The Spirit of the Land with Gaela Morrison

Some talk of the living spirit of the land – what is meant by this? Indigenous cultures all over the planet believe that there is spirit in everything, in the land, in buildings, in plants, in everything. Our relationship with the earth, with nature, with all beings includes the subtle world, the unseen realms and its many dimensions which is very much alive. There are nature spirits, spirits of the trees and plants, of the mineral kingdom, rivers, lakes, and valleys, mountains, larger over lighting spirits of the land, the spirits of the elements of earth, water, fire and air, ancestral spirits of the land.

The Brothers Grimm

Where did these famous German brothers, both academics, with their celebrated collection of fairy tales, get their inspiration? For centuries fairy stories were passed down by word-of-mouth, and not just because most people couldn’t read. Many feared being burnt at the stake. It wasn’t until the eighteenth century that this terrible practice ceased.

Then along came German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder, a student of Kant, talking of the importance of the Volkgeist – the spirit of a people – and how important it is for a nation to gather up its songs, customs and superstitions.

Inspired by this new thought, German academics the brothers Grimm, began gathering folk tales, first published as Children and Household Tales in 1812 with 86 stories and, growing over subsequent editions to 211 unique stories, in what we now know as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. 

Developing Fairy Relationships

Fairies appear in our lives in a multitude of ways. ‘Many traditional cultures have sensed the presence of spirits in nature,’ tells British healer and researcher David Furlong. ‘Japan’s Shinto religion specifically worships the spirits of place, the Kami, which reside in rocks and caves. The beings inhabiting these realms are just as conscious as you and I, though they have a different way of connecting to the physical world.’

‘If you so wish, can build a complete trust with beings from these realms you will find that specific elemental spirits will come and work with you and be with you for the rest of your life.