Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings.   For today’s post, I have decided to cover a subject I am quite shocked I have never actually written about specifically in its own devoted post over the last three-plus years of writing here.   That subject is Animism.   Now, I want to begin with the official definition of Animism so that I give my readers a baseline explanation of the concept before diving deeper. 

According to dictionary.com Animism is defined as:

“ANIMISM

[ an-uh-miz-uhm ]

noun

1. the belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls.
2. the belief that natural objects have souls that may exist apart from their material bodies.”    

Okay, so those two explanations used in the definitions of Animism give us a great baseline to explain the concept further, and why so many spiritual individuals, myself included, subscribe to this belief!   I have always simply explained the concept to those who did not know the term before that Animism is ‘the belief that everything has a spirit’.   I do prefer to use the word spirit here as opposed to the word soul because I personally find it more applicable since when I think soul I am more thinking of immortal souls and reincarnation (but that is a subject for another day).   

Now that we have a definition, I want to provide some background of my belief in Animism.   I can see and feel these spirits of the natural world and even of objects around me (like our houses and cars for example).   I know that many people, even those less spiritually inclined can feel this too, all without questioning why we think of these things as having a spirit.    After I began my spiritual journey and after having my first big spiritual awakening, I realized that I have literally always believed in Animism, from talking to plants and trees as a child, to feeling an energy attached to a house that is not a ghost or Fae, but in fact the spirit of the house itself.   This knowledge came at the same time as my realization that I have always had the ability to perceive and communicate with especially the Fae, but also ghosts!   The final part of this post will be an exploration of different types of spirits found within Animism.   So, let’s look at some of them!

SOME COMMON TYPES OF SPIRITS IN ANIMISM

~PLANT SPIRITS~ As an herbalist, one of my most common spirits found in Animism which I commune with regularly are plant spirits.   I commune with Plant Spirits during meditation when I am working with a new herb, I commune with them when I am foraging, making sure that I have permission to take parts of the plant material for my own uses, and I commune with the spirits of my own houseplants!   The communion with my houseplants led to a funny conversation with my husband last week, I explained as I was purchasing a new plant that ‘she’ would fit perfectly on the windowsill.   He questioned when I said she, and I explained that this plant was female.   Later I said I would just move ‘him’ over, referring to the oldest plant I have in my home, and he said ‘So that plant is male?’   I explained that each of my plants has come through with not only a spirit but an energy that I perceive as either male or female, so I address them as such!

~TREE SPIRITS~ Another favorite type of spirit for me to communicate with, as I feel their presence often and love communing with them in the forest.   When I refer to myself as having been a Tree Hugger my entire life, I am not kidding, I have always felt a special connection to the whole plant world (and I thought I was primarily a Water Element practitioner for years, it is crazy to think that now).   I have long loved to climb up and sit beneath trees to commune with their special spirits, getting very different energy signatures from different trees!   I must note that this also relates to Woodland Nymphs as a Faery group, especially Dryads, as they are said to be the living embodiment of Trees, so they would be a type of Tree Spirit themselves.

~RIVER SPIRITS~ Often thought of as very dangerous types of spirits in Animism.   River Spirits are the literal embodiment of the River and can be dangerous in that any body of water has perceived dangers attached.   Now, in my personal experience, River Spirits are only as dangerous as they need to be.   By that, I mean that if you respect the water and the Spirits of nature around you, and are earnest in your desire to build a relationship, then they can be a beautiful type of spirit to have a bond with.   On the other hand, if you disrespect nature, and especially litter and pollute the River, then the River Spirit can be incredibly dangerous in desiring to protect themselves.   Like with any spirit or Fae relationship, it is all about building respect.   For instance, I have a very positive and cherished bond with the River Spirit that resides in the River near my parents’ home.   This was the first Spirit of the Land that I built a relationship with consciously when I began my spiritual journey.   She is a powerful and bold spirit, very maternal but also very much a spirit who brooks no fools, demanding respect, but providing much solace.   I still regularly visit her, and the Tree Spirit that resides at the edge of the river bank, which I also built a relationship with early on, when I visit my parents!   So, it is clear that I still have a deep bond with Water, but it is my secondary element after Earth, I have come to realize.

~WELL SPIRITS~ The energy of a well full of water has been held as very sacred for many centuries.   This is where we get Faery Maidens protecting Wells in myth and legend.   I have never had the opportunity to build a relationship with a Well Spirit, but I know they should be approached with caution and respect, just as any Water Spirit, as they are dangerous if disrespected, much in line with what I said about River Spirits!

~CRYSTAL SPIRITS~ Anyone who loves to collect crystals and feels that the energy of the crystal that they hold in meditation is communing with that Crystal Spirit!   Crystal Spirits are some of the most common to find, as most people have crystals around them somewhere, in jewelry or home decor for example.    They are spirits that tend to bond very well with different people, which is why I always tell loved ones to buy the crystal that is calling to them, as that is a new Spirit Ally crying out to work with you!

~HOUSE SPIRITS~ Finally, I want to acknowledge that yes even our houses can have spirits that are completely separate from a ghost that may haunt the residence.   There are different ways that a house spirit could come into being, they could be a Land Spirit who has looked over the land the house was built upon from time immemorial, or they could form from energy that has been present in the home for many decades, for instance.   I encourage anyone with a desire to deepen their spiritual senses to figure out whether they have a house spirit tied to their home, as they can be great allies for protection and comfort!

~I hope you have enjoyed this post about Animism.   Do you subscribe to the belief of Animism?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services!    I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon!  Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/

Further Reading

• Water Witchcraft by Annwyn Avalon
• Magical Faery Plants by Sandra Kynes
• Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes