Collaborating with Nature Spirits

I just came back from two weeks in Iceland, a majestic country full of surprises and subtleties.

One of the big surprises was that despite being the most educated and literate of all developed nations, most Icelanders believe in Elves. And its not just the general population.  Even large earth moving construction projects are not undertaken without consideration of Elfin sensibilities.

Our guide told us a story of one of his own encounters with Elves. He and some friends had gone into the mountains to hunt geese, and made camp at the base of a magnificent cliff face. Without really thinking, they used the cliff for target practice and the ravine underneath for a latrine. Suddenly everything that could go wrong did in go wrong. The weather turned and none of their equipment worked. In addition, everyone started getting sick.

But instead of cursing their bad luck, this turn of events caused them to rethink their behavior. They approached the cliff, apologized to the Elves, took down their targets and cleaned up and moved the latrine. Immediately afterward, things started working again, their health improved, and the rest of the trip was a success.

It makes perfect sense that Elves would be the dominant nature spirits in Iceland. This is a land of sparse vegetation and almost no wild animals except birds, Arctic Foxes and rats. Iceland is a place where the mineral kingdom is dominant and prominent, with rocky plains, glaciers, waterfalls, mountains, and 120 volcanoes, 10 of which are active. Elves are the nature spirits that take care of the mineral part of physical manifestation, so their prominence in Iceland is understandable.

Nature spirits exist everywhere, however. Fairies or plant elementals are responsible for helping plants grow and thrive. Plant devas act as architectural guides and are responsible for the form and structure of individual plant species. The are water sprites, storm spirits and energetic representatives of all animal species.  But humans are rarely aware of them.

Why do most Icelanders believe in Elves, and willingly share their tales of Elfin interactions, while people in other developed nations scoff at such ideas?

My guess is that Icelanders are much more in sync with nature than most of the rest of the developed world. They have had to adapt to drastic natural cycles such as everlasting summer days (the waterfall photo was taken at 11:30 at night), and no light at all in winter, and spring flooding due to glacial melt.  In the summer they spend as much time as possible outdoors, hiking, biking, and riding their magnificent Icelandic horses, taking full advantage of the extra light.

In winter they concentrate on social functions and team sports, using interaction with others as a way to compensate for lack of light. But even in winter they are outdoors. There is swimming all year round in their plentiful geothermal hot springs, and night skiing under lights.

Icelanders also have to contend with frequent volcanic eruptions, at least one every ten years or so, sometimes more often. They never know exactly when eruptions will come or how bad they will be. They never know whether a landscape they love and have cared for will be wiped away in a few days. They’ve seen farms and whole valleys covered with ash and lava, rivers diverted by flooding from glacial melt, bridges wiped out and glaciers evaporate. They have experienced first hand the impermanence of nature and have chosen to adapt to it. They live close to the land and accept and honor nature rather than trying to circumvent it.

In my own experience, close ties to the land and natural cycles have also led to a deep resonance with nature spirits, and a desire and ability to work closely with them.

Setting aside special woodland areas for fairies (they don’t like to be bothered by humans) gained their help in growing lush gardens on my very poor soil. Communicating with the energetic representatives of the various wild animal species helped negotiate a deal with all the critters wanting to feast on my gardens. I grow extra for them if they leave enough for me. As long as I hold up my end of the deal, they hold up theirs.

Synchronizing my energy with storms spirits also seems to have helped us escape the worst of the brutal weather that has been plaguing the US these last few years (and other regions as well).   When I see a strong storm heading our way, I merge my energy with that of the storm and float the potential for the storm lessening or going around us. (Floating a potential is just a suggestion with no imperative attached.) The storm can adopt the potential or not, depending on what’s best for all. It is not up to me to control the weather, so I am only allowing the storm spirits to know my preference. But my energetic connection with them makes it more probable that the potentials I float will be implemented.

Working with nature spirits means connecting with them energetically and working together in synergy. I must be willing to understand their point of view and their responsibilities, and be willing to work within these parameters, never imposing my will when not appropriate. I must be open to communication from them when I need to redirect my own course or pay attention to something I have overlooked. It is a partnership and a collaboration where each side respects and honors the other.

It’s not necessary to be able to physically see or hear nature spirits to work with them. The first step is an awareness of the vast beauty and complexity of the unseen energetic world around us. As more people learn about energy and energetic communication, the more we will increase our ability to communicate and partner with all parts of nature.

For now, however, we can all start with simple feelings of gratitude that honor the role nature spirits play in organizing and maintaining our physical world.

You can learn more about the energy realm in my book, “It’s All About Energy:  Adventures in Expanded Reality”, found on Amazon, in local bookstores, and on my website, www.transformationalexpansion.com.