A is for Animism

1866, reintroduced by Eng. anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Taylor (18321917), who defined it (1871) as the "theory of the universal animation of nature," from L. anima "life, breath, soul."

I like that, universal animation of nature. Nature is alive. All of it. We all know that plants and animals are alive. Not everyone believes they have souls. I was recently shocked to discover that my Mother doesn't think they do, and she doesn't think they feel emotion either. It just goes to show that you can never be entirely sure what anyone else believes...

I think everything has soul.

I am beginning to understand that everything has spirit too. I am a newcomer to shamanism and I would not call myself a Shaman. The thing I love the most is that you get to learn and experience it all yourself. So you don't have to take anybody else#s word that these things exist... but you do find yourself realisig that it is not a good idea to disagree with someone else's experiences because the universe is a very large and very strange place - there is room for everything we can possibly image and more.

So recently, I got to meet the spirits of my childhood home on a journey. And now that I have met them I can see their presence throughout my life.

It seems though that two concepts are closely related, Animism and Totemism. Animists believe in the power of individual spirits to bring about life whereas Totemists believe there is a primary source such as Ancestors or the Land. Sort of like the one God versus many Gods viewpoints.

Personally I am not sure it matters. I think both are true in different ways. I think there is a primary source which is Everything but within that everything there are energies that can be separated out as archetypes.

So am I an Animist or a Totemist? I have no idea....