Five Steps for Communicating with the Spirits of Nature

May 10, 2023

The days are warming and the sun is shining just a bit longer with each turning of the earth.

The canal near my house is home to several new families of ducks and geese. Fuzzy babies dip in and out of water that seems too rapid for their tiny bodies — yet somehow they are perfectly designed for this life.

Last year’s fall-planted bulbs are blooming — the ones the squirrels didn’t steal at least — and fragrant daffodils, snake's head fritillaries, and delicate snow drops are making a late spring appearance in the rough climate of the high desert.

The spirits of nature are beckoning us to join them in the wild world just outside our protective walls.

You’ve probably sensed their presence on occasion. A tingling in your spine. A breeze that you just knew carried a message. A stone with a face so clear it could not be ignored.

The spirits of nature long for us to drop into deeper communication with the natural world. All it takes is a heartfelt intention, patience, and practice. Allow these five simple steps to support your journey.

1. Slow Down

Feel into the pacing of your life. For most of us, a sense of tension or frazzled energy arises. Why? We’re moving at a rapid pace that is foreign to our natural way of being.

When you’re tied to your to-do lists and glued to multiple screens, it’s next to impossible to be present. But the present moment is exactly where you’ll find the spirits of nature.

While most of us love the idea of a slower paced life, actually getting there is another story. It’s an act of revolution.

You can begin by carving at least a bit of time each day to pause and focus on the present moment. Go for a meandering walk. Meditate for 10 minutes. Anything that helps you just be is welcome.

Then start bringing slowness into more of your life as it is. The kitchen is my favorite place to practice this. The next time you find yourself rushing to make a meal, remind yourself that the rush is often self-imposed. Put on music you love, and delight in the colors, flavors, creativity, nourishment unfolding on your cutting board.

As a slower pace of life becomes more natural for you, your energy will shift into greater attunement with the pace of nature. This alone opens the door to communication with nature spirits.

2. Harmonize with Nature’s Rhythms

Similar to slowing down but just a bit more intentional, harmonizing the rhythms of your life with the rhythms of nature is another powerful way to cultivate the ability to communicate with the spirits of nature.

Here are a few simple ways to explore living in alignment with the cycles of nature:

Watch the sunrise and/or sunset each day. This has powerful impacts on your physical body and spiritual well-being.
Practice moon gazing. Spend a few minutes gazing at the moon each night. Over time, you’re body will start syncing with lunar cycles. Notice the unique ways this affects you physically and energetically.
Eat seasonally. Do you know what’s in season when where you live? Or better yet, do you grow a bit of your own food? Eating seasonally doesn’t need to be extreme. More soups in cooler weather, spring greens from the first markets of the seasons, ripe tomatoes late summer…integrating even just a few local, seasonal foods brings awareness to our bodies’ own seasonal needs. What does your body crave right now?

As you track your energy levels, moods, and physical body throughout these cycles, you’ll begin to learn more about what your authentic self longs for. Then, as you make adjustments based on this information, you’ll find that the voices of nature’s spirits become even louder in your awareness.

3. Tune into Your Body

Our bodies are of the earth, and they are powerful vessels for receiving the earth’s messages.

Remember, the spirits of nature don’t necessarily speak English (or French, or Japanese…) as a first language ;)

One of the most common ways for the spirits of nature to communicate with us is through our bodies. This usually comes in the form of feelings and sensations.

Trust what you feel—even if you don’t know what it means right away. This confirmation of spirits’ presence is the first step.

Then, over time, you’ll start unpacking the messages you receive in ways that are unique for you.

Some will see images, others will hear words, and still others might have a knowing. Regardless of how your communication comes through, know that it will happen.

You can use your breath to begin attuning your body to receive nature’s wisdom. Follow your breath into the present moment. Then bring your awareness to your body. Notice the sensations without judgment. Expand your awareness beyond your body to the nature spirits around you. What shifts? What sensations can you start associating with their presence?

Another way to prepare your body for communicating with nature spirits is to drop a grounding cord deep into the earth. This attunes you our mother’s energy and keeps you grounded as you open your intuitive sight.

4. Start Where You Are

All of us cohabitate with numerous land spirits. This includes the ones we can see—the trees and stones and birds—and the ones that exist just parallel to our 3D reality—the fairies and devas and ancestral spirits.

These beings are often well aware of your presence.

Forming relationships with the beings you already live with is a beautiful way to show respect to the more-than-human world. You’re life already impacts these spirits of the land, and when you become more conscious of this, these spirits may respond quite clearly.

It’s important to remember that this is true even of those who live in apartments or in areas that seem more separated from the spirits of nature. These beings live everywhere, and they don’t view property lines in the same ways that we do.

One beautiful way to begin cultivating a relationship with the spirits of your place is through a sit spot practice.

Simply find a place that you visit regularly — once a week at minimum.

Then, spend some time there regularly. Notice the plants, stones, and animals that frequent that place. Observe how it changes throughout the seasons.

Practice slowing down, opening your senses, and tuning into your body.

Notice where your thoughts travel while you’re here. Track the insights that might arise throughout your life because of your sit spot time.

This is nature communicating with you.

It’s not uncommon to receive a gift after several visits to your sit spot. If you’re so lucky, be sure to give thanks and treat this gift with the reverence it deserves.

5. Practice Reciprocity

Perhaps the most important thing anyone who wants to communicate with the spirits of nature can do is practice reciprocity.

The earth gives us so much. And it restores divine order when we give back.

What does reciprocity look like? There are many ways to nourish a reciprocal relationship with the earth. Here are just a few ideas, and I encourage you to practice all of them:

Love and gratitude. Offering your heartfelt love and gratitude for the simple presence of nature’s spirits and the earth herself is invaluable. The earth feels this gift from your heart. Intention, focus, and authentic love are all that’s needed. If you’re really dropping in here, you’re eyes will probably start to water from the power of your gift and receptivity of the earth.
Picking up trash. We’ve probably all come across the random bit of trash on a hike or walk in nature—some places with more than others. The spirits of nature are truly harmed by this litter, yet they rely on us to remove it for them. Bring a bag with you wherever you walk or hike and pick up garbage as you go. This act alone just might accelerate your ability to communicate with nature spirits faster than anything else.
Offerings. Giving physical offerings to the earth and her inhabitants, especially when you’re gathering her gifts, is greatly appreciated by the spirits of nature. Just be sure that the gifts are appropriate and won’t disrupt the natural ecosystem (when I visit the delicate desert ecosystems in Canyonlands I only offer love). Small crystals, a strand of hair, cornmeal, dried plants, or fairy foods are all common offerings.
Lifestyle. Is your lifestyle ecofriendly and sustainable? Are the products you use natural? The deeply ingrained structures of modern life make it next to impossible for us to live as sustainably as we wish we could. But even if personal lifestyle changes seem like drops in a bucket for the challenges our earth faces, what you do matters. The spirits of nature are watching, and they are far more willing to communicate with those who show them love and respect through daily actions and choices.
Earth tending. As your nature spirit communication deepens and your spiritual skills grow, you may feel called to the art of earth tending. This involves spiritual and energetic practices that actively support our earth. Energetic and crystal grids, soul retrieval for the land, clearing dense energies, and transfiguration ceremonies are just a few of the potentials in this realm.

It’s more important than ever for all of us to learn to communicate with the spirits of nature and the earth herself.

Not only do these beings need us to show up and act on their behalf, they can guide us safely through the turbulence ahead when we’re willing to partner with them.

And the more you tend to the wild spirits around you, the more in touch with your own wild spirit you become.

The world needs our wildness awake and alive.

How does this land with you? Let me know in the comments.