In the quiet of the natural world, you begin to know who
you are. The solitude found allows one to stop and listen, not just to the
beating of your own heart, but also to the heartbeat of nature. These beats,
connected from time eternal, can bring you an ancient wisdom long ago
forgotten. A wisdom that can provide windows into yourself as you weave your
story with the realms of sky, earth and water. Allowing connection into the
sacredness of nature from which you are a part.
One of my first weavings into the natural world was the
time I spent in a small grove of trees on the edge of the land I called home. Even
though I was pretty young at the time, at every opportunity, I’d slip out of
the house, meander through the meadow, skirt around the tadpole filled pond and
enter the grove, laying down upon the softest grass I’d ever known. I spent
hours in this special place, sometimes reading books, but mostly letting the
sounds of nature move me into a place of peace as my mind drifted.
The peace I felt amongst the trees in this grove brought
me into such a state of relaxation, I lost all track of time and the sacredness
of the space opened a door, enabling me to connect with nature in a profound
way, giving me the opportunity to see the natural world as somewhere I could
find freedom and acceptance, but ultimately a calm quiet spot to make sense of
my world. Today, many years and nature experiences later, as I enter the elder
stage of life, I continue to look toward nature for many of the answers I ask
myself, and is the reason I desire to find deeper ways to connect with nature.
Journaling while out in the wilds has always given me insights regarding how I
am living my life, but I ask myself now, is there additional knowledge I could
gather which will enable my journaling,
my time spent contemplating nature, to go deeper? To essentially weave new
insights into my story? Recent exposure to the ways of the Celts, has made me wonder
if Celtic spirituality with its triple realms of sky, earth and water could
provide me with that opportunity.
Celtic people believed the world around them contained
many spirits and gods and communication with these beings could influence the
direction of their lives. They had a deep connection with the natural world and
worshipped in sacred groves to cement this connection. One interpretation of Celtic
spirituality involved dividing the world up into three different realms - sky,
earth and water - each representing and overseeing different aspects of their
lives. The ancient symbol of the triple spiral is a wonderful way to visually
consider these realms and their significance. An explanation of each of the Celtic
realms is shown below:
●Sky – The
Otherworld, Upper realm, world of the future. Here there were spirits covering
weather patterns such as wind, rain and thunder. The sun and moon were in this realm
as well and were looked upon to help guide the planting and harvesting of crops
amongst other things. The sky realm covered the areas of goals, dreams and
aspirations and is where spirituality was thought to exist.
●Earth – The physical world, Middle Realm, sacred center
of the three worlds. In the Earth realm, the goddesses/gods of fertility
dwelled as well as those pertaining to animals, birds and plants. Those spirits
were seen as giving gifts that could help with the journey through life. This
realm was known as the present, the physical world where life was lived.
● Water – The Underworld, Lower world, world of the past.
Springs, rivers and other waterways were seen as sacred, inspirited by the
water goddesses/gods, offering a connection between the physical (earth) world
and the Otherworld (sky.) In the water realm, the cycle of life was apparent,
where birth and death were granted as well as connections to the ancestors. In
the water realm, the sacred well of wisdom was found with its constant ebb and
flow of tides impacting the mental and emotional side of humans.[1]
The three realms of sky, earth and water offered a unique
way for Celtic people to make sense of their world. The sky realm covered the
spiritual, the earth realm embraced those things physical needed for life's journey and the water realm brought wisdom, all combining to offer a well-rounded
and balanced way of viewing life. Of course there is no way to know exactly if
this is an accurate representation of Celtic spirituality as much about them was
lost as they did not keep written accounts, but for this blog and my approach to how I see life,
this consideration works well.
I find it surprising that as a child I found deep
connection to the natural world while spending time in a grove of trees, as it
mirrored the practice of Celts worshipping in their sacred groves. My ancestors
came from the land of the Celts and I am made to wonder if my desire for
connection to nature has been handed down through the generations - if the
nature loving ways of the Celts was somehow deeply ingrained in my DNA. This
Celtic affinity of mine encourages me to further consider the three Celtic realms
of sky, earth and water as a new pathway by which I can pursue a deepening of
my spirituality as it pertains to nature journaling.
Spending time journaling while out in nature is just one
way to find connection to the natural world but for me it is in this way that I
have drawn closest to nature and found the greatest meaning. Something about
finding a quiet place to sit alone and write while contemplating life and the
signs nature is sending your way is very impactful, and I come away from the
experience renewed and ready to resume my life with new insights. This time
alone can make me untangle my past and even my present. It can give me hope and
provide solace when needed. Nature speaks my language and allows me to feel its
embrace on so many levels.
My desire to draw closer to nature is due to the fact that
I find the capitalistic and consumerist lifestyle which Americans are
encouraged to embrace extremely disheartening and dissatisfying and I simply
need an escape from that way of living. It is my hope as I embrace the natural
world and share my experience with others, they too will want to find ways to
immerse themselves in the natural world. To want to give up on the expected
ways to live in our culture and embrace an earth care and loving lifestyle
instead. As Michael Cohen says in his book “Reconnecting with Nature,” “Our
lives do not make sense and our problems flourish because industrial society
does not teach us to seek, honor, and culture nature’s contributions to our
lives. We learn instead to conquer, to separate from, and deny the time-tested
love, intelligence and balance found in the natural world.”[2]In earlier cultures such
as the Celts, Bill Plotkin writes in his book “Soulcraft,” “the universe was
experienced primarily as a presence to be communed with and instructed by, not
a collection of natural resources to be used for utilitarian purposes.”[3] For me, returning to the
ways of the Celts, brings fresh perspective and promise as I apply the realms
of sky, earth and water and their meanings to my nature journaling practice.
[1]Dana. “The Celtic Triplicities.” Land, Sky and Sea, http://celticpagan.blogspot.com/2011/06/celtic-triplicities.html. Accessed April 24, 2017.
[2]Cohen, Michael. Reconnecting with Nature, Lakeville, MN: Ecopress, 2007. Pg. 13
[3]Plotkin, Bill. Soulcraft, Novato, CA: New World Library, 2003. Pg. xiii
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