Not trying to be facetious just don’t really understand what the answer would be

Hello everyone, first time posting here. I am a post-structuralist philosopher who frequently writes on animism. I am in the process of writing a piece on the difficulties of properly defining animism given the labels colonial role and its usage (at least in academia) being primarily relegated to discussions of anthropology. The issue I'm hoping to find some recommendations on for further reading is the problem of generality in animism, which I would define as follows: Animism unlike most philosophical or spiritual positions doesn't exist in any sort of singular tradition, rather, it is a sort of conceptual bucket for a number of lifestyles, indigenous or otherwise, that don't necessarily share the traits that are often discussed as characteristic of animism. There is a disjoint between those who use the word "animistic" as a positive identifier and those who, being raised in a culture that western academia would call animistic, simply discuss their experience within their own cultural terms. What I'm looking for is recommended readings of people who have discussed this... lets call it meta-animistic problem, especially if the reading is from a thinker based in an animistic culture addressing the usage of the term from the outside of the academic structures which propagated it. I'd be happy to share more about my direction with the piece if anyone is interested.

I am looking into animism, and generally I think I can agree with some of it.

But some of it I have reasoning problems with.

Animists say that everything has conciousness , and sentience, and I am not sure about that.

Taking animals, birds, fishes as persons is not difficult to do. They are obviously alive creatures at different levels of sophisticated and complex, and are people of their own. Because generally animals like deer have intent (reach that berry bush), needs (thirsy, warm), purposes (climb the hill to see better), attention (directing of eyes and ears), awareness (general pain pleasure sensitivity, attraction to pleasure and nice food, fear and running away from danger etc)

I find trees to be a bit mysterious and confusing as they don't seem to have awareness, intent, purpose. They grow in one place and stay there mostly still and unmoving-by-will. However scientific studies show they have reactions and communications (through root systems, chemical gas emanations) with other plants in the area, and supposedly they react to some sounds. Though technically plants are living by science definition, their mode of life and mind is mysterious to animal being, as it seems to be a very different mode.

The point is that animism seems to take elements and elemental formations and processes as persons. this is a problem issue for me. (mountains, rocks, rivers, ponds, lakes, wind, clouds, sky, earth etc).

Take a lake. I can take a lake to be an existing formed entity of its own. It is an entity of existence, a thing. But problem is where a human says it is a person, it says things and does things. E.g- one animist person made a ytube video on how a lake 'preserved' the remains of an old human settlement in the fashion of a museum.

Other examples are old traditions that take mountains to be persons. Or rivers. Technically a mountain entity along with it's nearby intertwined systems such as air, clouds, sky, tree forests, result in emergent other 'things' which come about from time to time, as phenomena. E.g- the rainfall on mountains causes springs and rivers to flow from mountain.

Other things which are personified are such as thundercloud formations, which they say, 'throw' lighting and make fall rain waters. They say the thunder speaks. (I have heard words in the thunder but that is probably my difficult mental health and meaning making condition).

These, such as lake, river, mountain, thundercloud are problem as persons, right? A river flows, because it is an elemental, material and energetic process that is change according to forces of nature and world. A mountain is a large structure and order of materials and bonds, held together strong in a slow changing condition of being. A lake is a containment of waters in a basin space, which exists according to supply of water, evaporation etc. Thunderclouds result in lighting not exactly at a decision to throw lighting at something, but as something that becomes necessary due to build up of forces and opening pathways of flow. A thunder cloud doesn't intend to bring chaos or storms upon a human settlement, it is in a flow due to reasons of causality, pushing, pulling and necessity.

Do you see the point I am struggling with? These entities do not intend anything, do not purpose anything, they are natural formations and flows. So if such an entity has no faculty to be sentient with (eyes etc) or conscious / thinking / feeling (a head, a heart), then how do they have consciousness and sentience? how do they have personhood if they have no interests of their own ?

The problem I am seeing is how the human's mind projects itself onto the image of a mountain, river, thundercloud, etc. A person looks upon a mountain and gives it an identity out of familiarity, Then as the human looks and tries to perceive the mountain, they impose and project what they feel of the mountain within themselves, on to the external mountain image itself. It is a matter of sentiments and the observer's mind.

I do not say that a mountain or river or raincloud do not have their own essence of existence. their own character, and that they do not impose some conditions of reality and living on the human in some way. they do. but I find it hard to see how such entities are "sentient" or "conscious" to be referred to as people, or how they could make decisions or carry out actions. I can respect them as entities or existing 'things' of their own in the world.

Anyone care to explain?

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yesterday i was lucky enough to have experienced the eclipse at 100% totality and it was genuinely the most beautiful thing i have ever witnessed. as the moon covered the sun and i stared in awe i finally felt like i understood the beauty of earth and life. all my life i have appreciated nature and felt very at home/recharged when visiting certain areas with vibrant energy. this eclipse finally gave me the courage to explore those feelings and put a label to it. the closest title i have found to match my beliefs is animism (animistic paganism?). i don’t believe in gods or goddesses, rather a natural energy found in all things. i want to explore animism but i have no idea how. i want to build shrines (?) for some of the places ive always felt recharged by, but i dont know how or if thats stupid. part of me feels like im betraying my rational beliefs but the other part of me just doesn’t care. i feel the need to fully recognize nature for its beauty and i have no idea how to do that. would it be stupid to build a small shrine (?) in a glass bowl? there’s this waterfall near me that i want to gather rocks and dirt and leaves from but i have no idea if that’s just disrespectful. im completely clueless and would love advice. thank you

New here, hope it's not a stupid question

Hi all, I wonder if anyone has any words of advice on my nebulous struggle to define my own beliefs.

I've always struggled with labels, because nothing entirely seems to fit. While I'm very interested in other people's practices and beliefs in general, I find I'm disinclined to "join" anyone else's belief system. I've always described myself as "leaning towards paganism", because I'm attracted to some elements but find a lot of widely used pagan practises and beliefs leave me cold. A belief in our fundamental connection to nature and the natural world is very central to me, which is how I found myself exploring Animism. I have no interest in theistic worship, although I have a certain belief in the concept of "small gods", although maybe it would be more accurate to call what I believe in some form of nature spirit or personification of place. It's deeply rooted in my sense of deep history, connection with people and places of the past, and my connection to the particular places and landscapes I know and love (which are British-based).

All of this at the moment exists in my own mind and heart, I have no practices or habits that integrate any of it, and I wish I could develop some. At the same time, I shy away from ritual for the sake of ritual. I don't consider my beliefs a religion, and don't want to treat them that way. I like the idea of community and connection, and ideally I think that would be a strong element of my practice, but too much of most modern practice leaves me completely cold.

My love of rigorous historiocity is deeply intertwined with my spritual beliefs, to the point that I can't separate them, but at the same time I'm not a reconstructionist, because my historian side knows how little we really know about ancient belief systems (and that's part of the attraction for me). But I still prefer to look back beyond belief systems that were intellectual productions of the 18th/19th/20th centuries, towards the cultural beliefs and practices of my very un-intellectual ancestors. (Absolutely no disrespect meant to anyone who embraces those belief systems, or any other, this is just my personal preference for myself.)

Sorry for the long ramble, I'm really only beginning to externalise all of this, which has been internal for so long. I think my biggest struggle is trying to balance something that feels extremely personal and almost individual with a desire for community. So if any of this chimes with anyone, I'd love to hear from you!

Edit: I hope this is okay to post, I'm quite new to Reddit.

To learn about it?

Hi! Wondering about ways to incorporate animism with my husband and my 3 year old… any books with stories/prayers/rituals that are family friendly would be great :)

https://youtu.be/xoYZ5xNyKbc?si=6MdurBIqFcI6XZ_8

Hola, soy nuevo, me da curiosidad lo sobrenatural desde que era pequeño, y ahora que soy grande porfin puedo llevar a cabo practicas que llevan tales cosas, obiamentedemanera etica y segura, pero me pregunto, con el tema del animismo, se puede pedir ayuda a los espiritus como el cristianismo o hacer rituales, demanera etica y segura, pero se puede? Y como?

I cannot get rid of the empathy I feel for the Earth after the truth was revealed to me. I detest modern civilization because of it, yet I have empathy for everyone not only because they’re a fellow human, but also because I understand the difficulties of escaping human domesticity. Of course I haven’t done it, because I am typing this right now. But I am going to eventually find a community of beings and nonbeings(one that hopefully includes other humans) that practices complete reciprocity with each other. Does anyone else have the same feelings?

Hey all, does anyone know who owns this website?

I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years now and over the past year I've been feeling called back to fishing and eating fish. I would love all your thought's on the subject, as an animist, I feel the need to do things properly and take any new relationship with fish seriously. Please tell me what you believe would be proper protocol for fishing. What's your thoughts on giving back? Ceremony? Catch and release? Eating fish etc?

Are there animists? who have spirits, which we do not know, in a sense which are not listed in known books for example on animism, kind of spirits unknown to others except to the one who speaks

in many animist currents, I have the impression that there is much more of the spirit of nature or of animals than of the gods,

Hello, I would like to ask you, I know about animism, because I have heard about it, and several times, there are crows, which fly above me, or even in front of me, but at 5 m, However, in the city where I am, there have not been many crows, and at the moment, I often come across them

What were some of your customs/rules/rituals?

We used to have shamans come heal us when we were sick and little rules like, don't point at the moon and don't whistle at night.

My family is hmong/miao, My parents used to be animist and venerated ancestors. My grandmother passed away when I was about 20, and my parents converted to Christianity. However, all my siblings and I have taken the secular route. I have gone back to a light form of animism + secularism, so it's not traditionally as before. It's more personal and individualized now.

Have any of your prayers offer to the spirits came true?

I’m just wondering if any animist out here is a NHI “UFO” experiencer.

I ask this because psychologist John Mack would say that the UFO experience promoted animism and environmentalism.

Would anyone have a recommendation about what an animal can symbolize as a sign? I don't mean as a spirit animal.

I am aware that animals have different meanings across cultures. Also, that no one can tell me specifically what an animal sign means. I guess what I would like is some general advice.

Most everything I find online seems copied from one site to the other.

Thanks for your help!

I just want to preface I have only been recently introduced to animism, so my knowledge is certainly lacking and I am trying to learn more about it. I am totally open to corrections! I've noticed on here that being an animist is mainly believing/resonating with the belief system that encompasses it, but the practices are more subjective and some drawn from outside sources, others personally created.

My question is this: Do you have any practices/rituals you partake in, and how often do you do them? What value do you find in them?

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Thank you all, blessings.

Hello, I am looking for reading materials on Shamanism and/or Animism in Europe. I am not looking for something on neo-paganism, neo-shamanism or that is "heavy on the woo-woo"... As in the author has recreated their own version of what ancient or traditional practices would have looked like(which is fine but not what I am looking for).. I am looking more for texts, or surving fragments of texts, that record first or second hand accounts of traditional shamanic-like practices. I understand that frequently in Europe from the middleages onwards these practices are grouped under witchcraft, so if its about "traditional Witchcraft" and genuine, I would be interested as well.

I am after books similar to Holger Kalweit's "Dreamtime and Innerspace" ... Ones that compile first hand accounts from throughout history, ancient texts, archeology ,folklore, and surviving folk practices to showcase shamanic or anamistic practices in Europe or parts of Europe.

For example, genuine texts(ideally the actual sources of these sotries if anyone knows what texts they come from) on Odin that relate stories of him climbing the world tree, going into trances and travelling through the different worlds etc. I would be very interested.

Thanks for your time.

God-based religions have many stories about gods and their relationship with humans whether they are polytheistic (Theonomy) or monotheistic (the Bible).

Does animism have any stories about creation, ethical living, love,...?

The only one I can find that features no deity is "Lion's whisker".

The story is about a woman who has a loving husband who suddenly turns into an angry man after returning from war. Not knowing how to deal with him, she goes to a witch-doctor who asks her to get a lion’s whisker in order to sort her husband’s attitude. The lady braves many patient months with the ferocious lion winning his trust before finally managing to take a whisker back to the witch. The witch takes one look at the whisker and throws it into the fire telling the woman that if she could win the heart of a lion and earn his trust, she most certainly was ready to deal with her husband.

If you have any collection of such tales, please share with me. I love storytelling. It has proven benefits on our brain and helps us understand the world and ourselves better.

Thank you.

Especially for people who eat also meat?