#land spirits

[broomsick]

Never let anybody ridicule your beliefs. It’s human to find divinity in the mundane. It’s human to turn to the divine for answers. It’s not a matter of intelligence, like some would like to think. It’s a matter of human nature and instinct.

So leave some honey out for the fae, find omens in the patterns of the clouds, or hang wind chimes outside like your grandma used to do. Don’t let anybody call you anything other than human.

[raining-tulips]

I am TELLING YOU if you have spent months, years, around the same trees, land, etc., they WILL recognize you and reach out to you or not mind if you reach out to them. You don’t need to know anything about them.

A tree in the forest behind my parents house I’ve never spoken to before reached out - I never would’ve expected it. I don’t know what kind of tree it is. But of course this tree knows me. This tree has known me since I was six.

Trust me. This land knows you. These plants know you. They want to speak with you.

[delightingintragedy]

my tip to befriending nature spirits is to just like Go There and be around them. maybe sprinkle a few native seeds for the birds, give a squirrel a little pile of nuts, clean up a bit, sing a little, etc. they'll get used to you being around and be like "oh!!! the human who sings to us is back!!" its literally that easy. just do nice things and spend time with them, they'll warm up to you.

[appalachiasferaldaughter]

Hail, Spirit of the Mountain, Hail, Landvættir!

Hail to you, Spirit of the Mountain lands, Although I am from Appalachia, you welcome me as your own kin and Daughter.

Hail to you, Landvættir: the Great Deer Herds, The Guardians of these mountains and woods, Keepers of the Ancient Wisdom and tales.

May I recognize your presence all times, May I always listen when you speak up, May you be blessed in all your endeavors.

Hail, Spirit of the Mountain, Hail, Landvættir!

[lailoken]

On our last night spent visiting the small lake town that my mother grew up in, we went out to watch for shooting stars that were in the forecast. While we did see several shooting stars, we were also amazed to see any unexpected Aurora Borealis. The first four pictures I share here were long-exposure photos, though the last one shows a terrible approximation of what we saw with the naked eye. Though it was far less vibrant and intense than it looks in the long-exposures, what was plainly visible was still pretty breathtaking. It felt like a beautiful sendoff from this ancestral land that I had finally gotten the chance to meet.

The next day, however, I had one even more surprising sendoff in store. Before heading to the airport to fly home, we decided to take one last row on the lake my mother grew up on as a child, using the rowboat of a family friend. As we made our way back to the dock, I was a little gobsmacked to spot a Hagstone floating in the water—literally strung on a reed like a bead on thread, and sitting atop the water's surface. As we went past it, I managed to reach out and slip the Hagstone off its reed, like a mystical prize. This is, without a doubt, one of the most significant hagstones I've ever been granted, and an almost painfully direct embrace from this Genius Loci.

[studies-in-heathenry]

The ritual I do most often is offering the first serving of whatever I made to a guest. If we have a physical guest over they get the serving but if we don’t have anyone over it goes to a non-physical guest. Most of the time for me that is Njordr but I’ve also given it to land spirits and occasionally other gods as well.

[vacantwoodsenthusiast]

I deleted my tiktok and my old WordPress account and now think it's time to post more long form media on here.

Can I get some folk practioners to follow on here? Appalachain witchcraft, traditional witchcraft and folk Christianity are all encouraged. Also pop culture magic and BIPOC magic is highly encouraged!

[path-of-grass-and-leaves]

Creating a Backyard Land Spirit Profile

Working with land spirits can help connect you with your local ecosystem, and for some practitioners is a crucial aspect of bioregional magic. Some folks, like myself, consider themselves to be initiated by one or more land spirits.

When I use the term land spirits, I am referring to a few different things. First are the collective spirits of various plants, animals, and insects present in a specific bioregion. An example of collective, in this context, means that if I'm petitioning help from the spirit of violets, I am working with the spirit of all violets present in that area rather than a singe flower that grows in my yard.

The next is the land guardian, which in my practice is a more powerful spirit with claim over a specific territory, like a forest, river, or neighborhood.

Sometimes these two concepts are separate and sometimes they're interchangeable. It all depends on personal practice, culture, local folklore, etc.

One thing that has been extremely beneficial to my practice has been creating a backyard land spirit profile. This method has been useful for spirit work and "green" magic, but more importantly, it's helped me immerse myself in my local ecosystem and I get to meet a lot of cool animals and plants.

Here is an over-simplfied example of my backyard land profile:

Ecosystem: Central Interior and Appalachian: Mixed woodlands, close to possible floodplains

Soil Type: Clay in garden bed, Loamy near/beneath shrubs, Sandy in sunny areas of the lawn

Flora:

Cultivated- Paradise Apple, Highbush Blueberry, Rose of Sharon, Dog Rose, Black-Eyed Susan, Sundial Lupine

Native - Bloodroot, Wild Strawberry, Common Violet, Wrinkle-Leaf Goldenrod, Blue Wood-Aster, Horseweed, Fireweed, Deer-Tongue Witchgrass, Common Milkweed

Invasive - Round-Leaved Bittersweet, Yellow Toadflax, Creeping Bellflower, Common Mugwort

Naturalized - Dandelion, Broad-Leaf Plantain, Deadly Nightshade

Notes - Various mosses, unidentified mushrooms growing on lawn and lichens found on some trees/shrubs.

Fauna:

Mammals - Raccoon, Opossum, Striped Skunk, Grey Squirrel, Chipmunk, Feral Cats, Deer mouse, House Mouse

Birds - Cardinals, Chickadees, Catbirds, American Robin, Downy Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, Crow

Reptiles and Amphibians - N/A

Fish - N/A

Invertebrates - Dotted Wolf Spider, Leopard Slug, Tiger Bee Fly, Monarch Caterpillars, Peach Root Weevile, Narrow-Winged Mantis, Fireflies

Ecoregion and Soil Type

The first thing I did was determine what type of ecosystem my yard used to be. In an urban/suburban area this was a bit challenging.

I started by identifying a few wild plants and finding out where they usually grow. Most of them seemed to prefer shady woodlands and rich soil. There were also a couple of pioneer species present in the sunnier and more disturbed areas of the yard.

Next, I took a look at surrounding wild areas. We are close to a mountain and a large river. There are woodlands near and within the city made up of mostly hardwood and conifer trees. I knew from memory that certain areas close to my home are likely floodlands.

After that, I found a bioregion map of my country which showed that my state fell under the category of Central Interior and Appalachian. I searched this region on landscope.org and was able to determine my specific ecoregion (not shared here for privacy reasons).

From there I started making educated guesses. I determined that my backyard was likely a mixed hardwood and conifer woodland sitting very close to what might have been a floodplain.

For my soil type, I took samples from different areas of my yard and used an online guide to determine what kind of soil I had. Most of it was sandy or loamy, but my flower beds seemed to have some clay.

Using all this information, I had a general idea of what kind of plants and wildlife would be present without human intervention. It also helped with deciding which native plants to start growing.

Plants

Throughout the year, I went out to the yard with a wildlife field guide and a couple identification apps and identified every plant and insect I found. I grouped the plants into four categories: native, invasive, naturalized, and cultivated. This isn't shown in the example, but I also grouped them by season and the time of year they appear.

Naturalized refers to plants that have integrated themselves into the environment without inflicting damage to the local ecosystem.

You'll notice that under the cultivated section I included a few native plants. This is because those plants were introduced by me and would not be present without my intervention and I wanted to make that distinction.

The importance of native and naturalized plants is obvious, but what about cultivated and invasive? Keeping a profile of invasive plants helped me keep a record of which noxious weeds I need to remove. From an ecological perspective, their removal is crucial to the survival of my native plants and garden crops. From a spiritual perspective, this can be an offering or act of service to the local land spirits. Some of these plants, like Common Mugwort, are both valuable for workings and fine to harvest in large quantities since they are invasive.

Cultivated plants are also important. Many of these plants, like my Blueberries, Apples, and Rose of Sharon, were here before me. The importance of plants introduced by humans is greater than you'd think. First, they are usually crops and flowering plants and provide food for both humans and the local wildlife. Secondly, I live in an urban area, and my land spirits are likely very closely associated with people.

I researched all of my plants and took note of growth patterns, toxicity, medicinal uses, ediblity, native region/habitat, ecological significance/impact, etc. Then I moved onto folklore and symbolism and started working with the spirits of a few plants, performing divination, leaving offerings, harvesting them and including them in rituals and spellwork. I did this in groups to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Please note that you should always properly identify plants and be aware of potential toxicity before harvesting, especially if you plan on burning or consuming said plant. Also steer clear of protected or threatened plants and keep harvest to a minimum even for abundant native species.

Wildlife

My next project was writing down every species of animal and insect that I had encountered in my yard. I grouped them into several categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. In real life my invertebrates section is separated into several subcategories (orb weavers, beetles, etc.).

Next, I used basically the same system I did for plants, researching their native range, preferred habitat, behavior, diet, ecological importance. Then I started looking into folklore.

Finally, I started integrating them into my practice and working with their collective spirits. This involved using animal symbolism in rituals, leaving offerings, and performing a lot of divination.

Remember to never interact with or directly feed wildlife. If I'm making offerings outdoors it is usually fresh water, scattered birdseed, and acts of service like creating habitats and growing plants that a specific species enjoys. If scattering birdseed, do so in the morning to keep too many animals, like raccoons, from entering your yard at night.

Side note: Keep a record of what appears in your yard each year! For example one year we had several chipmunks and one year I saw none. One year we had no fireflies and the next our backyard was covered in them.

Tying It All Together

Once I had my backyard profile completed, I started working with the collective spirits of select species. I have an offering schedule, perform communication, and petition these spirits regularly in spellwork. I use certain plants that I harvest for offerings and use for tinctures, infusions, cooking, and crafts. I use symbols of local animals in crafts and spellwork.

After working with the "smaller" spirits, you can start seeking out specific land guardians by using a combination of divination and research of local history and folklore.

On a mundane level, I am now able to cultivate an appropriate ecosystem for the local wildlife and start projects to support it. Examples of this are pollinator gardens, stick and brush piles for fireflies and small animals, growing seed-rich and fruiting plants for birds and mammals, winter shelters and TNR plans for feral cats, and more.

I also like to take notes on plants and wildlife that I encounter in my general area that don't usually make it into my backyard. For example there have been coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and black bears spotted in my neighborhood.

I want to stress that I live in a semi-urban and relatively populated neighborhood and I have a small yard. The brief example of of my land profile doesn't cover even a fraction of the wildlife I have encountered in my backyard. There is so much life in urban and suburban areas in need of our support.

[ravenrook]

Getting to know spirits in a new land

Over the summer, I moved out of my hometown. I didn't move that far, but the landscape is quite different (I miss the mountains so much...). I'm still in the process of getting to know my new ecosystem, but I thought I'd share some things that have helped me so far.

Get to know the local flora and fauna

Most things are the same as I grew up with, but there are a few differences that really stand out. The chickadees are a different species here and sing a different song!

Plant a garden

I learned so much about the weather patterns here through my little balcony garden. I'm in a new growing zone so I can consider plants I couldn't have before (I'm so tempted to get a citrus tree but I really don't have the space)

Meet your water sources

Rivers teach us how the landscape is connected. I've been learning the names of the major rivers in the area as well as the smaller creeks and streams in my town

Meet your crossroads and cemeteries

Spirits of the built landscape are also important. Of course, these spots are often important for magic workings, but they also carry a lot of local history

Speaking of which, learn your history

Learn how people have depended on the land throughout the ages. See what kinds of crops have been grown. Make sure to include Indigenous histories and support the communities you've learned from

Offerings, magical and mundane

I try to give offerings to land spirits around the new moon (emphasis on try...). Why the new moon? Idk it's just a regular enough occurance. Throughout the month I also try to do little things like picking up trash or volunteering. Giving back is the crucial step in creating a relationship

It's been interesting to see how similar and different the spirits are here. I hope some of these ideas help you build your spirit relationships, whether you're meeting new ones or growing closer to familiar ones.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Are there things that have worked for you? Haven't worked for you?

[the-witch-of-cedar-and-bone]

A little nocturnal offering to the land spirits🍏🔪🌿

[angelicstarsight]

Identifying plants and talking to land spirits.

[w-y-r-d]

I cleaned up and reorganized my landvættir shrine, and I have to say, I'm pleased with how it looks. Hopefully the landvættir are as well!

[raining-tulips]

i don't mean to be dramatic but the way the earth just takes and holds all my pain for me, the way she whispers and talks, the way the sunlight holds my face, the way the crickets sing me to safe space...

[delightingintragedy]

"Surrounded by the forest's trees, I am surrounded by the spirits of the forest. I sit here, on the needles and leaves, and spread my arms in greeting. Come to me, if you wish; I hope for your coming. I wait here for you, hoping to see you. And if you do not come, I will still leave these gifts for you, for my hands are not closed. My hands are open in generosity toward you, they are extended in friendship towards you."

A Book of Pagan Prayer by Ceisiwr Serith, pgs. 103-104

[appalachiasferaldaughter]

I’ve been working.

This is my makeshift headdress. I use it to replicate how the landvættir come to me: as a herd of deer. They have been very gracious toward me. I hope our relationship may persist while I am here.

University life is dreadful—but fulfilling. The Allfather has truly given me a wisdom that’s not my own in order to survive this place. I’m grateful.

Haven’t had inspiration for writing. But I found inspiration again for the camera.

I think that’s everything.

I miss Appalachia. I wish I could do more.

[lailoken]

A week after my Soul Dog passed away, the mother deer who lives near our property approached me and my husband with her newest fawn, allowing us to feed her and stroke her fur. This was the first time she did this since my godmother passed away, and the second time ever. So, to be visited by her in this way during a time of grief feels very meaningful to me.

On another note, this year's fawn is precious!