My Notes: Animism

I've recently started taking a few courses on Druidry and I thought I would start posting my notes on the blog.

Animism is considered the oldest belief system of humankind, predicated on the idea that everything in the world—whether living or non-living—possesses a Spirit and consciousness. Derived from the Latin word animus, meaning "rational soul" or "intelligence," the term was formally coined in the 19th century to describe the "universal animation of nature".

Animism can be defined by several core concepts:

Core Principles of Animism

• Universal Sentience: In an animistic worldview, trees, plants, animals, stones, rivers, and even natural phenomena like the wind or moon are viewed as conscious beings.
• Equality of Life: Animism rejects the "cult of the individual" and human superiority. Instead, humans are seen as just "one strand woven into the complex systems of Earth Community".
• A Way of Relating: Rather than just a theoretical belief, it is a "way of relating to the world" through respectful, honest, and responsible interaction with nature.

The World of Spirit

The spiritual world can be categorized into two broad areas:

1. Spirit of Place: These are entities that inhabit specific locations, such as local deities, guardians of the landscape, or beings from folklore like Dryads, Nymphs, or the Fae.
2. Spirit of Living Things: This is the non-physical part of a person or creature—the seat of character and emotions—that makes them conscious. In Druidry, this Spirit is seen as eternal, departing the body at death to eventually return to a "Universal Consciousness".

Historical and Cultural Context

Animism has been a foundational element of human spirituality since Paleolithic times and remains a key component of several modern traditions:

• Ancient Roots: It was practiced by the ancient Celts, who venerated springs and rivers as gateways to the "Other World," and by Greek philosophers like Pythagoras and Plato.
• Global Traditions: It continues to thrive in Japanese Shinto (the belief in kami inhabiting all things), as well as in the traditions of indigenous cultures in North America and Australia.

Practicing an Animistic Life

Living as an animist involves a shift in perspective and daily habits, including:

• Letting Go of Hierarchies: Releasing the need for control and the idea that humans are separate from nature.
• Heightened Awareness: Practicing "Sits in Nature" to observe the flow of the environment and learning to "see with the heart and soul" rather than just the eyes.
• Reciprocity: Following a "give more than you take" policy, where one only takes what is essential for life and offers gifts (such as water or breath) in return for nature's bounty.
• Ethical Assessment: Understanding the "essential essence" of things—including modern technologies—to determine how to react to them properly and proportionately.

To understand animism is to view the world not as a collection of objects, but as a vast community of persons, where a stone or a storm is as much a "someone" as a human neighbor.