A bit Spiritual

[tommy the cat]

I think there have been some very interesting points made here. I cant say I talk
to trees usually talk in a hushed voice.(?!?) Personally I think its for the same reason that you do when entering a church.........respect........well I think so anyway.
Great point on just sitting doing nothing I think that sometimes our (my) search for knowledge interferes with enjoying the space and being accepted by animals and blending in are lovely observations.
D

 

[mazeman]

I have really enjoyed reading this post and the responses it has drawn. It is heart-warming to know that so many 'bushcrafters' enrich the enjoyment of the great outdoors with a sensitive appreciation of the spiritual dimension of it all.
There is a view which holds that everything has spirit - the animals, the plants, and the mineral kingdom too. Jojo quotes the Lakota prayer 'Mitakaye Oyasin' in his signature, which translates as 'all my relations'. Every buzzard, every beetle, every stick and every stone is part of just one family: the children of mother earth.
I am learning slowly, oh so slowly, to be mindful of all my relations, in the wild woods and wilder streets. There is no separation, Goretex is just as sacred as a Swandri, it's just that the closer something is to it natural form, the easier we see/feel a connection. A woodfire speaks to a deeper place within me than a storage heater can (I like the convenience of a storage heater though).

 

[Greg]

As the North American Indian shamans would say, every living thing has a spirit or manatu, respect nature or pay the consequences!

 

[Wayland]

As far as I can tell, the middle eastern religious cults are the only ones that do not acknowledge some kind of "spirit of place"

I'm not particularly spiritual but I do find the concept of a remote deity more difficult to believe than a local spiritual atmosphere.

 

[demographic]

Just for the other side of the coin - no, not in the slightest - although I think your
(plural) attitude to your surroundings is great.

Same here, for me enjoying nature doesn't involve spiritualism in any shape or form.
Natures enough.

 

[sallyinwales]

I think its a very valuable excercise to take a moment to recognise the individual 'feeling' of a place before we barge in and mpose our own uses on it, if nothing else that helps us spot that small but unusual plant, or colony of some small critter that we want to leave well alone, plus it helps us appreicate how important it is to put things back to normal after our visit.

Most people do have a 'spiritual' side, even if it is very no frills and no 'mumbo jumbo' and one of the wonderful things about being outdoors is it gives us a chance to reflect on that away from the hum of modern life.

 

[xylaria]

I believe places have a 'feel' that is unique to that place. Whether it is a wood or tube station, its just some places arent that nice. I won't say I talk to trees, i more kind of shut up and listen. Places that are unpleasant are usually so because of a noise, not the noise you can hear. So i make myself quiet, so my head stops that repetitive chatter, and just breathe.

 

[Matt Weir]

^ Please put the hippy waffle back in ^

 

[Pablo]

Since I started taking more of an interest in tracking as well as bushcraft, one of the first things I do when I enter a wood is zone-in. I spend 20-40 minutes sitting quietly accoustomising myself to the sorroundings. I can't really say I give thanks for being there while I'm doing this because I believe there's no reason that I shouldn't be there. I don't treat myself as a visitor, more like someone who's been away from home for a while. I like to feel part of the wood and my presence in there is the same as any other animal (I think someone's said that already.) I try not to act like the predator in woods although this is difficult. This all changes when it's meal time.

Zoning in itself can be quite spiritual. Because you're quiet and still, some woodland creatures come extraordinarily close. It make you want to give thanks. But I'm afraid I struggle to find something or someone to give thanks to.

Pablo.

 

[Long Stride]

Wow!!

Some amazing responses to my original post.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

It is good to see that I am not the only one who encounters complex and strange feelings when out.

I have always thought of myself as a rational person and like Pablo am struggling with the concept of whom or what I am “thanking”.

Is it Mother Earth, Woodland Spirits or the Estate Owner that plants and looks after the woodland.

Perhaps I am looking too deeply now.

Anyway, I shall continue to act as I do because as I said in my original post “it feels the right thing to do”

 

[Tengu]

I for one have no beliefs and though I do try to be respectful of others beliefs I have a great disdain for sunday morning clubs and new age stuff. (after all, I have read the stuff in the original, thank you.)

If we were Shintoists we would think differently. (a good old fashioned nature cult)

If we were Saami we would think differently.

 

[xylaria]

Virtually any religion I can think of a has animistic beliefs as well as theist. Modern Christianity appears to be theist, yet encourage "you to feel the holy spirit", which is essentially an animistic prospective. Ibn-al-Arabi (13C Islamic theologist) and st Patrick both produced writings with animistic perspectives. St patricks breastplate for example; Christ before me, below me, above me, is animistic in the broad sense.

I call myself pagan, but i find that main stream paganism can be more narrowly theist than other religions. So I develop my beliefs based on the spirituality I feel in nature and mostly keep them to myself, because i like feel the universe and don't really need another person to help. I don't believe in a God or Gods, and i dislike any form of organised religion. As soon as a religion become organised, people start trying out compete each other with piety, come up with stupid ideas that create division that start a war on it.

 

[redneck]

I do talk to trees, I believe that they have a spirit ( dryad ) as they are a living creature..they are also the providers of the air we breath, releasing oxygen and converting CO2..I don't think it's a hippy thing to do, it shows a respect for life of which we all play apart..

 

[commandocal]

I dont know about spiritual but if i was ever in trouble i would run to the woods i feel safe there like this is my playing field now...,it gives a protection like most other people the only bad thing is being found by a group of weirdo's/ deadheads etc

 

[BOD]

The older Malays used to utter a greeting to the forest when entering it

It translates as:

“Peace be upon you,
I come here only as a friend
To search for the things I need to live
Do not harm me,
My children nor my wife,
My home,
Nor any in my village
While here I wish to shelter in friendship
And ask to safely return”


Some desert Australian aborigines would not speak on coming to a waterhole and would toss sand or small stones into the water to alert the animals and spirits so as not to startle them with the sound of human voices (and possible retaliation). They would then ask only that they be allowed to take what they need and return what they did not.

When camping by a waterhole we returned the remains of our catfish and perch to the water and gave thanks (for which we were truly grateful as we had no food with us at all!)

 

[Dr Onion]

I don't know what's more worrying, the fact that I talk to the trees or that they answer back! Also they sound like Will Ferrell!

 

[PhilParry]

I always say thank you ...whether that be to the wood, for the food I find or the wood I burn.

I also find an incredible sense of one-ness with woodland. You definitely know when you are welcome or not.

One aspect of fires that I carry with me is whenever I light one I picture my ancestors, and all the people who have passed, to be sat around the fire with me.

Trouble is, its getting more crowded by the year!!!

Phil

 

[Womble]

I try to find some time to myself in the woods, to sit if possible and listen to the silence that isn't. Zoneing in, I suppose. I always whisper a word of thanks to the campsite when I leave it

 

[dommyracer]

I generally take a little walk around, see what's about, get a feel for the place.

Often I will zone in as well, take in the sounds, listen to what birds are about, what's rustling in the bushes, sniff the air and just sit still for a bit until you feel part of things.

I've found that if you sit still for long enough the birds and animals will carry on their normal business.

And this is not just in the woods or the wilds, its just as important in an urban setting as well.

Being aware of what's around you the atmosphere and the local inhabitants can save you a lot of trouble.

 

[demographic]

I generally take a little walk around, see what's about, get a feel for the place.

Often I will zone in as well, take in the sounds, listen to what birds are about, what's rustling in the bushes, sniff the air and just sit still for a bit until you feel part of things.

I've found that if you sit still for long enough the birds and animals will carry on their normal business.

And this is not just in the woods or the wilds, its just as important in an urban setting as well.

Being aware of what's around you the atmosphere and the local inhabitants can save you a lot of trouble.

Thats a bit more like me then.

I have a good look about and sometimes sit down and chill for a bit.
I avoid the term "Spiritual" like the plague as I don't want anyone to confuse me with some of the people who believe anything with a catchy title.