The Spirit of Nature in Religion
Animism in Ancient and Modern Belief
Oct 26, 2009 Jane Alexandra Cormack
Animism is the idea that souls or spirits exist within natural objects and entities such as rocks, rivers, plants, mountains and natural phenomena like thunder and lightening.
This Paganist belief originates from many of the ancient and indigenous religions of the world which are practiced today. Although animism is not a religion in itself, it was part of the foundation of universal understanding before the introduction of Christianity, Catholicism and other major religions.
Aztec and Inca Culture
The Aztecs were the Mesoamerican people of Southern Mexico and Northern Central America who formed the Aztec Empire in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The Aztec religion combined animistic beliefs with shamanism and polytheism, the belief or worship of multiple deities that were called Gods or Goddesses.
Teotl is the central theory of Aztec religion and in the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs, loosely refers to God. Loosely, because Teotl was the name used to describe the all encompassing energy that ‘is all that is’ within the Aztec universe. The Aztec people often used creativity in the form of art and poetry to express the philosophic concepts of Teotl as this helped to foster a deeper understanding of the energy of divinity (Teotl).
The indigenous people of the Andes in South America, who were known as Incas worshiped Pachamama which translates as "Mother Earth." In Inca mythology Pachamama is a fertility goddess related to the earth and land. After the conquest by Catholic Spain in the 16th century, the feminine goddess Pachamama was masked by that of the Virgin Mary. Yet today, Pachamama is still worshiped alongside Christianity and Catholicism.
Aboriginal Australians
The indigenous Aboriginal people of Australia have a deep respect and reverence for the Earth on which they dwell. Aboriginal people ensure the health of the land by performing ceremonies and rituals. They have a complex and spiritual relationship with the land which they regard as their mother; the closest person in their life and to whom they give the same respect as they would their human mother. The Dreaming in Aboriginal culture tells the story of the ancient times of creation relating to the present day reality of dreaming. Through their dreams and visions, Aboriginal people receive enlightenment. Dreaming stories are often combined with storytelling, music, art and dance as a tool to educate people.
Native North American Tradition
This creative form of worship is also reflected in Native North American tradition. Their spiritual beliefs are deeply based in nature and during tribal gatherings, this connection to earth and the universal Great Spirit is celebrated with dance, rhythm and trance.
Further north, the Inuit people of the Polar Region traditionally believed that all things had a form of spirit or soul, just like humans. Inuit religious practices were a form of shamanism based on these animistic principles, although today, the dominant religious system is Protestant Christianity.
Japanese Shinto
The animistic principles of the Inuit can also be found in Shintoism: the natural and indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. In Shintoism there is no separation between the elements and energies that are human and the ones associated with the trees, mountains, stars, rivers and earth. As in Aztec religion where Teotl expresses the divine energy of all that is, in Japanese Shintoism, Kami is the spirit or essence that describes all human and non-human forms.
British Paganism
Pagan religions are known as nature-based religions and so are partially based on animistic ideology. The ancient Scottish and English Pagan religions, of which there are many branches, celebrates a reverence for the life force in nature. Principles that are part of Paganism include the recognition of the divine which transcends gender, love and kinship with nature and the discovery and development of one’s true nature in harmony with the outer world.
The Divine Force
The spirit, energy, divinity or force of nature and earth is prevalent in many ancient and modern day religions. This communion with land, sea and air reflects the connection that human beings have felt to nature since history was recorded. A worldwide link in the belief that nature is a living energy no different to humans is evident. The divine force that is nature seems to transcend culture, time and even religion itself.
Sources:
Nature Religion Today by Joanne Pearson, Professor Richard Roberts & Geoffrey Samuel, Edinburgh University Press, 1998.
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