eckelskirche", where "kirche" means "church". And after doing some research later on, I found out that it had indeed been used for Christian rites, but even before then had long been used by the Celts and their predecessors, probably as a place of sacrifice. Now I make a pilgrimage to this spot whenever I get a chance.
I have never heard of this place, but now I'd like to go visit it. Always amazing to find out more about my country.
The great things about Germany is that there are many towns that feel old because of the houses. It gives that feel of being in a medieval fairy tale, as you said. Thankfully Germans love their "Spaziergänge", so there are still many spots of nature, because it is important to us.
Just like going to a new school. Starting new relationship learning new God's. Norse pagan here
I live in the Zion area of Utah, and my favorite way to connect with the land and its fiery spirit is to meditate under the heat of the sun. Typically lying on a nice rock near the virgin river (yes, that's the name of the river), soaking up the scorching energy that fuels the desert and the little rivers that flow through her heart. I'll marvel at the creatures I see and take note of each animal spirit's attributes.
My craft is based around the earth, sun, and carving. I typically carve antler bone (from naturally shed antlers) or avocado seeds by inspiration, usually taking form of an animal depending on what aspects I feel inspired to send the person receiving it. My work is usually expressed in gifts.
One of my favorite ways to connect is through gardening. You get such an intimate look into the circle of life. You see many creatures throughout your planting days, some of whom you will grow to love. You gain a new respect for plants and what it takes to create food. And there’s nothing quite like sitting down in the middle of your garden, sweat dripping from your skin, lungs out of breath, but still you smile at the pure amazement of nature surrounding you
My office window overlooks a large green-space full of trees and blackberry bushes. I can see and hear the creek that runs past the building. Where I park there is an abundance of holly and ivy. Where I walk into the building is a large birch tree. All of these plants have deep symbolic meaning to me. I watch them throughout the cycle of the year. 😊
I feel like with connecting with local land spirits one also must deal with settler colonialism and colonial history because this traditionally has not been white euro-pagans' land and that the actual indigenous caretakers of the land still exist but are marginalized.
I was also thinking about this. Although this probably applies to every country on the planet if you go back enough.
But the spirits she is feeling might be the same that the natives felt when they had ownership of the land. Spiritual practice involving the land you are on is completely removed from any colonial influence if it's done correctly.
@@acmulhern I can see that. For me personally I feel like, because the indigenous land protectors *currently* exist still, one cannot remove colonial legacy from the practice.
I personally want to connect with my local spirits, and I'm still finding my way but not in a rush. 😅
I remember watching from Molly Robert's video about Connecting with Genus Loci, and this video definitely complements that. Thanks for sharing this video. 💚
For an adventurous kind of witch, to connect with the land spirits, I'd recommend some magic kind of shrooms.
Watching "maria sabina in english" may help using those "spirits" properly (on a dirt floor, in the mountains, candle light, no electricity, etc...).
Such a cute intro!! And early welcome to Texas!😎 I hope you’re ready for humid summers 8 months out of the year🥵
Thanks! I'm definitely going to have to get used to the summers there.
Just to be clear because many people don't know: there's a difference between animism and pantheism! Pantheism means that there is One, non-personal spiritual essence underlying everything in nature. Animism is believing that there are individual, personal spirits that exist in everything in nature. Humans are naturally animistic.
I'm animistic and not pantheistic.
Colorado Springs/ Pikes peak region/ Sangre De Cristo mountain area (originally from Moline/ Rock Island and then Kentuckiana and then Alabama I've lived quite a few places) here in my area of Colorado nature is engrained in everything. I go hiking and just absorb the energies. I also leave gifts to the spirits here in return. I try to show appreciation as much as I can.
Moving is the worst non-emergency event that can happen to a person! I'm looking forward to seeing your comparison/assessment of TX vs IL land spirits. Good luck on the trip south.
Welcome to Texas Scarlet! I’m from SW MI. I’ve been in Texas 20 yrs now. I LOVE it! No snow and lots of 🌞! I do miss the seasons. So I completely redecorate my house for each season.
i connect with nature by just going hiking and backpacking and just listaning to the sounds around me. i also have a big back yard that mushrooms frequently grow everywhere in.
Everywhere i've lived i've had places where i felt especially drawn to because of the energy i felt there and the sense of peace that i felt in that place so connecting to land spirits has definitely always been a big part of my pagan practice. Good luck and many blessings to you in your new life in texas !
I’m Swedish and had never heard of landvättar (the Swedish spelling) so I had to google it. Seems like it was mostly tied to west nordic mythology (primarily Islandic).
It was very interesting so I’m gonna do some more research and see what I can find in Swedish.
I love how your videos helps me discover more about my own (and my area’s) history. 😊
Fellow Swede here. I'll answer in English, in order to not confuse all the Anglophones. The landvättar were probably known under several different names in different parts of Sweden and Norway. "Vättar", "vittror" and "huldrefolket" were probably just dialectal interchangeable labels, the designation varying depending on location: Vättar in the south, huldrefolket somewhere in the middle (close to the Norwegian border) and vittra up North. Folkloric local tales and customs documented by early ethnologists in my whereabouts as late as in the 1860s and 1870s spoke of "vättar", and I'm from Småland in the south.
Before American readers jump the gun, I have to stress that the 19th century people who described these tales and customs would have defined themselves as Christians. Rural Lutherans before industrialisation managed well to include pre-Christian folklore into a Christian worldview, even if bishops and Enlightenment-philosophers disapproved. _That's not the same thing as surviving organised Paganism._ Today, there are too many Romantically inclined enthusiasts out there who confuse surviving folklore and surviving organised Paganism with each other.
According to Icelandic sources the Old Norse world-view also included now usually forgotten beings like "äringsmän" (the harvestmen). The meaning of the word "huldra" seem to have been slightly fluid: On the Norwegian side of the mountains it usually refer to a collective of wight-beings, but on the Swedish side, depending on geographical area, it may be used in the Norwegian sense or used to refer to the being known as the female "skogsrå" (of skog, "forest", and rå/rådare "guardian spirit") or "skogssnuva" further south. On Gotland the skogssnuva is male, and is called "Bysen" (the Byse).
Perhaps "alver" (elves) was just another name for the landvättar, too, but Professor Britt-Marie Näsström however suggest that the word "alver" _perhaps_ might refer to male persons belonging to the Vaner gods, "diser" being the female counterpart. It's probably better to be cautious, and not form any firm opinion on this particular issue, but it is interesting to take part of the different interpretations available.
Bloke Inconnu Thanks for the reply, I live in the north of Sweden! :) I remember as a child I used to read stories about skogsrået, näcken, tomtar, troll etc but it was all kids books. I find it very interesting to come back to it as an adult from another perspective (potentially seeing it as spirits/energy rather than physical beings).
I saw a livestream on facebook a few weeks ago with a guy who had studied swedish folklore which was interesting, can’t remember the guys name tho.
Do you have any recommendations for resources (preferably in swedish) on this subject?
@@mikk5540 My experience is the same: A lot of Swedish folklore is kept alive as amusement for children, which is a perfectly understandable development from a literary standpoint, but disappointing if you approach the material in search for spirituality. Children's books are also usually bad at distinguishing between different regions/provinces of the country: The noun "vittra" and the adjective "oknytt" are particularly northern, and known here in the south only due to their fairly recent use by novelists, including authors of literature for children.
I don't have any fresh reading recommendations, but the source material collected by ethnologists in the late 19th and early 20th century might shed some light on the matter. Emanuel Linderholm's "Signelser ock Besvärjelser från medeltid ock nytid" (P.A. Norstedt & söner 1917-40) is a good example. And yes, he did spell the word "och" in a way we find unusual today. If you compare Linderholm's collection with A. Chr. Bang's "Norske hexeformularer og magiske opskrifter" (1901-02), you'll find that folklore was fairly similar on both sides of the mountains, some of the "spells" almost identical.
@@mikk5540 Your question made me curious, and in the search engine of Swedish Royal Library I found two books of particular relevance for the northern part of Sweden: Torsten Kolmodin's "Folktro, seder och sägner från Pite Lappmark" (1917) - which seem to be a collection of source material - and Bo Holmberg: "Den förälskade vitterkarlen och andra ångermanländska berättelser om vittra" (1999) - which seem to be a modern re-telling. I haven't read any of them myself, yet.
The way we conventionally use the expression "northern Sweden" is slightly ridiculous: More than two thirds of the country is located in the North. I might be a southerner, but I am fully aware that Hälsingland, Västerbotten, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the other provinces mentioned in ducal titles each are quite distinct areas culturally and dialect-wise, and it is actually silly to lump them all together as "the North". The rest of the country usually don't understand the difference between Värend, Finnveden, Njudung, Tjust and Möre in my part of the country, either.
Take a look at everything written by Carl Herman Tillhagen.
Numerous authors have written lots of studies concentrating on folklore from particular parishes (socknar), but the choice depends on which part of the country you are interested in, of course. These studies are too numerous to list here.
Perhaps these more general studies?
Tobias Norlind: "Studier i svensk folklore" (1917)
Gustaf Renhorn: "En samling folkminnen från Västerbotten" (1925)
Ebbe Schön: "Folktrons år" (1989)
Catharina Raudvere: "Föreställningar om maran i nordisk folktro" (1993)
Mikael Häll: "Skogsrået, näcken och djävulen" (2013)
Olof Bannbers: "Råndan, trollen och de underjordiska" (1918)
Maja Bergstrand: "Näcken som musikaliskt väsen" (1936)
Bengt af Klintberg: "Folkminnen" (2007)
Bengt af Klintberg: "Vänster hand och motsols: magiska riter från förr" (2020)
Sven Lampa: "Folktro om trollen" (1900)
Thede Palm: "Trädkult; studier i germansk religionshistoria" (1948)
August Rudberg: "Träden i folktro och folksed" (1908)
Wikman (red.), Leonhard Fredrik Rääf: "Svenska skrock och signerier" (1957)
John E. Wilhelmsson: "Krånka och skrömt" (1959)
Hilding Celander: "Om Eldborgs skål som eldoffer och orakel" (1931)
Gullan Gerward: "Majgrevefesten: En kulturhistorisk analys" (1996)
What a pretty dress!
Great to see heathens that understand the role of animism. Very good to see this homey / lifestyle type material for us pagans. I recently moved to a new country and found this comforting.
Thank you and wish you the best in Dallas!
Shintoism its interesting also in thailand people connect with local land spirits by making a mini house and they make offerings interesting thing to do.
I think the nature spirits such as gnomes can communicate with each other from miles away in a sort of 'chinese whisper' fashion as I can go in a different area from Manchester, only for similar experiences to happen locally afterwards which will mean those in Texas already know you are going there and are waiting for you. Animal spirits will also have been informed that you are going to live amongst them. Hope you will see wild growing cacti there as I love those I keep here in the UK .
This was great, thanks for sharing your journey!
I feel very connected to the land spirits here in my local county of Devon, particularly the trees and can't wait for the day I get to have my own garden where I can grow herbs and local plants and maybe even grow my own tree! 💛
Gaia is all around you, where ever you go.
Very nice video Scarlet. I noticed you mentioned to the affect of, some people focus on Gods, Goddesses & Pantheons. & I think I've done this as well. I've focused on grandioso images of lightning bolts & thunder also, or Great King Neptune in the big sea. Anyways, Thank You, for adding clarity, simplifing, & explaining to me the concept of land spirits or spirits of the land, in a way that's easier for me to understand. I like how you explained, how every place is different, that's the part I had trouble with. I like he imagery you used of place to place, how many places have the same concept, yet use different names to describe the same idea. I also liked how you used yourself as an example of going from A to B, explaining how & why things would be different. Also: how you used the concept of animism, to define & bring life into things. In Rome there were lares in the home & at the crossroads? , or genius loci the spirit of a place?, and as you said, every place has different versions & names of how they describe local land spirits. Landvaettir is the name of Norse land spirits. Could a person use the concept of Nature Spirits? Awesome Video, educational & fun! Thank You. ps: You have my best wishes on your new move. I understand 3 or 4 years some where & it's time to move on ...
Thank you. Reverence for land spirits and household spirits are indeed the basics of Paganism. The official pantheons of pre-Christian civic religion belong to another level of religious expression, and doesn't need to bother the household devotion of ordinary persons much, if adherents don't want. A lot of people try to build their Paganism from top to bottom instead, which I find puzzling. It's another situation when someone experience a deity to invite them to devotion, but such things happen on an individual and deeply private level, and can't be generalised.
Great comments! I think I might do a video about household spirits soon :)
@@ScarletRavenswood Yes! Please do! That would be amazing. The similarities between beliefs about household spirits in different linguistic regions are surprising.
Or not so surprising, if one take the existence of the household spirits seriously.
I put out bird seed but not every day as they need to remember how to forage for themselves and to teach their young and also i have some cat fur from my ragdoll that they can use to warm their nests.... stay beautiful xx
Hi Scarlett! I just moved to Dallas from Virginia right before Christmas and I've been having a hard time adjusting and connecting with what's around me. It's very different! So I'm excited to witness your journey to see how you get along after your move :)
oh, shit! i live just three hours south of you! :3 i can say from experience, the land spirits & overall natural energy of texas is beautiful!
I live in the forest and I like to experience land spirits by hiking at night.
I miss Chicago. So many good memories.
I know what you mean by local Spirits . . I live in Milwaukee, and being close by Chicago, have visited there numerous times (love your museums). I've found that the Spirit of Chicago is totally different from Milwaukee's. I've noticed that Chicago's is much higher classed, it's very inclusive, and therefore, in my experience, the more preferred (Spirit wise)
Glad to hear you'll be joining us in the Lone Star State! 🤘 I live in the Central region right along the Hill Country...like all places, Texas has its pros and cons, but I have no doubt that you will connect with it and its Spirit in your own special way! I follow a Slavic (Polish), folk magick path of Traditional Witchcraft, and also know many Germanic/Norse Pagans (as well as those from myriad other traditions) in the greater area as well. The ancestors speak loudly, here...I've heard their comforting voices throughout the land since I can remember. Safe travels, Raven, and witamy to you! 🙏⛤💞 #PeaceAndBlessedBe
Oh, and the food's pretty good here, by the way...if you don't already know what breakfast tacos are, be prepared for a (likely) pleasant surprise! 😉
Awe Scarlet, I know this video is a couple months old but you look so beautiful in that dress
Hope your ok love from England everyone
Hi Scarlet,
Thanks for the video. I am new to this. How do I know if a tree, plant, or other things are animated? How do I reach out and begin those relationships?
Thanks
Where did you get your mjolnir necklace? All the sites I’ve seen are so bulky and masculine. Thanks
I live in the mittle of a forest and have always liked to just sit on a rock to rellax. Latly when I have gone to one of the parts of the forest I got a feeling that the whole forest had gone sad and lost something. Is there something to do about it? Now whenever I go there I feel like crying.
Thank you for the video!! Also, where did you get that dress?! It looks stunning!!
Thanks! The dress is from Lulus :)
Scarlet Ravenswood Thank you!! 😊
We actually just purchased a house two hours Southwest of Dallas 🙃 having lived in California for 6 years previous to that and traveling the West coast and Midwest and settling here I'm definitely having to learn this area from my childhood again. Maybe I will learn along with you 🥰
I've wanted to become familiar with the spirits in my home (Salt Lake City). There are times when I feel things but I want to avoid crossing the line of cultural appropriation. Do you find that spirits in your area, that used to belong to Native Americans, respond well to an approach that is European in descent?
Such a sweet intro ☺💞
Good luck with your trip hope all goes well
Dragon flies seem to like me lately. I've never practiced but maybe time to start. :) Or I smell funny. That could be too. 😁
That was very interesting. I've never heard of land spirits so I don't know how to connect
Hi, are you in the UK the garden looked like it was?
To connect with land spirits in NYC, I head to Central Park's Bramble.
God bless you💗
You are so beautiful thank you for everything you do and blessings to you and your family
Best instructional video.
I live in the suburbs about an hour from you. It's not been easy to me tbh because I am much more used to living in less populated areas like the Pine Barrens of NJ, Gulf Coast of MS (pre Katrina and tourism boom) or Motta Sicily. I just don't feel like I am connecting here.
I have been watching your videos a lot and I love them! Could you do a video on Hellenic paganism. I feel called to that path and I do research but I can’t find any videos about it.
I'm glad you like my videos. I definitely plan on doing a future video on Hellenic Paganism :)
@@ScarletRavenswood Do you believe that the Norse, Roman, and Greek deities in some cases, to be the same gods with different names? For example Freya = Venus = Aphrodite. Odin = Jupiter = Zeus. The Roman's encountered the Norse pantheon when they first met the Germanic tribes, the Roman's simply assumed that the Norse gods were their gods with different names, with Christianity and Judaism they had more problems. Part of the reason Christian's were fed to the lions was their tendency to say that the Roman gods did not exist, and then there were the Emperor gods, I'm not sure Nero or Calligula would count as Hellanic deities, I tend to doubt it.
Can you do a video about different views on the Afterlife
You look great. Do you you ever come to New Jersey? Great video
I also make an offering to the nature spirits.
Are land spirits fairies? PS: You're pretty :)
Hail Odin all father
Stillwater, Oklahoma here! Moving to Kansas City area. Safe travels.
We love to walk the land and be still.
Texas already has too many pretty women, come to Cincinnati
Hey beautiful girl