How does Nature reveal the divine, the miraculous, and
mystical, and what are the similarities between cultures that give us profound insight
into its power?
This 4-week survey course will review paramount movements
through the ages to discover how nature has enabled humans to connect with the
deeper consciousness of all living things. Students will explore how the people
of the world share a reverence for nature, considering it to be divine, sacred,
or populated by spiritual beings, and how ancient beliefs and present-day
movements are influencing attempts to use the powerful forces of Nature to
conjure the extraordinary and the unimaginable.
As we critically examine a multitude of nature-based
practices, such as the belief in supernatural beings and supernatural forces,
we will introduce concepts used in ancient and modern movements such as animism,
alchemy, astrology, biodynamics, bioenergetics, druidry, hermeticism,
geomagnetism, green magic, qigong, natural healing, nature spirituality,
mythology, polytheism, shamanism, Shintoism, tribal nature-based religions,
wiccan, etc. This journey will enable students to gain an introduction and
deeper appreciation of our connection to nature and how it governs our own
psychic and conscious development, nurturing our connection to nature's more
ethereal realms.