Listening to the Land

I am always thrilled when I find people who are moving with beautiful, natural grace and confidence in their connection with nature spirits. Somehow being around these people gives me energy and hope in the direction of deepening and giving myself over to these subtle layers of reality. Now I am honored to be part of a small new group that is giving its attention to nature communication—speaking with the land, in the first part of our meetings, and then speaking with one another about what we’ve gathered in . . . intuited . . . heard with our inner ears. The friend who formed the group, Marlene, with her husband Cliff, stewards a local farm specializing in biodynamic mushrooms.

Last spring, in a spirited, impromptu gesture, Marlene announced that they would be holding a “nature and spirit” Pentecostal celebration at Tumbling Creek Farm. The nature spirits on their land had requested this event, and, to comply, Marlene first had to figure out what Pentecost was (it commemorates the occasion, several weeks after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, when the Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples and gave them the inspiration to talk to the world about this new message of love). Her Unity pastor agreed to help, and it was a wonderful slanted-light, vivid-color evening of touring the farm, then sharing food and music, a little talk from the minister and nature stories. Marlene sang for us the song she offers daily to the mushrooms and their other gardens and animals. She told how she had once slipped away from her singing practice, unaware. When she was problem-solving about why the mushrooms were no longer thriving, it hit her that she hadn’t been singing her encouragement and love to them. Now that offering is just part of the daily routine: singing at 7:45.

The other story Marlene told was about water, which at Tumbling Creek Farm they are very conscious of conserving. Still, they needed a little more and decided to have a well dug. The professional crew came out, located a likely spot in the woods and began to drill. After three days of drilling, with Marlene suffering the trees’ screams during the nights, the crew gave up and went home. Cliff then made Marlene some dowsing rods, and within half an hour of walking on the land she located two spots. The nature spirits directed her to one of these and the drilling there soon produced slightly more water than they needed.

A further water development occurred after the Pentecostal celebration when Cliff’s son was walking on the land and reported that, on the spot where the professional well diggers had failed, an artesian well had sprung up. What a wonderful assurance in a time of drought! It reaffirms, for me, the necessity of nurturing a heartfelt connection with nature, honoring its intricate intelligence, and offering service, gratitude, and consciousness in return.

After this celebration Marlene asked what else would please the land and the nature spirits. She quickly received several enthusiastic requests—the first of which was a water celebration, which will take place at the end of August.

Upon reading the Tumbling Creek Farm story, Barbara remembered a dowsing experience she and Jim had in India: “We were staying in a missionary compound. The hostess said a water dowser was coming in a couple of days to help find water for a new well. When I told her that Jim and I had both been fortunate to find the location for the well on our land, the three of us decided to search for the best spot, each of us using the tools that most inspired us. The Indian hostess walked the land and marked the places she felt would have water, praying to God to guide her. I asked Mano and he agreed to guide me. Jim attuned to the Holy Spirit.

“I used my pendulum, asking Mano to direct me. The pendulum moved back and forth in a diagonal direction and as I walked in that direction the pendulum switched directions. At the right spot it went in a circle. I then asked yes-and-no questions to discern the depth and supply of water.

“We each found three or four places indicating water. All three of us determined that the best water source was on the property line, which was unfortunate because the ownership of that land was in question. Thankfully we each had a few more indications of good supplies of water. I asked Mano to guide us to the best location for the well, and he gave two. Both felt good to our hostess. She planned to see what the official water dowser came up with before she chose.

“The thought that came into my mind: ‘It doesn’t matter who you ask to help find the water, because that being will pass the request on to the elemental kingdom. And it doesn’t matter whether the elementals within our body respond or the elemental powers of nature; the water elemental will be the one to direct the awareness to the location of the water source.’”

Barbara also consulted with Mano about Marlene and Cliff’s experiences and he responded: “The point is that they are open, have honored what they received and developed a trust. Can you for one moment realize how delighted the elementals on their land are to finally have a human who is humble enough to believe what she receives and to develop a working relationship? This kind of wisdom and expanded knowledge is available to everyone, but so few are willing to trust. That is the power of this simple blog—reporting one woman’s trust and connection with the consciousness in nature.” “You are never left alone,” says Mano. “You always have spiritual guidance.”