Chapter Four

Nature as Your Oracle

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“Fox lurking in the night, I see your eyes. Go tell the growing moon that my mind is dark.”

—POMO SONG, FROM SHARED SPIRITS

“We can’t have a sense of Self, without a sense of place.”

—JED SWIFT, MEDICINE WALK GUIDE

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”

—ARISTOTLE, GREEK PHILOSOPHER

“Every natural object is a conductor of Divinity.”

—JOHN MUIR, NATURALIST

FOR ALL INDIGENOUS CULTURES, nature is a source of spirituality, where they connect with their spirit world and with themselves. Through their relationships with their natural surroundings they come to hold a deep understanding of their purpose here on earth. Malidoma Patrice Somé, an African shaman, explains that “indigenous people are indigenous because there are no machines between them and their Gods.” He also believes that there is an indigenous soul that dwells in each of us and that to connect with the natural world means to bring forth this indigenous soul.

For all of us, nature helps define our place in the great Cosmos and circle of life. Wisdomkeepers of today warn us that if we become too disconnected from the natural world we will all perish. It is nearly impossible to feel our place in the circle of life without a real connection with the wilderness. Many ancient traditions lead us closer to nature. Native American traditions can be understood as an “Earth Spirituality.” The mystical Jewish text, the Kabbala, explains that it is through one’s relationship with nature that one finds the Divine. Christianity has a strong bond with nature as well. Al Cornell, a Christian minister and internationally recognized wildlife photographer, believes that God is actively involved in the universe and all of nature. He says, “The Bible frequently refers us to nature so that we might see the works of God’s hands and sense his presence. The poetic Psalms reference nature many times, using language that helps us feel the presence of God in ordinary, natural things. Jesus frequently draws our attention to things in nature to help us understand spiritual things. While teaching from the mountainside, Jesus pointed out the birds and the lilies. Butterflies, chickadees, and roses help us to perceive our awesome Creator.”

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“Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth.”

—RUMI, SUFI MYSTIC AND POET

“I have always told my mom when she feels upset about me not going to church that my church is the outdoors. That’s where I find God.”

—KEVIN, AGE 25

The outdoors is a place we can go for answers to our problems, calm ourselves when we are tense, learn more about ourselves and our planet, act out our rituals, and meditate on plant and animal life. Nature is also there to be consulted when we are trying to make a decision or get closer to our spiritual Self.

Nature is a personal, real link to Spirit and to the wisdom you contain within yourself.

“Ask who keeps the wind

Ask what is sacred.”

—MARGARET
ATWOOD, POET,
AUTHOR OF
CIRCLE GAME

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“The current is in the stream of energy which flows out of the soil into plants, thence into animals, thence back into the soil in a never ending circuit of life.”

—ALDO LEOPOLD,
ECOLOGIST AND
AUTHOR OF A SAND
COUNTY ALMANAC

Consulting Nature

“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around a lake.”

—WALLACE STEVENS, POET

“Nature is one of the languages God speaks.”

—ROBERT BLY, POET AND AUTHOR OF IRON JOHN

Do you have an issue that you need more help with? Maybe even something that, at this time, feels too private to share? Consulting nature as you would a spiritual teacher or an elder can bring you great insight and guidance. Nature can be an oracle for you. An “oracle” is a truthsayer, a means to better understand God or Spirit. It is also a way for you to have a deeper understanding of yourself.

Consulting nature is a way to get guidance or an insight. Much like dreams, contact with the wilderness can be a provocative and meaningful experience. Encounters with wildlife can help us step outside of ourselves and listen to the truthsayers in nature—the deer, coyote, ants, lizards, eagles, and other creatures with whom we share this planet. Consulting nature, even by sitting quietly under a tree, is recognizing our deep connection with Earth, and ultimately our dependence on Her. Native Americans relied on nature as directing every decision in their lives. Every day they would consult Mother Earth or Father Sky. Jesus gave his talks to the crowds outside, never inside man-made temples. So when we consult nature, we are relying on a powerful and widely used source.

”Nature constantly sends us messages—omens that point the way, signs that help us follow our dreams.”

—CHUNGLIANG AL
HUANG, MENTOR
AND COAUTHOR OF
MENTORING: THE
TAO OF GIVING AND
RECEIVING WISDOM

In consulting nature, or any oracle for that matter, there are a few basic skills. First, you will need to trust yourself. When you walk out into the woods, for example, you need to trust the experience, trust that Spirit will communicate with you. Furthermore, you will need to trust what comes to you. Just as you trust a repetitive dream as holding some significance, trust that your connection with the spirit world is real and can be made through nature and your relationship with it. Have faith that you are part of this great circle of life, and that it wants to relate to you in a very personal and dynamic way.

Another skill you will need is an understanding and acceptance of synchronicity. All Wisdomkeepers rely on this principle as a way to listen to the spirit world. The literal meaning of synchronicity is “meaningful coincidence.” The psychologist Carl G. Jung popularized this term, but earth religions have always relied on this form of communication with the spirit world. When an inch-worm falls on your shoulder during your visit with nature, this is a synchronicity.

“On one of my nature walks with my daughter a stick bug was on our path. These are rare encounters. The meaning for me at the time was in my daughter’s response to the bug. It was a stick with legs! So, to her, everything was alive! What a great reminder for me, how everything holds the energy of life within it.”

—FLAMING RAINBOW WOMAN, SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

Synchronicity is happening all the time—we just need to train ourselves to pay more attention to what crosses our path every day. What this means is that Spirit is always trying to get through to us! Have you ever had a book fall off the shelf at the bookstore, and it turns out to be of great help to you? Have you ever met someone by “accident” and had it turn out to be a meaningful encounter? In the woods you go searching for insight about a relationship and a crow calls out to you. You are grieving the death of a friend and two flying squirrels fly from tree to tree above you. Your parents and you are at odds and in seeking nature’s counsel you discover a family of river otters. These are all synchronistic encounters, which hold a special message for the seeker. When we consult nature, we are meant to perceive synchronistic encounters as the way Spirit communicates with us. Trust your synchronistic encounters with wildlife. Watch for what appears to you while you are on your walks or vision quest.

Finally, take an attitude of curiosity and awe with you into the wilderness. To be in awe means to hold an open mind, a beginner’s mind of appreciation and wonder for all that is alive and wild. To be in awe means to recognize we are part of the circle of life—not outside of it and not the center of it. We, too, are “wild.” When we go into the wilderness with a sense of awe, we recognize the strength and beauty of the eagle and the earthworm.

“Only that day dawns to which we are fully awake”

—HENRY DAVID
THOREAU, AMERICAN
ESSAYIST, NATURALIST,
AND AUTHOR OF
WALDEN

Taking a Medicine Walk

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”

—JOHN MUIR, NATURALIST

“Remember, that all the peoples before us, even in your own family heritage, lived more with the earth. Medicine walks help heal the distance we have with our planet.”

—JED SWIFT, MEDICINE WALK GUIDE

A medicine walk is done alone, although you can know that others are nearby experiencing their own walk. Find an area that is available to take at least an hour walk, although a two- to four-hour walk is recommended. The place can be a state or national park, someone’s private land, or a nature sanctuary. You need to be in a place where you will not be disturbed by the noise and congestion of the city. Plan your walk with a friend or family member or as a planned group outing.

Preparing Your Question

Before you begin your walk, think about the question or concern you want help with. As you walk, you will present this to whatever you consider your source of help: God, your guardian angel, the spirit world, or Mother Earth. You can put the question “out there” to the Unknown, trusting that the natural world of animals and other wildlife will hear your concern. Hold this question or concern in your heart throughout your walk. Some examples of questions may be:

Ask for insight and help with this issue as you enter your walk with trust, receptivity to synchronicity, and a beginner’s mind. Let yourself be moved by the conversation you are about to have with the natural and spirit world and then let nature respond to your question.

“Go find the wild prairies, and you will find yourself.”

—WILLIAM E.
ISHMAEL, WILDLIFE
BIOLOGIST AND
MENTOR

Creating a Threshold

This is an important part of the medicine walk because it symbolizes our stepping out of the ordinary world into the world where we are communicating with nature and Spirit. The threshold is where we cross over from being in an ordinary state of mind to the medicine walk—where we begin to receive our insights and messages from the natural and spirit worlds.

This is particularly meaningful when we are at a threshold in life. At these times a medicine walk has even more significance and power. That is why a medicine walk is often a part of a traditional initiation ceremony (see chapter 5). You may want to have one of your medicine walks be about acknowledging the threshold you are at in your life. You may ask such questions as:

To create a threshold for your medicine walk you need something to step over or to walk though. In the Shinto worship of Japan a torri is created as a passage from the ordinary world into the sacred in order to go into a place of worship. You can place a special stick on the ground. Many have used feathers, rocks, and other cherished objects to step over. You can create a gateway to step through with a collection of branches and other objects placed together.

“On our land, we have an arbor to walk through when anyone wants to go on a medicine walk.”

—JOSH, AGE 17

Once the threshold is built, step over or through it, holding your issue/question/prayer in mind. If you are in a group, each one steps through the threshold one at a time. When your walk is complete, you will return to this place to cross back into the ordinary world and return to a more ordinary state of mind.

“I caught a glimpse of a woodcock stealing across my path, and felt a strange thrill of savage delight, and was strangely tempted to seize and devour him raw; not that I was hungry then, except for that wildness which he represented.”

—HENRY DAVID
THOREAU, AMERICAN ESSAYIST,
NATURALIST, AND
AUTHOR OF WALDEN

The Walk

A medicine walk is done in silence and alone. Walk as quietly as you can, stopping to notice all that is going on around you, and inside of you. Pay particular attention to any animals, animal sounds, tracks, birds, feathers, and insects that appear on your walk. If you are not sure what they are, write a description or sketch them for later reference. The farther out in the country you can get the more likely you are to encounter wildlife. The rule of thumb is, any animal, bird, or insect that appears without wanting food from you, carries a message (or its medicine) for you. Notice also any plant life that catches your attention, or that “catches on to you,” such as a burr or thorn.

One young man found himself surrounded by wild blackberry bushes. He was not sure how he got to the center of them without ripping his clothes. He sat down for a while and watched the different birds and bugs that came to eat the ripe blackberries. Up until then, he had never wept over the death of his grandmother, whom he had loved very much. He wept and wept when the black-berries brought back the smell and taste of the wild blackberry jam she would preserve every summer. He also remembered how much she loved and believed in him. He trusted the “coincidence” of finding himself in the middle of a berry patch and knew his grandmother was with him.

”I was changed after this experience. So much so, some of my friends teased me and didn’t seem to understand the power of this experience. Alone in the blackberry bushes I was finally able to cry over losing my grandmother.”

—STEPHAN, AGE 18

“We are all the children of . . .

A brilliantly colored flower,

A flaming flower.

And there is no one,

There is no one

Who regrets what we are.”

—RAMON MEDINA
SILVA, POET, FROM
THE HEART OF THE
GODDESS

For the entire walk, remain in a quiet and reflective mood so that you can focus on receiving nature’s message. Pay attention to what catches your eyes or ears. Is a crow calling out to you? Is a squirrel following you? Has a lizard crossed your path, or a butterfly landed on your shoulder? What tree seems to stretch out to you? What makes you feel safe? Afraid? What is your walk communicating to you? One young man had three hawks circle around him on his first walk, another time a young woman was serenaded by a cardinal. Many find special objects such as feathers, rocks, tracks, odd-shaped sticks, or animal bones.

Whatever comes up on your walk is part of your “medicine.” This “medicine” carries with it a message for you. First, interpret the “message” by thinking what the object or animal means to you. Again, remember to trust the experience. What you need to know will be revealed to you. Jed Swift, who takes people of all ages on such walks (see resources on page 90), recommends having the mind-set of “Courting the Mystery”—allowing for the unexpected and unknown to appear. It is being open and light, not too serious, yet respectful of what appears. He also recommends that we have a soft gaze, a meditative gaze. Allow yourself to be like you are walking gently in a dream, noticing the symbols and meanings of the dream as you walk. You will notice what holds meaning for you.

The Return

Return to your threshold at the time agreed upon. Cross over, or through, the threshold, passing from your more meditative state to a more ordinary state. This signifies the end of this visit with the spirit world.

Silently meet up with your group or partner, if you have one. If you are with a group, your mentors or a leader may have a circle or fire built for your return around which you can all gather together. Or you may find a big rock or log to sit on alone. Whether by yourself or with a group, take some time in silence to write down your experiences. Write down any questions you may have for the leader or group or that you want to ponder. Once everyone is finished with their writing begin to listen to each medicine walk story. Share whatever you are comfortable with. Ask each other for input on interpreting the wildlife you encountered on your walk.

“One day there will suddenly appear

An image of light;

When you know that,

You yourself are it.”

—SUN BU-ER,
FEMALE TAOIST
TEACHER
AND POET

Interpreting the Meaning of Your Medicine Walk

The use of nature to help with decisions and to gain more insight is a well-established and still-practiced tradition. But what does it mean when an opossum crosses our path, or a striped butterfly lands on our shoulder? What message might the circling hawk be carrying for us? In Tibetan culture, animals are often considered auspicious signs. That means they are bringing us a blessing or a message that this time is favorable for us. Tibetans will often inquire what animals visited a child the day they were born. They consider that the appearance of a certain animal or bird means a rebirth of an evolved spiritual teacher. Crows are known to have shown up for the rebirths of several recent Dalai Lamas, for example. Many Native Americans are named after animals that signify an encounter with that animal.

When we open up to an animal, a tree, a bird, or other forms of wildlife, we are opening up to these aspects within ourself. We are calling out to them to come forth, so they can reveal to us the strengths and weaknesses that are within us. How are you like the circling hawk? What is the hawk searching for? How are you like a fox, or an ant, or a 100-year-old oak tree? This is one way to interpret your encounters—look for what they mean to you, and what they may say about you.

“The aspect of Nature is devout. Like the figure of Jesus, she stands with bended head, and hands folded upon breast. The happiest person is the one who learns from Nature the lesson of worship.”

—RALPH WALDO
EMERSON,
AMERICAN ESSAYIST,
POET, AND SPIRITUAL
PHILOSOPHER

Initially, come up with some of your own interpretations. Trust what you make of the encounter. When you are on your walk, certain forms of nature “appeared” to you, and got a certain response from you. Having written this down, you can later take time to reflect on your experience. Make note of the emotions and thoughts you held while you had this encounter. Someone who found herself under a very very old tree realized that the tree would be there long after she was gone. This made her concern seem less urgent (but no less important). She further encountered some animal’s home in the base of the tree, with tracks going in and out.

”It’s hard to describe to someone if you haven’t done it yet. But all of you know what I mean. I could feel the power of that tree. I realized it was probably over a hundred years old. And here I am only 18 years old. I knew the tree would be here long after I am dead and gone. Then I started imagining myself coming back as a fox that might sleep under its shade. It’s hard to explain but being so small and young made me feel a part of something awesome. I wrote this poem:

Dear Tree

Mother, Father, Sister, Brother,

Take me with you

into tomorrow.

With

Roots to my past,

So deep it takes me beyond this time

till I visit again and again

this time as a woman, next as a fox,

and then woman again.”

—LIZA, AGE 18

Liza experienced a feeling of connectedness to all of life, and that she did, indeed, belong here. This gave her the courage she needed to face her difficulties. Afterward, in a circle with the others that went on a walk at the same time, she discovered that the tracks were likely those of a badger. As it turned out, the badger was likely trying to eat whatever was in the tree! For her and the others, badgers represented “fierceness” as their strength, and “others being afraid of them” as their weakness. This shared interpretation gave her even more insight and help with her issue. Later she read in the book Animal-Speak that “bold self-expression and reliance” are traits of the badger. This added another dimension to her encounter.

We can continue our interpretations after we return from our medicine walk. It can be helpful to get books on birds, insects, and animal behavior. There is an abundance of such books available at every library and bookstore. Following an encounter with wildlife, our understanding can grow if we do a little investigative research about that particular animal. The history and mythology of wildlife is also available and can be helpful in interpreting our encounters with something wild. The meaning will change as we change. Then there may come a time when we need to get more insight, so we take another medicine walk.

“We all come from the Mother

And to Her we shall return

Like a drop of rain

Flowing to the ocean.”

—ZSUZANNA E.
BUDAPEST, WICCAN
AUTHOR OF
GRANDMOTHER OF
TIME: A WOMAN’S
BOOK OF
CELEBRATIONS,
SPELLS, AND SACRED
OBJECTS FOR EVERY
MONTH OF THE YEAR

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Gear you will need for a medicine walk:

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For further help on medicine walks refer to the resources given at the end of the chapter.

More Medicine from Nature

If you don’t have time for a long medicine walk, consider other ways to listen to nature’s wisdom:

The places you find—holes in trees, creeks to sit by—can be returned to again and again. In your returns you are naturally creating your own sacred place. You are building this place’s wisdom by your presence, questions, and intents.

“This generation is serving as the midwife for the rebirth of the Shechinah. . . . This Goddess who shines on us as we study sacred texts is found in red-wood groves and apple orchards. She is coming to us in the wind and the water, in the ocean and the mountains.”

—RABBI LEAH
NOVICK, RITUALIST

Vision Questing

“Our demons are our own limitations, which shut us off from the realization of the ubiquity of the spirit . . . each of these demons is conquered in a Vision Quest.”

—JOSEPH CAMPBELL, PHILOSOPHER
AND MASTER STORYTELLER

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

—PROVERBS 29:18

In the Sioux tradition vision quests are called hanblecheya, which translates into “crying for a vision.” A vision quest is similar to a medicine walk, only it involves more and tends to be more intense. It is, quite literally, a “quest” for answers by going into the night wilderness “unprotected.” Unprotected means to have as little clothing as possible without endangering oneself, and without food and other distractions. Many powerful experiences happen when we go out into the woods with only our curiosity to protect us.

Visions are sought after when we are about to take an important journey—like the great journey into adulthood. A vision quest can also be taken when we have an earnest prayer or request. In ancient cultures, many prophecies were the result of a vision that came to someone who sincerely and respectfully “requested” it. Sometimes a vision comes to us because we are in urgent need of one. A vision quest is a request made to the spirit world. No matter what faith or traditions we value, a vision quest can give us insight and help.

Like the vision quests of North American tribes such as the Dakotas (Black Elk Speaks/White Buffalo Calf Woman), all indigenous cultures have their own way of seeking a vision. Many seek a vision through hours or even days of drumming and dancing, while others seek one through running miles until exhausted. Through these means the seeker reaches an altered state and then receives a vision or dream of some kind. Most have some form of “fasting” involved, not eating before and/or while on the quest (which can last up to four days). The Celts sent people out to an island alone to receive answers and insight. Aborigines in Australia do “walkabouts.” Buddhists and Muslims go on pilgrimages, walking long distances to a sacred spot. Being alone in the wilderness and meditation are also common in most cultures’ practices of vision questing.

All kinds of vision quests attempt to break down the barriers between the mundane day-to-day world and the spirit world. When this veil is broken, we receive a vision, an insight, or a dream that is helpful to us. These visions also hold messages for those in our circle (family, friends, community).

“As I dig for wild orchids

in the autumn fields,

it is the deeply-bedded root

that I desire,

not the flower.”

—IZUMI SHIKIBU,
ANCIENT JAPANESE
POET, FROM THE INK
DARK MOON

During our Thundering Years visions can be a powerful way to gain wisdom about our life’s purpose. Because vision quests are understood as a valuable tool for young adults, many people offer these today (refer to the resource section of this chapter and chapter 5). A vision quest is set up to help you remove obstacles to a vision, to remove the distractions of life, such as food, television, beepers, telephones, even music. It is you and the wilderness, and you can’t help but have a memorable experience.

“And it was a good time to be alive. The Great Spirit right here, resting in the heartbeat of the people’s drums. Showing them how to dance, how to find their voice. Teaching them to hear their own breath in the whisper of a raven’s wing.”

—GARY FERGUSON,
AUTHOR OF
SHOUTING
AT THE SKY

The Basics for Your Vision Quest

Unlike some of the other rituals within this book, you will need a “council of elders” to hold a vision quest. This council can include a vision quest guide, parents, teachers, grandparents, godparents, mentors, therapists, or religious leaders. All the council elders are adults you have a great trust and respect for, and who are willing to help with your vision quest. The vision quest guide is someone who has facilitated many such quests and is likely to charge a fee, or expect a “gift,” for his or her services (a list of such persons is given at the end of this chapter). The council of elders is intended to help you interpret your vision. They will have a warm fire built for you on your return from your quest, at which time they will greet you, offer you food, and listen to your experience.

A vision quest is always done in the wilderness. You will need to plan for a place—it is important that you (and the others on the quest, if it is a group) have enough wilderness around you. Some national parks or retreat centers are good for this. There are retreat centers in most states that offer vision quests for young people. A vision quest is done in solitude, where you are out in the wilderness for at least a full day and night alone. Often one of the elders will guide you to a place far enough away from the council fire and others so you can feel the solitude.

To encourage a vision, it is advised by many that you fast at least the day of the quest, and that you take no food with you into the wilderness. Take some water but no other means of distraction with you. (Refer to the medicine walk list of what you will need [see page 81] and exclude the watch.) Some take a journal, but most guides and elders consider journals an obstacle to a vision. You will remember what happens to you and can record it after your return. Take a sleeping bag, or a couple blankets to keep warm, but no other cover such as a tent. You are meant to be “exposed” to the wilderness. If you are too protected, you won’t get the vision you are “crying” for.

The entire idea of a wilderness vision quest is to take you away from the familiar and into the natural world. It is a genuine encounter with the Spirit of the wilderness. None of us can manipulate an encounter with the weather and the untamed wilderness, and this brings out something in each of us that resonates with the wilderness. It also brings out our need to compromise, to relax some of our “rules” since we can’t control nature. When we can’t manipulate, we find a flexibility in ourselves we didn’t know we had. Some things that seemed big and important become small, and some small ideas become big.

Before you go out, you “call for a vision.” It can be open ended or specific. You can share it with the council members before you go out on your quest, or keep it to yourself. Then, just as in the medicine walk, you will cross the threshold from the ordinary world into your vision quest. This is the same place you will pass through on your return to the elders’ council.

“Nature is our only reliable and authentic teacher.”

—LUTHER BURBANK,
PLANT SCIENTIST

The Vision

“A vision comes as a gift born of humility, of wisdom, and of patience. If from your vision quest you have learned nothing but this, then you have already learned much.”

—FROM AMERICAN INDIAN MYTHS AND LEGENDS

The loneliness of a night under the sky can easily bring up many feelings. So notice all your feelings, thoughts, and dreams as part of your vision.

“I didn’t have some spirit walk up and talk with me, and I didn’t see anything. But the night under the stars alone was awesome. I really wondered if I could even do it. There were times I was scared. Before it got dark, I was bored. But then when it started getting dark, my imagination went wild. And I did hear all sorts of animals and things walking around out there. And—it’s hard to explain if you’ve never done this—but I found a piece of myself out there. A piece that was missing for a long, long time. If you ask me what my ‘vision’ was, it’s this missing piece of me.”

—JEREMY, AGE 18

Visions typically come as feelings of courage or peace with yourself, or as an awareness, like the one Jeremy had, or you might have a dream that holds significance for you.

“I thought I would never get to sleep, actually. Finally I did, and I had this dream: I was babysitting a little girl and we were at this place where there were swimming pools all over the place, and bars where people were drinking a lot. Most everyone had a drink in their hand, or they were swimming. My parents were there in some bar. At some point I asked a friend to watch the girl for a little while. And she said she would, so I went to get something. When I came back, my friend wasn’t watching the little girl, and she couldn’t be found. I started to scream for her and asked others to search the pools. But no one seemed to care. Then I found her in a pool and pulled her out. She was okay, but she had lost consciousness. I wrapped her up in a lot of warm towels and hugged her and kissed her and told her how much I loved her. She looked right into my eyes. When I awoke I knew that the little girl was me. I was saving myself from drowning by being involved with the vision quest and by hooking up with others who cared about me. I felt both sad and strong. I knew there were some people I couldn’t hang around with anymore if I wanted to live.”

—MEGAN, AGE 18

Nature Meditations

“I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”

—WENDELL BERRY, NATURALIST AND POET

We all need to “rest in the grace of the world.” With all the intensity within you, like the “day-blind stars waiting with their light,” meditation and sitting quietly in nature can bring great relief and freedom. Just to simply enjoy the quiet of the river, or the strength of a large tree as you sit against it. You can gain strength by being in such places. You can calm any mental confusion by having as little as ten minutes in the woods, away from the noise of the city. Just ten minutes of lying in a field, walking barefoot on the grass, or sitting against a tree can replenish you. Let the earth and fresh air comfort you.

Energizing Meditation

“Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God.”

—ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING, ENGLISH POET

Breathing in the fresh air, listening to the sounds of nature, feeling your feet on the earth, can renew the hope that lies dormant under all the heaviness we sometimes carry within us. We need the ability to experience a rebirth of energy and hope when we are feeling low or depressed. Too often we get stuck inside on the Internet, talking on the phone, or watching television—trying to find a way out of our gloom. But the best medicine can often be found outside, in a “common bush.” Earth is “crammed with heaven,” holding in it the ability to crack through our depression or sluggishness. Most rituals are held outdoors to elicit this “heaven” that the earth holds for us. As we light our ritual fires, feel the ground under our feet, and see the stars stretched above us, our spirits are lifted and our attitude improved. Sometimes just holding a rock in our hands or feeling the rain on our face can be of immense help in a time of darkness. When you are feeling down, let yourself be energized by a simple walk outside. Let the skin of your feet or hands touch the natural strength you can feel in the plants and soil. Take a walk in a nearby park, touch a tree, touch a common bush. Let the earth help you feel your natural strength and beauty.

Take ten minutes to sit comfortably outdoors. Sit on the ground and take a few moments to bring your awareness to your breath. Begin to imagine the earth breathing through you. . . . As you allow the breath to move in and out naturally, feel it connected to the sweet slow rhythm of the earth’s breath. . . . As you breathe in, breathe in the strength and beauty around you, and as you breathe out, release . . . release your heaviness into the earth. Sit and breathe with the earth, feeling its strength and how it supports your body.

“I have found that the best cure for the blues is a good walk outside.”

—WILLIAM E.
ISHMAEL, WILDLIFE
BIOLOGIST AND
MENTOR

“Before eating, always take a little time to thank the food.”

—ARAPAHO PROVERB

Appreciation Meditation

Whether or not we can get out into nature, we can bring nature’s qualities into our daily life. Perhaps you know the story of the girl who walked three miles, on a busy street, to kill herself by jumping off a bridge. She looked into the faces of dozens of strangers as she walked slowly to the bridge. People either looked away or stared back at her. For three miles no one said hello or inquired about the stress and pain on her face. As she approached the bridge, where only a month earlier a friend of hers had jumped to his death, she saw the face of a man smiling at her. He was just an ordinary man, carrying a briefcase in one hand and walking fast somewhere. But he slowed down enough to give her a big smile of recognition. She had to smile back, even though he was a stranger. In her journal later that day she wrote, “An angel disguised as a man smiled at me today, and I decided if God was going to bother to send me an angel I could hang on.”

Each day look at those who pass you by, catch the location of the sun as it rises in the sky, put your hands into a running stream, touch the falling snow, smell the cold air, eat an apple very slowly, listen to a bird sing, or feed a squirrel. . . . There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth right in our own front yards. We need only slow down a bit and appreciate what is around us. Our human neighbors are also part of the circle of life, we are all part of nature. Showing someone you recognize them as a “member of the human family,” is a form of meditation in action. It is slowing down enough to do what would come more naturally to us if we weren’t so distracted and caught up in things! Today take the time to “kneel and kiss the earth” in your own way. Be that angel in disguise and smile at a stranger. Eat that one apple slowly . . . tasting every bite.

“Brambles should be cut away,
removing even the sprouts.
Within essence there naturally blooms
A beautiful lotus blossom.

If you don’t know essence and don’t know life,
You will split the creative and receptive into two paths.
But the day you join them together to form the elixir,
You fall drunken into the jug yet have no need of support.”

—TAN GUANGZHEN, CHINESE PHILOSOPHER

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Books, Resources, and Wisdomkeepers Related to This Chapter

Animal-Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small, by Ted Andrews (Llewellyn Publications, 1996). A great resource for helping interpret your medicine walks. Includes a dictionary of animal, bird, and reptile symbolism.

Animal Wisdom: The Definitive Guide to the Myth, Folklore and Medicine Power of Animals, by Jessica Dawn Palmer (Thorsons, 2001). A comprehensive guide to the legends, rituals, and magical powers of animals. Includes worthwhile descriptions of the Thunderbeings. An excellent companion to this chapter.

A Crow Doesn’t Need a Shadow: A Guide to Writing Poetry from Nature, by Lorraine Ferra (Peregrine Books, 1994). Helps connect the creative spirit with the great outdoors.

Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions, by John (Fire) Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes (Washington Square Press, 1976). Lame Deer shares the story of his reckless youth, and his quest of a vision.

Lost Borders: Coming of Age in the Wilderness (Two Shoes Productions, 1998), 84-minute video. This moving documentary explores an ancient rite of passage that is being revived in North America. For ordering and further information visit the Web site: www.bullfrogfilms.com.

A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold (Ballantine Books, 1949). A nature lover’s classic. An example of a published journal.

365 Days of Nature and Discovery: Things to Do and Learn for the Whole Family, by Jane Reynolds, Phil Gates, and Gaden Robinson (Bellew Publishing, 1994). Useful and fun guide to help create your own nature walks and to gain a better understanding of the natural world.

Contact your local Department of Natural Resources. They offer year-round free outdoor workshops and trainings. They also have booklets of local wildlife and pamphlets of animals tracks to help you identify what may have appeared on your medicine walk. They also have a list of parks and sanctuaries where you can hold your medicine walks.

Jed Swift
Medicine Walk Guide
4859 10th Street
Boulder, CO 80304
e-mail: Jedswift@earthlink.com
Leads people of all ages through medicine walks and offers workshops on improving our relationship with nature.

Tom Brown’s Tracker School
Tracking, Nature, and Wilderness Survival
P.O. Box 173
Ashbury, NJ 08802
(908) 479-4681
Fax: (908) 479-6867
e-mail: TrackInc@aol.com
www.trackerschool.com
Resource of classes (links on the site), books, and events. Excellent resource for the adventurous soul. Includes shamanic healing and nature rituals. Make sure you check out their excellent links page.

Bob Burton
Visionquest, Inc.
P.O. Box 12906
Tucson, AZ 85732-2906
(520) 881-3950
www.Vq.com
Visionquest is a private corporation that contracts with public agencies to provide programs for teens. The vision quests vary depending on a given group’s needs. Sweat lodges are also offered. Check out their Web site for class information.

Wonder Camp
Jamie Charles, Camp Director
15423 N. 54th Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
(602) 765-9551
Fax: (602) 765-0691
e-mail: liltiger@amug.org
Offers many rituals and rites of passage for teens. Web site offers readings and more information on the camp, and links to other helpful sites.

Online Resources

American Camping Association
www.acacamps.org
This site provides useful information about finding an American Camping Association camp near you, successful camping tips, volunteer and job opportunities, and what can be expected during one’s first experience at camp.

ANASAZI Foundation
www.anasazi.org
Outdoor healthcare and wilderness encounter classes for those in need of a place to recover from addictions or other difficulties.

Cedar Creek Nature Studies
www.CedarCreekNatureStudies.com
Learn about the school located in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas. They offer classes in tracking, observing nature, and more.

Connecting with Nature
www.ecopsych.com
An extensive site on many ways to connect with nature. Includes educational opportunities.

Native Cultures
www.spiritual-endeavors.org
An index of information and resources on Native cultures, including vision quests, and resources on Mother Earth spirituality.

Skillsalive
www.skillsalive.com
A site that teaches many primitive skills such as drum making, creating shelters, and finding edible plants. Will host classes in your area.

Temagami Experience
www.northwaters.com
This is the site of the Northwaters Wilderness Program at the Temagami Forest Reserve in Ontario, Canada. They specialize in wilderness canoeing adventures and “creating opportunities for learning from the land and one another in a spirit that honors awareness, personal growth, cooperation, balance, and trust.” There are programs created especially for youth.

Wilderness Rites
www.wildernessrites.com
Wilderness Rites is an organization based in Oregon and California that specializes in wilderness quests, youth rites of passage, medicine walks, and “self-generated ceremony and intentional transformational experiences” to connect to the natural world and ourselves.

The Song of Return

I had a date in the bush
With all the Gods,
So I went.
I had a date in the bush
With all the trees,
So I went.
I had a date in the mountain
with the kontomble.
I went because I had to go,
I had to go away to learn
How to know.
I had to go away to learn
How to grow.
I had to go away to learn
How to stay here.
So I went and knocked at doors
Locked in front of me.
I craved to enter.
Oh, little did I know
The doors did not lead outside.
It was all in me.
I was the room and door.
It was all in me.
I just had to remember.
And I learned that I lived
Always and everywhere.
I learned that I knew everything,
Only I had forgotten.
I learned that I grew
Only I had overlooked things.
Now I am back, remembering.
I want to be what I know I am,
And take the road we always
Forget to take.
Because I heard the smell
Of the things forgotten
And my belly was touched.

—DAGARA TRIBE, WEST AFRICA, FROM OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT:
RITUAL, MAGIC, AND INITIATION IN THE LIFE OF AN AFRICAN SHAMAN