Animism, Anima Mundi, Genius Loci and the World Soul…

Boo and Boody-bird are a fixture… they fight over food but otherwise spend their days hunting and calling to each other from the trees around the house… two misfits in a world of perfection-seeking beauty. Most of the flock that came through have moved on to harvest the bugs waking from winter slumbers but my two crazy opportunists have opted to stay, for now at least.

Boo keeps me company as I sit in the first sunshine with any real warmth, to dream of what I’ll be planting or have planted for spring. She seems content, a funny wee thing with her overly long and unnaturally twisted tail, while Boody-bird keeps a little distance unless I have a bug for each of them… then the squawking and squabbling begins.

I take a little time to think about the books and how to bring everything together… if I put it all down there’d be a thousand pages, so really, although the next novel has made progress, Wild Spirits Whisper is not quite manifesting yet.

I don’t want it to be a ramble of words… I want it to be just enough in art, photography, poetry and information to tempt a person to want a little more of my meanderings. Perhaps, how to make ink from plants, how to print with leaves or flowers, how to plan a sustainable lifestyle and garden without becoming exhausted in this crazy, in a hurry, world. Add favourite recipes to create from home grown produce; simple methods that don’t take as much out of a person to create. A self-sufficient lifestyle can be exhausting if allowed to run away with one… after all, it’s supposed to be a slower paced life, not one of worry and stress… and then behind it all is the philosophy of why…

Nature gives us seasons of plenty and of lack, but there’s always been enough to take us through a tricky season and naturally, we can’t grow grains or rice so we still have to invest back into a struggling system and there’s always tools etc., needed to run a productive farm and a productive farm brings people together and creates a community of like minds.

We keep items for standby… flour, salt, rice, a little sugar etc… and there’s eggs, root vegetables, berries or wild greens most of the year round. So my book IS about this natural lifestyle, but more simply, about re-finding, perhaps redefining and exploring the connection to our natural environment that so many have lost in believing we are separate from the rest of nature.

Anima Mundi is the lovely concept of a World Soul, a unifying principle that gives life and consciousness to the universe. Animism is the belief that spirits or souls inhabit all things, not just humans, and that these spirits can influence the world. This philosophical concept, found in various spiritual traditions, proposes a universal soul or life force that animates the cosmos, suggesting that Earth and her components are not merely physical entities, but are infused with a spiritual essence. So much of this is mirrored today in quantum physics and cosmology in terms of us and everything being made of the same stuff of the stars, planet and indeed, the cosmos from which everything originated.

This worldview of Animism, emphasises that spirit or soul inhabit, not just humans and animals, but also plants, rocks, and geographical features… i.e. Genius Loci. It sees the spiritual and physical worlds as intertwined, with all entities possessing agency and consciousness… in fact, all is one and so many have sadly been conned into believing we are not just separate but quasi, ‘better than’ anything else in the universe. This is our downfall as we watch the planetary system and wild nature that sustains us, become slowly untenable.

Modern Druidry, drawing from ancient Celtic practices, is inherently animistic. Druids see the natural world as a sacred entity, respecting its various elements and spirits. Druidic Practices often involve connecting with the spirits of nature, honouring seasonal changes, and recognising the sacredness of specific places and beings. This can include practices like tree planting, creating sacred groves, storytelling and poetry. Here in Australia, our own First Nation people, had such reverence for the land.

Still today, we Druids use the term “Awen” to describe the life force that animates all things and the creative flow that stems from it. This concept reflects the belief that all beings are interconnected and share a common spiritual essence.

Animism, Genius Loci (Spirit of Place) and the concept of Anima Mundi provide a framework for understanding the spiritual interconnectedness of all things, which is deeply embraced by Druidic practices. We embrace the annual cycle by marking the seasons and lunar months. Instead of blocking out the night which balances the day; our days begin at dusk and darkness is celebrated equally to light.

I could write about fears and anxiety for the state of the world but honestly, I think removing myself and speaking of things I love, speaking of quiet change that starts within a person is more profound.

Why does this all matter… I hear so many say, it’s too late, so let’s just continue the hedonistic journey to our own destruction…. but let me just say…

We need spiritually connected people with practical skills.

Healers who can empathise with people whether they’ve personally experienced a similar journey or not. Creative muses who know how to stack wood, plant trees, cook and scrub pots with equal enthusiasm.

We need teachers who show children the forest ways, how to tend a garden and share the bounty. To teach them to remember wild childlike being-ness over cyber rivalry and bullying.

Political and spiritual leaders who listen to bees, hear what the waters have to tell and the language of trees.

We don’t need the escapism of so called spiritually enlightened people who believe they are readying themselves for the ‘ascension of the special people,’ who would rather leave the world than face the challenges of reconnection to nature. We need a more authentic, down to earth embodiment of this existence… more grounded, rootedness. More thankful, appreciative ritual connections, that touch the Earth before wanting to escape to their concept of heaven.

If we walk together to the places where our souls can find rest, natural power is quiet, and sacred… not needing show off rituals that scream ‘Look at me.”

When the world unravels, we need weavers of energy and substance to reweave the threads… for what if this is all their is for us to experience in this, our current form on our planet?

We need community above escapism… we’re all in this together…

I will not apologise for being human

my place is here on earth

I will not apologise

for my rage or joy

…my dark and light

this place called home is falling into night

Constantly, I witness

those who believe they will ascend

…who focus on flight

on being other than earthly

…for me, their ignorance is a blight

We need those who walk the land

grow food and commit to life

We need those, who with tools in hand

…lend help to build a peaceful way

free from the state of strife

We are all one

A part of the infinite

We are all whole

only we have defined

even denied it

Dissatisfied with self

we seek to criticise another

forgetting we are all, simply

sister and brother

Walk softly… reconnect… Awen /|\

Penny

Photography, art and words copyright ©️ Penny Reilly, all rights reserved.