8 Benefits of Partnering with the Spirits of Nature

What are the benefits of working with the spirits of nature?

All of us co-exist with a wide variety of nature spirits—some we can see, like trees and stones, and some are best met through our other senses, such as fairies and elves. 

When we enter into conscious relationship with the seen and unseen beings all around us, miracles begin to unfold in our lives. 

Why? Because our connection with these beings influences every part of our lives, whether we’re aware of it or not. 

An Invitation

On June 13th, I’m teaching a live class on shamanic approaches for healing ecological trauma. Part talk, part practice, this event will also leave plenty of time for questions and going deeper with this material.

Restoring our innate relationship with the Earth is key to both our own healing, and our ability to be effective allies in tending our planet. I hope to see you there.

Many of the nature spirits around us are very aware of our presence, our behavior, and our intentions. 

When we ignore them, which honestly they’re used to at this point, at best they ignore us as well. But depending on the type of spirit and our behavior, we could find ourselves experiencing lots of unhelpful blocks or trickster energy. 

Still others are basically asleep to our human world. We’ve ignored each other for so long that it’s as if we’re both living our own parallel yet separate dreams. 

This separation is an illusion though. We co-exist and do influence each other. When we “wake up” these beings through the loving intention to create a reciprocal relationship, an immense amount of spiritual support becomes available to us. 

Anyone who continues to deepen their relationship with the natural world will experience gifts across the spectrum of life. Here are a few…

1. Spending time in nature is good for our health. 

There are entire books written on the physical and psychological benefits of spending time in nature—The Biophilia Effect by Clemens G. Avrayis one of my favorites.

From the way our coevolution with plants makes them potent sources of medicine, to the healing terpenes found in summer forests, to the countless studies that show seeing greenery and growth alleviates depression, and so much more—spending time in nature is critically important for our health. 

2. The nature spirits can offer us unseen support for all of life. 

The better relationship we have with those we live with, the happier our lives will be—this is equally true for people and spirits. 

Just as nature spirits can create obstacles or have trickster energy, they can also remove obstacles and create seeming miracles in our lives. 

Cultivating a strong relationship with the spirits of nature where you live can help you be at the right place at the right time—even if it seems unrelated to being in nature. Meeting important people, finding the new opportunities, and experiencing greater abundance are all natural outcomes of right relationship with nature spirits. 

3. You and your property will experience extra protection. 

One particular area of support nature spirits can share with us is that of protection—for yourself, your loved ones, and your property. 

When I lived in Denver, porch pirates were rampant in my neighborhood, and other kinds of theft weren’t uncommon. Every single day, I would partner with the spirits of nature to surround my property and home with spiritual protection — and we never once had anything stolen.

I want to be clear that there are no guarantees here — sometimes shit just happens. But I absolutely know that we were supported by the spirits of our place in this way. (I mean, I ordered a lot of boxes…especially during the pandemic. This really does seem miraculous to me!)

4. Deepening your relationship with nature leads to magical and practical gifts.

The more you engage with the natural world, the more the natural world will engage with you. At a basic level, this can be seen in the joy of a successful garden, finding “treasures” on your walks and hikes, discovering secret spots in nature, amazing animal sightings, and intuitive hits on which plants to turn to for healing remedies. 

I spent about a decade deepening my relationship with the nature spirits of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and sooo many gifts emerged over our time together — including lots of fun animal encounters, which I pretty much live for. 

But the one animal I always wanted to see but never had was a big bear. Over the years, I saw moose, fox, elk, mountain goats, tons of birds, and many more…but in all my time I’d never gotten to see a bear. 

On my final trip to my favorite spot in the mountains before moving out of state, I finally saw a huge brown bear. It sauntered right by me, no more than 20 feet from where I sat. It took years of love and dedication, but I know this sighting was a true gift from the nature spirits there. 

5. Partnering with the spirits of nature is key to our survival. 

At this point, when we look at the massive changes and imbalances on our planet, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. We must start listening to the needs of nature if we’re to have any future at all. 

Partnering with the spirits of nature is how our ancestors survived, and it’s time for us to do the same. 

When we learn to really listen, we tap into a hidden resource for navigating a rapidly changin world We intuitively know how to prepare for extreme weather events, how to plan for seasons and crops, when to move, where to find the medicinal and edible plants, and so much more. 

Please understand that this doesn’t mean we’re immune to the collective effects of natural disasters and climate change. No one, no matter how beloved you are to the earth, can escape the effects of our collective actions, not to mention there’s a lot of mystery and karma involved here.

It does mean though, that you will absolutely be better prepared and supported for navigating the times ahead.

6. You’ll be able to work magic with the elements.

I’ll admit it: One of my pet peeves in spiritual communities is the tendency to cry out for rain in times of drought and fire, or to perform collective ceremonies to stop flooding, to ask the wind to blow another direction and soften its gusts…with the intention largely to make our human lives more comfortable.

Yes, working with the elements is important and possible. And indigenous populations have been partnering with the elements for millennia. What drives me crazy, however, is the idea that we can ignore the elements, abuse the earth, and then simply decide to “do ceremony” for the weather when it suits our needs.

Being able to perform weather magic and work with the elements is a privilege that comes from taking the time to establish a long, secure, reciprocal relationship with these powerful energies. 

But when you really take the time to come into deep relationship with the elements, everything becomes possible. 

The elements are the building blocks of our world and carry immense power beyond our comprehension. Working with the elements is the key to making magic with real-world, miraculous results, both in your personal life and in service of our collective. 

7. Partnering with the spirits of nature helps you rewild your life. 

We evolved in intimate connection with the land, the seasons, and the more-than-human world. Returning to these natural connections restores our essential nature—the truth of who we are before society and culture tame our wild spirits. 

Your true self is uniquely gifted to fulfill your role on our planet. When you tune into your true nature, you’ll find that you already know what to do and when to do it. You’ll find joy and wholeness are already within. 

Rewilding takes us out of chronos time and into kairos time, a circular wild world where anything and everything is possible. 

The wild spirits of nature remember how to be wild. They can help you remember, too.

8. You’ll experience greater fulfillment as you expand your circle of compassion.

Partnering with the spirits of nature opens you to an entire new world of meaningful relationships, and you’ll soon discover that you’re never really alone. 

Nurturing these relationships opens us to more meaningful dimensions of life and brings deep fulfillment on a soul level.

Want to learn how to start working in partnership with the spirits of nature? Here are 5 Simple Steps.