Yesterday I went to the garden centre and Vert very kindly bought me a beautiful acer. On the way out to the car with it I got this very strong feeling that the tree was first of all, a "she", nervy, more than that, absolutely terrified. It was actually quite upsetting to sense the fear and terror radiating from her. Vert planted it when we got home and I spent some time just sitting with her, trying to calm her, to let her know that she was in a new home, and would be cared for. I even went out to it during the night when I couldn't sleep and I could definitely feel that she was calmer, less stressed. This morning she seemed more serene.

The reason for my sharing what could be considered sheer lunacy with you, is that I am an animist: I firmly believe that everything has a soul, a spirit, a spark of the divine if you will.

I'd be interested to know if there are other animists here, if any share my feelings about things like the plants etc in their gardens, and how far, if you are an animist, your beliefs about animism extend. For example, what about things like your car, your bike etc? Do you communicate with those spirits? Do you see them as "personalities" or just as a neutral energy?

Oh yes. Very much so. Vodou is a very animistic path. I believe that everything that's made from natural materials is under the patronage of the deity of the loa with which it's associated and who personifies the spirit of that material.

In fact this is tied very much to our system of Vodou correspondences; for example Ogoun Feray, loa of iron and war, is often considered the patron of those who work on the railways and of pilots, soldiers and politicians beucase all their trades are associated with metal or with fighting. So, when I travel by plane I wrap a red handkerchief from my Ogoun altar around the handle of my suitcase for its protection and a safe journey. My luggage has never yet been lost, stolen, or stamped on by a baggage handler.

As regards plants, I can't really comment as I'm known for being able to accidentally kill just about every plant I've ever attempted to take care of.

I absolutely agree as well! I am a bit of an anamist, but my scientific training comes more into play with my beliefs.

Plants are made of cells just like any other living things, so why shouldn't they have souls? I've heard people argue that because they don't have brains, they don't really count, but lots of organisms don't have brains! (jelly fish, sea stars). I'm sure that the same pople wouldn't argue that those creatures aren't 'alive' in the animated sence.


I have felt the life force, I guess you'd call it, in plants since I was very young. Especially trees for some reason, maybe just because they can live to be so old and seem so wise. I have a house plant in my room that I often talk to and I have on my altar during every ritual, I just feel as though it is a little friend and helps me out when connecting with the Goddess.

Sunny

Yes I guess I do, definately animals have souls the question is if you do not believe in reincarnation where do they go? Same place as us, I hope so, don't like the thought of an animal free, or plant free for that matter, afterlife!

I do talk to my plants but I wonder after just ripping up weeds what does this mean, what I mean is if you can feel the life force from a tree what about, I don't know, veg we pull them up out of the ground, how do they feel?

I hope that doesn't sound like a stupid question, I just wonder sometimes......

yeh i'e felt like this at times..although i admit I havent told anyone!! only recently i moved my lavander plant from amongst the tangle of mint...as i carefully dug it up i found myself saying " ther, ther....you'll feel much better now, silly mint wont bother you anymore!" of course I never thought anything of it...i often talk to plants/feel like they are asking for a drink of water etc... So i guess pomona if yer going mad then you are not alone....


when i was small i used to get very upset if a teddy was on the floor, my mum says at times I slept on floor while my bed was full of teddies!!...i'd often wake if one fell out as I swear i heard it crying to get back in!!!

**puts up hand**

I am a well confirmed animist, I believe that all things have souls and regularly talk to animals, plants, rivers, birds and sometimes even people.

You mean there's actually a name for it? Ye gods, all this time I've been thinking along these lines but not actually knowing there was a proper term for it.

(slaps head in homer simpson style)

Animist. Animism. Gonna have trouble with that one when I get drunk.

Yeah, certainly animals and plants. Rivers and mountains too. Interesting idea about manmade objects. I think we possibly all like to think so, why do men refer to their car as she? Sol and SMDs threads were interesting too. I'm an omnivore, and have no problem with eating meat, fish, veg and fruit, grain etc., even if they do have souls. But if Pomona's right about plants feeling fright, pain, terror, all the emotions in fact, what does that leave? Even veggies aren't safe in what they eat!

And sorry if that sounds a bit flippant, it isn't meant to be, it's a serious question to animists. Just can't think of any other way of putting it.

Absolutly plants and animals have a life force. I often talk to my plants and pet them from time to time. They also like soft music. I got that from my Welsh Great Granny, who had a green thumb. Ever so often she used to spit into her plants. Still haven't figured that one out but she talked and sang to her plants. I don't sing, because I'm tone deaf and would frighten my plants.

I have read that everything has a certain amount of consciousness. I have read this from several sources and I'm prepared to believe it, especially since finding my latest book called "The secret teachings of plants" (see my review, it's a brilliant book).

I talk to the car. I'm sure it appreciates it. I talk to plants when I water them, too.

Plants and animals are all involved in a food chain which allows them all to live in return for being prepared to let others take that life when they need it. I'm happy with most of that, but it does no harm to be grateful when you munch into something, and mindful of its sacrifice. Some people claim that foxes enjoy being hunted, but I find it hard to accept that. And who wants to take on board the dea that we give life to fungi and microbes? (I like bacteria, but only the friendly ones, Tarquin)

I'm definitely an animist, always have been and I also believe that everything else is just as important as me. In fact, some things like vegetables and trees are far more useful than I am

This is something that family and friends have trouble with as humans have enormous egos which make them believe they're the most important things in the world

Do other Animists feel this same sense of inadequacy comparing themselves to an oak or a cabbage or a cow? If it's just me, I'll get my coat

Julia

We have an old thread on animism HERE

And full details of my beliefs and how animism fits in are fleshed out on Fool's Paradox of anyone is interested.

Julia - yep there is certainly something grander about an oak tree and a river, but I have never talked to a cabbage (they are mostly boiled and on my plate when we meet ). Cows (not that there are many around my way) always seem, at least on the surface quite happy beasts.

To be honest though, I have more luck tuning into a whole wood than I do a single tree.

I believe animals have a soul and treat them all courtiously and politely, more so than some humans. I've always thought that they are less unhappy than humans.

Plants. hmmm.. i'll have to think about that. I do believe they have feelings and reactions (similar) to emotions. And this has been scientificly proven. But i guess they have souls as well, although it must be pretty cramped in plant heaven by now. i've never really thought about it.

Manmade objects. Yes, i think they do. I talk/curse at my computer regularly (and it definitely has a personality, i did think it was possessed for a while) and my car. I've always felt that a lot of in-animate objects have feelings or a personality of their own.

Natural objects. Rivers, mountains, oceans, rocks, volcanoes.... If i believe in the above, then i got to believe the same with this also.

I'm a bit of an animist too. I think there's spirit in everything according to its nature, certainly in plants and in the landscape we share with them, though perhaps our ability to feel that is a little dependent on how much affinity we feel for the being in question.

Human artifacts? I'm not sure. Things that have been made with skill and individual attention sometimes seem to have something like that, especially if they're very old. Not sure if I'd use the word personality myself as it feels too anthropomorphic. Then again, memory and experience has a lot to do with shaping personality, so the spirits of everything must be partially shaped by what they experience, what they 'see' happening around them. Many folk, when they come across a really old tree, or a special sacred place, or an object that's many centuries old, wonder what it's seen and what tales it could tell if it could talk. Like the Fortingall yew. And places sometimes seem to carry the memory of what's happened there. Drummossie Moor felt like a really grim place. Some homes feel happy and welcoming, others sad and ominous, as if they soaked up the atmosphere of events in something like the same way the mind stores memories. I guess that's quite close to animism though maybe not exactly the same thing.

I laughed when I read what NightCelt wrote about computers. A colleague gave me a brilliant notice to hang on mine: "Don't anthropomorphise computers - they don't like it!"

BB,

John Macintyre

yup.

people, animals, plants, rocks.

we're not so very different.


but somehow I can't convince myself that plastic has a soul.

Computers are evil. I have yet to meet a nice helpful one.

All this talk of animism, I planted my Hazel yesterday and did talk to it a bit then last night I was dreaming of trees!!! And I swear I dreamt of my Hazel but it wasn't a small little twiggy thing it was big but still in a pot - look what youv'e done to me!!!

Who here touches wood out of curiosity? I do.

I think we humanise a lot of things but I don't tend to do it with most man made things can you imagine having a conversation with a colinder?!! I think it's more motor vehicles and computers than anything else - silicon heaven anyone?

Its called the Nestene

(well at least Thunarr will get the joke)


For me a lump of plastic has nothing but the act of making something from it can instill something, likewise using it constantly for a distinct purpose can impart something If you see what I'm getting at.

Maybe man-made things that we use all the time pick up vibes from us and develop a life - I have always spoken to my car and my motorbike is a friend who comes on adventures with me. My old car used to tell me when it wanted oil (no working guage) and I definitely feel better working with some implements than with others. Obviously living things all get the same or better treatment because they are just that, living.

Maybe its just that working with some objects and treating them "right" means that you handle them with more care and consideration and therefore get more satisfactory use out of them?

I think too that all things that have life have some sort of spirit, but re inanimate things, I think maybe some things whichhave been handled a lot can pick up something from their user, because psychometrists (sp) can pick up info about people from holding their objects. Curious.

Cheers
Finvarra

And me! Autons! I get it!

I talk to everything, animate or inanimate it's all the same to me. I talk to my jewellery as I make it, I talk to my computer, it's not evil it's just a little dumb.

I wouldn't like to say I think they listen especially, but I do treat everything like it's alive, if I drop something I always apologise. Ok, so I'm weird.

Great thread! I definitly agree. It makes perfect sense to me and i always find myself talking to various objects/plants/animals. And usually getting answers! Certainly with man-made objects i think we do impart a bit of life into it so that our cars and computers do develop a personality of their own - rudimentary at best - but there's a little something that develops that makes me wonder.

When an object "dies" you can sense that it no longer holds a life-force of it's own. My car was badly written off last year (while i was in it) and i shouldn't have been able to walk away from that one! Still i cant help but think that all the loving maintenance and polishing that i did for that car somehow made a difference! Call me crazy but there you go! I guess that's why I find myself doing little rituals to say goodbye to things like broken cars, puters, plants - anything that in my eyes had life.

Oh absolutely! The love and care I have given my rowan when she arrived could be deemed nutty My plants and the objects in my garden are part of a regualt dialogue. My spirit seems to crave communion in that way with kith and kin of all types - sound a bit dippy -who cares - the world lives and breathes!

Funny - great thread BTW - having moved a year ago, the only things I miss from my old house are my plants and trees - the AM planted a sacred grove of fruit trees for me and I miss that hugely, even though I have almost endless woods to walk in - they aren't the ones I worked in and where I initiated my moonson.

I even miss my blasted borage which tried to take over.

Interesting.

I'm not an animist, but I fully agree with the idea of life force, which is present in everything that lives. I believe that every living thing has a right to exist and that it's wrong to kill anything unless it is either a threat or potential food. Simple enough, but it gets me called a hippy.... Maybe i am.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that every living thing has a soul, but then again I'm not too sure that ANY living thing has a soul. That's just my own belief, or lack thereof!

Peace,

lyi.

I believe every thing living inc plants has a soul...man made objects no although I must admit I still do often talk to my computer etc when it bugs me or does what its told :S but I just think thats the crazy part of me
I feel very connected to everything and I think it helps when you talk to plants, helps them grow, be happy etc...ok I stop now....
I have never admitted to talking to plants before as Im sure alot of people who dont feel the same will see this as crazy!

I talk to my guitar.

but then she is made of wood, and very very beautiful

See I have an Aloe Vera plant, my bf just burnt himself so I snapped a bit off, saying thank you in my mind and he saked wasn't that mean to the plant? Well is it? I mean I give it water and love it is a lovely size and sits by my desk but the Aloe Vera plant is a good healing plant so would you use it for the uses it has and if so how would you go about it?

mmm, I'm certainly not as intune as Pomona to plants, but I do think its manners to say thank you. When i cut a bit of rosemary for lamb etc, I often give the plant a good watering (even tho its outside) or some plant food, millk etc.

I'm terrible with house plants.. the only ones that survive are my aloe vera and some big thing, which I think is some sort of rubber or banana plant. Both are lovely, and I often sit looking at them, just smiling.

Guilty!


As far as anything approaching animism goes, I used to talk to my cat, and still do it with other ppl's pets. Also, I have been known to swear at my computer and our digital tv box and speak to random objects.. though this may just be my sanity slipping lol

My mum used to talked to our pets too (we used to have a canary as well as a cat). Plus when an object fell off somewhere and did it more than once she'd say 'oh fall down then'.. but I'm not sure that one counts lol

That is probably due to most of them being involved with Microsoft.

I frequently have long chats with my dog and am never affraid to talk to any other animals I meet. But I cannot seem to develope any meaningful conversation with plants.
My car usually responds when I talk to it, particularly when I start swearing at it and making comments about giving it a long 'holiday in the scrap yard'.

Aaah, the beauty of the Apple Mac! Right, I'll be off now.

I talk to most things, animate and inanimate, alive or allegedly not so (and yes, that includes computers!) I think that, as everything is made from atoms, and atoms vibrate by themselves, then yes, why shouldn't everything be able to respond?

I take a bottle of water with me to water the grass I've been sitting on when I've spent an afternoon in the woods, as a "thank you for having me" gift. I'll water or feed a plant I've taken pieces off to cook with or to cultivate from, and thank it and explain to it what I'm going to do with the bits I've removed. I talk to animals all the time, sheep (very dim, but they do listen!), cows, horses, dogs, cats, whatever.

Does it make me an animist? I don't know, but what I do know is that it feels right to do so, therefore I'll keep doing it - despite the odd looks it gets me sometimes!

I bought a holly tree for Beltane for the altar, after I had finsihed the Ritual I carried it out to the garden, feeling it would be loads happier out there,and talking to it all the while.

I inherited a walnut bureau which has been in the family for 180 years or so, and we have all talked to it, in fact thats why I inherited it, because I used to talk to it when my grandfather had it.

I snarl at the computer.

I talk to nearly everything natural, including stones. One stone showed me its impression of the land it stood on, which turned into a quick cinematic trip of that inlet over the last X thousand years (I don't know how many!).

I never thought of seriously talking to any of my cars until this latest one barked and wagged its tail one morning (backscreen washer came on of own accord and radio kept turning itself on after I turned it off). Then it would loose its windscreen washers or its electric circuits would go on the blink if I hadn't warned it in advance we were going for a long drive. So now I tell it at the beginning of every drive where we're going and how long that will take and how long we'll be there. And I talk it through the journey, and thank it when we arrive.

Ah well. I daresay I'll start talking to the TV next.

Aha, I feel like opening an old thread. This subject interested me .. so yeah.

Yes, I talk to most things. From what I consider an individual being and entity, I feel a 'presence' if you will. Things I consider living, I guess are things that couldn't live without the Earth; but not to the extent that Metals are alive, even if they do come from beneath us.

I tend to speak to whatever object I seem to be interacting with. Whether in my head or voiced aloud. Yes, I'm crazy .. My friends are used to it. It amuses my family if I'm cooking a meal or baking something, before I close the over door i'll say something like "you better not burn or i'll hate you" stupid things to reassure myself.

Does cussing at an object when you stub your toe on it, count?

I tend to say sorry.

after all, I kicked the poor thing.

Sooo, who else apologises when they stand on a snail even though they're icky and they eat all your plants?

Julia

me.

I feel awful if I accidentally kill something.

Me too.

Nope. It's a snail, it's trespassing, it's stealing, and I'm not sorry if I accidentally squish it.

Having said which, I wouldn't go out intending to squish them....

I do. I put worms, slugs and snails and other creepy crawlies safely in the nearest piece of greenery when I see them on the pavement. I get some very strange looks

I certainly have animist tendencies and think that everything is important in it's own way and has some sort of consciousness. I hate to see withering plants and feel sad that they're being neglected and seeing a deliberately damaged tree makes me feel sad and angry.

Deliberate damage really irritates me as well. Occasionally the kids will break off a sapling to fish their ball out of the rhine or they'll break branches off so that they can have a fire (too stupid to know you can't burn green wood). It really hurts me to see this and I wish that their parents would teach them some respect

Julia

Me too.

Sometimes i feel things sometimes i dont, i often talk to things, mostly animals, but sometimes plants too. yes i touch wood too, gently trail my hand over ot, also do that with plants sometimes too - but only if i recognise them - dont wanna get poisoned by anything so i guess i am a bit of an animist

There's a lovely article in the Beltane issue of Pentacle Magazine entitled The Positive Advantages of Personifying by Ramsey Dukes

How does the photocopier always know when you're in a hurry? ie Why does it always break down or run out of toner/paper when you're on a tight deadline. Why are all the traffic lights red when you're late. Do these things really have a mischievious streak or is it just that it bugs you more when you're uptight?

Definitely worth a read if you can find a copy

Julia

Glad someone started this thread. I didn't know it was called Animism.

I feel very respectful towards all life and so as an extension to that I sometimes talk to trees, plants, slugs, birds - whatever really. They are all here for a reason and I think we are all connected, in an energy type of way. Sometimes they seem to talk back, either through pictures or words and I take it on board and try to learn from it. If this is real, great. If not, then I am wiser for it anyway.

I am glad others have had similar experiences. When I have told some people, in error, I have been met with vacant stares. javascript:emoticon(':o')Think maybe I shouldn't open up sometimes.

Snowstar *

Yes, I believe that everything has a spirit, I quite often find myself talking to the spirit of the oak trees at the bottom of my garden, and what's more they answer me and quite often give me sound advice. As too my crystals whenever I want to program them I always ask the spirit of that particular crystal to work with me and help me in using the crystals and I believe that they work better with their spirit input. One last thing, I always try to treat whatever it is, be it animal, vegetable or mineral with the respect they deserve for to me they all are a part of mother earth herself, and all have a spirit.

Rather than starting a new thread I thought I would post this here. It seems to have some relevance as I feel I have a relationship with this tree.

Over the last month, during my walk to work I have been passing through a grave yard. I encountered a Yew tree and really felt drawn to it. I started to stop and have a word and I asked questions and just enjoyed spending those few minutes with it before the hectic day ahead. In the last couple of weeks I thought I should learn more about this tree and I took some pictures one morning. I am usually alone which is nice. Occasionally I see a Vicar or Curate but that is all.

I needed to advance my investigation. So there I was on Wednesday morning around 8.30am using a compass to plot the position of this tree and three others in relation to the church, which is all important if you want to find out why they are there. I had read a bit in our books on ancient trees and on the internet and I knew that should they be North of the Church then it is possibly an ancient Pagan site, if East or South East - Celtic Christian and if South or West - Anglo Saxon. I made sure the Church was the typical orientation first then walked with my compass to the Trees and what Joy I had when I found them North and North North East. I said hello to my special yew and took out my string. I then circled her and knotted the string to measure later, then I measured the fissure inside. She has a huge cavern inside her. She was just under 7m girth and 1.2m hollow. I thanked her for her cooperation then went on my way.

Bear with me this gets good (for me anyway). I consulted various internet sites and the Ancient Trees book and worked out that it could be 1'500 years old, when Christianity was only just getting started in this country. In the Doomesday Book, written about that very area, it says that it was "hic vasta est” (here is a wasted land), a term given to non Christian areas I believe. The Church was not built until the 15th Century, a 1'000 years after the trees were planted. Not only that but I read about the Church and it is a Collegiate (St Michael and The Angels). Collegiate churches were usually found on the outskirts of early Christian strong holds, where Paganism was still fighting back. Looks good doesn't it. I don't want to jump to conclusions but I love that I have found a special place. I have also been reading about yew trees and their special place in Paganism that I didn't fully appreciate before. I feel like the tree found me. It has a couple of neighbours that are of about the same age but I don't feel as drawn to those. Other information I am finding hard to get, but there are probably not records until the D'day book.

Does any one else have a similar experience to tell? I would be interested to hear your opinions of what I have related but also if you can add to my information regarding old Pagan sites that would be great.

Snowstar

I agree. I would not be in a nice mood if I was running it the whole time either.

Never thought about it, but I guess I am an animist. I talk to everything. If things stay a long time with me I also start to give them names.

I follow a hedge-witchy sort of path, so I am very conscious of the difference between the beautifully round a cyclical nature of nature itself, and the boxed-up, fenced-off, straight-line world of modern man. Having said that, I do perceive that there are spiritual representetives of both animals, and also things such as pollution, the internet etc, I see them as 'Avatars' I guess, personifications of specific principles and the like.

BB xx