Magic in Nature (Guest Post by Jessica Marie Baumgartner)

Nature is magical.  

Whether a cool breeze eases discomfort, birdsong lifts our spirits, or the sky smiles above like a sapphire pool of endless possibilities, the great outdoors remains a constant in our lives. It calls to us. When we listen, we are at our best.  

The modern world holds many distractions. Obligations and pressures are everywhere. Sometimes we forget ourselves and our purpose, but the trees stand firm as a reminder that we are connected to a much larger world than the one we maneuver in society.  

My bonds with the world and all its creatures have been nurtured by love. They are cultivated by a spiritual understanding and Pagan practices.  

There is a growing rhetoric that religion only leads to division and wars, but true faith brings us away from that. Those who understand that everything is linked may subscribe to specific theological doctrines that best suit them, but that does not mean they wish harm on others of differing ideologies. 

I was raised by a Catholic woman who taught me that “religion is man-made.” She led me to a path of understanding that opens up respect for all people.  

My interactions with, and studies of, individuals from varying religions have granted me a bit of insight on the human condition. I truly believe that everyone has the capacity to live in balance and walk with dignity.  

This is expressed in greater detail in my newest release, “Walk Your Path: A Magical Awakening.” For me, magic is everywhere. Life is magic.  

If one takes time to heighten their senses and become aware of the energy and power emanating from all things, they can utilize their own connection to them and do great things. Reaching out to others, healing, communicating with wildlife, and discovering a universe of everlasting spirit is found in all aspects of nature.  

How we live, care for ourselves and others and the world around us is all that matters. I cannot express that enough. I’m writing right now to share a bond and hopefully inspire a few smiles. The world is full of uncertainty and pain. That is a part of nature’s balance. Remembering the love and comforts that mother nature also has to offer can be difficult at times, but it is ever more important.  

Everyone has the ability to focus on bettering their bonds to the land. It doesn’t matter where we come from or what we look like.  

I have lived in cities, suburbs, and experienced farm life and there is room to grow in all of them. Gardens can be grown anywhere: indoors, outdoors, alone, or with the help of a community. Animal companions find us no matter what the setting. Whether pets or a bird swooping down to offer a friendly eye, the creatures that cross our paths hold lessons for life. 

These encounters matter. I am so very fond of hiking, fishing, swimming, and really…any outdoor activity, that I have been gifted the opportunity to share it on a mass scale this coming spring via Llewellyn Worldwide in a new book simply titled, “The Magic of Nature.”  

Like the forests and rivers (I so desperately love), the books that flow from my fingers are not entirely a part of me; they belong to the world that opened up this part of myself. Sharing that is truly a gift.  

If you do anything today, I hope you can get outside—even if just for a moment—and breathe in the air, maybe laugh at a silly animal running by. There is magic everywhere. Please, go outside and find it.