The arrival of spring is accompanied by many glories of the natural world, and the subtle supernatural world that lies just behind it. Everything in creation is Consciousness. Through the manifestation of cosmic energy, and finally the material world, that conscious Spirit remains the source code of creation. Every interaction with the world around us is an opportunity to commune with God therein, and to refine and uplift our own consciousness in the process.
The natural world is also full of mysteries and amazing phenomena. A rare desert frog is known to bed down in icy conditions and stop its heart—entering a kind of suspended animation, almost like death—for weeks or months before resuming its normal biological functions. Some ancient trees communicate and share nutrients through vast underground fungal networks, sometimes called the Wood Wide Web 🙂
Even the vast universe reflects this mystery. All of the known cosmos, stretching millions of light years across space, is composed of some 96% dark energy and dark matter—real forces that scientists know exist, yet still cannot fully comprehend. How many trillions more mysteries are woven into this wondrous world, into our own human bodies and minds?
A remarkable example of human attunement with nature happened in 1940 in the African desert. Two German geologists, Henno Martin and Herman Korn, fled Nazi Germany and chose to hide in the remote wilderness of Namibia rather than face internment. Experienced travelers and scientists, they loaded a truck with basic necessities—including a loyal dog named Otto—and disappeared into the Kuiseb River canyon, more than one hundred miles from civilization.
For two and a half years, survival was their daily focus: finding food, water, and safety in an unforgiving environment. Over time, something extraordinary happened. As they became completely immersed in the rhythms of the desert, they learned to read the language of the land and its creatures. By observing subtle movements and patterns, they could sense what was happening around them—whether ostriches were alarmed, baboons were restless, or predators were nearby. Over time, their awareness grew so refined that they began to live almost like indigenous people, deeply attuned to the natural world. Their story reminds us that nature is not a static reality passing us by; Divine Mother is a living presence in nature that speaks to those who listen.
Swami Kriyananda captured this spirit beautifully in his song “Invocation to the Woodland Devas,” a lilting prayer inviting the devas, or nature spirits, to bless us and remind us of God’s joyful omnipresence:
You devas of woodland, of mountain and field:
Come show’r on us blessings and light.
The wonders that Nature, befriended, can yield
Reveal to our hearing and sight.
Your melodies, whispering joy on the air,
Affirm that God’s ev’rywhere.
O devas of woodland, of mountain and field,
Be with us in blessing this night.
We can befriend Nature in simple ways if we take the time to move consciously through our lives: in the appreciation of a lovely flower, in offering kind thoughts toward others, and by sincerely praying for healing, peace, and harmony in the world. These small acts of awareness gradually tune our hearts to the divine presence at the heart of all creation.
Look for and appreciate Divine Mother as God expressed in the natural world—in the wind through the trees, the warmth of sunlight, and the changing of seasons. When we approach Nature with reverence and gratitude, she responds in kind, sharing her abundant love, beauty, and joy in our souls.
In that friendship with Nature, we discover that the world around us is not separate from us, but a living expression of God and our very Self—ever inviting us to listen, to learn, and to rejoice in her joy and beauty.