Guest Author - Lisa Binion
Catriona MacGregor, the author, definitely loves nature and animals. Tauntingly called ‘Nature Girl’ by schoolmates, she turned away from her natural love of nature for a short time. Then the tragic suicide of her father sent her into a deep depression. A spiritual awakening in the woods near her home brought her out of the depths of despair.
Catriona, an expert on global environmental trends, is dedicated to teaching people how to once again be inspired by nature. This book is one of her tools to reconnect the human race with nature.
Partnering with Nature is very well researched and written. The historical tidbits are extremely interesting. There were several points on which I agreed with the author. She teaches that we all need to have great respect for animals and nature. I wholeheartedly agree with this, for this is what the Bible teaches.
Plants are very beneficial. Besides having natural healing properties, plants in the home will help to clean the poison out of the air we breathe each and ever day - air that we have unwittingly poisoned with toxins from commercial cleaning products. We rely far too much now on modern pills and medical fixes.
Our natural sleep cycle (going to bed when dark, rising when daylight) has been thrown off by both Daylight Savings Time and the electric light bulb. This could be the reason many now suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Throughout history, people have taken pilgrimages, quests or walkabouts. Participation in one of these can help one reconnect with nature and “find one’s self”.
There are exercises, or suggestions, about how to follow what is taught in each chapter. Some of the included exercises are:
‘how to overcome fear’
‘how to record your dreams’
‘how to send healing intent to the earth’
‘how to create an animal altar’
‘how to meditate with a tree’
‘how to find a meditation method that works for you’
‘how to create a sacred circle’
‘how to create a vision quest or nature retreat’
The author talks a great deal about positive and negative energy emanating from people and from the earth. For those of you who believe in this personal energy, there are exercises to help you tap into it.
If you are an environmentalist, you will love this book. If you are not an environmentalist, or if you believe that ‘global warming’ is a perfectly natural event, this book is not for you. If you are a Christian, her worshipful reverence of plants, animals and the rest of nature may cause a bit of distress.
The author believes that all life on Earth exists within us and that we exist in all life on Earth. If you believe, as I do, that our spirits communicate one on one with God, then her point of view may unsettle your spirit. She states that people communicate with God through our interaction with animals and trees. She also believes that communicating with animal spirits is a way of having meaningful encounters with animals.
This very well written book was graciously sent to me free of charge by the publisher. Though I love to read, I had a hard time reading it as the author puts humans on equal footing with all other beings in nature. My Christian beliefs cry out against this, as God gave man dominion over all of His creation. Of course, we are supposed to respect His creation and care for it.
If you would like a copy of this book for yourself, it is available through Amazon. A link is provided below for your convenience.
