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Ep. 4. Animism: Reconnecting to our Other-than-Human Kin
Reclaiming and fostering an Animistic framework of seeing the world is a critical part of our Ancestral Healing journey, but also in returning to being in right relationship with Divine and the natural web of life.
In this episode, I heavily reference and quote the work of Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose beloved book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, became such an important piece to help me begin deeply shifting my own ethos around the living, natural world when I shifted from a Judeo-Christian framework.
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin outlines the sacred principles of the Law of the Harvest, which I would like to include here for your reference:
* Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life. Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.
* Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need. Take only that which is given.
* Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
* Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share.
* Give thanks for what you have been given.
* Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken.
* Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.
Upcoming Offerings
* Digging in the Deep: Ancestor-Guided Genealogy Research - This four-part class, offered through Ancestral Medicine, begins July 7, 2025. My colleague, Erica Nunnally, and I will co-weave teachings around blending genealogical research with Ancestral Healing and ancestral connection.
* Ancestral Lineage Healing Intensive - This three-day event will be held in Union, Washington, USA, October 30-November 2, 2025, at the Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat. I will be supporting the intensive with one of my mentors, Shannon Willis, along with a few of my other colleagues from the Ancestral Medicine practitioner network. I invite you to check out the details and join us if an in-person, immersive experience in the work calls to you!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healingwiththeancestors.substack.com
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By Joseph B. ShumwayReclaiming and fostering an Animistic framework of seeing the world is a critical part of our Ancestral Healing journey, but also in returning to being in right relationship with Divine and the natural web of life.
In this episode, I heavily reference and quote the work of Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose beloved book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, became such an important piece to help me begin deeply shifting my own ethos around the living, natural world when I shifted from a Judeo-Christian framework.
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin outlines the sacred principles of the Law of the Harvest, which I would like to include here for your reference:
* Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life. Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.
* Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need. Take only that which is given.
* Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
* Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share.
* Give thanks for what you have been given.
* Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken.
* Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.
Upcoming Offerings
* Digging in the Deep: Ancestor-Guided Genealogy Research - This four-part class, offered through Ancestral Medicine, begins July 7, 2025. My colleague, Erica Nunnally, and I will co-weave teachings around blending genealogical research with Ancestral Healing and ancestral connection.
* Ancestral Lineage Healing Intensive - This three-day event will be held in Union, Washington, USA, October 30-November 2, 2025, at the Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat. I will be supporting the intensive with one of my mentors, Shannon Willis, along with a few of my other colleagues from the Ancestral Medicine practitioner network. I invite you to check out the details and join us if an in-person, immersive experience in the work calls to you!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healingwiththeancestors.substack.com