Wisdom of the Natural World: Spiritual and Practical Teachings from Plants, Animals & Mother Earth

by Granddaughter Crow

Connect to the Earth and Embrace Its Teachings From animals and plants to landscapes and seasons, the natural world is a phenomenal teacher. It guides and supports you in improving your relationships, finances, health, and much more. Packed with practical exercises, meditations, and new perspectives, Wisdom of the Natural World empowers you to find balance in life and realize your importance to the planet. Join Granddaughter Crow on an illuminating journey to become your most authentic self. Explore how the seasons and weather cycles affect your four bodies―physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Discover how to create your own medicine wheel and work with your shadow side. This enlightening book helps you communicate with nature and apply its concepts to your day-to-day life, giving you a deep sense of purpose and understanding. Wisdom of the Natural World is your key to finding connection and feeling like you belong. Foreword by Michael Smith, PhD, author of The Complete Empath Toolkit

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 8, 2021

Reviews

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wisdom of the Natural World by Granddaughter Crow
Spiritual and Practical Teaching from Plants, Animals and Mother Earth

~ Connect to the earth and embrace its teachings ~

This book has basic information that been shared before in a variety of ways BUT I found myself reading what was shared, thinking about it and then trying to apply what I read to my life circumstances. It is a book that will have pertinent information no matter what age the reader might be.

Tidbits and Takeaways:
* Goal: to walk in balance in all areas of our lives
* Connecting and learning through nature – really seeing it – applying what is seen to relationships, romance, business, health and well being
* A listing of different types of intelligence (not new but interesting to revisit)
* Four animal Kingdoms identified, attributes discussed, applications: Four-legged, Winged, Water, Creepy Crawlies
* Plant Kingdom: types, attributes, discussion of
* Totems: Animal and Plant
* Landscapes – Environments: carry spirits & contain energy, some are more attuned and hear stories, types listed with attributes and discussion of where we live and who we are and how the two might be in conflict: desserts, forests, mountains, grasslands, jungles
* Seasons and Weather Cycles: Four Seasons, Equinoxes and Solstices
* Medicine Wheel/Sacred Circles: how to make them, what to put into them, correspondences between animals, elements, nature, plants, etc
* Listening Circle: had just read something similar in another book
* Application of the information provided and review to provide empowerment

I found it interesting to think about myself and people I know or have relationships with then trying to decide what animal, plant, or season they might be in and how that would impact my relationship with them. It is a bit like astrology and which houses are most compatible. It created some interesting images of fish eating worms or bears eating fish or spring-like friends contending with winter-like spouses. I think that the main takeaway from this book, for me, was opening my eyes to a new way of looking at nature, my life, and all around me.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Will I use the information I read in the future? I believe I will.

Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

[Weslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book thinking it was going to be predominantly influenced by Native American teachings. While the author is Navajo and a lot of the information in the book is influenced by her heritage, it is also heavily influenced by a plethora of other cultures. Had I gone into this book with no expectations I might have enjoyed it more, but I don't think this book was for me.

First things first, nowhere in the synopsis of this book does it say that the topic is Native American traditions and techniques for tapping into the wisdom of the natural world. I made that assumption and it was a mistake. That aside, I still wasn't thrilled with this book. It is packed with information and well written, but I didn't personally find the information useful and I was often thrown off by the quantity of cultures referenced (probably due to my assumption that this book was on one specific heritage.) A lot of the information presented was a little repetitive and all over the place. I wasn't expected to get Buddhist meditation and the Celtic wheel of the year all in one book. It's just too much. I know that the author has studied religion, but I feel like too many varying spiritual paths were packing into this book.

If you're new to your spiritual path and looking for a book that helps you connect with nature a little more, this book would be perfect for you, especially if you're still figuring out which practices you really identify with.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating Insights, But...

When I saw this book at one of my favorite book review sites, I thought it would be a little different from what it is. I thought the author would get specific about the wisdom gained from particular plants, animals, or other aspects of the natural world. The book is far more general, which is fine. She groups plants, animals, and landscapes into different types and encourages us to figure out which general types we are. She further discusses how, as one of a type, we tend to act and interact in relationships and at work. I gleaned so many insights from this book. She also looks at the seasons, weather, and the medicine wheel. I thought the writing was a little stilted and awkward at times. For some reason, too, the author had a love of false subjects, which are constructs using the word “there” when it has nothing to do with a physical location, usually paired with a version of a “to be” verb, e.g., “there is,” “there are,” “there was,” and “there were.” I counted just over 200 of these. As a copy editor, I specifically look for these in my author's writing as they are considered weak constructions because they hide the true subject/actor of the sentence. They just stuck out to me like a sore thumb because the book was filled with so many (and sometimes several in one paragraph), and many of these could easily have been turned into more active sentences. Despite this, I found this to be a fascinating read, even if the book wasn't quite what I thought it would be.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granddaughter Crow guides you into the Great Mystery using Navajo teachings.to illuminate your divine spark and help you understand why you're here. The natural world: plants, animals, seasons, landscapes, these are our teachers. We also learn about the Medicine Wheel, our Shadow Self and empowerment.
The book then moves on to exercises. 14 wonderful exercises for these stressful times which include animal and plant totems, breathing and mindfulness, reacquaint with nature, listening.
Wisdom of the Natural World is very inclusive and a terrific resource for anyone who is interested in, or practices, shamanism or any other earth based religion, anyone who loves nature and wants to be more in touch with nature, anyone who feels out of touch with the world and wants to reconnect.
#netgalley #WisdomOfTheNaturalWorld

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granddaughter Crow takes us on a journey to find ourselves and learn how we can connect with nature to improve many areas of our lives such as health, relationships, and business. This is a book about how to connect with different aspects of nature, the Medicine Wheel, and our shadow selves, not a book about Earth Magick like some might think. I found it very informative and easy to understand. The exercises included were easy and helpful. I do feel like this may be a book geared more towards beginners than more experienced practitioners as some of the information included were things I already knew. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in connecting with nature.

[Annalisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic amount of knowledge in this book. I feel so lucky having this book in my hands but the anticipation of what this book might hold makes me want to open it. This beautiful book introduces you to a bit of everything. There are spells, rituals, rites and potions. Get closer to the Earth and feel as one as you develop your relationship with the Earth. This book answered many of my questions and exceeded my expectations. I definitely recommend this book.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always fascinating to meet another culture and learn new ways of thinking.
This is an excellent book that made me reflect and I loved the style of writing and the clarity of the explanations.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some introductory information about Navajo/Native American teachings. Connection to Nature in different ways/areas of our lives.