Spirit Ecology: Living Within an Animate World, An Introduction

It has been several years since I wrote a consecutive series on my blog, and I think it's high time I bring it back. It can be daunting to develop, outline, and write a series, especially when I try to avoid basic topics that you can easily find information on. I like to write series to fill knowledge gaps, choosing topics not commonly covered in books, blogs, forums, and other online and offline spaces. I also like to pick topics I am personally interested in learning more about, and it gives me structure throughout the year, as I always have at least one or two topics I can cover when I run out of ideas. This year, I decided to focus on what I am dubbing "Spirit Ecology."

What Is Spirit Ecology?

While there are plenty of sources referring to "spiritual ecology," which describes the intersection of spirituality and environmentalism, as far as I know, no one has used the term "spirit ecology." As such, there is no formal definition, and I would like to change that. Maybe I coin a term today...maybe I don't.

Spirit ecology is the practice of observing, understanding, and participating in the relationships between humans, spirits, and place as part of an interconnected living system. Its foundation is built upon both animism and folklore; it recognizes that all things are alive with spirit while drawing on generations of lived experience that reflect how people have historically navigated these relationships.

Instead of focusing on classifications and techniques, however, spirit ecology focuses on patterns, behaviors, and relationships over time, thus separating it from other current schools of thought on spirit work. Modern approaches generally emphasize contact, communication, and identification before "working with" the spirit. In spirit ecology, the focus is shifted instead to observation and understanding context, how an individual exists within a system, and thus how the system operates as a whole. This results in true relationship building, where both parties are active participants in the "ecosystem." In other words, instead of asking "What is this spirit? How do I connect with a spirit?" practitioners of spirit ecology ask: "What is happening in this place over time? What patterns repeat here? What relationships already exist here, and how do I move within them responsibly?"

I need to make something very clear, however. I am not against or disparaging modern approaches to spirit work. In fact, identifying spirits is incredibly important work, especially when it comes to your safety. After decades of spirit work, however, I have found this school of thought to be lacking and even exploitative. It often separates the practitioner from the ecosystem (a very colonial mindset, one where we exist outside the system instead of within it), which leads some practitioners into believing they can control, manipulate, or use spirits to do their bidding. Spirit ecology directly opposes this mindset, drawing upon what Indigenous peoples have been trying to tell the rest of us, what our ancestors also knew: we are but a single part of a very complex, interconnected system.

Key Tenets of Spirit Ecology

In order to better understand spirit ecology as a practice, I have identified 5 key tenets or pillars. As with other systems, these tenets/pillars are core beliefs that serve as the foundation of spirit ecology. They are a framework for practitioners to use to help guide spirit work and the development of meaningful, working relationships with the world around us.

1. We are part of the system, not outside of it. 

Colonial views on the environment and our relationship with the world often place us outside of the system, which limits our understanding and interactions to superficial. You are not visiting an ecosystem; you are part of it, and your presence has an impact. Where you walk, what you notice, what you take or leave, and how often you return have real consequences. Your practice is never neutral, and because you are part of the system already, there is no need to "open a door" in order to access spirits. The work starts with recognizing that you are already participating, whether you realize it or not.

2. Not everything is for you.

This is one of the hardest ideas to accept, especially in a culture that emphasizes access and personal connection. Some spirits will be indifferent, closed, or uninterested in a relationship. They may ignore you, avoid you, feel closed off, or simply never engage with you, despite your best efforts. This is normal and does not represent failure.  Just like any ecological system, some species never personally interact. Trying to force a connection, whether that be through repeated offerings, constant reaching out, or interpreting every small shift as a “sign," can create friction and close the spirit off to you even more. Respect, in this context, often looks like stepping back and recognizing when something is not open to you. This is just as important as recognizing when it is.

3. Relationship develops over time.

Modern spiritual practices often try to compress time. There’s an expectation that with the right method, you can quickly achieve the results of your dreams. However, relationships, human or otherwise, don’t work that way. In spirit ecology, relationships look more like repeated exposure, familiarity with patterns, gradual shifts in perception, and subtle changes over weeks, months, or even years. You might visit the same place dozens of times before anything feels different. And even then, that “difference” may not be dramatic. It might be a slight sense of ease, a reduction in tension, or a growing sense of recognition. This kind of relationship is slow and deliberate and not initiated on demand or guaranteed through technique. 

4. Behavior matters more than labels.

How something acts and responds is ultimately more important than what you call it, and should inform how you develop meaningful relationships. There’s a strong impulse in modern practice to identify what we’re experiencing and give it a label: “Is this a land spirit, a deity, or an ancestor?” But labels can create a false sense of certainty and flatten the complexity of the spirit, thus reducing something dynamic into something fixed. Spirit ecology, on the other hand, prioritizes behavior instead. Does this presence feel consistent or variable? Does it seem tied to a place, a time, or a condition? Does interaction change anything, or not? Two presences might feel similar but behave very differently. One might be stable and predictable, while another might be shifting and difficult to read. Understanding these behaviors helps you respond appropriately, while labels, on their own, often don’t.

5. Attention comes before action.

Observation, patience, and familiarity are the foundation that all the other tenets of spirit ecology rest upon. Before communication and working relationships, there is observation, and not just brief attention. It must be sustained and repeated. This includes tasks such as noticing without interpreting, sitting with uncertainty, letting patterns emerge on their own, and accepting that some things may remain unclear. In practice, this might mean spending time in a place without doing anything other than watching and listening. No ritual. No reaching out. No asking for signs. Just watching, returning, and learning how that place exists without your intervention. Action, when it comes, should emerge from that understanding, not replace it. For many modern practitioners who are expecting quick results, this can be the most difficult step. You may need to visit a location for weeks or months before a pattern emerges that informs you enough to move forward. It may be even longer still until the spirit trusts you enough to make contact.

During this series, we will explore each of these tenets in more detail and how they work in practice, instead of just in theory. These tenets will also be explored through an animistic and folkloric lens, drawing upon the knowledge and practices of our ancestors. It's all well and good for me to tell you what spirit ecology is; it is quite another to put it into action. As such, each accompanying post will include journal prompts and actionable items that will help guide and inform your personal practice.

Upcoming posts will cover such topics as: 

• Animism as lived awareness
• How folklore informs spirit work
• Ethical considerations
• Recognizing patterns
• Decoding symbols
• How to coexist with spirits
• Integrating spirit ecology into your daily life.

I am still working on the general outline of this series, but I hope that you will join me on this journey as we explore and lay the foundation for spirit ecology as a practice. Until next time!

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