And when I stop to think about it, of course it’s misunderstood.

Many mainstream shamanic teachings barely touch on it. Or leave it out altogether.

I’ve taken multiple shamanic classes and courses over the years - including an entire 12-month workshop focused only on journeying skills. And I don’t recall anyone ever explicitly leading a Middle World journey.

Or explaining who is there and why we should journey there.

The internet is full of articles telling people that they should just stay away altogether and leave the Middle World to the experts.

But the reality is, if you’re doing any kind of connection with nature spirits, you’re connecting with beings who live in the Middle World - so it’s actually incredibly important to know how this spirit world functions and how to safely function in it yourself.

In my case, it’s the spirits themselves who have taught me how to engage there and since my work is primarily with the Spirits of the Land, I have spent the last decade almost exclusively working in the Middle World and teaching others how to navigate it.

And I find that many people come to this work after going into the Middle World blind - with little information or instruction - and having something unexpected or downright scary happen.

Without a map, an understanding of the rules of the road, or names for the beings you might meet, the Middle World can feel dangerous.

But with a bit of understanding and education, your journeys there can feel more than just safe.

You’ll have the opportunity to meet all of the beautiful and loving beings that inhabit this world and learn from their deep wisdom about this planet we all live on together.

But before I make the case for the importance of journeying into the Middle World, let’s be clear about what it even is.

In the simplest of shamanic teachings, there are three spiritual worlds that can be mapped like a tree.

The branches of the tree are the Upper World - a place where you can journey to connect with angelic beings, your higher self and your healed and healthy ancestors who have crossed over.

The roots of the tree are the Lower World where you can journey to connect with your power animals, spirit guides, and elemental beings.

Both of these worlds are inherently safe. You might encounter a trickster energy on occasion in the Lower World, but they still have your highest and best good in mind. There’s usually a lesson you’re being shown through the interaction.

The trunk of the tree is the Middle World.

And it exists right here on Earth.

But it’s another plane of existence layered on top of the physical plane that we live and function within. It looks like the “real world”. But it’s a spiritual world.

In the Middle World you’ll find land and animal spirits, ancestor spirits who are connected to the land, weather, and beings like Bigfoot and star beings who have used portals to access the Earth plane.

But you’ll also find earthbound spirits - people who have died but haven’t crossed over. In order for them to remain in the spiritual plane, they have to draw their energy from living people. This is why you need to know how to protect your energy when you journey to the Middle World.

You may also bump into “the others” that are non-human and not so nice. In fact, they might be incredibly nasty or be wreaking havoc on a home or piece of land.

It’s important to know what to do when you come across these energies as well. But that’s another story for another day.

So, if there are some icky beings in the Middle World, why would we even want to journey there?

Why am I making the case that you learn the skills for this world rather than just stay away, like so many others have suggested?

Because it’s impossible to avoid.

You might think you are staying “safe” by simply ignoring the Middle World, but that’s just not the case.

Since the Middle World exists here on earth, it bleeds over into the physical world all of the time.

Haunted houses? Middle World problem.

Pesky ghosts coming into your dreams? Middle World problem.

Portals letting low vibe spirits onto the land? Middle World problem.

The list goes on and on, but ultimately, the Middle World isn’t ignoring us - even if we’re trying to ignore it.

And it’s not just about problems - if you want to learn from the wisdom of a tree or river or mountain, the Middle World is where you go to connect with their energy.

If there’s a wildfire raging out of control or a tornado coming right at your town, the Middle World is where you can connect with the spirit of that storm to learn about its purpose and potentially work with it to restore balance to the ecosystem.

If you want to see very real changes in the world we live in, the Middle World is where you go to partner with the beings who can assist with that work.

In fact, they can’t do it without you.

And this is the most important piece to understand.

Most of the Middle World beings are not incarnated on the Earth plane like we are. They do not have physical bodies like we do.

In order to see change in the physical world, they need to partner with a physical being for those changes to take effect.

When you partner with a being on the other side of the veil, a door opens between our worlds to allow the energy to flow back and forth between the two.

Your physical body is the conduit for anchoring the new energy into the physical plane.

This is how energy healing manifests in our world.

And remembering the fact that you have a physical body is also key in navigating the Middle World.

Simply by being alive and in a body on Earth means that you have a connection to source energy. And there are universal laws that extend to you as a result.

The most important one being that you have free will.

No other being can violate your free will without your permission.

But this is the loophole that “the others” manipulate. They take advantage of the fact that our culture doesn’t teach most of us that rule.

And they think they can push you around and scare or intimidate you.

The second they know that you know what you’re doing - they typically vanish. They’ll go find someone else to push around.

But this is why the Middle World can be labeled as unsafe or scary. You need to know how to protect your energy and feel comfortable standing your ground against an energy that’s trying to get into your space.

And it takes some practice and experience navigating this world to be able to discern the difference between a being that’s trying to manipulate you versus one that’s trying to tell you a story telepathically - which means you may feel some uncomfortable sensations in your body, but it’s not unsafe situation.

Once you can tell the safe beings from the ones who are up to no good, a whole living world opens up - one where the work you do actually changes the ground under your feet.

This is Earth Tending.

If you ever look around at our world and wonder how it could possibly change - or how you could make a difference - this is it.

When you work with the frequencies of the Earth in partnership with the Spirits of the Land (who know just what needs to be done in a given location), the vibration you create can take hold in our physical reality.

Actual change becomes visible.

This is why I think learning to work in the Middle World is not optional for shamanic practitioners and energy healers.

The Middle World is where energy work becomes tangible.

So, step outside into your backyard or take a walk to the park this week. Say hello to a tree and ask for permission to connect with its energy.

Place your hands on its trunk or lean your back up against it. Ask it to show you something it thinks you need to know and see if you have any words or images pop into your mind.

It might even be a full story or message.

This is a first step in getting to know the beings in the Middle World and what wisdom they might have to share.

If you feel called to step deeper onto this path, this is the work I teach - including how to navigate the Middle World safely and how to do healing work with the land.

You can start by taking my Earth Tending Styles Quiz to learn about how you naturally communicate with the Spirits of the Land.

xo,

Amy

For those of us who remember growing up in a world without the internet and have since spent decades learning how to navigate the digital world, this shift to AI intelligence feels very different.

It’s the complete blurring of reality.

The internet used to be a place we consciously logged into. It wasn’t like watching TV or going to the movies or having a phone call with a friend. All of those activities were separate and distinct and had their own unique experiences.

Now it’s all merging into one - indistinguishable from our “regular” life.

And I feel like we have barely scratched the surface.

AI can be so good at mimicking reality, we’re beginning to question nearly everything we see online. Or worse, lob accusations at genuine art as being computer generated in an effort to avoid being duped.

The living, breathing, three dimensional world we’ve lived in and known our entire lives is getting flattened onto a digital plane of existence and then recreated into something that looks 3D, but clearly is not.

It’s nearly impossible to live in our culture today and avoid plugging into this new machine.

Most of us - me included - are in a position where we are navigating how to deal with this new reality while not being consumed by it.

I think the shamanic world view can help us orient ourselves to this new Machine World that we now find ourselves living in.

The shamanic world structure takes the spirit plane - or, non-ordinary reality - and splits it into three distinct worlds with different landscapes and characters to interact with.

Two of the three worlds - the Upper and Lower Worlds - exist somewhere else in time and space. Similar to the idea of Heaven - it’s impossible to pinpoint on a map.

It’s in another dimension. Another plane. Beyond the veil.

But the Middle World - that’s right here on Earth. It’s a spiritual layer of our physical reality. And our physical reality is what I like to call the Living World.

The Living World is exactly what it sounds like - it’s full of rivers and mountains and trees and soil. And also shopping malls and apartment complexes and coffee shops.

It’s the place we live our entire lives in.

Up until now, you’ve needed some skills to navigate between the Living World and the Middle World. Because there’s all kinds of beings that inhabit both worlds and not everyone is full of love and light.

Things can go wrong. You might see some things you wish you hadn’t. Or meet some less than savory spirits.

That’s why the advice in shamanic circles is that you don’t journey into the Middle World until you have some experience and guidance.

The good thing is that if you have developed those skills to navigate and have honed your discernment abilities, you’re in a much better position now that the Machine World has become our new reality.

The shamanic perspective helps us understand how all of these worlds work. Because the Machine World has not obliterated the Living World.

It can’t do that. At least…not yet.

The Living World is still very much alive.

You need to think of the Machine World as another layer on the Earth plane. There’s the Living World (physical), the Middle World (spiritual) and the Machine World (synthetic).

Even though the Machine World feels very integrated into our Living World, you’re still stepping through a veil to enter this machine-driven non-ordinary reality.

But think of this veil like glass. When you’re behind the glass, the rules change.

Glass flattens our senses. You can see through the glass but you can’t touch, smell or feel the world around you.

That only happens in the Living World. Behind the glass, reality is reduced to sound and light. And even those elements are reproductions of the Living World.

The builders of the Machine World don’t want this to be obvious. They purposely created devices and technology to remove the barriers that used to make it a conscious choice to step through the glass and enter the Machine World.

In the past, you needed the ability to code to enter the Machine World. Only those who had been through specialized training, practice and experience knew how to navigate it.

They knew the rules of engagement. They knew where they could get tripped up. And they knew how to troubleshoot when they got stuck. Most of them had teachers or mentors to consult if they had a problem.

Those days are over.

Now, you can hand any device or remote to any human being over the age of two and they’re able to step through the glass and enter the Machine World in a matter of seconds.

Whether they understand the rules of that world or not.

And I think there is a very real possibility that as the years go by and the lines between the Living World and the Machine World blur even more, that there are people who will give up their humanity to be completely absorbed by the Machine World.

To step through the glass and not return. To be satisfied with experiencing only the copies or recordings of the Living World, but not ever truly immersing themselves in the richness of the physical world.

The Machine World makes alluring promises to make our lives easier, more comfortable, or less painful. All we have to do is step through the glass and life will be better.

It’s going to be up to those of us who know how to walk between worlds to learn how to navigate the Machine World with the skills we already have and develop new ones that are useful in this new plane of existence.

To recognize the siren song of the Machine World for what it is. Seductive, but deceptive.

And this is why I believe that it’s a critical time for each of us to learn what it means to live in the time of machines, while still staying grounded in the Living World. We need to develop skills to step in and out of the Machine World consciously.

I am still learning how to do this myself.

The technology and the rules change as fast as I can figure them out.

But I do know that we have the ability to remain sovereign as we walk between these worlds if we so choose.

The machines do not get to take over the Living World without our consent. And we are still the stewards of our physical reality.

And my suggestion now - as we’ve entered this new era - is to take the shamanic path one step further than simply declaring sovereignty from the Machine World or refusing it altogether.

The next step - if you feel called to this path - is to learn the rules of the machine so that we can run it for ourselves and for the good of humanity and the Living World.

That may even include using it against its own intended purposes. In fact, these words reached you through the glass - and that was the whole idea.

When the Machine World was in its infancy, nobody stepped through the glass without knowing how it worked. You learned the logic and where it could trip you up.

And then you built something organic - from your own imagination - using the machine as your assistant. That knowledge has gone missing for most of us today - and it’s what we can choose to take back.

The glass was designed to flatten the world, but when you walk between the worlds, you can begin by reaching through the glass and using it to point people towards the things the Machine World was built to make them forget.

I believe the Machine World is at its best when it can direct you back to the Living World.

When it helps you connect in community or name that bird singing in the tree. And then it should get out of the way.

A good tool will send you deeper into the Living World. Not give you a new place to live.

I don’t believe those of us on a spiritual path chose to live in this moment in time to smash the entire machine.

I think we’re here to smash the glass.

And yes…I know that the “new” year doesn’t technically begin until March, but unlike the last few years, I am really feeling the renewed energy this year and am flowing with it!

I was reading Rakaiel Webb’s astrology post last week and as it turns out, this IS a good time to start feeling into the energies of 2026 and making plans for the year.

And that’s because February’s new moon, which kicks off the year of the Fire Horse is also a solar eclipse.

Followed by Mercury Retrograde beginning a week later.

So, the energies are going to be a bit sluggish and wobbly during late February and early March.

Which means right now is a good time to take advantage of the gentle (but determined) Capricorn energy to make plans for the actual new year which begins with the spring equinox on Friday, March 20th.

So I thought I would kick off this first post of the year looking at what I have planned for us so far in 2026!

But before that, I did have my weekly “adventure” last Friday as I kept getting prompted to go visit a little preserve a few miles outside of town.

I’d only been there once before, nearly two years ago when I first moved to town and was looking for a nearby walking path.

It’s a former fish hatchery so it’s a series of levees around the former ponds that used to be filled by one of the largest springs in the area.

The spring is still being pumped and the water released into a creek that feeds a small oxbow lake before flowing into the Illinois River, which is the watershed for this area.

It’s a pretty little spot and interesting to look at from the perspective of nature reclaiming an area.

You can see which grasses, shrubs and trees began to colonize the fish ponds first after they were drained and I’m guessing that’s it’s been 15-20 years that the area was left to grow mostly unchecked.

It’s filled with native plants and small trees and fungi growing on downed logs.

I really need to remember to visit in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming.

The spirit energy is minimal there. Or at least…it’s very quiet.

I haven’t tuned in specifically, but my sense is that the energies likely need to be invited back now that it’s a preserve because I don’t feel much of anything when I’m there.

But the suggestion that my guides gave me for this visit was to collect dried grasses, seed heads and anything else interesting that I could find to make a seasonal wreath.

So I made my way out to the trail with a bag and some clippers to see what I could find in the depths of winter and was surprised at how much more observant this little exercise made me on my walk.

Typically, I walk pretty slow so that I can notice details in my surroundings, but looking specifically for items that would make for an interesting wreath was a whole different level of detail.

There were things I walked right past in one direction that I suddenly saw when I walked back the same way.

Like this incredible colony of mushrooms!

It was a fun afternoon and when I got back home, I got immediately down to business making my wreath and got totally lost in the process.

At some point I thought…what time is it?!

And then realized…that was the point.

I was in the flow state and had zero idea what was happening otherwise.

So, I think I’m going to make this wreath foraging adventure a regular thing once a month so I can update my wreath according to what’s happening in the landscape seasonally.

I actually learned to make wreaths 15 or so years ago when my family had a lavender farm and we would tie bundles of fresh lavender onto wreath forms to dry.

Over the years since then, I have always enjoyed making foraged wreaths or swags at the holidays and did the same this year when I clipped some magnolia branches to add to an old, artificial wreath I have that the lights stopped working on.

I added some little battery powered fairy lights and hung it on my old, rundown shop that I can see from my kitchen and it brought me more joy than I would have imagined.

It was a bit sad to take it down, but now I have my little foraged wreath hanging in its place.

So, if you’re looking for a little winter activity (and aren’t under a deep blanket of snow), you might want to head out on your own foraging adventure!

And if you need some dried flower inspiration, you might want to checkout this book I got for Christmas.

The author has an Instagram account I’ve followed for years called The Wreath Room that is serious eye candy for flower lovers and gardeners.

Now is the perfect time to be placing your seed orders for your favorite summer flowers and the book includes a list of flowers you can grow if you’d like to dry flowers for arrangements too - as well as suggestions on how to create your own wreath room.

Or really, just find a little corner of your home to hang some flowers to dry.

Okay, enough dreaming about flowers. That time will be here soon enough!

Let’s talk about what I’ll be making, teaching and sharing over these next few months:

First, some big news you all have been asking about….

Yes, The Earth Keepers Podcast is coming back!! Woohoo!

I am just as excited as you are and have missed it so much - but something had to give over the last two years as my life was in upheaval.

To start with, I’m going back to the basics on shamanic practices with the land and will be doing a series of solo episodes.

So, be sure you are subscribed so that it will drop into your podcast player just as soon as a new episode launches (next week…I think!!).

Next, I’d love to do more in-person gatherings this year. I miss you all so much!

There are still a few spots left for our winter retreat in Montana next month, so if you’re looking for some restorative time to dream with the Spirits of the Land and plant seeds for this year, I hope you’ll come join us.

I also have a potential BIG trip in late spring / early summer that’s being discussed. But….I do need to hear from you.

Are you feeling called to travel or attend a retreat this year? Is this something I should spend time and energy putting together?

Let me know how you’re feeling because these retreats are big commitments time and money wise and I want to make sure they’re the kinds of experiences you’d like to participate in.

And on the online front…you’ll be able to find me quite regularly.

I’ll be continuing my monthly workshops or activities - February will be on shamanic journeying with the land and in March I’m bringing back The Frequency Challenge!

The Frequency Challenge is two weeks of small, daily activities to help you connect and tune in with the Spirits of the Land.

We did this as a community last July and I was blown away by the interactions people had with just five minutes a day of tuning in.

You’re definitely going to want to do it with us (or do it again!).

And yes, it’s a challenge. So there will be prizes!!

Finally, I’m working on making Earth Tenders Academy and The Wild Keep community even better.

When you join ETA, you automatically get added to the community, which includes all of the monthly workshops and challenges.

So, it’s the full Earth Tenders Academy curriculum - which is a school for land-based shamanism, along with three live calls every month to practice your skills and share your experiences, AND the live workshops and challenges.

You can get started for just $49.

If you’re feeling called to deepening your connection with the land this year and receiving some formal training, I hope you’ll consider joining us.

Okay, that is plenty to kick off the new year.

I am so honored and deeply grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for being here and for the light you bring into the world each and every day.

I’ll see you next week.

xoxo…Amy

You could call it a download. Or a message from my guides.

But when it feels like it falls from the heavens into my head as a fully formed idea, I know it wasn’t something I just made up.

And that’s what happened on that day.

Now, if you’ve visited many natural springs that are within city or town limits, you’ll usually find one of two scenarios.

1. The spring is developed and use is encouraged. The city usually tests the water on a regular basis, there might be a fountain or spigot and in most cases, there is a steady line of people waiting in line with their bottles and jars to get water. Because once you’ve experienced drinking spring water, you’ll go out of your way to keep drinking it. Or…

2. The spring might be developed or there may just have a piece of pipe sticking out of the side of a hill. But the city has posted a sign that the water is not for human consumption. Depending on how long this spring was in use before the sign was posted, there may still be a long line of people waiting to fill up because they know the water is just fine - the city just doesn’t want to be responsible for testing it.

Here in Arkansas, it’s mostly the second scenario.

Except it seems like the memory of drinking spring water has faded because there are signs posted at most of the springs and very few people visiting them, let alone drinking from them.

Other than in Hot Springs where the city provides fountains and promotes the water as safe to drink.

In Eureka Springs, it wasn’t just posted that the water was unsafe to drink, but even to touch.

Which seemed outrageous to me. But who knows…maybe something has happened to severely contaminate the water.

In which case I would expect the areas to be fenced off if they were that unsafe.

But what do I know…

Anyhow, after seeing those signs on that day, the message came in loud and clear.

That I should actually test the water at one of the springs in my town.

And after testing the water, I should use Veda Austin’s technique to briefly freeze the water to see what messages it might have to share.

And that I should tone to the water and see how it responds.

Now, this is a very interesting idea.

Because although I have seen the physical results of energy work and trust that it works, I’ve never actually done any kind of tests to see how water responds.

So I was game to try it out.

I hemmed and hawed about which spring I should test, but decided to go with the town’s namesake spring.

The Siloam Springs.

It’s right in the middle of town and flows out of a limestone outcropping that has been obscured behind a large stone retaining wall.

The water flows out into small stone pools before being piped underground to the nearby creek.

Since it was developed in the late 1800’s, there have been a few different versions of stone work so that people could access and drink the healing waters.

But apparently it was quite a beautiful spot before that.

An article in the Fayetteville newspaper in 1897 details the trip made by a family to Siloam Springs to celebrate the one year anniversary of the town and says:

They’re referring to the Siloam Springs still being in their natural state at that point and hoping that they stay that way.

Sadly, they did not. They were, in fact, desecrated in the same manner as the Twin Springs.

I can only imagine sitting on the cool limestone on a hot day with the sound of the drip and ripple of the cool water echoing off the stone.

That being said, this is the spring I have visited most often since moving here.

That I’ve shared many offerings with.

And that has offered me its soothing, healing energy without ever drinking the water.

There is, of course, a sign posted on the stone wall above warning that the water is not safe for consumption.

Although I’ve been there many times when someone’s dog sprints down to the basin for a drink of water while out on a walk.

There are frogs and crawdads that call the little pools their home. And a family of raccoons that use the little holes in the wall to access the original limestone cave.

The spring is definitely more of a drip than a flow so it wouldn’t be easy to drink from, even if you wanted to.

And for whatever reason, I have just assumed that because of its location, that it probably is contaminated and unsafe to drink from.

With that assumption, I headed to Lowe’s last week to find a water test.

My options were limited - to truly do a thorough test of water costs around $300 and I wasn’t quite that financially committed to this project to invest that much.

So I settled on a $30 drinking water test that included a test for bacteria, which is what I was most curious about anyway.

I took the test to the spring and followed the instructions to use the test strip to get the initial results.

Just like testing the water in a swimming pool, you dip the strip in the water and then compare the colors to the chart to see what levels you have.

I was surprised to see that there was nothing particularly alarming in the results.

No chlorine or nitrates (this would indicate fertilizer runoff). Iron, copper, and sulfates are all low.

Hardness and alkalinity are moderate with a neutral pH.

What does that mean?

It’s true, neutral, limestone-filtered spring water.

Exactly as it should be.

Now of course, this basic test does not tell us if there are any heavy metals or pesticides present.

And I had to collect some water in a tube and wait 48 hours to see if it changed color to indicate the presence of any kind of bacteria like E. coli or coliforms.

But sure enough…two days later, the water looked exactly the same.

No bacteria.

This water is much better than I’d realized.

Which made my download even more curious.

If the water was good to start with, what was it I was looking for in my subsequent tests?

But this is part of the fun and mystery of these types of suggestions from spirit.

They know something I don’t.

And they want me to find out what it is rather than just telling me.

So I moved on to the next part of the test.

Which is to collect some water to do crystallography experiments with Veda Austin’s methods.

If you’re not familiar with Veda’s work, she is an Australian water researcher who has discovered that water will freeze into certain glyphs or patterns given its molecular makeup or what information it is exposed to (here are some examples).

In over four years of testing, she has discovered a language that water uses to speak in symbols and has confirmed about 50 specific symbols (so far) that have specific meanings.

She will test a “hydroglyph” a minimum of 50 times before confirming a suspected meaning of the symbol.

I don’t think you can look at her work and not see clear examples that water is or has access to consciousness.

And is much more alive and intelligent than we can even imagine.

Although I’ve been aware of her work for years, I’ve never actually tried these experiments for myself.

So I was super curious what the spring was going to reveal with these methods.

Once I got started, it was so fun and a little addicting to keep asking the water questions, popping it in the freezer for five minutes and then photographing its answers.

If you’ve got kids, this would be a great activity. I’m sure their eyes and brains will pick up even more patterns and symbols than our adult brains will.

Obviously, this is a highly subjective practice.

What I see will be different than what you see.

But once I started comparing my pictures to Veda’s symbols, there are some unmistakable patterns.

(BTW…if you’re interested in doing this yourself, I highly suggest getting Veda’s step-by-step guide and the pdf of the glyphs to help guide you. At the moment, you can get both for $10)

And I’m just not sure how else you can explain it other than water tapping into a universal language.

After that, it’s a bit like channeling from spirit.

You’re telepathically receiving the messages - in this case as pictures and symbols - and then interpreting it through your own lens.

So, without further ado, let’s see what the spring water had to show me.

Feel free to share in the comments what you see!

Question #1: Would you show me your true nature?

Here’s what I see: Two Brooms right under my finger on top of the petri dish, symbolizing double protection, some bits of hexagon structure which is the normal structure of spring water, long spikes across the right side which also show protection. They’re emanating from a speckle pattern which represents earth/mother. There’s also a shape of a quartz crystal just above and to the left of my thumb, which isn’t something on Veda’s key.

My interpretation: It seems to be telling me that it’s a highly protective, crystalline water that emanates from the earth.

After that, I decided to tone to the water in a way that my guides (Bigfoot) have shown me to do. I settle into my heart space and begin to send a tone to the water while imagining the energy moving between my heart and the water in a figure eight pattern.

Then, I put the water into the freezer for five minutes. Here are the results:

Here’s what I see: Above and to the left of my thumb in the middle of the dish, if you look closely you’ll see a very gentle pattern that is a Tree of Life. Its branches reach over into the stronger pattern on the right side of the dish and there’s a round pattern on the left of the trunk and under the branches on that side. The Tree of Life means wholeness, toroidal field, or nature.

There’s also a lot of feathers on the right side of the dish which means vibration or sensitive.

My interpretation: Since I didn’t give it any intention or ask any questions, it feels like it’s reflecting the vibration back to me. The toning was a vibration with a toroidal field and that’s exactly what’s displayed here. Which is very cool to see what happens to water when you tone to it!

Question #2: What are your unique healing qualities?

How cool is this pattern?!

Here’s what I see: Fire / creation symbol which means creator, form, formless. There’s a bit of hexagon structure, which means it’s living.

When I looked closer, I could also see what looked to me at the top right side of the dish two people “spooning”. One is laying over top of the other one with their arm over them. It feels very protective and loving. The top person’s eye also has a seed symbol, which is how it sounds - the seed of possibility or potential growth. The two heads together also form a large heart.

My interpretation: This water’s healing abilities are related to bringing things into creation and giving form to the formless. I think if you want to create something in your life, this water will help you do it. It is also reinforcing its protective qualities again.

Question #3: I set the dish of water on top of an historic image of the spring before it was walled off and asked it to tell me more about this time when it was in a more natural state.

Here’s what I see: When I compared this to Veda’s images, this is very clearly the Lotus symbol right in the middle which relates to enlightenment, purity, kindness with spikes (protection) and speckles (mother/earth).

On the right edge, there’s also a very clear coin symbol which can represent money, abundance, receiving or exchange.

My interpretation: Although some development had begun with the rock retaining wall, the spring is mostly in its original state here so I think it’s saying that it was pure and from the earth. The protection symbol is also present, and stronger than in some of the other tests, before it had been piped into drinking water. I take the coin to be suggesting a give and receive energy, which was likely how the native tribes who visited this area would have interacted with the water.

Question #4: I set the dish of water on top of a photo of a group of men gathered around the spring in what appears to be the late 1800’s after the spring had been covered with decorative rock work and the water had been piped into spigots for drinking. I asked the water what it remembered about these men and this time?

What I see: It seems like the Lotus symbol is still present, but has shifted or stretched into more of a Stairway/Climb symbol which means “elevate”. There’s also some Coding symbol on the left, which represents a network, more Spikes (protection), a Syringe (chemical/poison) being injected into Speckles (earth). There are also two circles (finished / complete) just above and to the right of my thumb.

My interpretation: The water is still quite natural and intact, but the energy has begun to shift as the town is being “elevated”. The protection symbol isn’t as strong. I think the network symbol is pointing to the men in the photo - the Masonic Lodge developed this spring and these men might be the Masons who built it out so the water would certainly recognize them as a “network”. Perhaps the pipes run into the earth to create the spigots felt like an injection or maybe the metal was leaching into the water. It’s possible that this photo was taken to commemorate the completion of the stone work, which would explain the “finished” symbol.

Question #5: Tell me about the large portal that you are a part of. I sense a very large portal stretching from the Masonic lodge across the street, to the original mill across from that, over to the creek and the spring.

What I see: Lots of spikes (protection), a broom (more protection), hex (life) and most interestingly, a man’s face looking over his shoulder directly at me - do you see it below?

How I interpret it: The hex is kind of in the middle right of the dish and I think symbolizes the spring itself. All of the protection circles around it. When I have interacted with this portal, I sensed that the Masons either opened it or found it and reinforced it. There is definitely a lot of protection around it, including a bunch of men that look like the ones in the prior photo kind of milling around the outside of it. They for sure have noticed me in my journeys with the portal, so I guess it’s no surprise one of them is keeping an eye on me here.

The portal seems to be related to abundance for the town - or at least, that’s what the Masons layered into it as they were trying to build a successful community. And it has been (and still is) a prosperous and successful town.

If the main energetic quality of the spring is bringing form to the formless, if you add this portal energy to it, it would be super powerful for manifesting and creating.

I believe that’s what I was doing last year, unaware (at least consciously) of it’s unique powers. I may start engaging with it again in this way and see what I can co-create next!

Conclusion:

I had a few other questions, but they were more personal and as this is getting quite long, I’m going to wrap it up here.

To be honest, this was one of the more entertaining ways I’ve spent an afternoon in awhile.

If you feel drawn to working with water, you should definitely try this out.

It’s also a great way to practice your intuitive skills - there’s no right or wrong answers so you can play with your own internal guidance to see what’s coming through to you.

Or you could practice doing a reading and healing for a location with feedback from the water - that would be super fascinating!

For me, I think there’s more that wants to emerge from this process, but I’m not sure what it is yet.

One of the things I’d like to do is test the water after toning to it every day for a week or a month to see if it gets more and more coherent.

It’s also an awesome demonstration of what’s happening to the water in our bodies when we engage in energy healing. It’s shifting and moving and responding moment by moment.

And it remembers everything!

Okay, that’s enough for this week. I’ll likely take next week off (it’s Christmas!) and see you back here in the new year.

xoxo…Amy

An hour and a half further east into the Ozarks from my home is the town of Eureka Springs.

What might be the most woo-woo-y town in all of Arkansas.

Perched in a narrow canyon, the mid-1800’s downtown winds up, down and all around with a few steep hills that would rival anything in downtown San Francisco.

I hit up a few crystal shops and had lunch on a balcony overlooking the streets below but the main purpose of my visit was…you guessed it…the springs.

Eureka Springs has dozens of cold water springs bubbling out of the hillsides in and around town and were the draw that created this Victorian-era health resort town.

Of course, the healing mineral waters were “discovered” long before Dr. Alvah Jackson found the waters and began to bottle his famous Eyewater in 1858.

The area was well-known to the indigenous tribes in the area, but after a judge used the water to successfully cure an inflammatory disease in 1879, he spread the word and the town sprang up almost overnight.

Most of these locations have been preserved and the springs are tucked away in little park-lets throughout the downtown.

Unfortunately, like many springs today, the ground water has been compromised and there are signs posted that the water is not safe for drinking or even to touch.

I’m not sure how true that is, or if the city is just trying to avoid the work of testing the water to be sure or a lawsuit if someone was to get sick, but I have heard through the grapevine that the water there is, in fact, contaminated.

That being said, I realized that I dove into writing here on Substack about the land here in northwest Arkansas without much background or history - much of which I have had to research since moving here - because so many of us no longer have access to clean, free-flowing spring water.

And we know nothing about it.

So let’s talk about it a bit.

In its most basic terms, a cold spring forms when rain and snow seep deep into the earth, filling porous rocks (also known as aquifers). The weight of the water creates pressure, pushing it through cracks and fissures in the rocks.

Water, doing what it naturally does, finds the path of least resistance until it emerges from the ground or hillside.

The water is cool and clear after being filtered through many layers of rock (primarily limestone around here).

As it filters through the soil, sand, and rock, it dissolves minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium giving each spring its own distinct flavor and mineral properties depending on its location.

This would be why one spring might be able to provide a cure for one sickness but not another - it has a unique mineral makeup depending on its source and where it has traveled before emerging from the Earth and those particular qualities might be better for healing one malady than another.

And prior to the idea of germ theory and the invention of penicillin, water was understood as a living, sacred, balancing force that restored harmony to the vital energies of the body.

Simply put, taking the waters fell out of favor because of the PR campaign against them - even after thousands of years of being a primary source of healing.

Because let’s be honest - if the springs didn’t work, people wouldn’t have continued drinking from them or soaking in them.

In the town of Hot Springs, Arkansas - about 200 miles south - you can visit a relic of what medicine used to be.

Doctors believed that while soaking in the mineral-rich waters was important, so was walking, fresh air, sunshine, and good conversation in community with others.

The town was built to support these aims and you can still visit its mostly-intact (and very fancy) infrastructure.

In fact, up until the 1930’s it was common to find hydrotherapy wings, soaking rooms, mineral baths, and water pressure treatments in most U.S. hospitals.

I saw an article recently that a nurse in the hospital here in my town said that it was common well through the 1970’s for patients to arrive for surgery carrying jugs of spring water to assist in their post-operative healing.

So, we have really only had our memories wiped clear of the benefits of spring water in the last two generations.

Because when penicillin arrived on the scene in 1942, delivering fast, live-saving results, the medical community suddenly got high on laboratory medicine.

The collective mentality was that if we can cure infections - we can cure anything.

And science was the way.

Professional medicine began labeling water cures as pseudoscience.

Water was not standard, not scientific, not measurable, and not proven.

And most importantly, couldn’t be patented and sold as a drug.

So, it took less than a century to obliterate the collective memory of water as a healer.

Which means we have largely lost the reverence and relationship that always existed between humans and springs.

The prevailing idea in our grandparent’s generation and before was that while the physician was a guide, it was nature who cured.

Hippocratic physicians were taught for 2,000 years that they were merely nature’s servants.

Of course, there have been many miracles of modern medicine. But we threw the baby out with the bathwater here.

Literally.

And I believe there is room for both in our collective psyches.

But sadly, it’s not as simple as just finding a spring to drink water from again.

Although - I definitely suggest you check out the Find A Spring website to see if you have one nearby you.

After a year and a half of communing with the springs here in Arkansas, I think we have to start with rebuilding the relationships that were severed.

Not only do we have to restore our own memory, we have to invite the waters back into that memory as well.

They have not been honored or revered.

They have been badly polluted.

And in many places, they’re not up to the task of healing us again.

At least not yet.

In many places I’ve visited - especially in the western states where water is more scarce - important springs were walled or fenced off from the native populations who had been in partnership with the waters for generations.

The resource was hoarded.

Springs were diverted.

Fights ensued and people died.

Over an abundant and potentially infinite source of life-sustaining water.

This plaque in Spring Town, Utah neglects to mention that the fort that was “burned by Indians” was done so because the Mormon settlers built it around the only water source for miles around.

That was not an accident.

This sign in the middle of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho explains that the location was a major winter camp for the indigenous people of the area until “they began to stay mostly on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and the spot lost its importance”.

It makes it sound like they just lost interest in visiting this very important and healing hot spring rather than the fact that they were forcibly relocated to the reservation.

So, if you have access to a spring nearby, begin by introducing yourself and stating your intentions.

Ask what it most needs from you.

And honor the requests, if you’re able. Explain why you can’t if not.

Bring offerings.

Clear garbage and debris from the water.

Sing, tone, send reiki and see how the energy there begins to shift.

And then see if you can find out any history about the spring and its importance to your community.

On my drive home from Eureka Springs, the waters gave me an idea on how I might be able to see the results from the healing work I’ve been doing with them.

But I’ll save that for a future adventure - and we can see if it works together!

Thanks again for being here.

I’ve been really enjoying connecting with you all this way and deeply appreciate your support.

See you next week. xoxo…Amy

There was a bit of snow the last two days - just enough to make the roads slick so I’ve stayed close to home.

However, the day after Thanksgiving was beautifully sunny so I decided to head right out my front door to the Dogwood Springs Walking Trail that follows Sager Creek through downtown Siloam Springs.

Although I’ve only lived here about a year and a half, I know this trail like the back of my hand and have easily walked it hundreds of times already.

It was a big part of my healing and nervous system regulation after my divorce and cross country move.

By the time I’d settled into a rental house here, I’d been living in a motorhome for six months.

And for at least two years before that, I’d been incredibly uncertain about what had been unfolding in my life and how little control I had over the outcome.

I hadn’t been sleeping through the night or had much of an appetite for so long, I thought maybe that was just my new normal.

I had tried to go on walks over the previous year, but was lacking any bit of energy and emotional strength that I needed to get more than about 10 minutes down a path before I needed to lay back down and rest.

Or really - just dissociate through whatever amount of sleep I could manage.

So the Dogwood Springs Walking Trail was my salvation.

I would put a guided meditation on my phone, pop in my headphones and walk as far as I could each day.

And almost immediately, I started sleeping through the night again.

At some point, I heard about EMDR therapy for trauma and learned that any kind of bilateral stimulation - a rhythmic alternating stimulation between the right and left sides of the body - can calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety.

No wonder the walking was soothing me.

Sometimes I would purposely tap the tops of my thighs as I walked - right, left, right, left - while listening to meditations.

I probably looked like a bit of a weirdo to the other walkers on the trail, but day after day I was feeling more like myself again and starting to settle into my new home and new routines.

It didn’t take long for me to find a spot on the trail where I liked to rest for a bit before turning around and heading back to my car.

It was shady and cool on hot and humid days and I knew it was the town’s namesake spring - although it wasn’t all that impressive.

A small pool of water flowing out of a very old rock retaining wall.

As I would sit by the water each day, I began clearing the debris out of the spring.

Mostly fallen leaves, sometimes some garbage.

And after just a few days of that, the waters made a request.

They would like me to bring offerings.

Flowers they would especially appreciate.

I agreed and began bringing special gifts to the springs each day.

It started to feel less like a walk and more like a pilgrimage.

As the months went by, I realized the waters truly were healing me. I didn’t need to drink from the spring or submerge myself to receive the benefits.

I could tell the waters my worries and fears and they would soothe me.

This routine continued for months until the end of last year when I purchased a house just blocks away from the springs and began a renovation project that kept me stuck at home for much of the first half of this year.

My visits through the summer months were intermittent, but my devotional practice has picked up again in recent months.

So last week, I thought it would be a fun project to try to find more of the springs hidden alongside the creek and the walking trail.

But “hidden” ended up being the operative word.

The lore in this town is that there were 28 springs along this creek when the town was founded in the 1880’s.

But nobody has found any document that lists them all with their locations.

All that remains is a list of eight posted in the town’s museum.

And when I headed out on foot last week to try to find all eight, I didn’t think it would be a difficult task.

But it seems that many of them have run dry or been redirected.

I couldn’t find the first three, despite bushwhacking up and down the creek in the locations described.

The fourth one is simply a trickle of water emanating out of the stone foundation of an old church that built a modern expansion right over the top of it.

The fifth and sixth springs are the ones preserved in the city parks that I visit often.

Number seven is dry, although the evidence of its prior existence is quite obvious.

And the eighth spring might be the most magical.

I was aware of its existence, but it is on the opposite side of the creek from the walking trail and the bridge that once carried people to it is long gone.

I managed to navigate through ankle deep water and around multiple downed trees to reach it though, and was so happy I’d made the effort.

It’s a strong spring flowing out of a grotto-like stone wall in a limestone bluff before joining the creek.

I sat alone next to the cool waters for some time, feeling like I had it all to myself even though the sounds of children on a jungle gym, pickleball players, and the skate park across the street reminded me that I was right in the middle of town.

As I made my way back home, I thought that this week’s adventure was a bit of a dud.

I’d spent an afternoon tromping around for four miles in knee high grass and rocky creek beds without much to show for my time.

There were no special messages from the Spirits of the Land.

Nothing new to report on.

I had placed pieces of Arkansas Quartz at each location though, programmed with loving intentions.

And I hadn’t returned to the trail until yesterday.

But what I saw was pure magic.

Maybe it was the cold air or the angle of the sun. Or maybe it was the offerings, I’ll never know for sure.

But the usually murky creek waters were perfectly clear.

So clear that I spotted a river otter swimming near the dam.

I’ve seen otters there before - but only in the summer months. I assumed they had a winter den in some other location because I’ve never seen them there outside of August and September.

But it sure felt like the energy had shifted in the few days since I’d last been there.

It felt like mine had shifted too.

And while I was walking along this trail that has meant so much to me these past 18 months, I realized something deeper about why I have needed it so much.

The walking helped me rebuild my nervous system, yes.

But it’s so much deeper than that.

What happened in my life in 2023 wasn’t just a “tough chapter”.

It was a complete identity collapse.

I lost my sense of safety. The community I belonged to. And the land I loved.

My sense of self was completely shattered.

The timeline I was on dematerialized.

And everything I thought was true turned out to be false.

Arriving in a new place doesn’t just repair all of that overnight. Roots take time to grow into the earth after a transplant.

Walking this trail, connecting with the waters, orienting my body to the land has been telling my body a little bit each day…

This is home.

It’s safe to relax here and settle in.

I don’t have to listen to that little voice inside that says…this could all collapse again.

Of course…it could.

That’s the unpredictability of life.

But I don’t have to live in fear of it every day.

Instead, I can always put my shoes on and head out on the trail where the earth and the waters here can remind me that this is my home now.

And they’re happy that I’m here.

But squeezed between sunny 75 degree days last week was just enough rain to get the waters flowing again here in northwest Arkansas, so I headed out to visit a nearby waterfall that people have repeatedly asked me if I’d seen since moving here.

The Tanyard Creek Nature Trail is a short hike with a big payoff in Bella Vista, Arkansas.

Barely a 15 minute walk from the parking lot (that boasts a coffee trailer, btw) and you’ve reached the roaring waters.

I wasn’t sure what to expect on this trail, energy-wise.

Well, I guess I’m never sure what I might find when I head out on an adventure, but I knew this trail had the potential to be busy with people.

And that can sometimes make it difficult to find a peaceful spot to connect with the nature spirits.

Sure enough, as soon as I parked and got out of my car, I realized that even on a weekday, this is a well-traveled spot.

There was a large family group gathering with lots of kids in tow.

Multiple people walking their dogs.

And moms with babies in strollers.

As I moved past everyone queuing up at the trailhead, I noticed an uneasy feeling come over me.

That became more of a pit in my stomach.

Uh oh….there’s work to be done here, I thought, but no immediate messages from spirit arrived with the feelings.

It only took a few minutes to get off the paved trail and find myself mostly alone so I stopped to take some deep breaths and tune in and see if I could get any direction from the Spirits of the Land.

As I looked over the trail map, I noticed there was a cave and immediately wanted to go there.

But no….I heard in my head.

Not the cave, not yet anyway.

I was being sent to the falls.

Not one to argue (much), I headed off over the bridge and up the trail towards the waterfall overlook.

Every 10 feet or so there was a small engraved sign identifying the trees and plants along the trail or sharing facts about the area.

It didn’t take long to reach the falls, which were flowing and beautiful, and I enjoyed some time to sit on the bench and take in the view all by myself.

After a few minutes, I carried my singing bowl down to the edge of the water and played, sending the tones out to all who could hear.

I noticed the feeling of unease had softened once I’d gotten into the forest and didn’t seem to be pulling on me like before.

So I packed up and headed back the way I came, hopeful to go find the cave and see if the spirits had any messages for me.

As I made my way across a different bridge on the trail, I looked down and noticed there was a large limestone outcropping right along the water that looked like a nice place to sit, so I doubled back and made my way down, finding a comfortable spot to rest.

I pulled my notebook out and was immediately hit by a huge wave of emotion.

I started crying, with no particular reason why or messages to connect it to.

So I let the tears flow for a few minutes before realizing that my Bigfoot guides had arrived.

They are beings of few words and usually communicate telepathically through feelings and pictures and instinctual knowings.

And I realized that what I had been feeling since I’d arrived was simply their presence. It had just come on so strong when I first arrived that it overwhelmed me and made me feel a bit nauseous until I got away from people and deeper into the natural surroundings.

But now, it was time for business and they had a lot to say on this day.

Starting with a message that has been on repeat for the past few months…

Let. Go.

Move with the current.

Water always gets to wherever it needs to go, no matter the route it might take.

Stop trying to plan the route and let the land guide you.

Now, what they showed me next was a bit surprising. And I’m sure that’s why they want me to just go with the flow rather than dismiss their request.

At first, I understood them to say that I should teach a course in shamanism.

And I thought…hmm, okay. I hadn’t thought about that before, but I have had some repeated recent requests on where someone could go to learn these skills.

That was probably the first message that I missed because it wasn’t obvious enough (whoops!).

But then the Bigfoots clarified…

They are going to teach this class.

They are going to create the curriculum and would like me to be their emissary (their words, not mine!).

Apparently, I’m getting better at speaking their language and can translate it into English so that they can be better understood by humans.

This made me feel incredibly emotional and the tears started flowing again and I immediately worried that I might get it wrong or not understand them as well as they would like.

I asked them how I might be able to hear and understand them even better.

And they said that they can be heard in the true stillness of nature.

They are in every sound and silence of the earth.

The more that I merge with nature, the more I will feel them.

They asked that I simply trust that I am receiving the messages that they are sending.

And then it became clear.

This is why I kept getting the nudge to start this series of adventures to share with others.

My Bigfoot guides will be outlining what they’d like to share week by week.

I’ll have extended time in nature to connect with them and receive their messages.

Which I should have guessed, I suppose.

They love to teach me through structured adventures.

Except, they weren’t going to tell me the full mission until I committed, which is often how it goes.

They like me to say yes and jump in before telling me what we’re going to do.

However, after sitting with their message for a few days I realized they’ve been preparing for this for at least a few months.

While I was recovering from surgery in August, they prompted me to go look for one of my old channeling notebooks from 2021.

I wasn’t even sure where it was, but they guided me right to the box it was packed away in and then asked me to transcribe my notes into my writing app in my computer.

I really had no idea why this was important, but now it makes sense.

They’ve already given me many lessons over the past five years or so, I just need to go pull them out of my notes.

I’m so curious to see what it is they want to teach us!

So, here we go…off on this new adventure.

I will be sharing my stories, their messages, and whatever else I discover here on Substack every Wednesday.

Be sure to subscribe to come along with me on this journey!

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By the way - I never did find the cave.

I thought I was following the right trail on the way back and it only looped me back to the falls again.

So, I’ll save that for a future visit.

It’s clear that this visit was to receive the message and be on my way.

I can’t guarantee that you’ll have your own Bigfoot encounter on this trail, but it’s definitely worth a try!

And check out my video story over on Instagram to see more of this hike.

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What is this exactly??

Depending on how we are already connected, you may be asking yourself…why is Amy starting a Substack?

After all, I already write an email most weekdays about my spiritual journey and adventures.

And I show up on Instagram all the time too.

Why on Earth do I need another place to write?

Well, the short answer is… the fairies told me to.

And I’m not one to argue with the nature spirits when they put an idea in my head.

But this will be a bit different than what I share elsewhere and I wanted one spot to collect it all.

Since moving to Arkansas about a year and a half ago, I have been both transfixed and transformed by the land and the energy here.

Some of that energy is well known (hot and cold springs throughout the state, along with significant mineral deposits of quartz and diamonds).

But most of it is hidden down long gravel roads, inside caves and bluff dwellings, and at the bottom of deep springs.

If you’ve lived here a long time, it’s possible you take for granted how special The Natural State truly is. And what might be hiding right in plain sight.

Which is probably why the Spirits of the Land have suggested to me on more than one occasion in the last year to start blogging about my explorations of these locations.

I’ve resisted up until now because it seemed like a big project to start an entirely new blog.

But while on a walk they reminded me of Substack and how easy it would be to get started.

So I quit resisting.

And Wild Wanderings was born.

My intention is for this to be more than simply notes from the field - but also a community where we can chat and share more about our collective experiences, wherever we are in the world.

I plan to post a weekly adventure here, which will give me the opportunity to get out and explore my new state much more than I already have.

I’ll share the messages I receive from the land in the places that I visit along with details on how to visit for yourself if you’re local or planning a trip.

My plan is to keep all of my posts available to all subscribers, whether you purchase a paid subscription or not.

Think of the paid subscription as a way to help put a little gas in my tank to get out and explore even more.

You’ll also get access to the chat.

As the community grows, I’ll likely add more subscriber benefits!

So, be sure to hit the Subscribe button to get each post as its published.

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As always, thank you for your support of my adventures. It truly means the world to me!