Reclaiming and fostering an Animistic framework of seeing the world is a critical part of our Ancestral Healing journey, but also in returning to being in right relationship with Divine and the natural web of life.
A short definition of Animism as I learned from some of my teachers is: “The world and the Universe are full of persons—only some of whom are human.”
A fuller definition I have since crafted is:
Animism is seeing and acknowledging aliveness, intelligence, and sentience in all things; from the animals, the birds, the insects, the microorganisms in the soils; to the trees, the flowers, the grasses, the moss, the cacti; to the rocks, the rivers, the mountains, the oceans; to the ancestors, the deities and angelic forces; all the way to great planets, stars, constellations, and galaxies themselves.
In this episode, I heavily reference and quote the work of Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose beloved book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, became such an important piece to help me begin deeply shifting my own ethos around the living, natural world when I shifted from a Judeo-Christian framework.
I also share a tender story of my own experience where, for the first time in my life, a plant reached out to speak and connect with me. This beautiful friend of mine, Rajen, is a queen matriarch of our house plant family. She has taught me a lot, and (with her very eager permission) I offer a glamor shot to share some of her beauty with you!
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin outlines the sacred principles of the Law of the Harvest, which I would like to include here for your reference:
Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life. Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.
Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need. Take only that which is given.
Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share.
Give thanks for what you have been given.
Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken.
Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.
I hope you enjoy this episode. It is a topic that has become an underpinning foundation of the way I seek to walk in the world. May we learn to move more slowly in the world and learn to listen to the other beings with whom we share this beautiful planet we all call home. The earth was not just made for humans. It was made for ALL beings!
Upcoming Offerings
Digging in the Deep: Ancestor-Guided Genealogy Research - This four-part class, offered through Ancestral Medicine, begins July 7, 2025. My colleague, Erica Nunnally, and I will co-weave teachings around blending genealogical research with Ancestral Healing and ancestral connection.
Ancestral Lineage Healing Intensive - This three-day event will be held in Union, Washington, USA, October 30-November 2, 2025, at the Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat. I will be supporting the intensive with one of my mentors, Shannon Willis, along with a few of my other colleagues from the Ancestral Medicine practitioner network. I invite you to check out the details and join us if an in-person, immersive experience in the work calls to you!
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