It probably goes without saying that the core practice of the sacred mile project is communing with the land, and the spirits who live there. But how do you begin to interact with the spirits of trees and stones, rivers and birds, if you never have before?? 

The short answer is, it’s a lifelong practice. I’ve been actively working to develop a greater awareness of the land and spirits around me since the late 90s, and I’m still learning. But over these decades of fumbling, non-linear practice, I’ve come up with some ideas for how to begin, and I thought some of you might find them helpful or inspiring. Obviously, each of us will come to the practice of communing with the land with our own advantages and limitations. Where you live will also affect the practice greatly. In this post I’ll attempt to give multiple options in the hopes that some of them will work for you, but I know I can’t predict every possible challenge someone might face as they begin this practice. I’m hoping perhaps some of you will be able to add your own ideas in the comments: let’s help each other connect with the land wherever and whoever you are.

While I list the steps in an order that makes sense to me, feel free to spread them out or try them in a different sequence if that works better for you.

Step One: Make Contact

While I believe it’s possible to love nature without spending very much time outside – and for some people, getting outside isn’t an easy option – I do find it easiest to really get to know the land by being outside, or at least finding some way to interact physically.

So let’s put down our pagan texts, turn off Practical Magic, and find a way to make contact with the land.

If you can, I recommend visiting a natural area. It could be a wild place, but for most of us, that’s not possible. Fortunately, you don’t need access to “pristine wilderness” to develop a deep relationship with the land. You could find a park, back yard, patio, balcony, or community garden. Even a bench under a tree on the sidewalk would suffice. 

If venturing outdoors isn’t possible for you for whatever reason, you can sit near a window and look out: if it’s possible, and safe, to open the window, that’s even better. But even a view of the sky through a skylight is a form of contact with the natural world, and could be a place to start.

Step Two: Greet the Spirits

Next, greet the spirits. Whether or not you can sense them, they are present. In time, with practice, you can learn to be aware of them. But for  now, you can take the first step by respectfully acknowledging the presence of those you can’t see. It’s fine to keep it simple at first. Say hello. Tell the spirits of the place you’ve come to get to know them, and to get to know the land. You might thank them for allowing you to be in their space. Don’t worry if you don’t feel anything at first. Just be attentive and polite. 

Remember some places have suffered so much at the hands of humanity that the spirits there are reluctant to communicate with people. It takes time to establish a connection with such a place, and the spirits might not ever grow warm and welcoming. But you’ll never find out if you don’t begin.

If you do happen to feel hostility or a deep sense of foreboding, it’s okay to withdraw from the place. At that point you can decide if you want to try again later, perhaps with offerings, or if you want to try a different location. Some places really don’t want to be bothered by humans, and aren’t likely to change their minds. If you aren’t sure what caused the uncomfortable feelings, or which course of action is appropriate, try doing divination, or asking a trusted reader to do divination for you.

Step Three: Focus and Observe 

After you greet the spirits of place, you can begin the work of focusing on the land around you by putting away distractions. If you (like me) often struggle to focus, there are tools that can help. For example, you could use a camera to take photos of fascinating details like mosses, fungi, flowers, bark. or the colors of the sky. Or you could bring a sketchbook and choose a feature of the land to draw.

In time, you might benefit from setting aside your tools to more fully engage your senses in the act of communion. We all have different opportunities to be close to the land, and will prefer different methods of observation. You might have to get creative. But here are a few methods you might try.

• Touch the ground – feel the earth under your feet, sit on the ground and feel it beneath you, or press your hands to the earth. 
• Gaze at the forms of trees, or the motion of the waves. 
• Breathe in the scents of the place. Don’t be afraid to get close to a tree or stone for a sniff, though you might get funny looks from passersby if they see you. (Ask me how I know.)
• Taste the air.
• Listen to the sounds around you – whatever they are
• Close your eyes and pay attention to your body. Do you feel a breeze on your face? Are you warm or cold? Does the air feel soft and gentle, or somehow harsh?

In this way, you stretch your awareness. Later, you can record these impressions in your journal, but for now you’re doing the work of paying attention simply for the sake of noticing and being present. 

It may seem like the opposite of spiritual work to notice passing cars and shouting children, but practicing perception of the physical world is an important step in training your ability to observe without making assumptions. And paying attention to the world around you might strengthen your love for nature – even if the only nature you encounter is a weed growing from a sidewalk crack, or pretty pebbles in vacant lot. It can also, sometimes, teach us to focus in the midst of chaos and distraction.

Step Four: Metaphysical Practices

Once you’ve practice paying deeper attention, you can begin to add metaphysical exercises to your practice. There are countless options to choose from, but here are some of my favorites:

• Earth walking (a.k.a. walking meditation): feeling the energy of the earth on the soles of your feet as you walk slowly and attentively.
• Breathing with a plant or tree.  
• Sensing the energy of a plant, stone, or other natural object.
• Journey with a plant or tree (could also be used with a stone).

Such practices sometimes require patience and dedication to master, but they can help us deepen our connection with the spirits and are worth the time and energy. I suggest choosing one to begin with, and practicing it frequently over several weeks or even months.

Step Five: Make an Offering

Finally, you make offerings. An offering is more than just leaving an object under a tree. There should be something of ourselves in the offerings we leave, and our offerings should benefit the land and their inhabitants in some way. The land doesn’t have a use for coins or faery statues, and such things can even be damaging to the ecosystem depending on what materials they’re made from. So what sorts of offerings would be beneficial?

• Picking up trash – a valuable offering, though it might seem less than glamorous. 
• Clean, blessed water during dry times would be a precious offering. 
• Giving healing, loving energy, a prayer, or a poem.
• Donate to an organization that does good work in conservation
• Engage in activism on behalf of the ecosystem. 
• Volunteer for an organization that works on habitat restoration.

Practicing these steps can help you be truly nourished and restored by your time in nature, even if it isn’t as frequent or prolonged as you wish.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

From “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver

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