A question to the occultists here:

What do you all think of animism. Do you think that all thing ranging from human, to deer, to a rock or guitar have a spirit? If so how do you personally work with this or how does it benifit you, or work with your other beliefs? Do you use if for certain purposes? And have you found that you have gotten attached or formed a relationship of some kind with these spirits?

I will share my feelings and opinions on this in my next post.

For me all things have a conciousness

if it's natural, it has a spirit...i practice everything from knocking on wood three times to making sure to take care of living things that surround me...and keeping myself surrounded by those...spirits...

Just to be scientifically accurate, Animism is about nature spirits, yes, but its primary concern tends to be one's ancestors. And Jordyn, as anyone who studies Chinese Religion even casually can tell you, it doesn't have to be natural to have a spirit. Your money isn't natural, but do you depend on it? You bet! Does that make it worth it to pursue with a spiritual understanding? Absolutely.

ahhh...i don't study too much eastern religion, but that would explain fung shui...

*nods* exactly.

As for my experience with animism, I put airplane-sized bottle of whiskey on the altar next to a picture of my grandfather and a pack of cigarettes next to the picture of my aunt for the Day of the Dead.

i tell stories to honor my dead relatives...

so leaving little offerings to the nature spirits counts as animism?

"nature spirits" fall in the category, I'd say, of idea spirits. Spirits of natural phenomena are similar to spirits of human phenomena, simply because praising (or shunning) them is something any number of religions have in common. The important spirits that make you an animist are your ancestor spirits. The important spirits that make you a totemist are the spirits of the animals you kill.

I also believe that all things have a spirit. From the simplest chair, to the wolf that howls in the woods. Though it is a bit odd, I will go out into the woods to talk to a tree, or two, and thank them for their time and love. The wind I appreciate, as any elemental form, and so on. As it is, I get most of my healings and do most of my healing for others, out in nature. Also, my jewelry has a sacred feeling to it. In anycase, a simple way to explain it is, I see every object as special and individual as I would a human, and I find a certain feeling in every invironment that surrounds me. But remember, this is from my perspective, it may be a little different (perhaps weird or demented) for someone else.

By the way, I don't accredit other people's healings to my own power, but to the power of the divine. I am no more than a link, between the two. Anyway, you have seen my point of view.

All Are One