I talk to everything.
The birds at the feeder, the impressive neighborhood fir trees, the rock that catches my eye on a walk, the crow that watches me from a wire.
Most of these are passing interactions, like greeting a stranger. Although I talk to everything, not everything responds in the same way.
Some respond at certain times, and other times not at all. Most of the feedback is not like talking with a human, but more of a bodily sensation, and/or an emotion that comes on suddenly and is not my own.
Sometimes it is a strong image in my mind or a thought, for example, “move to your left,” and I see a pile of trash to pick up that I initially did not see.
I began talking to everything over a decade ago as a young ex-Catholic adolescent experimenting with Wicca. Alone in this endeavor, I followed the internet’s advice of “follow what you feel drawn towards…”
After researching a particular deity, I stepped outside to pray. I say “pray” because I didn’t see this act as any more unusual or different from prayer as I knew it from my Abrahamic upbringing. According to mythology, this deity lives in the northern sky, chained and guarded by his consort.
So there I stood–I lit a candle, and spoke to the night sky.
I talk to the trees in the yard; I greet them and remind them of who I am. I ask them how they are doing, and if they need anything.
The clearest and most consistent communication I get these days comes from two of the older trees. One is very friendly and encouraging. The other prefers to be left alone with a “get off my lawn” kind of attitude.
The former has helped me, most notably in a dream I had one evening after performing my usual ritual cleansing routine.
In the dream I had a “helper” in the form of a human naturalist who I was assisting with a project. While we stood out on the land, I tore a fat, fleshy worm-like creature from my arm, and threw it into a deep crevice at the base of the tree.
That is why making friends, and keeping yourself clean, is important!
The less-friendly tree ultimately just seems protective over the smaller tree next to it, who has previously been damaged due to episodes of human stupidity (from neighbors, but I digress).
It does not seem too fond of humans, though I have gotten a rare bit of assistance and even approval from it, especially after doing extensive work to support balance in the land.
There also used to be an old cherry tree, who I unfortunately did not have much time to speak to before it died. However, even after humans declared it dead, its life felt like it slowly faded out of the tree rather than leaving all at once.
I picked up on that a few times before I approached it properly to give thanks and say a final goodbye. Within a couple more weeks, the sense of life in the tree had faded completely.
I talk to the weather, too; storms are a favorite of mine. I thank them for what they do and ask that they might be careful as they are passing by.
During one thunderstorm, the power had gone out and I gave my usual greeting and introduction to the storm.
As I watched for lightning, a bright blue ball of lightning appeared, floating just above the yard. It was even lower than my eye level from where I sat indoors. I looked right into it–it was like staring into a bright lamp or a miniature sun, but not painful to look at.
The air sizzled and popped outside, and streaks from the ball of lightning reached out to the garage, seemingly going “into” the outdoor lamp. The entire house electricity flickered back on in conjunction with the sparking ball of lightning.
A few more seconds later, the ball faded, and our electricity went off again.
It turns out that this “ball lightning” phenomenon is extremely rare and its exact causes are unknown. I call this instance ball lightning as that is the closest description for what I saw.
Occultist Aleister Crowley reported seeing this phenomenon in his lifetime, as well as others throughout history, going back to Ancient Greece.
I’ve only talked about nature so far, but the same approach goes for rooms, objects, and so forth.
For example, I got a spirited necklace from a witch on the US east coast. I didn’t plan on getting it at first, but its functionality caught my attention as the witch described it. The details aligned with specific things I have also seen and experienced before.
It was sassy sometimes, quiet most of the time. Nearly a year later, a strong mental image suddenly interrupted my meditation session. It was a rather striking ornate being, feminine and humanoid, but not quite human and not quite female.
The being looked happy and curious, intently observing and smiling at me. Since then, they have been a bit more active overall. This being seemed to be attached to a particular part of the necklace, not the entire thing, so I could be dealing with more than one!
It is an ongoing, unfolding relationship.
The voice, used with intent, creates an interface for everything around you to slowly begin to acknowledge and interact with you. I think the phrase “you are never alone” goes far deeper than we realize.
Patience, kindness, and above all paying attention goes a long way in developing relationships… Whether it’s with humans, animals, or the leaf stuck to your shoe.