Have you wondered what it might be like to talk to a tree, or a waterway and have it talk back. There is a pretty good chance that if you frequently visit nature, that an ally in the outdoors might be trying to get you to notice it. Here are some common signs that you are getting a nudge from spirit.
- You get goosebumps or can feel the hair on your body stand on end.
- You notice a tingling or prickly feeling in the body. Often the neck.
- There is an odd audible shift. You may hear a ringing, a shift in tone, or develop pressure in one ear as if you are submerged under water.
- You might hear a message that seems to come from outside of you.
- A vision appears in your mind’s eye that isn’t a part of the scene before you. (Ex. a cup of tea laid out on a cloth beneath a tree)
- You feel a pull, like a strong attraction that draws you in a certain direction that may not be part of your planned route. It could almost sound like an object or being is calling out to you, guiding you forward towards something that exists in nature.
- At other times you might notice a repulsion. Or a sense that you should not do something even though it is part of your plan.
Tuning in to yourself in a somatic way can highly attune your ability to pick up on the subtle energies of guides and allies. With a meditation practice, you learn to still the mind. To acknowledge a thought and let it pass. With the art of listening to beings outside of yourself it is similar, but rather than letting it pass, you can ask yourself “is this a message for me?” If you sense a yes, then you might want to follow with the question, “Who is trying to talk to me?” Allow yourself to track the first message that arises. It is helpful to tune in to the Hara, or the “gut knowing” part of your body in the 3rd chakra. Or you may find that a message arises in your heart, which is more direct conduit for trees to communicate to you than through the intellect. It can be useful to allow your body to begin a sort of game with itself to understand sensations as they arise. A truth will feel warm or positive while something that doesn’t suit you will feel more repulsive. It is like a game of hot or cold.
I know people who are clairaudient that get very direct messages. It is an auditory directive that they recognize as coming from an outside source. Or the clairvoyants who literally see that there is a being in or near a tree beckoning for them to come over and visit. It hasn’t been like this for me. I share this message because I never would have thought that I had the abilities to tune in and decipher what was coming through for me because I am not visual or able to hear my guides. It has taken many years to learn how to tune my body to the subtle frequencies of the unseen realm. And then even more difficult was to develop faith that I can trust what I get. With my practice of divination I can turn to my shells for confirmation. While I am so grateful that I can resort to them for verification, I began to use them as a crutch instead of relying on my own inner guidance. So I could point you towards the benefits of a pendulum- but I would be doing you the same disservice. Instead, learn to tune your subtle frequency channel.
Here’s my suggestion. Get outdoors! Make a habit to visit a place in nature on a regular basis. Start off with a set plan for your meanderings. Allow yourself to feel through all of the senses. Find something visual that you can appreciate and study its form. Listen to the sounds that arise on your walk. Can you hear birds, the breeze, water running? Is there a scent that stands out? Does it remind you of anything? Allow your mind to follow that memory if one arises. What sensations arise for you tactiley? You could run your hand over the soft, wet green moss on the trees. You could sink your feet in the sticky mud? Is there any message that comes to you through taste? Maybe you have pulled up a blade of sweet grass to chew on? After you drop in to the 5 senses, the next to feel into is the more hidden sixth sense. Allow your vision to soften. Allow yourself to be pulled off course of your usual walking path. Consider speaking a request into the space in front of you. “Who would like to say hello today?” You can do this silently, but don’t be afraid to be that crazy person ” talking to themselves”. Amazing dialogues with the unseen realm can develop once you initiate the conversation. As your practice expands, you will want to consider bringing some offerings with you for any element of nature that calls to you. A sip of your water or tea could be poured to a tree, or a crystal offered to the water. You can find more about offerings as you look through our blog posts. I once hear the saying, “the willful suspension of disbelief”. Use this tool as you proceed. As adults its like stretching muscles that we haven’t used in years. The imagination that we admire in children, is so much more than we give credit to. Have fun!To watch a video with more thoughts on tuning in click here.
Image credit Melissa Askew from Unsplash
Sarah Wieland is an initiated diviner in the Dagara Tradition. She offers private sessions to help clients understand where they might be running into blocks in the unseen realm that are keeping them from being in right alignment with their full purpose. She also listens for beautiful rituals to honor the turning points in life.