Partnering with Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting with the Earth [Paperback]

Catriona MacGregor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2010

In today’s world, it’s often too easy to forget about the world outside the window. People struggle daily with stressful jobs, trapped under fluorescent lighting, staring at glowing screens, or surrounded by concrete when they could be outdoors, acknowledging the gifts of natural world. In the face of its absence, we are finally beginning to understand that our connection with nature—plants, trees, animals, and the energy of the earth itself—is more than a luxury; it is a necessary and vital part of our existence. In Partnering with Nature, Catriona MacGregor weaves together historical, spiritual, and scientific examples to emphasize the importance of creating a vital relationship with our natural surroundings. Our separation from nature leads to several devastating effects, whether through stress, feeling a lack of purpose, or the heedless destruction of our environment. Through her exploration of the energies that link humans, animals, and the natural world, she shows how we can learn from nature as we develop our spirituality and ourselves. Through diverse approaches, Catriona offers the reader a solid understanding of why a connection with the Earth is vital to our existence, and how a revival of that connection opens doors to a myriad of benefits in our environment and in our health, our daily lives, and our happiness.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With each successive generation, those born in industrialized nations grow further removed from the natural world of their ancestors. Technology increasingly captures our time and commands our attention, until most personal interaction with the living world is reduced to a minimal level. The result, MacGregor posits, is a planet under siege with its human inhabitants spiritually, if not substantively, stretched to the breaking point. From the physical to the metaphysical, emotional to environmental, MacGregor chronicles the countless ways contemporary society has disconnected from nature and the resultant adverse effects on humankind and the biosphere. Displaying the insights of an anthropologist, MacGregor cites both ancient cultures and existent indigenous societies in demonstrating the historical foundations for and modern implications of nature-based spiritual practices as well as scientific investigations. In this contemplative yet vibrant treatise, she not only analyzes the myriad ways humanity can benefit from a greater awareness of the natural world, but also recommends specific exercises to increase such interaction. A leading proponent for global environmental protection and conservation, MacGregor offers powerful incentives for reestablishing natural connections. --Carol Haggas

Review

“I have been deeply impressed by Catriona MacGregor for many years. Her striking kinship with the animal world and her vision of the natural world are compelling and apparent when you are in her presence. Many people carefully copy native traditions, hoping for a shamanic experience. Catriona MacGregor is a shaman.

         "Catriona's book is a gentle yet somehow startling book, a work of unsuspected beauty, and generously far-ranging in its scope, considering how much it encompasses. It is written with the clarity of one who is consciously living in the web of life and empowered by a unique and enduring vision.”

—Jim Gilkeson, author of A Pilgrim in Your Body and Energy Healing

“I love this book. It makes my spirit sing!  Partnering with Nature is a profound invitation to step into the sacred realm of the soul. Through carefully crafted exercises and thoughtful insights, Catriona MacGregor assists us make this revered journey into the hallowed spaces that only nature can provide. She gently allows us to step out of the quickened pace of modern life and though a shimmering portal into an inner landscape that is wild and free, so we can live in ways that are authentic and heartfelt.”

—Denise Linn, international speaker and bestselling author of Sacred Space

“From the first paragraph, this masterpiece of a book weaves a magical spell. Into that spell it mixes baby robins, alpha brain waves, shamanic journeys, celtic myths, and water bears into a glorious tapestry of wholeness. And then it weaves you, the reader, into that spell, showing how you can gain access to the spiritual unity behind it all. Warm as a tropical sunset, fresh as a woodland glade, Catriona MacGregor's inviting prose lifts the veil between the material and spiritual worlds—and transports you to the heart of being found in nature.

            “As you read these compelling stories, you will feel all your cells tingle with the recognition that you are made of the stuff of the universe, and find inspiration and renewal in the natural world around you, wherever you live. I recommend this book highly.”

—Dawson Church, PhD, author of The Genie in Your Genes

"Catriona MacGregor’s poignant Partnering with Nature is a beautifully wrought synthesis of poetic spirituality and well-grounded practical fact.  Catriona creates an intriguing tapestry of thoughts and images, weaving together history, geology, scientific research, and her own profound spiritual connection with the natural world. ... She speaks convincingly of Earth as teacher, habitat, and salvation, asserting that our connection with the natural environment provides both a portal to the divine and the tools that we will need to preserve our planet as a habitat for humankind. … She concludes by gathering together the many threads of wisdom offered up by her book and leads us gently but inexorably to her conclusion: We as a race will not thrive, evolve or even survive, unless we return to partnership with our earth. She urges us to reclaim the strength of our connection with nature on both a personal and a planetary level. “You are a different person if you are filled with the warm rays of the sun, the clarity of the blue sky, the soaring hawk.” Says Catriona in her final paragraphs.  You will also be a different person after you have read this book. The images of Catriona’s vision will flow through your mind and dance through your heart long after you have finished reading Partnering With Nature."

—Amy Racina, author of Angels in the Wilderness

"Partnering with Nature studies show that when people come into contact with Nature, even with a simple potted plant, they become kinder, more generous, and more community minded than when they focus on artificial human-made surroundings. Catriona MacGregor gives us a mystical and practical manual for our times to reconnect with Nature’s sacred healing power for our own benefit and that of all life on Earth."

—Penelope Smith, author of Animal Talk, When Animals Speak, and Animals in Spirit

“Partnering with Nature helps awaken all of us to the transformative powers of nature.”

—Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods

"Insight, healing, and wisdom fill every page. Partnering with Nature a jewel of a book—a great field guide, if you will, for those who would more deeply and reverently enter the heart of the wild."

—Susan Chernak McElroy, author of Animals as Teachers and Healers

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books/Beyond Words; Original edition (April 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582702195
• ISBN-13: 978-1582702193
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #365,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

About Catriona MacGregor

A visionary bridge builder between nature and humankind, Catriona helps people connect to nature and their own spirit through vision quests, shamanic journeys, spirit animal discovery, and nature-based coaching. She is a wise woman who weaves her many life experiences, spirituality, and intuition into a tapestry of hope.
A catalyst for positive change, Catriona is an authority on environmental trends in the United States and internationally and over the past twenty years, she has led conservation initiatives and environmental education programs in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the United States. She has been a voice for animals and wild places all of her life.
Catriona is also the coauthor of Healing the Heart of the World: Harnessing the Power of Intention to Change Your Life and the Planet, along with Carolyn Myss, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Masaru Emoto, Fritjof Capra, Thich Nhat Hanh, and others.
She lives in Northern California with her husband, Paul, seventeen-year-old son, Joe, and many animal friends domestic and wild.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent nature prose -- a delight to read, April 13, 2010

By 

Rabbi Yonassan Gershom (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Partnering with Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting with the Earth (Paperback)

I am giving this book five stars for the excellent writing and wonderful nature stories -- even though the author and I are worlds apart on theology. Like many neo-pagan writers nowadays, she has a tendency to mis-blame human disconnectedness with other living beings on "monotheism." (In her case, mostly her childhood Catholicism. She says very little about Judaism. I am more inclined to blame the disconnect on the 17th-century French philosopher Rene Descartes, who thought of animals as nothing but unfeeling machines -- but that's a whole other blog.) She takes a polytheistic approach to the natural world that I, as a Jew, cannot embrace as such, athough I do share her deep love of animals and nature. But in a different way. So I need to be very clear that I am NOT recommending that my fellow Jews should worship fertility goddesses, pray to animal spirits, or set up pagan altars in their living rooms. Having said that, this book is still an excellent read if you approach it as a cross-cultural experience. Plus, there are many activities in the book -- such as map making, quiet meditation, dream journals, collages, etc. -- that are universal enough for anyone to try.

What impressed me the most about this book is Catriona MacGregor's amazing descriptions of nature. These passages read like pure poetry. She begins with her childhood when, at age four, she climbed to the top of a tree to put a baby bird back in the nest -- unable to understand why her mother and godmother were so panicked below. (She got down safely). From there she describes some incredible mystical experiences with trees and animals, including a vision of the "soul" of a huge old tree on the day before it was cut down. She writes: "The tree, knowing of its impending demise, shone forth its inner light, sharing its everlasting soul with the rest of the world." (For my Jewish readers, lest you scoff, I refer you to this passage by Elie Wiesel in Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of Hasidic Masters, page 145: "Once upon a time Hasidism had meant emphasis on inner truth and fervor; a return to nature, to genuine beauty, to identification. A Hasid would see a tree and become that tree; he would hear the song of a shepherd and become that song and shepherd -- that was his way of coming closer to the essence of man." The two stories are not so far apart. Modern Hasidim, however, are urbanized and have lost this connection. They have the stories but not the experience.)

MacGregor is now an environmental activist who also leads vision quests, which she calls "nature quests," a name I find most appropriate nowadays, when nature itself become something we must actively seek out. Although she bases these activities on Native American practices, they are not dogmatically ritualized and there is plenty of room for personalization. (In other words, you can do this without worshipping pagan gods or idols.) The basic idea is to set up a circle somewhere in the wilderness and spend a few days meditating there, closely observing both the natural world and your inner thoughts. Participants keep a journal of any dreams or other experiences during the quest. In the process, many people reconnect with nature in a positive way and find some new direction in their lives. (I myself did a vision quest when I was in South Dakota in 1969. It was nothing so ceremonial, just me alone, with a blanket and a Bible, on a hill the night of Tisha B'Av. Nevertheless, it was a life-changing experience for me, which I described in my book, Beyond the Ashes: Cases of Reincarnation from the Holocaust.)

Another interesting story concerns the souls of road-kill animals that she has buried and/or prayed for. I myself have often stopped to move dead animals to the side of the road, but it never occurred to me to pray for the release of their souls. According to MacGregor, animals souls, like those of people, can become earthbound if their bodies die suddenly. So, if it is safe to do so, she stops to give these animals "last rites," so to speak. In her "shamanic journey" vision, she saw their spirits alive and joyful. I must admit this story has changed my perception of road kills.

All in all, I enjoyed this book very much. It also gave me the direction for my next project: To finish writing "Notes from a Jewish Naturalist," the working title of a book I've had on the back burner for some time now. Because, as I said in the opening paragraph, I don't really think "monotheism" per se is to blame for our current environmental crisis. "Monotheism" means there is only one GOD -- it does NOT mean nothing else has a spirit. There are many beautiful, nature-oriented teachings and stories within the Jewish tradition, many of which are all but forgotten in today's urban communities. Like Catriona MacGregor, I am acutely aware of the fact that our younger generations are growing up disconnected from God's creation. (See Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-deficit Disorder by Richard Louv, founder of the "No Child Left Inside" movement.) So I think it was, as we say in Yiddish, quite "bashert" (destined) for me to find this book now. Thank you, Catriona, for giving me the kick in the butt that I needed :)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully wrought synthesis, highlighting the essential connection of human to nature, April 12, 2010

By 

Amy Racina "Author -Angels in the Wilderness" (California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Partnering with Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting with the Earth (Paperback)

Catriona MacGregor's poignant "Partnering With Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting With the Earth" is a beautifully wrought synthesis of poetic spirituality and well-grounded practical fact.

Catriona creates an intriguing tapestry of thoughts and images, weaving together history, geology, scientific research, and her own profound spiritual connection with the natural world. She cites examples from an impressive panoply of resources, and adds a human touch by including many of her own experiences, both expansively global and heartbreakingly personal.

Each statement is supported by factual data and breathed into life by Catriona's own quest to share her relationship with nature with those around her. The place to start is your own back yard, suggests the author, though there is no doubt that she considers the entire planet and every plant, animal, and person upon it to be worthy of care and connection.

She combines an intimate knowledge of the invisible world of energy and spirit with concrete statistics to show our "fall from grace" and the dangerous downward spiral that we have created through our alienation with the natural world. She argues eloquently that we need nature as much as nature needs us. She speaks convincingly of Earth as teacher, habitat, and salvation, asserting that our connection with the natural environment provides both a portal to the divine and the tools that we will need to preserve our planet as a habitat for humankind.

The author entices the reader into reconsidering his or her own relationship with nature. She includes simple, accessible practices that will enable us to improve the quality of our daily lives, to be more in touch with our habitat, to reduce our footprint on the earth and ultimately to save our planet and ourselves by connecting more with our natural world.

She concludes by gathering together the many threads of wisdom offered up by her book and leads us gently but inexorably to her conclusion.: We as a race will not thrive, evolve or even survive, unless we return to partnership with our earth. She urges us to reclaim the strength of our connection with nature on both a personal and a planetary level.

"You are a different person if you are filled with the warm rays of the sun, the clarity of the blue sky, the soaring hawk." Says Catriona in her final paragraphs.

You will also be a different person after you have read this book. The images of Catriona's vision will flow through your mind and dance through your heart long after you have finished reading "Partnering With Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting With the Earth"

-Amy Racina
Author "Angels in the Wilderness"

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Effective and Eloquently Written, April 14, 2010

By 

S. Banwait (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Partnering with Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting with the Earth (Paperback)

I began to glance over Partnering with Nature with the intent to see what I would be reading the next few weeks. Before I knew it, I was turning the 70th page! The book is effective and is eloquently written. In this age of technology, stress, and commotion, Partnering with Nature makes you pause, take a deep breath, and transports you back to your roots. Catriona's personal accounts are written in such a manner that she leads you on a powerful journey. It is as if the reader is standing right next to MacGregor, experiencing the same sights, thoughts, and emotions. There is a great deal of uncertainly in these times, predominantly about our children's future. Catriona re-awakens the youthful imagination, and imparts a much-needed optimistic outlook for the future. Partnering with Nature offers invaluable avenues of healing; opportunities to restore ourselves and Planet Earth.