Story Telling with the Spirits of Place

Photo: (c) Jamie K. Reaser

Talking to the Forest

...To the forest, rain or shine, whichever comes

Dropping its downright shafts before our eyes,

And think o something to say, using new words

That won't turn back bewindered, lost or scattered

Or panicked, curling under the first bush

To wait for a loud voice to hunt them out,

Not words that fall from the skin looking like water

And running together,  meaning anything,

Then disappearing into the forest floor

Through gray-green moss and ferns rotting in shade,

Not words like crown-fire overhead, but words

Like old tree felled by themselves in the wilderness,

Making no noise unless someone is listening.

~ David Wagoner, excerpt

PRACTICE

• Dress appropriately for the weather and the length of time that you wish to spend out-of-doors (at least an hour recommended).
• Bring a pen and journal, adequate supply of water, and cushion or chair to sit on if you choose.
• Locate a natural place that feels special to you   or that calls to you. This might be a wilderness area, your backyard, or even a small urban garden.
• Consciously step into the spiritscape of the land by letting go of your mental "focus" on the forms around you and inviting your body to sense the essence of what is there.  Tune into sensations in your physical body, as well as your emotions.
• Recommendation: Practice “Connecting with Nature” (posted January 8, 2013).
• Introduce yourself to the place, sharing something of your intent for being there.
• Invite a spirit of the place to introduce itself to you. Once you have a sense that you have been spoken to (pay attention to the feelings in your "gut"), envision this tree, rock, animal, etc. as an ensouled being and sit beside it.
• Ask the spirit of the place to tell you its story.
• Listen with the ears of your heart.
• Ask yourself what that story has to teach you about your own life journey.
• Journal your observations.
• Ask the spirit of the place what it would like in reciprocity for its story   water, some a song, prayer ties, or perhaps the telling of your own story.
• Make the offering with gratitude and continue upon your path.
• Repeat this practice often, observing synchronicities and increases in your intuitive abilities.

This practice was first published in "Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land," edited by Jamie K. Reaser and Susan Chernak McElroy and published by Hiraeth Press (2008; www.hiraethpress.com). (c) Jamie K. Reaser. All rights reserved.