Druid in the City: Nature is All Around

One of the things I often hear from people who seem to believe that you can’t be an urban witch or druid is that there’s no nature in a city, but there is always nature around us. As long as we open a window or step outside we can connect with the one component of nature that is guaranteed to be there – the weather.

The weather is amazing … everywhere. The fact that it happens at all is phenomenal!! I have a science degree, and I am aware of the real reasons why weather happens. Yet, it is still enchanting. The fact that this planet has created these beautiful patterns to sustain, and sometimes purge, the land is just amazing to me.

Frozen snowflakes drift from the sky. Delicious drops of rainfall on my face. Fabulous fog all around me. The fearsome winds of a hurricane, the deadly power of a rip current, the blinding terror of the blizzard, that formidable strength of an earthquake. What beauty, what power!

I have experienced many of the worst effects of the weather. And when you are in the moment, sometimes, weather phenomena can be terrifying. I prepared for each instance of dangerous weather that I was aware of. I knew how to give myself the best chance of survival, but it was still terrifying at the moment. There is no controlling Mother Nature when She decides to unleash her might.

Still, I continue to be awed by the power of the elements, the graceful movement of the winds and tides through land, sea, and sky.

As druids, witches, heathens, and pagans, we can connect with the weather wherever we are.

If you are able, and the weather is safe to do so, go outside. Sit or stand in a place with no roof – a patio, a sidewalk, a park – and just feel. If you can’t get outside, open a window if you can, or just sit by the window where you can see and hear the weather outside.

Close your eyes if you can and it is safe to do so. Feel the light of the sun, and the breath of the wind. Feel the humidity (or lack thereof) on your skin. Take three deep breaths and extend your senses into the air and sky around you. Feel the clouds in the atmosphere if there are any, or feel the clear air if there aren’t. Try to feel, see, smell, and hear the weather around you with your inner senses. Sit in this space for a few minutes, and – if you choose to – journal your experiences.

So I invite you – go outside, sit at a window, and connect with the nature that is all around you.