The Spirits of the Land by Chris Allaun

When I was first learning witchcraft and magick my teacher at the time taught me that you can only become so powerful using your own personal energy. Eventually you must seek the aid of the spirits. That is where powerful magick lies. You must call upon and work with a variety of spirits in order to manifest change in the world and the Universe. I have kept these words to heart my entire magical career. Many years later I still think of this wisdom. The Universe is filled with many spirits. There are more spirits in the Universe than there are people or animals. It will help our magick a great deal if we call upon them in magick. Even better, we should have a relationship with them. Pagans have always called upon the spirits. Indigenous healers and shamans create bonds with a variety of spirits in order to seek wisdom and heal the community. Witches from all over the world speak of having animal familiars and calling up the dead for magick. Ceremonial magicians summon the spirits of the angels and planets to create change in the world as well.

There are many different kinds of spirits that the witch seeks to work with. There are gods and goddesses, angels, and planetary spirits of the heavens. There are our ancestors and the hidden company of the below worlds. There are also faeries, elves, animal spirits, and plant spirits who dwell within the land itself. I think it is very helpful for witches to begin with the spirits of the land when they are first learning to work with spirits. It has often been said that we are spiritual beings having an earthly experience. This is a powerful statement. In patriarchal religions it is often taught that the earth is bad or sinful but the heavens are godly and holy. In paganism and witchcraft the earth is seen as our holy mother who gave life to us all. We are also taught that we are incarnated on earth in order to have physical experiences to help us spiritually evolve.  The earth is sacred just as the heavens are sacred.

As pagans and witches we celebrate the earth and her cycles. We celebrate the moon cycles and her mysteries. The moon has the power to change the tides of the oceans and affect human emotions and our psychic abilities. We also celebrate how the sun relates to the earth with her different seasons and energies. We honor the planting season, the growing season, the harvest season, and the dark season. All these energies of the earth are important for our survival. It is important to remember that to us magical folk, we see energies as spirits. In fact, we know that all things upon the earth have a spirit. Everything from human beings and animals to trees, rocks, clouds, and rain all have spirits. I remember it this way, just as human bodies have a spirit so to do all Lphysical things of nature have a spirit. These spirits we can call into our spells and rituals for powerful magick.

There are many spirits of the land that we can begin a relationship with. Every tree has its own spirit. Every rock, stone, and crystal has its own spirit. Every flower and plant has its own spirit. Yes, even the rivers, lakes, ponds, and oceans have their own spirits. These beings are sacred and they will teach you so much about natural magick, paganism, and witchcraft. Our physical bodies are of the earth so the spirits of the earth can help us heal our bodies. We must eat, sleep, and have shelter, so these land spirits can help us obtain these things that we need. The spirits of the land can especially teach us the magical and healing properties of herbs, crystals, stones, and trees. Human teachers and books are great, but it’s far more powerful to learn from the spirits themselves. Who better to teach you about nature magick than nature?
           
Over the last thousand years we have lost our connection to the spirits of the earth. It’s only the few witches, Spirit Walkers, and faery doctors who have retained the remnants of this sacred knowledge. It seems that the more industrial we have become the more we have lost our connection to the spirits of the land. The big question now is how do we reconnect to the spirits of the land?

Anyone can have a relationship with the spirits of the land. You can be from the country, city, or suburb, and you can still gain land spirit allies. The only thing you need to do is be willing to put some time into cultivating a friendship with these spirits. The first thing you will need to do is learn about the geographical history of the land where you live. Even in a city, the land has a rich history of nature spirits. You will need to go online and research what the land was like before it became a metropolitan area. The reason for this is because many times even after the natural land has gone the spirits still remain. If you live in the countryside or suburb it is more likely that the original spirits still inhabit the land. It will help you a great deal to learn the history of the land you live on. What happened there? Did it always look like it does now? Were there any changes?

​The next step in establishing a relationship with the land spirits in learning to tune into them and connect. Go outside and take a few breaths. Imagine your heart chakra opening up and being open to the energies of the land. How do you feel? What scents do you smell? What does the land look like? What do you hear? Spend some time simply connecting to the energies of the land. Try not to judge your experience. Just feel. Just breathe. Do this exercise during the day and at night. I will tell you that the energies are very different from day to night. Always remember to journal your experiences.
Once you have spent a few days connecting with the energies of the land it is a good idea to leave offerings. Offerings can be water, food for the animals, wine or ale, bread and honey, or anything you think is appropriate. Even though bread and honey is traditional, remember that bread is not good for animals to eat. By the way, if an animal eats food offerings this is a sign that your offerings were accepted. However, if animals do not eat your offerings it’s ok because the spirits received the energies of the offering. When we give offerings to the spirits of the land we are establishing an energetic and spiritual connection. Think of it like this, when we do something nice for a friend they will know you care about them and want to do something for you.

At this point you can go further in your understanding and connection to the land spirits. One of my favorite things to do is to perform an energetic heart connection to the spirits of the land. It’s a very easy technique but so powerful. Find a tree, rock, bush, or plant that you are spiritually attracted to. Leave a little offering of water or wine. Place your dominant hand on the tree, rock, bush, or plant. Now send a beam of love from your heart to the spirit at the center of the natural object. Now, wait a few moments. In response, the natural object will send a beam of energy to your heart. Keep sending the energy back and forth. You can also speak to the land spirit. Introduce yourself and speak with the spirit just as you would to anyone. Spirits sometimes speak directly to your mind in words, but sometimes they don't. They may speak to your heart and you may feel what they are feeling. This is good because it's simply a different way of communicating. By doing this technique over time you will learn to speak the language of the land spirit. Once this is done and you feel that your relationship with the spirits of the land is strong you may invite them into your spells and rituals for powerful magick and healing. 

Written by Chris Allaun
Website: chrisallaun.com
Facebook: Chris Allaun: Author. Teacher. Healer

Twitter: @chris_allaun 
Instagram: chrisallaun ​

Our Sarah reviewed Chris' book this week too, to have a looksie at what she thought click here