Editing Animism (section)

== Animist life ==

=== Non-human animals ===
Animism entails the belief that all living things have a soul, and thus, a central concern of animist thought surrounds how animals can be eaten, or otherwise used for humans' subsistence needs.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=99}} The actions of non-human animals are viewed as "intentional, planned and purposive",{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=101}} and they are understood to be persons, as they are both alive, and communicate with others.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=100}}

In animist worldviews, non-human animals are understood to participate in [[kinship]] systems and ceremonies with humans, as well as having their own kinship systems and ceremonies.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=102}} [[Graham Harvey (religious studies scholar)|Graham Harvey]] cited an example of an animist understanding of animal behavior that occurred at a [[Pow wow|powwow]] held by the [[Conne River]] [[Miꞌkmaq|Mi'kmaq]] in 1996; an eagle flew over the proceedings, circling over the central drum group. The assembled participants called out {{Lang|mic|kitpu}} ('eagle'), conveying welcome to the bird and expressing pleasure at its beauty, and they later articulated the view that the eagle's actions reflected its approval of the event, and the Mi'kmaq's return to traditional spiritual practices.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|pp=102–103}}

In animism, rituals are performed to maintain relationships between humans and spirits. Indigenous peoples often perform these rituals to appease the spirits and request their assistance during activities such as hunting and healing. In the [[Arctic]] region, certain rituals are common before the hunt as a means to show respect for the spirits of animals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koto |first=Koray |date=2023-04-05 |title=Animism in Anthropological and Psychological Contexts |url=https://ulukayin.org/animism-in-anthropological-and-psychological-contexts/ |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=ULUKAYIN English |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Flora ===
Some animists also view plant and fungi life as persons and interact with them accordingly.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=104}} The most common encounter between humans and these plant and fungi persons is with the former's collection of the latter for food, and for animists, this interaction typically has to be carried out respectfully.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=106}} Harvey cited the example of Māori communities in New Zealand, who often offer ''[[karakia]]'' invocations to [[sweet potatoes]] as they dig up the latter. While doing so, there is an awareness of a kinship relationship between the Māori and the sweet potatoes, with both understood as having arrived in [[Aotearoa]] together in the same canoes.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=106}}

In other instances, animists believe that interaction with plant and fungi persons can result in the communication of things unknown or even otherwise unknowable.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=104}} Among some modern Pagans, for instance, relationships are cultivated with specific trees, who are understood to bestow knowledge or physical gifts, such as flowers, sap, or wood that can be used as firewood or to fashion into a [[wand]]; in return, these Pagans give offerings to the tree itself, which can come in the form of [[libation]]s of mead or ale, a drop of blood from a finger, or a strand of wool.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|pp=104–105}}

=== The elements ===
Various animistic cultures also comprehend stones as persons.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|pp=106–107}} Discussing ethnographic work conducted among the Ojibwe, Harvey noted that their society generally conceived of stones as being inanimate, but with two notable exceptions: the stones of the [[Bell Rocks]] and those stones which are situated beneath trees struck by lightning, which were understood to have become Thunderers themselves.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=107}} The Ojibwe conceived of weather as being capable of having personhood, with storms being conceived of as persons known as 'Thunderers' whose sounds conveyed communications and who engaged in seasonal conflict over the lakes and forests, throwing lightning at lake monsters.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=107}} Wind, similarly, can be conceived as a person in animistic thought.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|pp=108–109}}

The importance of place is also a recurring element of animism, with some places being understood to be persons in their own right.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=109}}

=== Spirits ===
Animism can also entail relationships being established with non-corporeal spirit entities.{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=122}}