Building Allies:
Animism and the Wisdom of the Natural World
Long before modern separation of mind and matter, humans understood themselves as embedded within a living, responsive world.
Building Allies: Animism and the Wisdom of the Natural World is an academically grounded, experiential course that re-centers animism as a foundational worldview within earth-based knowledge systems. The course invites you to move beyond human-centered perspectives and engage the natural world as an intelligent, relational field.
You’ll explore the principles of animism through observation, discussion, journaling, and applied experiential exercises. Rather than treating animism as abstract philosophy, the course emphasizes direct perception, participation, and ethical relationship with the natural world. Attention is given to balance, energy, movement, and reciprocity, which are core principles shared across shamanic and earth-honoring traditions.
Over four live Zoom sessions, participants are guided to shift from being observers of nature to conscious participants within it, forming respectful alliances that can inform personal life, spiritual practice, ecological awareness, and professional work.
This Course Is For:
Students of earth-based spirituality and animistic traditions
Healers, therapists, and practitioners seeking deeper ecological and relational grounding
Those interested in decolonizing dominant human-centered worldviews
Anyone feeling called to restore relationship with the living world
No prior experience with animism is required—only curiosity, openness, and a willingness to engage the natural world directly.
What You’ll Explore:
Animism as humanity’s original spiritual and relational worldview
Perceiving energy, consciousness, and personality in the natural world
Developing animistic awareness through sensory perception and listening
Animals, plants, weather, and landscapes as conscious participants
Balance, movement, rhythm, and energy flow as natural teachers
Building reciprocal, ethical relationships with the more-than-human world
Integrating animism into daily life, spiritual practice, and worldview
Goals of the course:
Develop a clear understanding of animism as a foundational worldview informed by ancestral wisdom and contemporary science
Cultivate the ability to perceive and engage the natural world as a field of living relationships
Apply animistic principles to personal reflection, ecological awareness, and relational ethics
Begin forming conscious, respectful alliances with elements of the natural world as sources of guidance, balance, and wisdom
Course Details
Schedule
This course meets for 4 live virtual sessions via Zoom, on Sundays from 4-6pm ET.
March 8th: Remembering a Living World
Revisiting animism as humanity’s original worldview and shifting from observer to participant in relationship with nature.
March 15th: Perception & Relationship
Developing animistic awareness through sensory perception and guided outdoor practices.
March 22nd: Balance, Energy, and Movement
Exploring balance, energy flow, and movement as teachers through rhythm, sound, and natural rebalancing.
March 29th: Walking with the Natural World
Establishing ongoing, reciprocal relationships with the natural world and integrating animism into daily life.
Course Format & Structure
4 live Zoom sessions (90 minutes each)
30-minute Q&A / integration period following each class
8 live contact hours total
Approx. 3 hours of asynchronous experiential and reflective work
Journaling, discussion, and nature-based practices
Ongoing community engagement through the Spirit Seed Mighty Networks forum
80% attendance and assignment completion is required for certification credit. Successful completion awards 3 Spirit Seed credit hours toward flower essence practitioner certification.
About Granddaughter Crow
Granddaughter Crow (Dr. Joy Gray) is an international award-winning author, teacher, and podcaster. As a proud member of the Navajo Nation, she comes from a long line of spiritual leaders - raised in deep reverence for nature and spirit. She integrates her cultural foundation with academic and leadership expertise in works like *Journey of the Soul*, *Wisdom of the Natural World*, *Belief, Being, & BEYOND*, and *Shamanism & Your Shadow*. Her honors include being listed in Who’s Who in America, named Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women, and membership in the Delta Mu Delta Honor Society.
Website: www.granddaughtercrow.com
Podcast: https://www.granddaughtercrow.com/beliefbeingbeyond.html
Resources
Wisdom of the Natural World: Spiritual and Practical Teachings from Plants, Animals, and Mother Earth by Granddaughter Crow (Llewellyn 2021)
Reconnect Flower Essence: A Flower essence remedy to support grounding and reunion with nature
The Spirit Seed Mighty Networks community serves as the central hub for dialogue, reflection, and integration. Weekly prompts invite students to share insights, experiences, and questions, fostering collective learning and respectful exchange.
$150
Full Tuition Payment
Register with one payment, or take advantage of payment plans options though Affirm, Klarna, or AfterPay.
In the spirit of reciprocity, this course is held with the intention that every participant leaves having received more than they invested — not only in knowledge, but in relationship, remembrance, and belonging within the living world.
Spirit Seed Payment Plan
Non-refundable $50 deposit to reserve your space in the course + two payments of $50 beginning February 20th