Partnering with Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting with the Earth »

For over a decade, Catriona MacGregor has supported individuals in realizing their dreams and organizations in achieving their visions as a coach and consultant. She is an authority on global environmental trends and has worked in the U.S., Bulgaria, Latin America, China, Japan, and Russia. In her work, Catriona helps people develop connections to the natural world, creating work that positively impacts the world.

Catriona is also the founder of Awen Grove, an international non-profit dedicated to bringing the inspiration and wisdom of nature to benefit people's lives and the Earth. Through this foundation, Catriona offers youth quest nature adventures, support for outdoor education programs, and scholarships. She is a contributor to Healing the Heart of the World: Harnessing the Power of Intention to Change Your Life and the Planet, along with Carolyn Myss, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Masaru Emoto, Fritjof Capra, Thich Nhat Hanh and others.

Catriona lives in Fairfax, California, with her husband, fifteen-year-old son, and many animal friends, both domestic and wild.

In today's world, it's often too easy to forget about the world outside the window. People struggle daily with stressful jobs, trapped under fluorescent lighting, staring at glowing screens, or surrounded by concrete when they could be outdoors, acknowledging the gifts of natural world. In the face of its absence, we are finally beginning to understand that our connection with nature—plants, trees, animals, and the energy of the earth itself—is more than a luxury; it is a necessary and vital part of our existence. In Partnering with Nature, Catriona MacGregor weaves together historical, spiritual, and scientific examples to emphasize the importance of creating a vital relationship with our natural surroundings. Our separation from nature leads to several devastating effects, whether through stress, feeling a lack of purpose, or the heedless destruction of our environment. Through her exploration of the energies that link humans, animals, and the natural world, she shows how we can learn from nature as we develop our spirituality and ourselves. Through diverse approaches, Catriona offers the reader a solid understanding of why a connection with the Earth is vital to our existence, and how a revival of that connection opens doors to a myriad of benefits in our environment and in our health, our daily lives, and our happiness.

Introduction: Partnering with Nature ix

Part 1 Our Relationship with Nature

1 Touched by Nature 3

2 A Feeling Knowing-A Knowing Feeling 11

3 Banished from the Realm of the Sacred 15

Part 2 The Wisdom of the Wild

4 Plants as Evolutionary Masters 31

5 Reading the Signs of Nature 55

6 The Power of Animals 63

7 Sacred Places 85

Part 3 Inner Wholeness

8 The Spiral Dance 103

9 Vision and Nature Quests 111

10 Rites of Passage 127

11 Healing Ourselves through Nature 145

12 Honoring the Creative Within and Without 157

Part 4 Changing Ourselves, Changing the World

13 Earth Song 175

14 Toward a New Global Ethic 187

15 Reverence for Life 197

16 Singing the Animals Back to Life 207

17 The Biggest Love 227

18 Humanity and Purpose 235

Epilogue: Discovering Joy in Nature 257

Acknowledgments 263

Notes 265

Resources 287