Who are the spirits of nature? A comprehensive Guide to Nature Spirits
Who are the spirits of nature?
You've probably heard of elves and fairies, sensed spirits in trees, heard rumors of bigfoot, seen faces in stones, or even glimpsed sparks of light in the corner of your eye while walking through the woods.
The truth is, the spirits of nature are all around us—and they are a very diverse group of beings!
This article will introduce you to the basic categories of nature spirits. Let's dive in!
The Big Picture: Animism, Alternate Dimensions, Spirit Friends, and Lost Souls
I find it helpful to look at three main categories of nature spirits — plus a related group you'll encounter as you dive deeper into working with the spirits of nature.
But first…a bit of a disclaimer… Placing spiritual wisdom into strict categorical systems is a bit silly — spirit doesn't play by any rules, and you can probably at times feel truths that your mind has trouble articulating.
However, I love taking convoluted spiritual knowledge and organizing it into systems that help our human brains comprehend the incomprehensible. ;) This is part of my medicine in this lifetime. So, enjoy the attempted organization of the unorganizable!
Physical Nature Spirits
The first category are the nature beings we can see with our regular eyes: flowers, trees, animals, stones, bodies of water, mountains, the sun and planets — anything in nature and the cosmos that exists right alongside us in our 3D reality.
Through an animist perspective, we view all of these nature beings as enlivened by spirit, just as we are.
Magical Nature Spirits
The second category are those nature beings who also exist right alongside us, but in a slightly different frequency — in this way, they often seem quite magical. These beings include the fae, elves, devas, ancestors, various land spirits, and more. We'll dive deeper into this category below!
Though we don't usually see these beings on a regular basis (though it can happen), we can learn to connect with them using our intuitive senses.
Spiritual Nature Spirits
The third category is a bit different — these are high vibrational spirit beings who have an affinity for the earth and the natural world. This category includes our power animals, some ancestors and fae, and some deities.
These beings are often referred to as "spirit guides" — benevolent beings who serve as our teachers, protectors, and healers in the spirit worlds.
Not all spirit guides are nature spirits, and not all nature spirits in this category are spirit guides, so this category can get a little messy (such is the way of spirit!).
What's important to remember is that the first two categories — beings we can see and those in a different frequency — both reside on earth, just like we do.
This third category is for purely spiritual beings who exist beyond time and space — even life — as we know it.
So, while a living hawk has a spirit and would fall into the first category, a spirit hawk that serves as your power animal, for example, is a purely spiritual being that falls into this third category.
Lost Souls
We need to address one more type of being you might encounter as you explore connecting with nature spirits: lost souls.
Sometimes, after a physical body comes to its death point, the spirit inside stays on Earth instead of moving into the light and its next stage of spiritual evolution. This is true for humans and nature spirits—anyone who lives on our earth can experience this phenomenon.
Beings who remain on Earth after their death can become what we call lost souls—it's as if they're stuck. And yes, you could call them ghosts.
It's important to practice discernment when connecting with nature spirits, so you know whether you're connecting with a fellow living being or a lost soul. Lost souls aren't necessarily dangerous, but they can be misleading or draining—especially if you don't know who you're dealing with.
If you’re drawn to helping these spirits, training the art of psychopomp would be a good path for you.
A Deeper Look at Nature Spirits
As mentioned above, all beings in nature are inspirited. You can learn to connect with the spirit of a tree, a rock, a river, a river, a flower, and the Earth herself. I also think of celestial beings as inspirited nature beings, as we can connect with our sun, moon, stars, planets and other beings of the cosmos.
Since we can all see and know who these physical spirits are, let’s explore the magical and spiritual beings who co-exist with us as the spirits of nature…
Spirits of the Land and Place
While "nature spirits" and "spirits of the land" are often used interchangeably, there's a subtle distinction. Nature spirits can be any of the beings we've discussed, whether they're tied to a particular location or not. Spirits of the land are specifically place-based nature spirits.
In addition to the many spirits of the land that reside in each place, every place has its own spirit, too. This might be the spirit of a city, your home or property, a neighborhood, a park, a mountain, wilderness area…
The more you work with nature spirits, the more you’ll be able to feel into what area is contained within each spirit of place. (And yes, they can overlap!)
The Fairy Realm
Perhaps one of the most beloved and well-known types of nature spirits are the fairies. Some people use the term “fairy” to refer to almost any magical being in nature—including elves, sylphs, gnomes, and more. Others have more intentional uses of the world, with different cultures making their own distinctions about who counts as a fairy.
The truth is, there are so many different kinds of fairies, and so many different names for them throughout the world, that this could be an entire book! (And is, many times over.)
As you read more about the fairy worlds, you’ll find that many cultures refer to “dark” and “light” versions—in other words, some are benevolent and some are malevolent.
For now, let’s look a few common types of fairies that you might hear about:
The Fae: This is an umbrella term primarily used for English and Germanic fairies, though it can encompass many magical beings. They're often divided into two courts:
The Seelie Court (Trooping Fairies): Generally more benevolent, including the Tuatha de Danann and various noble fae
The Unseelie Court (Wild Fairies): Often considered more dangerous or mischievous
Other common fairy types include:
Brownies and Pixies: Usually household helpers
Dryads: Tree spirits
Elemental Beings: such as sylphs for air, salamanders for fire, gnomes for earth, and undines for water
Will O'Wisps: Mysterious lights that appear in nature
Kelpies: Water spirits
Flower Fairies: The overlighting spirits of flowers
Changlings: A supernatural being that is left in place of a human child
There are of course so many more! And while this list primarily comes from European folklore, every culture has it’s own language for and communities of fairy beings! If you want a more comprehensive list, I recommend looking into the work of Judika Iles :)
Magical and Mythical Beings
Beyond the fae, so many of the beings we often say are “mythical” are actually nature spirits, existing in parallel realms — often able to cross into the physical for the rare appearance.
Tales of merfolk, satyrs, unicorns, yeti, dragons, selki…are these beings truly only in myth, or do they perhaps exist as spirits of the land?
Here in the Northwest United States, sightings and stories of bigfoot are common — and not just among modern day hikers. The native tribes of the coastal West have legends of bigfoot as a protector and guardian of the forest, appearing to those who are worthy.
What mythological nature spirits reside in your location?
Earth Deities and Guardian Spirits
At the highest level of nature spirits are the great earth deities and guardian spirits found across cultures:
Gaia/Mother Earth/Pacha Mama: The spirit of Earth herself
Artemis, Dionysus, Geb, Danu, Nerthus, and more: Deities associated with wild nature
Various indigenous guardian spirits who protect specific landscapes
These beings often work through other nature spirits to maintain balance and harmony in the natural world, and they are powerful allies to contact directly with your own earth tending.
How to work with the Magical Spirits of Nature
When engaging with nature spirits, especially the fae, it's important to remember a few key principles:
1. Respect and Reciprocity: Unlike purely divine spirits, such as angels or benevolent ancestors, many magical nature spirits operate on a system of exchange. They can see perfectly well if you are a friend or foe…and they will respond accordingly!
2. Boundaries: Be careful about accepting gifts from nature spirits, especially in dreams or journeys. Such exchanges can create energetic bonds that might become challenging to manage. There’s a reason so many myths and fairy tales caution against imbibing the drink of the fae!
3. Cultural Context: While these beings appear in traditions worldwide, their specific characteristics and how to interact with them can vary significantly by culture. What's considered appropriate interaction in one tradition might not be in another.
4. Elements and Alignment: Many nature spirits tend to align with specific elements and prefer to work within their domain. For example, a tree spirit might have "one foot in our world and one in another," making it a bridge between realms.
Download a free 45-page ritual guide filled with elemental practices here:
The realm of nature spirits is vast and complex, filled with beings that range from the physical to the purely spiritual. As you explore these relationships, remember to approach with respect, discernment, and an open heart. While we can create categories and systems to understand these beings better, the reality is often more fluid and mysterious than our human minds can fully grasp.
The key to working with nature spirits isn't just about understanding who they are—it's about developing relationships based on mutual respect and understanding. Whether you're connecting with the spirit of a tree in your backyard or exploring the mysterious realm of the fae, each interaction is an opportunity to deepen your connection with the living world around us.
ASTROLOGY | RECIPES | REWILDING | SACRED AROMATICS | SHAMANISM | SPIRITUALITY | WELLNESS
Juniper Stokes is a certified coach, mythoanimist guide, alchemist & artist.
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