Whispers of the Wild Spirits
A Prayer and an Invitation to Remember,
by Leandra Witchwood
Spirits of root and wing and flame,
Whispered ones without a name,
We see you in the sway of trees,
We hear you carried on the breeze.
Wild and watching, old and near,
Draw us close and make it clear,
The world is not asleep nor still.
It waits for us to trust… and feel.
What Do We Mean by Nature Spirits?
“Elemental beings are the creators and sustainers of life forms on Earth. They are not imaginary; they are simply invisible to our habitual way of seeing.”
- Marko Pogačnik
Most people call them nature spirits, and some call them land spirits.
But I call them Wild Spirits, and I do so intentionally.
Because these beings are not tame.
They are not your familiars or emotional support trees.
They are not decorative deities to accessorize your altar, nor are they pets that come when called.
To call them Wild is to honor their sovereignty, their otherness, and their right to exist outside of our control. It’s a reminder that these spirits live by their own laws, ancient, rooted, and often indifferent to human agendas. They are alive. Intelligent. Powerful. And sometimes… dangerous.
They are not ours.
They do not serve us.
And when disrespected, neglected, or treated like tools, they often respond swiftly and without apology.
So, what are they?
Wild Spirits encompass a wide and mysterious range of beings. They include the animating forces of trees, rivers, mountains, stones, and storms. Some are guardians of place. Some are ancient presences bound to the land itself. Others are shapeshifting entities, fae-aligned intelligences, or elemental currents that slip between worlds.
We’ll explore these categories more deeply as we go, because this isn’t a single definition. It’s a web of relationships.
But for now, let this sink in:
These spirits are not here to be tamed.
They are here to be met with reverence and respect and to remain in alignment with the wild.
I’ll share what I’ve learned from walking beside them, both gentle and not.
The Spirits Can Soothe… And They Can Shake
Years ago, long before Willow ever wrapped her presence around my grief. I was at a weekend retreat in the woods. I was somewhat new to community magick and eager to learn.
From the moment I arrived, I sensed something was off, but I had little to go on, so I ignored my intuition.
After reflection, it was obvious that the land felt tense, as if it were holding its breath, waiting to exhale. Hindsight is, after all, 20/20! There was no birdsong the next morning. The wind blew in strange fits and starts. By sunset, emotions in the group were fraying. People were snapping at each other, starting with the organizer. One woman broke down into tears during a meditation and couldn’t stop shaking. Another left entirely after waking from a dream that made her physically ill.
At first, the leadership insisted it was “shadow work surfacing.” They insisted that we needed to look within. But I knew better. I could hear the spirits around me whispering. The trees were angry, and the land was unsettled.
The organizers said they made offerings, but no one could find the location. I realized they hadn’t asked permission or shown proper respect. They treated this sacred forest like a backdrop, instead of a living being. They set up loudspeakers in the quiet grove. They rearranged stones near a streambed for “ritual aesthetics.” And they scoffed at warnings from an elder who tried to warn them about the land’s energy.
By the second night, the retreat leader (who proclaimed herself the Priestess of the event) fell violently ill and had to cancel the closing ritual. We were left to make peace with the woods ourselves. That night, a few of us went quietly to the grove. We took down the loudspeakers, and we sat with the land. We apologized. We offered songs instead of demands. Silence instead of speeches. The air shifted. Slowly, the energy softened.
It was one of the earliest and clearest lessons I have ever received—a lesson on spiritual consent. As we sat, some in silent meditation, others in somatic release, I could feel the trees relax.
These spirits are not just nurturing and wise; they are also powerful.
They can also be wild, fierce, and unapologetically protective.
As Witches, we are in a great position to read the signs and communicate with the Wild Spirits around us, should we choose.
Who Are the Wild Spirits?
When I speak of Wild Spirits, I’m not just talking about the fae. While the faerie realm holds its complexity, and we’ll get to that soon, there’s a much broader landscape of beings that dwell within the living world.
These are the spirits I call Wild, who are kin of the land.
They exist within stone and soil, stream and fire, root and sky.
They are ancient, often unnamed, and ever-present.
Let’s explore a few of their forms…
Elementals
Elementals are the spirits of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, the primordial forces of life. They are not metaphorical. They are conscious expressions of the elements themselves.
Earth elementals may be found in caves, boulders, root systems, or mountain ranges, steady, silent, grounding forces that hold ancestral memory.
Air elementals ride wind currents and the wings of birds. They speak in whispers and sudden insights, often moving too quickly to be seen but unmistakable when felt.
Fire elementals are fierce and illuminating. Found in hearths, wildfires, lightning, and transformation, they destroy, but they also awaken.
Water elementals move through streams, tides, rain, and deep wells. They hold emotion, intuition, and the secrets of flow and surrender.
These beings respond most to resonance and rhythm. You don’t “call them in” as much as you align with them through your presence and purity of intent.
Devas and Plant Spirits
The term deva comes from Sanskrit, meaning “shining one”, and in many traditions, devas are understood as the oversouls or spiritual intelligence of plant species, landscapes, or ecosystems. In my tradition, we call them Silma, which means shining white.
Whereas a single tree might house a spirit, the deva of willow is the guiding spirit of all willow trees, holding the wisdom, medicine, and energetic signature of that lineage. These spirits are potent allies for witches who walk the green path. They’re often the first to show up when we begin to deepen our relationship with the plant world, not just as ingredients, but as teachers.
Working with a plant deva isn’t just about what a plant does; it’s about listening to who it is. That’s how we move from consumption to communion. With this alignment, you can see why I take issue with the 1st of the month cinnamon challenge social media seems to favor. This mindless and frankly shallow act accepts no responsibility for the plant spirit you blow out your door each month. I’d be careful about using your plant allies in that way.
Land Spirits & Genius Loci
Every place has a spirit.
Whether it’s a forest clearing, a mountain ridge, a tiny spring, or even the backyard you tend, each location has its intelligence. In some traditions, this is called the genius loci, the spirit or “genius” of a specific place. These spirits are often protective. Some are as old as the land itself. Others are newly formed in response to trauma, healing, or human presence. Some are neutral. Others have deep preferences and strong boundaries.
Have you ever walked into a place and felt watched, not in a fearful way, but with the sensation that something knows you’ve arrived there? That could be a land spirit. And the way we enter, speak, and behave can determine whether that spirit welcomes us, ignores us… or asks us to leave. When we build reciprocal relationships with these beings, offering song, stillness, or simple thanks, they often respond in kind. They begin to reveal the deeper energies of a place, unlocking access to ancestral memory, healing waters, or forgotten wisdom.
These Wild Spirits, elementals, plant devas, land spirits, are not imaginary friends or mood boards for our aesthetic practice. They are real, alive, and intricately interwoven in the health of the land and our ability to heal within it. While some may be subtle, or slow to engage…
They will make themselves known, especially when approached with respect, patience, and sincerity.
In the next section, we’ll explore Faerie Folk specifically, their relationship to these spirits, and how their energy, while overlapping at times, operates on a very different current.
But for now, let this sink in:
You are never truly alone in nature.
The spirits are always near.
The question is, are you listening?
Faerie Beings: Not Your Garden Variety Guides
Among the Wild Spirits, the fae hold their own space. They’re often misunderstood. Reduced to twinkle-light mischief or sanitized folklore. But they are Otherworldly, unpredictable, and often powerful in ways we can’t fully comprehend.
“Fairies are not safe. They are not tame. They are not human, and they do not think or act like humans.”
- Morgan Daimler
Some belong to the Seelie Court, thought to have a lighter disposition (though never docile), and others to the Unseelie, believed to be wilder, darker, and more dangerous. Some owe allegiance to none, answering only to the shifting tides of their realm.
To work with faerie beings is to approach the threshold with reverence, protection, and humility. And most importantly, it’s to understand that you’re on their turf, not the other way around.
The Spirits Are Waiting for You to Remember
This isn’t about fantasy.
This is about the relationship.
It’s about the forgotten truth that the world is alive, and it’s watching.
“Nature is not an object; it is a being. It speaks in a language deeper than words.”
- Marko Pogačnik
When you begin to walk in alignment with these spirits, they meet you. Sometimes in whispers. Sometimes in dreams. And sometimes in ways that shake you awake.
Willow came to me when I was ready to listen.
The grove at that retreat rose in righteous anger because others were not.
Both are sacred.
Both are real.
Both are part of walking the path of the Wild Witch.
Next Steps
The Rebel Mystic Witchcraft Skill Trees
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This is your space to belong.
To be seen.
To grow wild and wise in good company.
With rooted reverence,
Leandra Witchwood🌿
Witch • Wortcunner • Priestess • Herbal Mystic • Author
