{"id":31130,"date":"2025-01-10T13:36:03","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T17:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=31130"},"modified":"2025-01-10T13:36:03","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T17:36:03","slug":"codys-column","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2025\/01\/10\/codys-column\/","title":{"rendered":"Cody\u2019s Column"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Land Spirits Are Still Calling<\/span><\/h1>\n
\"\"
The Magic Skagit River. Photograph by Cody Johansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0It\u2019s Winter in the Northern Hemisphere here along the Magic Skagit River in the beautiful and wet Pacific Northwest.\u00a0 The bears have decreased their movement across the land but their claw marks on the apple trees are still visible.\u00a0 Black-capped chickadees are flocking by the dozens to glean the small seeds of chicory and lamb\u2019s quarter.\u00a0 Our farm cats crouch in the crumpled grass with a glimmer in their eyes.\u00a0 The snow is still wandering in the upper hills and mountains and has not come down to the riverbed yet.\u00a0 Land spirits are here, I can feel their calls, they are a whole community, from the tiniest to the largest, working together and sometimes apart.\u00a0 They exist because the land exists.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Shiloh Noelle. Photograph by Cody Johansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I am a dahlia farmer alongside my wife.\u00a0 We grow flowers and sell tubers.\u00a0 We grow the flowers because they are beautiful, and I have a strong nostalgic relationship with the dahlias of my grandfather\u2019s garden.\u00a0 I remember his large dinner plate dahlias looming over me as I wandered through the patch looking for a bloom that would go on the kitchen table.\u00a0 The shapes and colors were so wild yet mathematically precise, they captured my imagination as a young boy.\u00a0 Now as a man, seeing them grow on our farm today is the <\/span>inspiration for writing to you about how to hear the call of the land spirits.\u00a0 I want more people to hear the call of land spirits and work more closely with the land they live on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Elk in the lower field. Photograph by Cody Johansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We tried growing many different crops on this land before deciding to grow dahlias. Our sandy soil and warmer temperatures in summer months makes it challenging to provide food crops with enough nutrients and water to thrive.\u00a0 We had to try growing those other vegetable crops though because that\u2019s all we knew before arriving in the Skagit Valley.\u00a0 Our first month on the land, I felt an urgent call to go into the forest just beyond the old wood barn.\u00a0 Within moments of entering the forest, I heard a loud crashing sound coming up the hill from the lower field.\u00a0 I froze.\u00a0 At first all I saw was antlers, big ones.\u00a0 Then the bull elk made his full presence known not 15 feet from where I stood.\u00a0 There the elk stood, a true land spirit, I could even smell him!\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0As a child, I visited the game farm along the Olympic Peninsula with my mom and the elk would try to snag the bread from our car window.\u00a0 This elk did not want to be fed, but he did want to tell <\/span>me something, so I followed his trail after our greeting.\u00a0 His path swathed through the <\/span>forest until we made it to the lower field where he had vanished from sight.\u00a0 \u201cSomething big is going to happen here,\u201d was the message I <\/span>received from the elk, the first up close encounter for me in the wild.\u00a0 He left me with a view of Sauk Mt.\u00a0 We call her \u201cSleeping Lady\u201d now because of her profile in the <\/span>winter.\u00a0 She is another careful watcher land spirit like the elk.\u00a0 You may want to come up with your own names for the land spirits you encounter or try asking them what they want to be called.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\u201cSleeping Lady\u201d Sauk Mt. Photograph by Cody Johansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Something big happened here on the farm for us.\u00a0 In the following seven years we grew deeper in love with the land, I discovered that I have Bipolar Type I, our daughter was born, and we started growing dahlias with success.\u00a0 <\/span>Each of these events were met with guidance from the land spirits because we wanted to partner with them.\u00a0 They are interested in us still.\u00a0 If you are looking to belong, here is something to consider…\u00a0 Take a walk in your neighborhood, in your backyard, even through your house and keep an open, meditative mind for what land spirits may be speaking to you.<\/p>\n

Land spirits are ancient but not so unfamiliar with modernity.\u00a0 Just as the elk have had to adapt to the land being cleared, their herds removed, and subsequently reintroduced to the\u00a0<\/span>land, the land spirits carry a story as well.\u00a0 If you live in North America, you\u2019re standing <\/span>in Indigenous land, and it would be a good start to find out which tribe lived where your home and land is now.\u00a0 I acknowledge the Indigenous Sauk-Suiattle people when I work with the land spirits on our farm.\u00a0 Some of the land spirits are the same now as they were in the past as I have learned from the Indigenous elders who still pay respects to and acknowledge them in ceremony.\u00a0 Your local library may have books about your local tribe.\u00a0 It is worth checking out.\u00a0 We lucked out with \u201cThe Valley of the Spirits: The Upper Skagit Indians of Western Washington,\u201d a detailed and informative account of the people who still call this land home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Two Snails. Photograph by Cody Johansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


\nStart small when connecting with the land spirits.\u00a0 I once observed a snail rear itself up in a spiral fashion and begin building its own shell!\u00a0 To grow, the snail must provide its own shelter with precision.\u00a0 I asked the snail why it did this acrobatic feat, and she shared with me that she is a lover of beauty and the great movement of the spirit which moves in a spiral fashion.\u00a0 Since this encounter, I have dedicated two gardens to her spiral shape and find great pleasure when I see snail hanging on a leaf of my plant in this area of my garden.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Magical Forest. Photograph by Cody Johansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You might be interested in reaching out to the land spirit that is mostly in charge of the land you are working or living on.\u00a0 Again, you are most likely on ancestral tribal land, so I recommend taking an interest in your local tribe\u2019s history.\u00a0 Even better if you can establish a relationship with an elder of the tribe.\u00a0 Offer to do something for them, chopping wood or gardening for instance.\u00a0 Tree spirits are in constant communication with the keeper of the land.\u00a0 Trees also have lots to offer!\u00a0 I will be writing more about them next month.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have a Tree of Wonders, an ancient Maple nestled next to Grandmother Cedar and within sight of Grandfather Fir.\u00a0 I provide offerings of precious stones, feathers, apples for the animals and birds.\u00a0 The trees provide a place to sit and meditate throughout the year.\u00a0 In exchange for taking an interest in their being, I receive stories of the forest, inspiration, courage, and wisdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Grandfather Tree. Photograph by Cody Johansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next month, I will focus on tree spirits as well as our land spirit who is in charge and how we established a relationship with them as well as lessons we have learned. Until next time, find the oldest tree near you and spend some time sitting near this tree.\u00a0 May you receive more guidance pertinent to the land you live on!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"I am a husband, father, farmer, and friend. I live on the banks of the Magic Skagit River, ancestral lands of the Sauk-Suiattle people. I practice rune reading, tarot, land magic, and work with many spirit guides. My life began Pagan but I veered off into the Christian church in college. I found my way back to my Pagan and ancestral roots in 2005 and have journeyed along this path since then.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Land Spirits Are Still Calling \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0It\u2019s Winter in the Northern Hemisphere here along the Magic Skagit River in the beautiful and wet Pacific Northwest.\u00a0 The bears have decreased their movement across the land but their claw marks on the apple trees are still visible.\u00a0 Black-capped chickadees are flocking by the dozens to glean the small seeds of chicory and lamb\u2019s quarter.\u00a0 Our farm cats crouch in the crumpled grass with a glimmer in their eyes.\u00a0 The snow is still wandering in the upper hills and mountains and has not come down to the riverbed yet.\u00a0 Land spirits are here, I can feel their calls, they are a whole community, from the tiniest to the largest, working together and sometimes apart.\u00a0 They exist because the land exists. I am a dahlia farmer alongside my wife.\u00a0 We grow flowers and sell tubers.\u00a0 We grow the flowers because they are beautiful, and I have a strong nostalgic relationship with the dahlias of my grandfather\u2019s garden.\u00a0 I remember his large dinner plate dahlias looming over me as I wandered through the patch looking for a bloom that would go on the kitchen table.\u00a0 The shapes and colors were so wild yet mathematically precise, they captured my imagination as a young boy.\u00a0 Now as a man, seeing them grow on our farm today is the inspiration for writing to you about how to hear the call of the land spirits.\u00a0 I want more people to hear the call of land spirits and work more closely with the land they live on. We tried growing many different crops on this land before deciding to grow dahlias. Our sandy soil and warmer temperatures in summer months makes it challenging to provide food crops with enough nutrients and water to thrive.\u00a0 We had to try growing those other vegetable crops though because that\u2019s all we knew before arriving in the Skagit Valley.\u00a0 Our first month on the land, I felt an urgent call to go into the forest just beyond the old wood barn.\u00a0 Within moments of entering the forest, I heard a loud crashing sound coming up the hill from the lower field.\u00a0 I froze.\u00a0 At first all I saw was antlers, big ones.\u00a0 Then the bull elk made his full presence known not 15 feet from where I stood.\u00a0 There the elk stood, a true land spirit, I could even smell him!\u00a0 \u00a0As a child, I visited the game farm along the Olympic Peninsula with my mom and the elk would try to snag the bread from our car window.\u00a0 This elk did not want to be fed, but he did want to tell me something, so I followed his trail after our greeting.\u00a0 His path swathed through the forest until we made it to the lower field where he had vanished from sight.\u00a0 \u201cSomething big is going to happen here,\u201d was the message I received from the elk, the first up close encounter for me in the wild.\u00a0 He left me with a view of Sauk Mt.\u00a0 We call her \u201cSleeping Lady\u201d now because of her profile in the winter.\u00a0 She is another careful watcher land spirit like the elk.\u00a0 You may want to come up with your own names for the land spirits you encounter or try asking them what they want to be called. Something big happened here on the farm for us.\u00a0 In the following seven years we grew deeper in love with the land, I discovered that I have Bipolar Type I, our daughter was born, and we started growing dahlias with success.\u00a0 Each of these events were met with guidance from the land spirits because we wanted to partner with them.\u00a0 They are interested in us still.\u00a0 If you are looking to belong, here is something to consider…\u00a0 Take a walk in your neighborhood, in your backyard, even through your house and keep an open, meditative mind for what land spirits may be speaking to you. Land spirits are ancient but not so unfamiliar with modernity.\u00a0 Just as the elk have had to adapt to the land being cleared, their herds removed, and subsequently reintroduced to the\u00a0land, the land spirits carry a story as well.\u00a0 If you live in North America, you\u2019re standing in Indigenous land, and it would be a good start to find out which tribe lived where your home and land is now.\u00a0 I acknowledge the Indigenous Sauk-Suiattle people when I work with the land spirits on our farm.\u00a0 Some of the land spirits are the same now as they were in the past as I have learned from the Indigenous elders who still pay respects to and acknowledge them in ceremony.\u00a0 Your local library may have books about your local tribe.\u00a0 It is worth checking out.\u00a0 We lucked out with \u201cThe Valley of the Spirits: The Upper Skagit Indians of Western Washington,\u201d a detailed and informative account of the people who still call this land home.\u00a0 Start small when connecting with the land spirits.\u00a0 I once observed a snail rear itself up in a spiral fashion and begin building its own shell!\u00a0 To grow, the snail must provide its own shelter with precision.\u00a0 I asked the snail why it did this acrobatic feat, and she shared with me that she is a lover of beauty and the great movement of the spirit which moves in a spiral fashion.\u00a0 Since this encounter, I have dedicated two gardens to her spiral shape and find great pleasure when I see snail hanging on a leaf of my plant in this area of my garden. You might be interested in reaching out to the land spirit that is mostly in charge of the land you are working or living on.\u00a0 Again, you are most likely on ancestral tribal land, so I recommend taking an interest in your local tribe\u2019s history.\u00a0 Even better if you can establish a relationship with an elder of the tribe.\u00a0 Offer to do something for them, chopping wood or gardening for instance.\u00a0 Tree spirits are in constant communication with the keeper of the land.\u00a0 Trees also have lots to offer!\u00a0 I will be writing more about them next month. We have a Tree of Wonders, an ancient Maple nestled next to Grandmother Cedar and within sight of Grandfather Fir.\u00a0 I provide offerings of precious stones, feathers, apples for the animals and birds.\u00a0 The trees provide a place to sit and meditate throughout the year.\u00a0 In exchange for taking an interest in their being, I receive stories of the forest, inspiration, courage, and wisdom. Next month, I will focus on tree spirits as well as our land spirit who is in charge and how we established a relationship with them as well as lessons we have learned. Until next time, find the oldest tree near you and spend some time sitting near this tree.\u00a0 May you receive more guidance pertinent to the land you live on!   I am a husband, father, farmer, and friend. I live on the banks of the Magic Skagit River, ancestral lands of the Sauk-Suiattle people. I practice rune reading, tarot, land magic, and work with many spirit guides. My life began Pagan but I veered off into the Christian church in college. I found my way back to my Pagan and ancestral roots in 2005 and have journeyed along this path since then.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":295,"featured_media":31137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10004,15149,10008],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-monthly-columns","category-paranormal-folklore-mythology","category-spells-rituals"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31130"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31181,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31130\/revisions\/31181"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}