Origin: Ancient Greece.
Commonly associated with: nature, trees, plants, beauty, dancing, Gaia, Artemis.
Sacred place: Forests and woods.
Abilities: ecological empathy, environmental adaptation, nature unity, zoolingualism, semi-immortality, plant manipulation, plant mimicry, botanical communication, nature channeling, nature embodiment, self-puppetry, nature guardianship.
In Greek mythology, Nymphs were female nature spirits or minor goddesses who lived in and protected forests, groves, and various places in nature. Nymphs were seen to be caregivers of the land and life in general, and were responsible for the care of plants and animals, especially those closely associated with the gods. Nymphs represented aspects of the natural world like bodies of water, islands, trees, or mountains. The Greeks believed that nature was alive and that spirits lived within its elements, so almost everything in nature had a Nymph that inhabited it. Etymologically, the word nymph is related to the Greek word for bride. Humans rarely saw the Nymphs, because they hid from the human world. When seen, Nymphs were described as beautiful, young, graceful maidens, and occasionally wild. In Greek mythology, the Gods were known to be lustful and chase after the Nymphs, so the Nymphs hid from them too. It is said that most Nymphs loved dancing, and waited to be out of the sight of humans to dance.
Nymphs are said to have been created from the spilt blood of Ouranos, the God of the skies, that his wife Gaia, the Goddess of the Earth, absorbed. Nymphs were distinguished according to the sphere of nature with which they were connected: Celestial Nymphs are connected to various aspects of sky, including breezes, clouds and stars; Land Nymphs are connected to various landforms, including glens, pastures, valleys and mountains; Underworld Nymphs are servants of Underworld deities; Water Nymphs are connected to bodies of water, from sea to springs, lakes and rivers; and Wood and Plant Nymphs are connected to particular trees and plants.
Because Nymphs were minor goddesses, they had certain abilities such as semi-immortality, and other supernatural abilities that connected them to nature. Some of these abilities include: Ecological empathy—the ability to sense the overall well-being and conditions of one's immediate environment and natural setting stemming from a psychic sensitivity to nature, Nature channeling—the ability to channel nature's energy and manipulate it for a myriad of purposes, Nature Unity—the power to become one with nature, Zoolingualism—the power to talk to animal life forms and understand their reactions, Environmental adaptation—the power to survive and adapt to an environment, Nature empowerment—the power to gain strength from nature, Nature Embodiment—the power to become the embodiment of nature, Water and plant mimicry—the power to transform into or have a physical body made up of water or plants, Self-puppetry—the power to contain and preserve one's soul into a single object which remotely controls the body, and Nature Guardianship—the ability to be a protector and keeper of nature and natural forces.
Nymphs were intimately connected with the aspects of nature over which they presided. They were thought to die if the water source they were associated with dried up, or if trees they inhabited were cut down. Their livelihood and life-force was intrinsically tied with the elements of nature.
Not uncommonly, some nymphs shared their names with the places they inhabited—for example, one of these eponymous nymphs is Aegina, the nymph of the island that bears her name.
Artemis was the Greek goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, the Moon, nature and wild animals. She was a virgin goddess who was accompanied by Nymphs, called the 'Nymphae Artemisiae'—the Nymphs or Artemis. Because virginity was a very important value for Artemis, her nymphs were expected to follow her vow of chastity. The goddess was known to punish her Nymphs if they lost their virginity by, for example, turning them into wild animals. However, she also loved and protected her Nymphs from unwanted advances from humans and gods.
Artemis and her Nymphs were known to dance across the lands, near rivers and lakes, and roamed freely through the mountains and forests. Dances of maidens representing Dryads (tree nymphs) were especially common in the worship of Artemis in her form as goddess of the trees, a role especially popular in the Peloponnese, in southern Greece.
The Dryads are the Nymphs of the Trees, or nature spirits who live in trees. Dryads were far removed from the human world and said to be shy, except around the goddess Artemis, who was known to be a friend to most nymphs. The Dryads are a famous class of Nymphs because of their relationship with Gaia, The Goddess of Earth and mother of all life. The Goddess was protective of her children, and as goddesses who were connected to nature, the Nymphs had a particularly close bond with her. Dryads were originally Nymphs that had to ask to be turned into trees, specifically from Gaia. In some cases, this transformation was a gift; in others, it was a punishment. Some nymphs found themselves runnings from the advances of lustful gods and men, with little hope of escape, and were turned into trees for their own protection. When Nymphs spread false rumors about gods and goddesses, they were sometimes turned into Dryads as punishment.
Every type of tree found in Greece had its own type of Dryad. They made the forests sacred spaces that had to be treated with caution and respect. The nymphs of the ash trees were the Meliae, the nymphs of mountain pines and conifers were the Oreads, the nymphs of oak and poplar trees were the Hamadryads, the nymphs of fruit trees were the Meliades, the nymphs of laurel trees were the Daphnaei, and the nymphs of grapevine trees were the Ampeloi. The Hamadryads were the most popular because oak and poplar trees were prevalent in Greece, these nymphs were thus often found close to humans and on the edge of rivers. A Hamadryad's life was uniquely bound to the individual tree, unlike the other types of tree Nymphs. Because of this unique bond, oak and poplar trees were highly sacred trees, and the gods inflicted harsh punishment on those who cut them down, as this would kill the sacred spirit that lived within. The Hamadryads themselves were extremely grateful to those who protected them from this danger.
Although the Dryads were regarded as lesser goddesses and their powers were limited, the Greeks believed that these beings were actually very powerful in their own way, because they were able to inspire strong emotions in humans. The awe that people felt when they looked at Nature was not, to the Greeks, a product of the human mind itself. The peace that came from sitting beneath a tree on a pleasant afternoon and even the terror felt in a dark forest at night were also regarded as extraordinary emotions.
Everywhere the Dryads and their fellow Nymphs existed, they were able to touch humans with the gift of sublime emotion. While the Dryads could not wield great weapons or perform amazing feats of magic and strength, they touched the lives of the Greek people in a very important way.
Here, you will find simple earth-based and nature-oriented practices, prompts and rituals inspired by the Dryads, that will help you connect with trees.
Forest bathing is an ancient Japanese process of relaxation, know in Japan as shinrin-yoku. The simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you whilst breathing deeply can help both adults and children de-stress and boost health and wellbeing in a natural way. Not simply a walk in the woods, forest bathing it is the conscious and contemplative practice of being immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of the forest. It was developed in Japan during the 1980s, and in 1982 Japan made this form of moving meditation under the canopy of living forests a part of its national health program. The purpose of shinrin-yoku was twofold: to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the country’s forests.
In the 1990s, researchers began studying the physiological benefits of forest bathing, providing the science to support what we innately know: time spent immersed in nature is good for us. While Japan is credited with the term shinrin-yoku, the concept at the heart of the practice is not new. Many cultures have long recognized the importance of the natural world to human health.
Forest bathing is not just for the wilderness-lover; the practice can be as simple as walking in any natural environment and consciously connecting with what’s around you. For a more structured experience, you can join trained guides for a meditative two to three-hour eco-therapy excursion.
Tree culturist P. G. Cross thinks we should all get up-close and personal with trees: “If you would live life in all its richness, then make friends with your trees, your neighbor's trees, the trees of the hillside and the highway. To form such a friendship means serenity of being, better health, and above all, lasting happiness. No tree ever proves to be a false friend.” Befriend a tree for the summer. Look out for its welfare. Notice its moods. Sit beside it and bask in its energy.
Spiritual Practice by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat in Summertime and Living Takes Practice
In solitary practice, begin by sitting or standing erect, and breathing deeply and rhythmically. As you breathe and as your spine straightens, imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree. And from its base, roots extend deep into the center of the Earth. And you can draw up power from the Earth, with each breath. Feel the energy rising like sap rising through a tree trunk. Feel the power rise up your spine, feel yourself becoming more alive with each breath.
From the crown of your head, you have branches that sweep up and back down to touch the Earth. Feel the power burst from the crown of your head, and feel it sweep through the branches until it touches the Earth again, making a circle, returning to its source.
If you do this exercise in a group: Breathing deeply, feel your branches intertwining, and the power weaving through them, and dancing among them, like the wind.
Meditation from The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk
“By absorbing the nurturing elements that are offered to us and to recognize the world looks after us. May we accept these gifts and transforming them to nurture others. May all be held, may we hold others.
By recognizing our abundance, all different forms, shapes and sizes: this strength that moves us safely through any storm and can create a dance out of any challenge, welcoming sun, rain, wind. May we embrace our differences and see strengths in them, oh how enriched our lives will be.
By connecting through replaceability. Like the leaves know when it is time to go before they become a burden; may we have the strength to know when and what to drop and let go, may we remember to make ourselves replaceable, may we show up regardless.
By nurturing above and below. Just as air is a life force, so is decay and compost, different seasons call for different things. May we remember that change is life and life is change, we are both.
To learn from the world. To learn from the trees. To learn from the leaves.”
Find a tree you admire on your land, in your backyard, or at a nearby park. Stand on the earth next to this tree, barefoot if possible. Gaze at the tree and sniff the air. Try to sense the misty, nutrient-dense waters that evaporate from this tree being. Although you may not see moisture, you can imagine its release.
Breathe in the rich vapors that flow from the tree like a fountain. Then breathe out sustaining energy to the tree. As you continue to “tree-breathe”, attune to this tree’s essence. Feel its spirit. Telepathically, or speaking aloud, thank this nature being for its beauty and for everything it offers. Importantly, feel your gratitude. Just as its invisible waters and oxygen nourish you, the love you release with each exhale is food for the tree; appreciation is a nourishing force.
This is a good time to commit to do what you can to promote healthy trees and air, with the tree as your witness.
Spiritual Practice Llyn Roberts in Speaking with Nature
“We see trees as the hosts of our spirits and the source of our livelihood. Planting trees is a celebration.”—Boro Baski
Trees hold immense powers, including the power to make all our lives better and healthier. If a tree has power, a forest has even more. Continue reading below about the wonderful superpowers of trees.
While trees are resilient, they are not invincible—and they need our help. To help plant and protect trees, you can either learn to plant trees yourself, using this step-by-step guide if you have a garden and enough space, or you can support organizations that work to plant trees and protect and restore forests, such as The Nature Conservancy, One Tree Planted, Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement, International Tree Foundation, Trees for the Future and Trees for Life.
So, what are the superpowers of trees?
Trees absorb the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, helping slow the gas’s buildup in our atmosphere. Trees are looking out for us so we have to look out for them!
Trees boost our mental health while raising our physical health: time in nature—like a walk among the trees in a city park—correlates with a drop in anxiety and depression. Also, because we move around more when we have access to trees and parks, nature can encourage us to move around and exercise, helping lower rates of obesity.
Trees clean the air so we can breathe more easily. Trees remove the kind of air pollution that is most dangerous to our lungs: particulate matter. This pollution arises from the burning of fossil fuels, and can reach dangerous concentrations in the largest cities as well as in neighborhoods near highways and factories. Tree’s leaves will filter this dangerous pollution, but only if they’re planted near the people who need them; most of the filtration occurs within 100 feet of a tree. More trees in cities, especially in lower-income neighborhoods close to highways and factories, can reduce ailments like asthma and heart disease that cause 5% of deaths worldwide.
Trees give a home to the wildlife we love. Even a single tree can provide vital habitat for countless species. An intact forest can do even more, creating a home for some of the most diverse and resilient webs of life on the planet. Old-growth forests, the forests that we need to protect most urgently, create habitat at the ground level, at the top of their tree canopies, and everywhere in between. All of these different types of habitat in a single area allow so many diverse species to thrive.
Trees cool down your life, and could even save it. Temperatures are rising and heatwaves are getting longer due to climate change. A tree’s shade acts like a natural air conditioning and can even keep down the energy costs of our actual air conditioning systems, which are increasingly working overtime.
Trees filter your water, making your drinking supply cleaner and more reliable. Trees remove pollutants and sediments from rainfall and then slowly release the water back into waterways and underground aquifers. Thanks to trees, this naturally cleaner water is easier and cheaper to treat before it ends up in your tap.
Learn here about even more benefits of trees, including reducing violence in cities, preventing soil erosion, and their social and communal benefits.
“The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.”—Rabindranath Tagore
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Dive deeper into the world of the Nymphs, the wisdom of trees, biophilia, spiritual ecology, and plant intelligence with these resources including books, articles and films.
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✎ Book
‘The Hidden Life Of Trees’
by P. Wohlleben -
✎ Book
‘The Forest in Folklore and Mythology’
by Alexander Porteous -
✎ Book
‘Greek Nymphs: Myth, Cult, Lore’
by Jennifer Larson -
✎ Book
‘Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth’
by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee (Ed.) -
✎ Book
‘Sacred Ecology’
by Fikret Berkes -
✎ Book
‘Evolutionary Herbalism: Science, Spirituality, and Medicine from the Heart of Nature’
by Sajah Popham -
✎ Book
‘Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit’
by Lyanda Lynn Haupt -
✦ Article
‘Looking to Mythology in a Time of Crisis’
by Hannah Méndez for Atmos -
✎ Book
‘The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature’
by Stephen Harrod Buhner -
✎ Book
‘Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest’
by Suzanne Simard -
✎ Book
‘The Sweet Breathing of Plants: Women Writing on the Green World’
by Linda Hogan & Brenda Peterson -
✎ Book
‘Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Beyond the Doors of Perception into the Dreaming of Earth’
by Stephen Harrod Buhner -
✎ Book
‘Tree Wisdom: The definitive guidebook to the myth, folklore and healing power of Trees’
by Jacqueline Memory Paterson -
✎ Book
‘Plant Lore and Legend: The Wisdom and Wonder of Plants and Flowers Revealed’
by Ruth Binney -
✻ Illustrated Book
‘The Architecture of Trees’
by Cesare Leonardi & Franca Stagi -
✦ Article
‘The secret life of plants: how they memorise, communicate, problem solve and socialise’
by Amy Fleming -
✎ Book
‘The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World’
by David Abram -
✎ Book
‘Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness’
by Dr. Qing Li -
✷ Documentary
‘Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees’
by Jeff McKay -
✎ Book
‘The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees’
by Douglas W. Tallamy -
✎ Book
‘Dwellings: A Spiritual History of the Living World’
by Linda Hogan -
✎ Book
‘The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs’
by Tristan Gooley -
✎ Book
‘Biophilia’
by Edward O. Wilson -
✻ Illustrated Book
‘Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees ‘
by Ernst Lehner & Johanna Lehner -
✎ Book
‘The Secret Life of Plants’
by Peter Tompkins & Christopher Bird -
✷ Documentary
‘The Hidden Life of Trees’
by Jörg Adolph -
✷ Documentary
‘Intelligent Trees’
by Julia Dordel -
✦ Article
‘Eco-spirituality: towards a values-based economic structure’
by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
Image Credits:
A Wood Nymph (1886), by Robert Pötzelberger • A Water Nymph (1890), by Hans Zatzka • The Oceanids, The Naiads of the Sea (1860), by Gustave Doré • The Oreads (1902), by William-Adolphe Bouguereau • Nymphs Listening to the Songs of Orpheus (1853), by Charles François Jalabert • A Water Nymph (1898), by Léon Jean Basile Perrault • Pearls of the Sea, by Hans Zatzka • Nymphs of the Forest, by Paul-François Quinsac (1858–1929) • Diana and her nymphs after the hunt (1620–1625), by Jan Brueghel the elder & Hendrik van Balen I • Water Nymph, by Hans Zatzka • Diana and her nymphs bathing (c. 1778-82), by Angelica Kauffmann • Diana with her nymphs resting after the hunt (1761), by Pierre Jollain • Nymphs in a Forest (1898), by Henri Adrien Tanoux • Chevalier et nymphes dans une clairière (1918) by Alfred Plauzeau • A Hamadryad (1893), by J.W. Waterhouse • Nyads and Dryads (c. 1880-1900), by Walter Crane • Dance of the Forest Nymphs (1926), by Warren B. Davis • The Wood Nymph (1898), by Charles Marion Russell • A Nymph In The Forest, by Charles-Amable Lenoir