#animatism

[thecultoflexithewulf]

Animism, and Animatism

Animism is the belief that non-human entities, such as animals, plants, and inanimate objects, possess a spiritual essence or soul. 

Animatism, on the other hand, is the belief in a higher power or spiritual force without the attribution of a distinct personality or form. These beliefs can coexist within a religion and may even be intertwined.

A religion can have both animism and animatism. Some religious practices, such as ancestor worship, can incorporate elements of both animism and animatism.

[wordsmithic]

In the Hellenic countryside I wonder how old the sentiment of "in our village we have a huge Tree at the center, which's existence is connected to very old supernatural events" is. Could this practice have persisted for thousands of years, from the time before polytheism, from when the people here practiced animatism that's barely recorded?? Are our neolithic ancestors proud of us for keeping a platani at our squares??? I Need To Know

[minnesotadruids]

Merry pandemic, happy uprising! Srsly, what do we say to each other anymore? Anywho, Native gal here, and my tribes don’t speak but a few trees. I have old maples kicking a fuss, and wonder if anyone is available to help me figure out what they need or to soothe them?

Happy Uprising, I love it!

I usually do something that in the Reformed Druid movement is very retro 1960s & '70s: Greetings in the Earth-Mother! But I have a flair for the archaic.

For this situation, I actually had to defer to Oakdale Grove's Preceptor, who is someone I know who is adept at communicating with plants and trees. In fact her craft name is I Talk to the Trees, and the following is a paraphrasing of our chat about it tonight.

One thing we both thought of is that old maples will drink a ton of water. Have they been getting enough to drink? They also absorb a ton of nutrients from the soil. Are they sugar maples? Sugar maples might need their nitrogen replenished with compost or a (hopefully eco-friendly) fertilizer.

She also mentioned that sometimes the trees might start fussing more when they realize they can chat with you. How does the fussing make you feel? Is it upsetting, do they seem angry, or just lonely maybe? They could also be trying to convey omens, for example I Talk To The Trees was on a recent walk when the trees suddenly told her to turn back, so she did. Shortly thereafter there was a police presence where she would have been. She attributes the warning to the trees being protective of those who listen. She doesn't know what could have or would have happened if she kept going, but she's glad she paid attention.

Ultimately we both agree that it could be beneficial to try giving the trees some water. Everyone and everything needs to stay hydrated, especially if where you are is experiencing any kind of drought conditions. Since they're big old trees, start with a couple gallons for sure. If rain is expected, that's good news for it too. You could also try singing to the trees. Indoor plants are said to do well if you talk to them, sing to them, and name them (or find out what their names already are). Hope this helps.

[thecultoflexithewulf]

Animatism:

“Animatism is a term coined by British anthropologist Robert Marett in the context of his teleological theory of the evolution of religion. It refers to "a belief in a generalized, impersonal power over which people have some measure of control". Marett argues that certain cultures believe "people, animals, plants, and inanimate objects were endowed with certain powers, which were both impersonal and supernatural." Mana, Marett states, is a concentrated form of animatistic force found within any of these objects that confer power, strength, and success.

Animatism is a belief that inanimate, miraculous qualities exists in the natural world. It also talks about the belief that everything is infused with a life force giving each lifeless object personality or perception, but not a soul as in animism. It is a widespread belief among small-scale societies. In South Pacific regions, such as Melanesia and Polynesia, this belief comes in form of manaism, which is derived from mana.

Many indigenous cultures believe in animatism. They believe that worshipping inanimate objects will drive them away from the evil forces around.[4] These groups also believe that the inanimate objects they worship have mystical powers that are sent by God to help them on Earth.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animatism

[fieriframes]

[Animatism.]

[sonikmonkey]

Dressed up today, couldnt waste the effort. My outfit was awesome, so some vanity is necessary on a certain level.... Today we learned about animatism, ancestor worship/totemism, polytheism and monotheism. I really enjoyed the subject of totemism. Learned a bunch! Also just found out my classmates dad works at the same mechanic shop my grandpa did! #animatism #totemism #ancestorworship #vanity #polytheism #monotheism #cuteoutfit #sunburst #coinkydink #wellwhaddayaknow

[djuwadiprints]

I'm going to be In Melbourne from the 23rd of February to the 7th of March 2015 as part of the FCACheartsJogja as a member of the Animatism crew. Collaborating with Australian, Indonesian and Timor-Leste artists - wohoo - don't miss it!!!