Jul 15, 2019
Today's Guest
I'm excited to introduce today's guest, Eva Leenknegt. Eva and I met earlier this year in London after I discovered her blog Anima Monday in the monthly newsletter produced by OBOD, our druid order. Because I had just written a book about the stories of trees, which were given to me by the tree spirits themselves, I was really interested to speak with someone else who is knowledgeable about the concept of animism.
What is animism, you may be wondering? It's the concept that everything has a spirit. Everything: humans, animals, plants, minerals, and even things that we consider to be inanimate objects, like computers and cars. Once a mainstream concept in the belief systems of ancient pagan communities, it's now seen as a bit unusual. I know I've come across plenty of people who think I'm crazy for believing in tree spirits.
The fact is that this is more than just a belief – it's a totally different way of experiencing life, one that can open us up to creating new, deeper connections with everything around us. I'm so excited to share this conversation with you, as I think it can open you up to new experiences.
We mention this near the end of the episode, but whether you're a long-time believer in animism or whether you're just starting to open up to this type of experience, Eva would love for you to share your story on her blog, Anima Monday. Link below. Get in touch!
More About Eva Leenknegt
Eva Leenknegt (Beith) is a druid (member of OBOD) living in Belgium. She is one of the driving forces behind Anima Monday, a community blogging project that aims to make people more familiar with animism in all its facets. An avid lover of trees, she hopes to convince people of the wealth of wisdom the natural world could share with us, if only we would stop destroying it. She also has a personal blog at wandering-the-woods.com, where she writes about her own druid journey. In her ‘real' life she’s a mathematician exploring a different kind of otherworlds.
Listen to this episode
What You’ll Learn
- What is animism + why you might want to open up to this possibility
- How can we know if animism is true? Can it be proved?
- How can it be that objects like computers, desks, and cars have a spirit?
- Why animism is an “experience of reality” rather than a belief system
- Where this philosophy came from
- What types of people believe in animism
- Why more people aren’t open to this perspective/philosophy/way of living
- How can opening up to this concept change our lives
- How you can start to embrace the concept of animism in your own life
Things We Discussed
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