Talking With Nature - A Course in Mysticism - 5

Lesson 5:

In the last lesson you began to develop focus. You also learned some higher reasons why we might want to talk to nature. In this lesson we will continue with that topic and also cover some more practical reasons for talking to nature.

Higher Reasons

Synthesis of Man and Nature

We are a part of nature whether we like it or not. And while many of us have been raised to believe that our physical nature is lesser than our spiritual nature, I have found that I have better success at connecting with the spiritual when I am fully in the physical. I have come to feel that our physical being is an aspect of our spirituality, that we are our spirit, expressed in the physical.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

By working with nature this way, we get a deeper sense of the harmonics and rhythms in nature. Seeing energy rather than form gives us a better perspective of how things are, who we are and how things work.

"Lost in awe at the beauty around me, I must have slipped into a state of heightened awareness. It is hard, impossible really, to put into words, the moment of truth that came upon me suddenly then. Even the mystics are unable to describe their brief flashes of spiritual ecstasy. it seemed to me, as I struggled afterwards to recall the experience, that self was utterly absent. " - Jane Goodall

Being in the Moment

A full appreciation of the present moment is a wonderful gift we can give ourselves. How many moments have we allowed to pass us by, while we were busy worrying bout the future or reliving the past. There is magic in the present moment. By taking the time to be fully present in Nature, we open ourselves to that magic.

"I and the chimpanzees, the earth and trees and air seemed to merge, to become one with the spirit power of life itself. the air was filled with a feathered symphony, the evensong of birds. I heard new frequencies in their music and also in the singing insect voices. Notes so high and sweet, I was amazed. Never had I been so intensely aware of the shape, the colour of individual leaves, the varied patterns of the veins that made each one unique. Scents were clear as well, easily identifiable. Fermenting over-ripe fruit, waterlogged earth, cold, wet bark, the damp odour of chimpanzee hair, and yes, my own, too. and the aromatic scent of young criushed leaves was almost overpowering. I sensed the presence of a bush buck, then saw him, quietly browsing upwind, his spiralled horns gleaming and his chestnut coat dark with rain." - Jane Goodall

More Practical Reasons

Animals for Food

Our current farming practices seem to have moved far away from a direct interaction with nature. When we move back towards a way of respect, we may find many delightful possibilities to explore. Livestock could be asked if or how they wish to contribute in a way that is healthy for them. We may no longer need to collect food through domination or a sense of separateness. Eventually we could have a day when we are all partners.

In some ancient cultures, I have heard that a ritual was used to call animals to them - animals who were willing to be used for whatever purposes the people had in mind. The animals gave their consent.

Yet this is not as distant as we may think. Michael Roads speaks of several experiences he had in speaking with animals. He writes:

"My commitment to the task hadn't happened all at once. It had unfolded like fate over the years during my life as a farmer. I can look back now and recognize the stages.

It began with my wife, Treenie.

One evening, while sitting relaxed in our living room, she glanced at me. "The cows want moving," she suddenly announced.

I snorted with indignation. Her statement seemed a challenge, and I responded.

'Right! Just to prove you're wrong, we'll drive up there tomorrow at nine o'clock, and you can see for yourself all the contented cows on plenty of pasture.'

In my smug satisfaction, I burrowed back into my book.

Next morning at nine o'clock, Treenie and I drove up to the back paddock. Shock! Practically the entire herd of cows was standing impatiently at the gate, waiting to be let out."

Pests

Pests do not have to be pests. We can accommodate the needs of all life. I have found that when we hate and fear insects or despise them, they are drawn to us.

Flies can be very playful. If you notice them, you may find one coming back to the same place on your hand over and over. By treating it as a game that you are enjoying, you may see a fly in an entirely different light.

Michael Roads talked about a big pest problem he had with wallabies eating the pasture for his cows. It was common practice to kill wallabies as pests at the time, but fed up with the killing, he decided to try to make a deal with them instead. He said:

"Making such a decision was one thing, but carrying it out was another. ... feeling rather self conscious, prepared myself for an attempt at communication. I held the required agreement clearly in my thoughts, but so silent and remote was the act that I began to verbalize my request. Despite feeling foolish, I felt more positive and comfortable. Warming to my task, I fairly yelled my message to all the wallabies that might listen. It sounded something like this: 'I don't know if you wallabies can hear me, but I am offering an agreement with you by which we each meet our own needs. I am asking you to stop eating our pasture, and in exchange for this I will see to it that nobody shoots you again. However, because I realize I must share this land with you, I will allow you to graze around the outside of the paddock. Please don't take more than twenty yards.' ... Within only a few weeks, the pasture was thickening so rapidly that I was able to introduce an extra ten cows and calves. It continued to improve. Soon I had ninety cows and calves grazing over Carvilla, while the white clover grew in abundance. For three years we maintained this tenuous agreement, the pastures continuing to thrive and flourish. ... One fact which emerged was obvious. We were able to communicate our wishes to the wildlife and reach an agreement for our mutual benefit. We recognized their divine right to life, realizing that cooperation with Nature offers unlimited potential."

Work Animals

Animals we use in our work seem to love to be needed. Direct intuitive interaction with these animals may give us tools to increase our productivity. It can help to know that an animal is tired, so we can give it the rest it needs. Horses working in a team could get the positions on the team which suit them best. All aspects of the animals life and care could be addressed with this direct communication.

Crops

Our food crops could be asked to produce what we need. They could be asked what they need to be healthy and happy.

Gardens

Our gardens could be designed according to the nature of the area, the weather, the climate, the soil. The plants themselves might tell us how much room they need, where in the garden they will flourish and how much water they need. This is what went on in Findhorn, where Dorothy Maclean and the others built a rich garden on sandy, barren, northern Scottish soil.

Many people do their gardening intuitively, already tapping in, in some measure, to the community of nature around them. Talking with nature can deepen this intuitive connection.

Trees

We could ask fruit trees to withdraw their energy for pruning or ask if they would rather not be pruned. When transplanted, we could keep the energy doorway we talked about earlier in trees facing the same compass direction, and we could ask the trees to withdraw their energy until the move is complete. We could even can ask the tree where it wants to be.

Metals

Metals are not always thought of as living things, but I have heard that they carry the consciousness of the Earth. When I treat them as sentient, I find that when doing plumbing, welding or building, things seem to go better.

Rocks and Crystals

Much has been written about how minerals can be used to enhance certain properties or qualities in our energies. Many are used for healing.

Wildflowers and Herbs

Wildflowers and herbs have been used for centuries in healing. An intuitive understanding of the qualities of these plants could help us know what might assist us at any time. Flower Essences follow this principle.

Insects

Insects could be asked to co-operate with us. Picnic ants might leave !

Conservation

We may not always know what we're doing, but I feel that there is an intelligence in nature. When we both work towards a common goal of harmony and balance, conservation work can become effortless and things can flow more easily.

Attunement

Attunement with the world around us allows us to consciously tap into a network of information. Have you ever heard of how dogs behave in an odd manner before a tornado or an earthquake? We could be that aware. We could know when a storm is coming.

In this lesson you will do another meditation in focus and concentration. This exercise will not only help you learn to focus your attention but gives you a good way to learn how to use visualization and your imagination to play with energy. Play with this one. It is meant to be fun.

You may wish to record it and play back the recording or have a friend read it to you so that you can move through it without distraction.

Red Bird Meditation

1. Imagine if you will, that you are in a forest or a park and that above you, in a tree, is a small red bird. This bird can look in any way you want it to look. Take the time, though, to see it clearly in your imagination with as much detail as you can. You do not have to see this red bird. Just imagining it is enough to give you a feel for it. Note its position in the tree. Keep your attention on the bird throughout this entire exercise.

2. Now watch this bird as it lifts off gently from the branch moving from its first position to a spot on another tree a short distance away.

3. Watch this little red bird fly back and forth until you feel comfortable with the action and can follow with ease as it flies from tree to tree. Keep your attention on the red bird. If you lose your focus or let your attention drift, find the red bird again and start where you left off. Allow it to come to rest again at its starting place in the first tree.

4. Now watch this red bird as it gently flies from this tree to your left shoulder and lands softly on your left shoulder. You may even feel this soft landing. Enjoy this experience. You are both delighted to be with each other.

5. Keep your attention focused on this little red bird, still, as it flies back to the tree and lands on the branch where it started.

Exercise:

You will begin by repeating your task from the last lesson. Sit or stand with the tree you have chosen. Stay with it or 15 minutes as a minimum. While you are there, evoke that same sense of love and affection as you did before. Do not expect results. Just be with the tree.

Repeat the process of listening to the Song of Your Being. As you did last time, imagine that you are using the pure and beautiful energies of your tree to enhance your ability to move into your own energy.

Keep your attention gently focused on your relationship with the tree, throughout your time with it. When your attention wanders, note what took place and then release it to bring your attention back to your time with the tree.

Journal:

In your notebook, make note of how you'd like to work with nature after you complete this course. What do you see yourself doing? Communicating better with a pet? Using the connection to work more effectively in the garden? Learning to better use your intuitive abilities? Is there anything specific you have in mind? If not, think of something now and jot it down.

By getting this down on paper, you are putting more energy into the idea - and that can make it more possible..

Jot down how you sensed the energy of the little red bird in the exercise. Did you visualize it clearly? Did you get a feeling sense of it? A knowing? Do you have another way of sensing? Was it your imagination only? Describe as best you can how you seemed to get the strongest feel for this bird. This may help you come to know how you sense energy the best.

What this was like for me:

For many years, I had a huge problem with earwigs getting into my house. This made me crazy. Every year they came in by the dozens. Sometimes I'd find nests of them. They got everywhere. I tried threatening them, asking them, pleading with them and ended up spraying the foundation. It still didn't stop them. I didn't want to kill them. I wanted to love them. But how could I when they creeped me out?

After years and years - I'm talking more than 15 years of this - I finally seemed to make peace with them. One day another crawled by my foot as I worked at the computer and as I leaned down to pick it up with a kleenex to take it outside, I actually felt a sort of fondness or affection towards it.

That was the moment things changed. I don't know what made me do it, but I checked that window with the gap in it yet again. I had gone over that gap year after year and it wasn't until that day that I realized the gap was not just a seam in the wood but an actual space that could let, well, earwigs in. I caulked the gap and - no more earwig problem.

Questions others have asked:

Q. I just seemed to see the little bird in my imagination. Is that enough? A. Yes. It is. Imagination is the gateway to intuitive sensing.

As with the rest of this course, everything here is optional. Do what is right for you at your own pace.

References and further reading:

Reason for Hope, by Jane Goodall, ISBN: 9780446676137
Talking With Nature, by Michael Roads, ISBN: 9780915811069
To Hear the Angels Sing, by Dorothy MacLean, Findhorn Press, 1980

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Spirit Messages on my website.
A-Little-Birdie-Told-Me, Meditations From Nature

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