“Nature teaches more than she preaches. There are no sermons in stones. It is easier to get a spark out of a stone than a moral.” – John Burroughs
By regarding Nature as a teacher, we are given the opportunity to learn from the one teacher in our lives who is sure to never judge us. She provides us with only facts, not opinions. Although she can be stern, she is always comforting, authoritative, but always patient.
She does not regard her students as “right” or “wrong,” but only as “good” and “better.” In all that we do, our most successful lessons will be gained when we apply the same elements She uses to teach us with. Whether she use water, air, earth, or fire to teach us about the world we inhabit, we must seek to understand the principles which guide that element and apply it to our instruction.
When we think about Native Americans, we often think of the Shaman who can offer direction to his people through reading the signs of Nature around him. The coyote would tell him to be wily. The tortoise would tell him to go slow. The wind would tell him of a coming storm. In all of Nature, the various manifestations of each element carry with them certain characteristics which, when given the proper attention, can direct our path toward a more holistic lifestyle.
We seek the advice of psychologists to interpret how our dreams speak to us. They read into the symbolism of every image that our mind conjures up in order to tell us what our subconscious intelligence is trying to tell us. Is it not any less rational to examine this waking dream called life to seek what a Greater Intelligence might be trying to teach us?
Photo courtesy of Pixdaus
Steve McAllister
In addition to serving as Managing Editor and contributor to Modern Hippie Mag, Steve McAllister is an actor, musician, accomplished author, filmmaker, and the man behind Your Daily Groove. His most recent novel, The McAllister Code is available as an e-book at www.themcallistercode.com. Find Steve on Twitter, @InkenSoul. Read his reviews and articles here.
Steve McAllister, Modern Hippie Mag's resident Lifestyle Guru, describes himself as a Renaissance Man. An author, filmmaker, songwriter, and perpetual artistic experimenter, he has recently re-released his second book The Rucksack Letters into paperback to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the journey. His latest book, a comical foray into philosophical science fiction, is How to Survive an Estralarian Mind Meld. His latest artistic project is The Labyrinth of the Unbroken Path. .
