Nature Shrines ~ A Gratitude Practice

Jillian
Nov 27
10 min read

As we approach Thanksgiving, it is essential to reflect on the true history of this holiday and honor the Native American communities who have enriched our culture and history. At OpaLight Market, we believe in nurturing our foundations, giving back to Nature and Native American communities by supporting initiatives that empower Native American artisans and organizations. By sourcing and packaging our crystals, herbal remedies, and meditation tools with Love and care for the Earth and the people, as well as physically Giving Back to the Earth our Love, Light, & Blessed Food & Water, we help to nurture the land and also contribute to the preservation of All Life. This season, let’s embrace the Spirit of Gratitude and Shared Responsibility—celebrating the gifts this Earth offers while honoring those who have cared for it for generations. Join us in supporting our Native American communities as well as making an Altar in Honor of Nature and her stewards this Thanksgiving.

Nature Shrine made with locally collected stones, autumn leaves, Acorns, Pyrite & Quartz Crystals

Here are a few ways we can Honor Nature & our Native American Communities ~

Dedicate a Gratitude Practice

Create a Shrine or Altar in honor of Nature & Her Stewards

Give Offerings of Love, Light, Food, Crystals, or Water

Give Back to or Support Nature Preservation Initiatives

Give Back to or Support Native American Tribes & Organizations

What is a Gratitude Practice?

There are many words to describe a Gratitude Practice - Honoring, Venerating, Giving Thanks, Respecting - to name a few. A Gratitude Practice connects us with the Living Earth and allows us to share our respect and gratitude, as well as offer our Thanks to the Earth and various aspects of Nature. Nature provides everything for us–even if we are mostly disconnected in the western world from that process. Re-imagining our relationship as one full of gratitude helps us reconnect to the Earth in incredibly powerful ways.

There are a diverse number of techniques for engaging in Gratitude Practices– from Conscious Thought & Intention, Speaking Aloud, and Writing them down. One common Gratitude Practice is honoring our Ancestors, which I have written more about in previous posts, where we offer gratitude for those who forged the path before us, guiding our journey in Life. Today, I share a strategy utilized by our ancestors for Giving Thanks to the Earth–through choosing aspects of Nature to honor, creating Altars or Shrines, and Making Offerings.

Nature Shrines ~ A Gratitude Practice

One way of engaging in a Gratitude Practice is through creating a Nature Shrine, Altar, or Sacred Space inside or outside of your home to honor the Earth and her stewards. This practice can serve as a powerful reminder of our connection to the natural world and the importance of acknowledging the gifts that nature provides us. By dedicating a specific area as a Nature Shrine or Sacred Space, you can cultivate a sense of reverence and appreciation for the environment, enhancing your overall mindfulness and gratitude.

Sourcing Materials for Your Shrine

Sourcing materials for your shrine is also a critical choice and sends a unique message to the Earth, Elements, and Nature spirits. For outdoor spaces, it is essential to make sure anything that you use will not cause harm or pollution to the land. And of course, you want to make sure that the earth was not harmed in the creation of your shrine. This means you might use more nature-oriented elements or representations, such as, sticks, stones, crystals, collected objects, secondhand objects, handcrafted objects, harvested herbs or flowers, etc. You can make Beautiful shrines, altars, and Sacred Spaces using materials sourced with Love. When we add elements to our shrine sourced directly from the land, this allows them to break down and return to the Earth with grace.

You can also create your shrine or altar indoors, helping to foster and nurture the Sacred Space of your Heart and Home. If you're creating your shrine indoors, you can utilize a variety of objects such as Crystals, Candles, Incense, Feathers, Symbolic Statues or Figures, Water Dish, or Talismans, that are Sacred and Meaningful to you, that represent Nature and/or our Native American Peoples.

Nature Shrine - Dedicated to Nature & Her Stewards - Offerings Included ~ Native American Woven Artwork, Spider Plant, Two White Feathers, Horse Hair Ceramic Navajo Pot, Amethyst Geode, Lepidolite Point, Ruby Zoisite Point, Two Turquoise Points, Azurite Malachite Point, 4 Fire Agate Tumbled Stones, Clear Quartz Tumbled Stone, 8 Citrine Tumbled Stones, Aventurine Grid Crystal, 4 Lemurian Quartz Record Keepers, 3 River Rocks, Abalone Shell, Sage Smudge, Dream & Spirit Crystal Journey Candles, & Love <3

A Nature shrine can be seen as an evolving thing—just as the wheel of the year turns, so too your shrine evolves as you add new offerings. Shrines do not have to be complex, even a small ring, spiral, or stack of stones or sticks can make a wonderful Nature shrine.

Building Your Shrine

Once you have selected a location that resonates with you, whether it be a quiet corner of your garden, a balcony, or even a small table inside your home, now comes the fun part of building the shrine. . The chosen space should feel peaceful and inviting, allowing you to reflect on the beauty of nature and the abundance it offers. You can decorate this area with natural elements such as stones, crystals, flowers, or branches that you find during your outdoor explorations. Each item can hold personal significance, representing your experiences and memories connected to nature.

When we dedicate Crystals to a Nature Shrine, we are Gifting Our Crystals Consciously Back to the Earth... whether that means literally by sharing our Crystals with Nature by placing them outside/on the patio/in the yard, garden, or forest near your home, or energetically through our intentions, we can give our crystals back to the Earth... we can choose to work with Nature's elements Consciously, with Love, Respect, and Gratitude... to help Harmonize the Life energy within and without, healing the Crystalline Grid of the Earth for All Life <3

Additionally, you might want to incorporate symbols that resonate with you personally or culturally, such as images or artifacts that represent the Earth, animals, or elements. These symbols can serve as focal points for meditation and reflection, encouraging you to express gratitude not only for the beauty of nature but also for the lessons it imparts. Lighting candles or incense in your Sacred Space can further enhance the atmosphere, creating a serene environment that invites contemplation and connection.

Additional Offerings

Regularly visiting your Nature Shrine can become a cherished ritual, allowing you to pause and reflect on the wonders of the world around you. During these moments, take the time to express your gratitude for the simple joys that nature brings, whether it’s the warmth of the sun on your skin, the sound of birds singing, or the rustle of leaves in the wind. You might also choose to journal your thoughts and feelings during these visits, documenting your reflections on Gratitude and the insights you gain from your Connection to the Earth.

Incorporating seasonal Elements into your Sacred Space can also deepen your practice. For example, you might change the decorations to reflect the current season, using autumn leaves, winter pinecones, spring blossoms, or summer seashells. This not only keeps your altar dynamic and fresh but also aligns your practice with the natural cycles of life, reminding you of the ever-changing beauty of the world.

Another thing you can do regularly at your shrine is make additional offerings–this guides you to “give back” and engage in a more reciprocal relationship with the Earth. Offerings are often symbolic representations of our understanding of the give and take relationship we have with the Earth that nurtures abundance. One of the ways you might perceive offerings, is that they are part of a larger Gratitude Practice - through offerings, we are Giving Thanks, Acknowledging, and Honoring Nature and All Life.

In terms of what to offer, the general principle here is ~ our offerings should be of something that we value and that is important, not simply an empty gesture. These offerings may be physical or non-physical.

Physical Offerings

With regards to physical offerings, it is best to give them careful consideration. One of the ways you might get around this is by either growing offerings, collecting them, or wildcrafting them. You could gather water, or small stones or pieces of bark and bless them with the elements, and then use them as an offering. Another option for an additional offering is to create or grow a sacred blend of herbs. You can also purchase elements that are sustainably sourced—such as from a local farm or farmers market.

Non-Physical Offerings

Non-physical things make wonderful offerings as well. This includes offerings of our Love, Light, and Gratitude, as well as Energetic practices, like drumming, dancing, or singing. All of these are Valuable and Meaningful Offerings of your time, energy and spirit. Music in particular is a great offering if you want to honor the spirits of the land while others are around—maybe take your flute or drum to Natural spaces and play a song or two. The intention of the song is an offering of Love to Nature and her stewards.

Ultimately, creating a Nature Shrine, Altar, or Sacred Space is a profound way to honor the Earth and her stewards, fostering a deep sense of Gratitude and Appreciation that can enrich your Life and enhance your Spiritual Journey. Through this practice, you can cultivate a deeper Awareness and Gratitude for the Interconnectedness of all Living Beings and the vital role that Nature plays in our existence.

Support Nature Preservation Initiatives

A few ways we have been guided to support Nature, include:

Sending our Love to the Trees, with Pure Thought and Emotion.

Infusing Water with our Loving intentions & Gift it to the Trees, or Offer Compost or leftover food such as herbs, teas, & spices, veggies, egg shells, & dairy scraps to the Trees and Wildlife.

Utilizing Fast Growing Hemp and Bamboo as resources for building and common household paper items as well as Recycled Cotton or Wood Pulp products can help alleviate the strain on Endangered Tree Species, further assisting the healing of the Earth's Crystalline Grid.

If we feel called to support people and organizations dedicated to preserving the trees, we are welcome to support well-trusted, highly-credited groups such as https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/ or explore Charity Navigator for non-profit organizations dedicated to 'Forest Preservation'

Support Native American Tribes & Organizations

This Thanksgiving, let’s embrace the Spirit of Gratitude and Shared Responsibility—celebrating the gifts this Earth offers while honoring those who have cared for it for generations. Join us in supporting our Native American communities, the original Stewards of our lands, keepers of the wisdom of The Earth and Stars. May we continue to honor our Indigenous People by remembering their wisdom & by preserving their Diverse Cultures & Communities.

Iva Honyestewa at Arizona Hopi Tribe Iskasokpu Gallery 14 - Photo By Richard Franks - Iva is a member of Sun Clan from Shungopavi Village. She began weaving Sifter baskets in 1997 under the tutelage of Beth Dawahongnewa, a clan cousin. Her baskets are made traditionally, using Yucca Plant; rings are made with Willow branch or three leaf Sumac branch (Suuvi). She is able to weave picture designs, geometric, and unusual pieces; ladle sets, sandals, cradle boards, pedestals, and her most recent creation is a 3-dimensional turtle design.

"Iva participates in the Annual Heard Museum Show in Phoenix, AZ; Annual Hopi Show, Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, AZ; and Annual Hopi Tuhisma Show in Kykptsmovi, AZ. She has won numerous awards. Most recent have been Best of Category Sifter baskets, Gallup Indian Ceremonial in Gallup, NM in August 2011, and Honorable Mention at the Hopi Tuhisma Show in Kykotsmovi, AZ in October 2011.

She has been doing jewelry since 1992. Some techniques include traditional Hopi overlay, lapidary work with semi-precious stones, and loss wax casting. She was taught Richard Casuse (Father Navajo), Leonard James Hawk (Yakama), Roy Talahaftewa (Hopi), and Charles Supplee (Hopi).

She has performed demonstrations at East meets West Show in Naples, Florida; Hopi Tuhisma in Kykotsmovi, AZ; and the Hopi Show Northern Arizona Museum in Flagstaff, AZ. She is the owner of Iskasokpu Gallery, Second Mesa, AZ."

You're welcome to explore more of Iva's incredible woven creations as well as other Native American Artisans highlighted at the Hopi Art Trail here at this link ~

https://hopiartstrail.com/member/iva-honyestewa

List of Indigenous Led Non-Profit Organizations Preserving Indigenous Culture & Wisdom ~

American Indian Community House California Heritage Indigenous Research Project Community Outreach And Patient Empowerment (COPE)

Diné Citizens Against Ruining our Environment (C.A.R.E.)

Hopa Mountain

Hopi Relief Fund

Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance

Indigenous roots

Indigenous Values Initiative

Intertribal Friend House

National Urban Indian Family Coalition

Native American Disability Law Center

People's Partner for Community Development

Peacekeepers Soceity

Restoring Justice for Indigenous People

Sogorea Te' Land Trust

Spirit of The Sun

Wings of America

You're welcome to visit the article below

for more details on how to help the organizations listed ~

philanthropytogether.org/18-indigenous-led-nonprofits-to-support

We discuss the Preservation of Indigenous Culture & Wisdom in a previous month's blog ~ "The Hopi Prophecy & The Blue Star Kachina: Preserving The Legends & Prophecies of our Ancestors,"

OpaLight Market's Eco-Conscious Contributions

When you purchase from OpaLight Market, you are supporting a Small Business with a Big Dream to help bring the Beauty & Balance of Nature to the Lives & Homes of others. As a part of our mission, we do our best to source Crystals as locally as possible from trusted ethical suppliers, and we use Eco Friendly materials such as GreenLine Biodegradable Zip Bags and Recyclable packaging to help reduce our footprint on this Beautiful planet.

We also invested in the proper tools to hand-process & sift our XS Chips, Sands, & Powders right here at OpaLight Market to help improve sustainability as well as help keep overall costs affordable for ourselves and our customers in an ever-changing economy. By sourcing and packaging our offerings with Love and care for the Earth and the people, as well as physically Giving Back to the Earth our Love, Light, & Blessed Food & Water, we help to nurture the land and also contribute to the preservation of All Life.

Click Here to Read more about our Eco-Conscious Contributions, including all the ways in which we help lessen our footprint on this Beautiful planet <3

We hope that this message may help inspire you to nurture or initiate a Gratitude Practice this Thanksgiving, as a way of honoring and Giving Thanks to our Mother Earth and her caretakers.

If you feel called to connect with the elements, as a way of Giving Honor and Gratitude for Nature and All Life, sharing Love, Balance and Abundance for Earth and her stewards, you're welcome to join us for "Give Thanks for All" SALE 11/27 - 11/30.

Please enjoy Up To 30% OFF Offerings at OpaLight Market Including ~

Business Support Services