Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I’m confused about a strange dream (or OBE) I had. I had never seen apparitions before, but this one was quite clear. I saw a man with green skin who had leaves and vines for hair and all over his body. When I saw him, I was scared and tried to hide by lying down flat. He came toward me and before I shut my eyes tight, I saw his glowing green aura over my shoulder, then I felt him lie down on me. Is he a threat to me or did I misinterpret something? Is the Green Man good or evil?
Nicole

Dear Nicole:

Even people who aren’t familiar with the term the Green Man have probably seen images of him in sculptures and illustrations, which depict a male face emerging from dense foliage. Images of the Green Man can be found in many cultures around the world and traced back to before the dawn of Christianity.

Generally speaking, the Green Man is thought to symbolize rebirth as well as humankind’s connection to nature, as he appears to be something of a hybrid between plants and human beings. He may be a symbol of the interconnectivity of all things, even those that seem on the surface to be unrelated. In this way he may symbolize our spiritual path and how everything happens for a reason and leads us organically to whatever we most need to experience in order to learn and/or fulfill our dreams.

This notion of the Green Man representing the invisible connections between all things is interesting because as a nature spirit, he would exist somewhere between this world and the spirit world. Nature spirits are like hybrids between physical and spiritual beings, composed of substances just beyond the physical realm like plasma or ether.

Your experience sounds like an astral encounter to me, but since you mentioned the possibility that it was a dream, I’ll start there. To interpret this dream, we need to examine your personal associations with the idea of the Green Man before this experience. If you had never heard of him, it’s unlikely this was just a dream. If, however, you had read or heard about him before, then it’s possible that this figure was somehow symbolic. Of course, if you had heard about him before, it’s also possible that some other astral entity took on this form in order to evoke a certain response from you.

Other people have had dreams of the Green Man. In fact, many people dream of him who have never heard of him before, and only learn about his mythical status upon researching his image. I find it fascinating to explore the connections between ancient myths and alternate realities. When people from many different cultures and backgrounds see or believe in the same sort of being, it makes sense to consider that this may be something real in another dimension that may only interact with us when we’re in an altered state of consciousness and able to perceive beyond the normal spectrum of awareness.

Other dimensions are populated by a whole array of fascinating creatures, which is where our myths about elves, fairies, satyrs, unicorns, mermaids, dragons and the like come from. Most ancient cultures, such as those of Greece, Rome, China, Egypt and India, believed wholeheartedly in these mythical creatures. Even many of the world’s great philosophers, such as Plato, Socrates and Paracelsus, were aware of and perhaps guided by non-physical entities. (I’d argue that all great minds are somehow guided by intelligences from beyond this world, but most aren’t consciously aware of where their inspirations come from.)

To one whose consciousness is rooted in the physical, the very idea of nature spirits no doubt seems preposterous. However, there was a time when the idea that tiny invisible monsters were responsible for illness and infection seemed just as ludicrous. Once we developed the ability to see these creatures with our physical eyes, however, they became known as bacteria. So just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

It is said that at certain times, nature spirits become more visible to the naked eye. Further, to one who seeks connection, who loves nature and is open and sensitive, nature spirits may be sensed intuitively and/or encountered in strange and wondrous ways, either spontaneously or by inducing altered states of consciousness. This is also true of those who actively befriend them, for then the spirits may try to reach through to the physical to interact with us. Further, by looking for them and loving them, we may achieve vibrational harmony with their sphere of existence, and thus open a window of perception into their world.

The most common facilitators of encounters with nature spirits include dreaming, out of body experiences, and drug trips. There are certain hallucinogenic plants that seem to lead to encounters with particular beings. Entheogens are plants that are used as sacred sacraments, and many people who use entheogens report meeting the spirit of the plant, which may be perceived to be a plant god or goddess similar to the Green Man.

During entheogen trips, the Green Man has been known to appear to help people get out of their heads and their bodies in order to explore other realms. In fact, in Sufi and Arab mysticism, hashish was smoked for the express purpose of finding and connecting with the Green Man/Khadir in hopes of accessing the divine mystery. The same sort of thing was practiced by shamans using hallucinogenic mushrooms and plants.

When we consider that all these people are meeting the same strange beings and having the same strange experiences, we’re wise to wonder what is going on, and if perhaps instead of them just imaginingthings, they are indeed opening windows to another objective reality. I like to think that perhaps to beings in other realms, we are like the mythical beings of folklore, and when we meet in the grey space between this world and their realm, they are just as curious about us as we are about them.

As for whether the Green Man is good or evil, I think it’s wise to resist the temptation of simple labels, for this is like asking if human beings are good or evil. Just like people, it’s believed that if you are on the good side of nature spirits, they will help and befriend you. If, however, you abuse their trust and good will, they can turn against you and make you sorry you ever met them.

According to those who have encountered him, the Green Man may feel wild but he doesn’t usually feel threatening. Indeed, many people report feeling strongly drawn to him. Often the Green Man appears to help people in some way or to warn them about something. If you love nature and the Earth, the Green Man may appear to help you. If you’ve become disconnected from nature, he may appear to call you back. Many people have had encounters in dreams, astral projection, and full on waking visions of the Green Man trying to help, reassure or comfort them in some way.

To sort out this experience for yourself, ponder your relationship to nature. Also, examine energies of renewal and rebirth in your life; any incidents that followed this experience that it may have been trying to warn you about; and perhaps most importantly, the interconnections between all your experiences and how they all contribute to and compose your spiritual path.

For some great ways to consciously cultivate friendships with nature spirits, check out this article at realitywalker.com.

– Soul Arcanum

« »