June 3, 2025 • 49 mins
Have you ever felt a deep connection with a tree, or noticed how birds seem to be talking about you as you walk through the forest? In this intimate conversation with host Jenny C Bell, Granddaughter Crow reveals the profound wisdom behind her bestselling book, "Wisdom of the Natural World: Spiritual and Practical Teachings from Plants, Animals and Mother Earth."
Through captivating storytelling, Granddaughter Crow shares the fundamental difference between perceiving nature as separate components versus experiencing it as an interconnected living system. She recounts how her Navajo father explained this distinction: English speakers tend to analyze a tree by labeling its parts, while Navajo speakers seek connection with the tree, observing how the same wind moves both the leaves and their hair—recognizing a shared spirit.
This conversation couldn't be more timely. As many struggle with feelings of disconnection and loneliness, Granddaughter Crow offers a revolutionary perspective: we are never truly alone because nature is constantly aware of us. The birds calling to announce our approach, the tree sensing our touch, the fox revealing itself on a hike—these aren't random occurrences but conscious exchanges with beings that acknowledge our presence.
Beyond spiritual insights, she provides practical applications for relationships and work environments. By understanding ourselves and others through animal characteristics—the visionary crow, the grounded wolf, the independent cat, or the territorial spider—we gain frameworks for appreciating different behaviors without judgment. These perspectives can transform everything from romantic partnerships to workplace dynamics, helping us celebrate our differences rather than trying to change one another.
What makes this wisdom so accessible is that it doesn't require specialized spiritual knowledge—it's simply about reconnecting with something all our ancestors understood. As Granddaughter Crow reminds us through the Navajo Beauty Way prayer: "Beauty walks before me, behind me, above me, to my left, to my right, and within me, for I am beauty." Connect with this wisdom yourself and discover your place in the natural world.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Granddaughter Crow (00:01):
Welcome to Belief being and Beyond with
your host, Granddaughter Crow.
Hi everybody, GranddaughterCrow here with yet another
episode of Belief being andBeyond.
This time we did the oppositeof Beyond and we're going to go
a little within with a very,very special guest who is very,
(00:25):
very warm to my heart, and Ican't wait.
Jenny C Bell is here tointroduce our guest today.
Jenny, take it away, who's ourguest.
Jenny C Bell (00:37):
Well, actually we're kind of flipping the
script today and you are ourguest.
Granddaughter Crow (00:44):
Yay, what are we going to be talking about
?
Jenny C Bell (00:50):
Well, you were so kind and you sent me a copy of
Wisdom of the Natural World,spiritual and Practical
Teachings from Plants, animalsand Mother Earth, because I
showed an interest and yousigned it, which was so I just
thought it was the best surprise.
But anyway, you sent me thisbook.
As I was diving into it,talking with you, we realized
that you didn't really have likeany chats about it and that's
(01:13):
like that's kind of sad to me,because it's a great book.
I want people to know about it.
Granddaughter Crow (01:18):
Yeah, it's really interesting because of
all of the different authorsthat I have out there and this
is like actually my number onebestseller at this point I know
we both have one Wisdom of theNatural World and I was like who
better to interview me thanJenny C Bell?
She has her own show, she doesall sorts of things book talks
(01:43):
and everything and so I'm reallyexcited to delve into this book
with you and kind of let thepeople know what it's about and
what we're talking about.
So take it away, jenny C Bell.
Jenny C Bell (01:58):
Okay, well, let's travel back in time for a
moment.
So you said we're going beyond,we're going beyond time and
space today, right, so take usback about, like the initial
kind of seed or idea.
You know, we all, as authors,get that like that seed that
gets planted and you're like Ijust this is going to be a book.
(02:18):
So take us back maybe to thatmoment when, if you can like,
when you were like this this issomething I want to write about,
this is something people needto know about, and let's start
there.
Granddaughter Crow (02:29):
I think that's a very important question
because a lot of my other booksthere I can remember a moment
or when it developed within me.
This one is actually like theopposite of that.
I wanted to write a book and Ididn't know what I wanted to
write about, and I was talkingwith Llewellyn Worldwide, the
(02:51):
publishing house that publishedit, and my acquisition editor at
the time, and I was like, well,we could do something obvious
that I always do, and that'sthink about the wisdom of the
natural world.
And she's like what do you meanobvious?
I'm like, well, you knowthere's so much wisdom.
It's our greatest teacher andyou know plants, animals, mother
(03:15):
earth, how it shows usspiritual and practical
teachings that you could do likehelp you with your
relationships and your romanceand your health and finance.
And you know your health andwell-being, your business and
finance.
And she's just like, oh, thisis a really good topic.
And I honestly, you know howyou have one of those thoughts
(03:36):
that's like doesn't everybodythink like this?
And it takes you into, like,your adult life and you're just
like, oh, that was just me allthis time.
That's what this book is.
It literally is a book aboutthe way that I perceive the
world my greatest teacher.
(03:57):
People ask me, granddaughterCrow, who is your mentor, and I
say the natural world is mymentor.
Jenny C Bell (04:05):
I love that.
You thought it was obvious too.
That's like the best part ofthat story, right?
Because it's it's not.
It's not for most people andthat's why this book is so great
is because a lot of peoplespend so much time indoors and
we have like artificial lightingand now we have lighting on our
phone and social media.
There's so much much, and witha lot of people, like with covid
(04:26):
, they just got into like notgoing outside and some people
just don't make it like a thingto go outside every day or
connect with their tree in theiryard or feed their birds, like
some people just don't eventhat's not even a thought,
because and it's not a judgmenton them, like at all, but they
just it's never dawned on themthat like there is wisdom to be
(04:49):
had in the natural world and Ican tap into that by being out
there absolutely, and you know,I guess it's just like you said,
it's, it's not even a topicpeople, just you, you don't go.
Granddaughter Crow (05:02):
Hey, did you go out?
And what did you learn from thenatural world today?
You know people, you know, butI kind of think that way and
even though I don't always makeit outside and you're right, you
know we get so busy anddistracted in our life and you
know, you can see, you knowthings on your phone or your
screen, but there's a totallydifferent interface between you
(05:25):
and the unseen powers that bewithin the natural world, the
nature elements.
That actually draws aconnection and there can be a
dialogue.
However, due to our trainedbrain to observe a screen, a lot
of times when we go out to thenatural world, we kind of think
(05:47):
that we're just observing, it'sjust on the screen, we don't
realize that we are a part of it.
And that's one of the beautiesthat I mean.
It's a brilliant, very easywisdom to go.
Wait, I'm a part of the naturalworld and I'm going to go out
there.
And when I'm standing in mybackyard, when I'm in the park,
(06:07):
when I go for a hike, whereverit be little thing of grass
downtown, wherever you are thatyou are actually communing and
it knows that you're there too.
So it fills this like a part ofthe human spirit that has been
neglected and almost feels like,oh, I'm all alone in this world
(06:28):
.
It's like, oh no, the treesknow you're here, you know the
grass knows you're here, thosebirds see you, that squirrel
wants to know if you have apeanut for it, you know, I mean,
it's that interconnectivitythat actually can kind of build
up your spirit and give you alot of healing in so many ways
that we don't even evenscientifically, we don't discuss
(06:50):
.
Jenny C Bell (06:50):
Yeah, and I want to bring it out in a book, yeah,
yeah, and then you do talkabout that in the book, some of
the science that backs some ofthe spirituality.
But something that was reallyinteresting is you gave an
example about like looking at atree and the different ways that
we can look at a tree, and youtalk about like the kind of what
we would say like thescientific, mundane way, like I
(07:11):
see a branch and I'm seeingleaves and they're this shape
versus the other way.
So I don't know if you couldkind of share that with people,
because that's something thatfor most part, someone could go
out and do today.
They go look at a tree and seethe different ways and kind of
relearn how to see a tree in adifferent way, right, I?
Granddaughter Crow (07:30):
think that it's very important.
It's almost like understandingthat the translator between the
natural world and what it'ssaying to you is actually the
way that you're perceiving it.
So when you perceive a tree andyou're just like I want to
connect with you, I'll justbreak it down and tell the story
(07:50):
.
Jenny C Bell (07:51):
Yeah, that's great.
Granddaughter Crow (07:52):
I'll just tell the story.
So my father, when he walkedthe earth, he was born full
blood Navajo, english secondlanguage, and then he grew up
and then he learned he actuallybecame a translator.
There's a lot that I talk aboutwithin my father, about my
(08:18):
father, throughout some of mybooks, but there's one thing
that I don't really share,because it never comes to my
mind, is that he actually was ona project way back when he must
have been.
He was born in 1932, soprobably somewhere in the 50s.
He was actually a part of asmall, small team that
translated the New Testamentversion, king James Version,
(08:41):
into Navajo from the Englishlanguage.
Wow, so I never get to sharethat.
It's one of those, like youknow, just facts.
But I guess I bring it up notonly to honor him but to show
that he knows how to translate.
Now, if you translate somethingfrom a language that is a lot
(09:04):
like your own given language,it's easier.
But when you translate Navajoto English, you're literally not
only translating a language,you're translating a thought
process, you're translating howyour brain works.
So I asked my dad how is itbeing in two worlds like
(09:24):
translating?
What's the difference betweenEnglish and Navajo?
And he says oh, joy, joy.
He says, let's just say, if youask an English speaker, english
thinker, to stand in front of atree, they will stand in front
(09:45):
of a tree.
And you say, get to know thetree.
They will say, okay, that's atrunk.
They break it down and theylabel it.
That's a trunk, that's a branch, that's a leaf.
I'm going to name the tree Veryscientific, like you said, very
left hemisphere in yourthinking brain, linear thinking
logic.
Break it down scientifically.
(10:05):
It's an oak tree.
I know the tree and they walkaway.
And they know the tree becauseindeed they do know the tree but
they don't completely know thetree.
So you get a Navajo standing infront of the same tree and you
say to them same assignment,navajo speaker, navajo thinker,
(10:25):
and you say, get to know thistree.
Navajo will go, oh, and see agreat organism in front of them
and they'll just look at it andthen they just watch it, they
don't break it apart, they justsee it as full and they want to
(10:48):
understand.
In order to get to know it, Imust find a connection between
me and it.
And then it sees the leavesmoving from one direction to
another, Maybe they're blowingto the north.
And then the Navajo looks attheir own hair and sees that
their hair is blowing in thesame direction as the trees is
(11:09):
and the branches and the leaveshas flown to the north and they
would say they would understandthe same spirit that is moving
the tree is moving me, and now Iunderstand the tree, I know the
tree, we are one.
So in that it's more of a righthemisphere, creative, holistic.
(11:30):
It's more like, I guess youcould say, english speakers
speak in nouns, we label things.
Navajo speakers and thinkersare more verbs.
They talk in description, theythink in descriptive terms.
So that's the difference.
(11:52):
Instead of granddaughter crowtoday, they'd be like the lady
with the hat and the red shirt.
That's who I am, because that'show they perceive me.
So it's a totally different wayof engaging.
Perceive me.
So it's a totally different wayof engaging.
And if you can step out intothe natural world and release
this idea that I'm going to gotalk to the tree and the tree is
(12:12):
going to speak English, whichmaybe it will, because sometimes
it does, I'm not going to knockthat.
I've heard trees talk to me andthey're like what are you doing
or whatever, but in a veryinteresting way they're speaking
body language, and bodylanguage, according to our
(12:33):
communication experts I thinkit's Alton Barber louder than
words in a communication classundergrad degree.
You guys can look it up online.
It's like 97% of the humanlanguage is in body language
(12:54):
tone, pitch, facial expressionsand very little like seven, 8%,
and then sometimes, if younevertheless, it's very, very
low how much it is words.
So if we keep looking for words, we're not going to hear
everything.
If you pay attention to bodylanguage, you'll be like tree is
strong, stands tall, rain orsnow, it's still there.
I can do the same, and thatwould be a wisdom that the tree
(13:17):
could give you.
Jenny C Bell (13:20):
I love that.
There's a lot of things I lovedabout that, but in the book you
definitely I loved.
I never thought about languagethe way that, but in the book
you definitely I loved I neverthought about language the way
you talked about in the book andI studied linguistics, so I'll
put that out there for people.
So even if you studiedlinguistics in the university,
you're still going to think ofthis different, because it's
definitely what you said.
If the way we speak is the waywe think, right, so if our
(13:46):
language is in nouns and in, youknow, the kind of Western
culture is very materialistic,and I don't mean like money, I
mean like we want to.
If we see it, we believe itright, very scientific, very
materialistic.
That spirit that you're talkingabout, that like inner knowing,
everything that's been removedfrom the language right and
removed from like everything,because it's like language right
and removed from likeeverything, because it's like
(14:06):
you don't ask someone like youknow how's your spirit.
It's like what do you do for aliving?
That's exactly right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And so I feel like what you'redoing in here in this book, in
wisdom of the natural world,you're giving people the
language, the tools, thelanguage to be able to kind of
not like crazily rewire theirbrain, but give them the ability
(14:32):
, the tools to be able to belike.
Ok, this is another way for meto look at an animal or another
way for me to understand ananimal than other, just like a
field guide.
Granddaughter Crow (14:42):
Absolutely.
And the interesting thing aboutit is that we're doing it.
We just don't know that it'sconscious.
So it's kind of like you don'trun up to a tree, usually, hug
it and say thank you, becauseI'm going to have a picnic and
you're giving me shade.
You just have that relationshipRight.
(15:06):
And this is that bringing itforward a little bit more.
You understand that the tree isnot going to fall on you while
you're eating your little picnic.
You know there's a relationshipthere.
There's like what I'm callingthe interface or an exchange, a
dialogue or connection, and itis another doorway to walk
through or lens to put on whenyou are perceiving the natural
(15:30):
world, to perceive it as though,if you were to look at it and
just pick up the body language,what is it saying to you?
And that's a great place tostart, because everybody can
come up with something.
Even if you don't speak English, you come up with something
because it is talking to you.
We just need to figure out howdo we translate it.
Jenny C Bell (15:50):
So, yeah, yeah, and I feel like it's, in a way,
it's going back to like whateverybody's ancestors would have
been doing Right Before we hadlike books and social media and
everything to label everything.
We would have just explored anew area and like observed,
right, and like looked at thistree and like what is it doing
and how is it moving, and liketry to understand.
(16:11):
You know, can we eat the fruitoff the tree?
We have to really get back toconnecting and observing in
order to just even survive,right?
Granddaughter Crow (16:19):
Absolutely.
I mean, if you just like slowdown a little bit and go, wow,
there's a really big tree overthere and it's in the middle of,
maybe a meadow, why is there,just like, maybe a couple of big
, big trees over there?
You would then sit back and gowell, obviously there's a bigger
(16:42):
water source over there.
So you start understanding thatthe tree is saying things to
you, you know.
And then it's like oh, and it'sin a place that maybe some
birds that don't like to bemessed with will live in, that
tree, you know.
So it becomes a whole story.
You understand it as anorganism and how it's
(17:04):
interconnecting with everything,which then branches your mind
into understanding that that'swhat happens with us too.
Jenny C Bell (17:12):
Yes, and that I love, like so many people feel.
They say disconnected.
So many people I hear so manypeople say that word I feel
disconnected.
Or they say I feel lonely, Ifeel alone because they don't
think of themselves as part ofthe natural world, because they
are, but they are so far removedfrom that connection that there
(17:34):
really is like a lonelinessepidemic.
Granddaughter Crow (17:37):
There really really is, and I think
that it really hit our consciousawareness collectively under
the pandemic, when we did haveto shelter in place or the world
was shut down or the socialdistancing, all of that kind of
removed a lot of the things thatdistract us, even the wonderful
(17:58):
things like let's go out fordinner, that distracted us.
We kind of were left to sayokay, and I know that a lot of
people felt lonely at that time.
Actually, it was right aroundthen when this book came out.
So that was really cool, but itreally is.
If you kind of go I water mylet's say something simple I
(18:21):
water my flower bed once a dayin the morning you don't think
those flowers are going, aren't?
If you don't go out there, youknow they've got to miss you.
Yeah, there is a.
They're expecting you to bethere.
You're a part of their world,just like the bumblebee, the
bird, all of it.
(18:41):
It's an organism and you canbuild relationships within there
too.
So yeah, yeah, yeah, I love it.
Jenny C Bell (18:48):
Can you talk more about how nature is aware of us
and witnesses us?
Because for me that's huge.
Like someone you know a lot ofus like, who are spiritual or on
a witchy path, we alreadyconnect with nature, but to know
that like nature does witnessme, does see me back, there's
something that does make youfeel much less lonely.
(19:09):
You do feel a sense of thatinterconnectedness like you're
talking about.
Granddaughter Crow (19:14):
Absolutely, and I really think that it
already is.
It's just that we need to finda place within our own psyche
that helps us to connect with itand understand it.
So the way that I kind of dothat at first is I will say go
(19:34):
out, find a tree, touch the tree, put your hand on the trunk and
just close your eyes andbreathe.
Or if you are in the placewhere you can sit down and lean
up against the tree and justbreathe, wait until you feel the
(19:57):
connection and some people willfeel it automatically.
But just keep telling yourselfin your left hemisphere, in your
logical mind, that doesn't knowthis information and needs to
learn it for the first time.
Your body knows, your spiritknows, but it's like this tree
knows I'm here, this tree knowsI'm here.
This tree knows I'm here.
(20:17):
And even if you think it'scrazy, you can just say
granddaughter crow said thistree knows I'm here.
You could just blame it on me.
But at the end of the day, onone level or another, I believe
in animism.
I believe that the naturalworld is full of sentient beings
.
Everything has a soul and aconsciousness and although it
doesn't have five fingers andstand upright which trees
(20:41):
actually do stand upright.
But you know it's one of thosethings that the tree does know
you're there, even if it isbecause you, your hand, is so
cold, the tree will sense thatsomething colder is there.
Or your hand is a lot warmer,the tree will sense that there's
(21:01):
something warmer there.
And, trust me, if you want totest this scientifically, and
trust me, if you want to testthis scientifically, all you
have to do is build a huge wallbetween the tree and the sun and
see how that tree does, becausethe tree understands the heat
from the sun and the light fromthe sun.
And although your encounterwith the tree may only be for a
few moments and its encounterwith the sun is going to be a
(21:23):
lifetime, it still is anexchange and I hope that makes
sense.
And the next thing is I look upand when I see a crow fly by or
a raven or a hawk, I know itsaw me first and I know that it
(21:51):
let me see it.
And and when you start thinkingin that terminology, you're
just like well then, when you goout, maybe to the hills or the
mountains or wherever you go,and you see a fox, that fox
knows how to hide.
It knew you were there and itlet you see it.
And that is the magic rightthere.
Jenny C Bell (22:11):
Agreed A hundred percent.
I love that and I love cause Ialways I would tell, I tell my
kids, like when we're on a hikeor a walk and the birds are
calling, I think they're talkingabout us.
Hey, there's some, you know,walking upright, hairless people
, things, and they're, they'rewalking down, they're all
talking about us and tellingeach other we're coming.
And I said so.
It's like when people saynature doesn't respond, nature
doesn't see you, that's notconnecting with us.
(22:33):
Well then, why are they talkingabout us?
Right?
Granddaughter Crow (22:35):
Absolutely, I agree, 100%.
In fact, I have a couple ofblue Jays that come over every
morning and some mornings I'msleeping in and they will stick
their head pretty much in thewindow, not necessarily, but
right outside and startscreaming in my window like
where are you and where are mypeanuts, or whatever it is.
They're like hello.
(22:56):
And so what I do is I do thecall and response with them.
I will whistle back and thenthey whistle back and I whistle
back and they look at me andit's just this back, and they
look at me and it's just thisbeautiful, like oh my god, I
have a new friend and there's aconnection.
Yeah, but you're absolutelyright, the birds definitely are
(23:18):
going to be like.
There's a tall one and a coupleof short ones coming.
You know, do they lookdangerous?
Do they have any food?
You know, it's totally that.
Jenny C Bell (23:27):
Absolutely yeah, yeah, and that's something we
talked about the pandemic.
Something that really helpedour family is we did a lot of
outside time in the yard andoutside time at parks and the
kids.
First friend moving here weactually moved during the
pandemic was the next doorneighbor's cat.
My first friend was a scrub jayand I named her peanut and she
(23:48):
just started like talking to meand looking for her peanuts and
there have been times where sheknows she'll come to the kitchen
window and like look in there,like hey, you're a little late,
and it's like it's arelationship at this point.
Granddaughter Crow (24:01):
Yes, absolutely.
And you know, some people mightsay well, aren't you
anthropomorphizing the naturalworld?
And to a certain degree, I'mlike, yes, I am helping my brain
understand it by giving itEnglish language.
However, there is an exchangethere that I can only explain to
(24:21):
you another English speaker inEnglish.
But there is an exchange that'shappening there that my spirit
feels, that it's my mind isrecognizing, that's like oh my
God, it sees me this.
Jenny C Bell (24:35):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's, and it's science
.
I mean, scientists have proventhat crows recognize faces and
crows will hold grudges and theywill pass on the faces they
don't like to their offspring.
And it's like if you didsomething bad to a crow, they
will know forever in all oftheir lineage because they pass
that information down.
(24:55):
And so science has proved thatit's not, it's not just us being
, like you know, witchy orspiritual, right, it's like they
really do see us.
They do, they absolutely do.
I love it, I love it.
I love it too.
So one of the things I thoughtwas really interesting about
your book in particular was thatthis kind of all of this
information and all of thenatural world can also be
(25:17):
applied to like relationshipswith other people and also work,
career, and that's notsomething we see very often in
these books.
Right, a lot of times you readthis it's really just for you,
the one person, and you mighthave like a little shift or a
change that definitely affectsthe world around you, but it's
not so much like so clear.
Granddaughter Crow (25:39):
So if you could talk a little bit about
that too, that'd be greatabsolutely so when I talk about
the wisdom of the natural world,and let's just break it down
into, let me show you what itlooks like to work with the
animal kingdom, to assist youwith relationships, and then
I'll give an example on how itcan help you with business.
(26:02):
You know your finances, okay.
So every animal in the animalkingdom moves and perceives and
walks the earth, or flies orswims in different ways.
Some are slower, some arefaster, some are hunters, some
(26:23):
are like they just graze.
There's different.
We'll just break it down intoalmost like characteristics,
behaviors, and so let's say thatI'm granddaughter crow and
let's say that I am crow because, well, honestly, I behave like
(26:44):
a crow, I behave like a raven.
Well, honestly, I behave like acrow, I behave like a raven,
I'm very, I'll fly into yourspace and I'll be like you know,
and I'll, I'll call and I'lltalk and then I'll fly away and
people are like what you knowand you know.
There's a lot of otherattributes, obviously, that I
have, but I'm, I'm, I see things.
(27:04):
I guess that's another onebecause I'm a crow and have that
totem or identify as a crow, ortotem I can see from a bird's
eye view.
So then.
Hence I'm a visionary, I seebig picture, which also means
that maybe I might lose a littlebit of that grounded detail
because I'm up in the air, andso the attributes and the
(27:28):
characteristics and the behaviorthat I have aligned with in the
spirit of the crow are thingsthat I carry.
Now, my husband is not a crow,he is not a raven.
He actually has a spirit totemof a wolf and I'll talk about
spirit totems in just a second,so we'll cover that but his
(27:49):
spirit totem is a wolf.
And what are the differentbehaviors?
Well, he's got four feet, hestays grounded, he can't fly.
If he wants to see a bird's eyeview, he has to go to the top
of the mountain or talk to me,because I can tell him what I'm
seeing.
And then, if I want to see,like, what is right in front of
us, he will tell me because he'sgot four feet on the ground,
(28:12):
he's logical, he's walking Iguess you would say practical
grounded, with the four feet onthe ground.
So, yeah, we could argue and gothat's not what it looks like
from up here.
Well, that's not what it lookslike from up here.
Well, that's not what it lookslike from down here.
But instead of getting into thattype of a relationship dynamic
(28:36):
that most people have on tryingto cause somebody to perceive
something their way but go, well, we're headed in the same
direction I see that we can dothis.
And then my husband says, yeah,but there's a tree and it's
going to take us longer.
Did you eat your lunch?
Did you bring your lunch, youknow?
(28:56):
So we actually have thatsymbiotic relationship, and even
in the natural world, ravensand wolves have that symbiotic
relationship and so it is withus.
So, really quickly, before I getinto the business,
(29:17):
no-transcript, you fall in lovewith somebody's authenticity.
When it's not yours, yeah, butyou can stretch yourself to
understand it and know that theyhold a position that is
beautiful and that can assistyou, as you can assist it from
different positionings.
Is that?
(29:43):
Well, granddaughter Crow, Ithought that you know animal
totems and spirit guides and allthat.
I thought that if I, as anon-Indigenous person, does that
, am I not being appropriate?
Is that am I appropriating?
How did you know?
I was going to ask that BecauseI'm psychic, you are, I am, and
then I'll talk about thebusiness, but it just it was, it
was almost a yeah, it was aquestion, and so it's kind of
(30:03):
like yeah, I'm not asking you todo an indigenous shamanistic
recognition.
I'm literally asking you whatkind of an animal do you feel
like today?
You can change it tomorrow.
How are you behaving in yourrelationships with this person
(30:25):
today?
And when you do that, then itopens up.
It's animals that we connectwith, and that is a global thing
.
There's animals all across theworld.
There's animals in allreligions.
There's animals in all cultures.
It's not appropriation to go.
(30:46):
I love kangaroos you know.
Or, and I love to hop and I'vegot a pouch or something like
that, or I always love dogsbecause they're loyal.
Oh, that means that you'reloyal?
Oh, I always like cats whythey're independent.
Oh, do you recognize yourindependence?
So it's kind of that type of athing.
I think I, you know, I think Iwill need to talk about that
(31:08):
more in the future, just becausethe sensitivity around people
not wanting to be you know, tobe okay, to be right, and what
their practice is.
So I'll probably outline it inone of my next books.
But even more.
But I'm not asking you to get aspirit totem or do a
shamanistic thing.
(31:29):
I'm asking you to do somethingthat you would ask your children
in kindergarten Okay, everybody, we're going to play farm.
Who wants to be the duck, whowants to be the pig, who wants
to be the cow?
And that kind of a style.
Does that make sense, or am I,I love that.
Jenny C Bell (31:47):
I think what I had a lot of thoughts, so we'll
get to the business question asecond.
But the first thought was Iremember taking psychology
senior year, high school and myteachers like she did a lot of
fun little activities and one ofthem was like Okay, close your
eyes, You're going to the zooand you're going to get to take
a picture with an animal.
What animal are you taking apicture with?
(32:08):
And then we all wrote it downand she said that's what you're
looking for in a partner at themoment.
Right, and everyone was likewhat?
Like everybody, it would fit,it fit everybody.
And so I love the idea of seeingour loved ones, our work
relationships, our friendshipsas animals, seeing ourselves as
an animal, because what it doesis it takes a lot of blame and
(32:29):
it makes it so.
It's like I don't want you tochange because I know you're
just, you're a cat, and catscome and go when they please and
they're independent and youjust that's who you are.
You're a little aloof and it'sOK because that's you're a cat.
That's how I see you.
You never have to tell theperson that, but it does.
It really helps us see thingsdifferently and I like that.
You said it's like what youwould ask a kid and it kind of
(32:49):
brings that inner child intoplay.
I think that's amazing becauseit really does open us up to see
the world in an interconnectedway, right like so, and I did
that as a teacher as fun toshare.
So I definitely identify withwolves.
I love wolves, they're myfavorite animal and when I was a
teacher I saw each classroom asa pack and I was alpha and I
(33:13):
would make sure that they.
That was established.
Just, you know, not throughanything wolf-like, but it was
like I want them to know.
I'd often say, like when theywould be talking I'm sorry, this
is the Mrs Bell show, not yourshow.
When you have your collegedegrees you can run the show,
but it was like a very clearmessage that I'm Elsa and you're
(33:34):
the pack and you're all goingto follow me.
And I didn't even think aboutthat until a couple years into
teaching and I was like, oh mygosh, I'm running them like a
wolf pack.
And it's been working, becausepeople would say to me well, how
are you getting the kids to bequiet when you need to be quiet?
I'm like what do you mean?
They just are.
But it was because I think Icame in and I'm like natural
world, that the alpha wolf willautomatically go in order for us
(34:10):
to actually assimilate, learnhere, you guys need to respect
this space.
Granddaughter Crow (34:16):
And I'm the alpha and you're raising a pack
of wolves and and I think thatthat's absolutely lovely.
And also it's not onlyunderstanding.
I love you, you're a cat, youcome and go as you please and I
don't need you to change.
It also addresses this compareand contrast that we do a lot.
(34:37):
A lot of times it's like, well,I can't fly.
Well, I can't fly likegranddaughter crow flies.
It's like, yeah, because you,you're a wolf and granddaughter
crow can't run as fast as youand she doesn't have the teeth
that you do.
And you know, there's all.
Everybody gets to be their ownand then you have the
interchange between them.
(34:57):
So if you're looking atsomebody who is behaving like a
cat and then you're looking atsomebody who is behaving like a
cat and then you're looking atsomebody who's behaving like a
wolf or a dog, you're going tohave a natural, you know dynamic
there that sometimes they getalong and sometimes that little
dog wants a lot more attentionand wants to snuggle on the
couch for movie night and thecat's like whatever you know.
(35:22):
So there's there's thisautomatic exchange when you
think about.
How is your partner behavingtoday?
Is your partner a mouse and areyou overwhelming your partner?
Is your partner a bird?
And you are, like, why do theykeep wanting to fly around and
(35:42):
go places?
It's like it has nothing to dowith you, honey.
Like, why do they keep wantingto fly around and go places?
It's like it has nothing to dowith you, honey.
It has to do with theirpersonality.
So it gives a lot of respect toself as well as the other, and
it really shows us that there isbeauty in being different.
So if you're enjoying the Belief, being and Beyond podcast and
(36:03):
would like to support it, I'm onPatreon.
Just go to Patreon,granddaughter Crow, or you can
find it at granddaughtercrowcom.
Thank you so much.
And then you get to go.
Well gosh, there's a lot ofdifferent animals.
What if my partner behaves likea dolphin and I behave like a
(36:26):
bear?
Well gosh, you guys aren't evenin the same realm.
Like, there's got to either bea lot of love or you it's got to
.
The dolphins got to find herway up to the mountains and
you've got to find your way downto the ocean.
So there's a lot of differentbarriers or a lot of different
challenges with that, eventhough you love dolphins.
(36:46):
So you know, or you can go ohwell, I don't need my bear side
as much and you turn into youknow.
So there's.
It's a lot about psychology andhuman development based on
animal personality traits.
Jenny C Bell (37:00):
Yeah, and it's.
You're saying it's notappropriation because we're not
walking around saying wolf is myspirit totem.
You're just saying I feel likeI'm a wolf today and because I
feel like this, I'm acting thisway and this person's like this
and we're interacting and it'sjust a way to see the world and,
I think, relationships in amore pleasant way, like it's
less.
(37:20):
Like I said, it's about theblame and the, the ticks and the
problems.
You just accept because we justaccept that a wolf is a wolf.
We don't ask the wolf to belike a dove.
We don't ask it to change right, right exactly and and in such.
Granddaughter Crow (37:34):
Then you get to see that.
And you get to see it, uh, evenwith your children, as far as
maybe one's a bookworm and theother one loves to run around
the backyard like a squirrel andyou're like, do they have ADD?
And you're like, nah, he's justgot a squirrel totem.
You know, it's kind of like,just give him some nuts, he'll
be fine, let him dig.
You know, I mean, you know,that's just a funny example, but
(37:57):
it really does show about that.
It really does show about thathow do I approach my
relationship and how do Irespect and how much do I
understand my partner.
And then, taking that into,like even business would be or
finance would be.
Well, it would be like thisMaybe right now, due to my
(38:22):
financial structure, I need tobehave like a turtle, I need to
kind of pull everything in, Ineed to put a cap on myself and
I need to move slowly throughwhat I do, and then you learn
that way.
And then let's say, no, I thinkyou know, I with my finances,
(38:44):
I'm more like, I guess I wouldsay, a bull.
And the reason why I say a bullis because we have the bull and
bear market right.
So that's an easy you know line, and so it's kind of like I get
to be, you know, strong andmove and spend money and save
money and you know.
So this it really has to do withlooking at the animal kingdom
(39:06):
and the variety of differentcharacteristics, behaviors,
attributes within each of myteachers and going.
If I'm going to approach mylife today as a butterfly, how
different is that than Iapproached my life yesterday as
an opossum, when I just laidaround.
You know there's and you get toconsciously make these choices
(39:27):
and do it with relationshipswith yourself, with your health
and wellbeing, with how you eat,with how you spend money and
how you interact at work.
If you have a team and there'salways that one dud and maybe
all of a sudden that dud, you'rejust like.
They act like a spider, they'realways like by themselves and
they're very territorial andit's just like, yeah, but they
(39:49):
really can create that web now,can't they?
So maybe this is your computerprogrammer, that you need to
quit bothering and let them beby themselves so they can create
that.
So it kind of alleviates a lotof that.
I need them to be like me or Ineed to be like them.
You know programming.
Jenny C Bell (40:09):
I love that.
I want to talk about a littlebit about how the book is really
good for someone who maybeisn't considering themselves
spiritual but just kind of likewanting to have that intuition
and that more of a connection.
Because what I like about it isin the wisdom of the natural
world you have, you go overplant kingdom landscapes.
(40:29):
But you also talk about likeusing Oracle cards and even
explain how to make your ownreal quick.
So if you don't have a carddeck, let me just tell you how
to make one.
You talk about the seasons andthe weather cycle.
And then even at the end, whichyou've written a whole book on,
you talk about the shadow.
So it's like someone is reallygetting a very full introduction
and they can go to thedifferent things and maybe take
(40:52):
a deep dive later.
But I just wanted to kind oftalk about, like, how this is
good for a beginner or someonenew to all of this.
Granddaughter Crow (40:59):
I absolutely love this, or someone
new to all of this, Iabsolutely love this.
This is something that I think,because of things that you had
mentioned, like this is how ourancestors knew what fruit to eat
.
This is something.
This wisdom isn't somethingthat's new within our human
psyche.
It's something that a lot of ushave forgotten because of the
(41:22):
social structure that we wereraised in, born to and live in.
So if you were out in thejungle or in the Andes or
something like that, this wouldmake a lot more sense to you.
So it really is just areconnection with self.
As far as a beginner, I think itworks really well because I
(41:43):
mean, it's fun and you, it'seasy to understand.
There's not a lot of.
I mean, I could walk into akindergarten class and say who
wants to be a doggy today, getthe hands.
Who wants to be a cat today,get the hands.
Who wants to be a mouse?
And then go okay, how are youguys interacting?
(42:04):
And they would all know whatI'm talking about, because it's
not necessarily spiritual, butit is spirited.
It's working with the elementsof something that is very, very
amazing within our humanexperience, that we forgot or
(42:25):
disconnected from.
So, as far as a beginner's guide.
You could do this one evenbefore you do anything, or even
if you're just like I'm reallynot interested in spirituality
at all.
I just really have a team ofpeople that I need to work with
in a different way becausenothing's working.
(42:47):
So for beginners, it's askingyou to consider the world from a
different point of view.
That isn't mine, but it issomething that we all knew, that
we forgot and I'm trying toremind us, and it can be woven
into your spiritual beliefsystem, or it can be a la carte
(43:09):
and you can just use it for yourkindergarten class or your team
at work or whatever.
Jenny C Bell (43:14):
Yeah, and I've given you this compliment off
camera, but I'm going to say ithere is that you are an expert
in leadership and you're anexpert in a lot of things and
you have a really like robustbackground.
But you somehow take thesereally big ideas, a lot of which
are scientific or based in likescience, and you break it down
for anybody, because you don'thave to have like a college
(43:36):
degree to read this book.
And even if you do, you're'restill going to like it's not,
it's not dumbed down, but it'sexplained in a way that anybody
can just get it and they can gooh, I don't have to, I don't
have to reread that chapter, Idon't have to go find another
book.
It's explained in a way.
It's very available foreverybody.
Granddaughter Crow (43:56):
Thank you, I really appreciate that,
appreciate that I actually dothat on purpose, because I
define intelligence or evengenius, is the ability not
necessarily to always use $5words or have those
conversations that only canhappen in your field because you
(44:18):
have all of this lingo andjargon.
But I see intellect and being agenius or doing something
brilliant as taking an esoteric,crazy concept and boiling it
down where you can explain it toanybody, irregardless.
And you know, even I mean, evenif you do have your doctorate
(44:41):
you're reading this and you'rejust like huh, that makes a lot
of sense.
All the time I've been treatingmy wife like a duck and she's a
swan, you know.
Jenny C Bell (44:52):
Yes, yes, I think it'd be fun if there's anything
else you'd like to share aboutthe book.
But before we end today, Ithink it'd be really cool if you
were to read the Navajo BeautyWay prayer to everybody that's
in the book, because it'sactually personally, one of my
favorite prayers and I love it.
It's like I think it's such abeautiful prayer for people to
(45:14):
think about every day, to readevery day, to say every day, and
it's one that really kind of, Ithink, boils down the whole
idea that, like, connecting witheverything is beauty, right,
it's beautiful to be connectedand beautiful to see the world
the way that you're explaining.
Granddaughter Crow (45:32):
I love it.
I'm going to do it from memory,and I love this because, even
if you don't pick up the book, Ireally want you as a listener,
if you've made it this far, toreally take this in for a moment
.
There are paths that you walkin life and there are ways to
walk in life and differentcultures have different ways,
(45:56):
and one of the ways of theNavajo is called the beauty way.
Yeah, the beauty way.
And so here is.
There's many iterations andversions of this, but take this,
if you will, and then, if youuse it, say that it's a Navajo
beauty way prayer thatgranddaughter crow shared from
with you, and that will be.
(46:18):
Take care of any appropriation.
So here it is.
Take a deep breath.
So beauty walks before me,beauty walks behind me, beauty
walks above me, beauty walks tomy left, beauty walks to my
(46:41):
right, beauty walks within me,for I am beauty.
I love that because you canmake it your own.
You can say strength walksbefore me, behind me, above,
(47:05):
below, right, left, within.
You can say courage, you cansay peace, you can say whatever
you wish.
Originally, it's beauty, andthat doesn't mean superficial
beauty.
It means the true essence of,like a rose, a flower.
(47:27):
The strength, beauty walkswithin you and even if you
remember this and you can'tremember oh, did she say right
or left, it doesn't matter.
What matters is if you'represent with intent, and it not
only sets up your way and yourday, it also is a protection
(47:49):
around you because you aredeclaring what will be invited
into your energetic space.
Jenny C Bell (47:58):
That's wonderful.
Yes thank you for sharing itwith everyone.
I liked hearing it in yourvoice.
Granddaughter Crow (48:06):
Oh, I thank you so much, jenny.
I love it.
There is this, so much more inthis book.
Wisdom of the Natural World.
You can find mewwwgranddaughtercrowcom all
social at granddaughter crow.
Wisdom of the natural worldspiritual and practical
teachings.
(48:26):
And again, this book isn't hereto teach you as much as it is
here to remind you.
Jenny C Bell (48:35):
Yes, thank you so much and that's the beauty way
right, Remembering and beingpresent of all that is around
you and that you are connectedand you really are truly never
alone.
Granddaughter Crow (48:45):
I love that you are never alone.
So thank you for tuning in toyet another episode of Belief
being and Beyond with your host,granddaughter Crow.
Text the show I want to hearfrom you Like, comment,
subscribe, share.
If there's something in hereyou're just like, oh, this
person would like to see this,share it.
I would love that.
(49:06):
Um, my hope is is that whoevercan benefit and feel inspired,
encouraged and empowered to beyour authenticity.
That's what I'm here to do.
This is granddaughtergranddaughter love.
See you on the flippity flip.
Thank you, Jenny.
Jenny C Bell (49:25):
Thank you.
Welcome to Belief being and Beyond with
your host, Granddaughter Crow.
Hi everybody, GranddaughterCrow here with yet another
episode of Belief being andBeyond.
This time we did the oppositeof Beyond and we're going to go
a little within with a very,very special guest who is very,
(00:25):
very warm to my heart, and Ican't wait.
Jenny C Bell is here tointroduce our guest today.
Jenny, take it away, who's ourguest.
Jenny C Bell (00:37):
Well, actually we're kind of flipping the
script today and you are ourguest.
Granddaughter Crow (00:44):
Yay, what are we going to be talking about
?
Jenny C Bell (00:50):
Well, you were so kind and you sent me a copy of
Wisdom of the Natural World,spiritual and Practical
Teachings from Plants, animalsand Mother Earth, because I
showed an interest and yousigned it, which was so I just
thought it was the best surprise.
But anyway, you sent me thisbook.
As I was diving into it,talking with you, we realized
that you didn't really have likeany chats about it and that's
(01:13):
like that's kind of sad to me,because it's a great book.
I want people to know about it.
Granddaughter Crow (01:18):
Yeah, it's really interesting because of
all of the different authorsthat I have out there and this
is like actually my number onebestseller at this point I know
we both have one Wisdom of theNatural World and I was like who
better to interview me thanJenny C Bell?
She has her own show, she doesall sorts of things book talks
(01:43):
and everything and so I'm reallyexcited to delve into this book
with you and kind of let thepeople know what it's about and
what we're talking about.
So take it away, jenny C Bell.
Jenny C Bell (01:58):
Okay, well, let's travel back in time for a
moment.
So you said we're going beyond,we're going beyond time and
space today, right, so take usback about, like the initial
kind of seed or idea.
You know, we all, as authors,get that like that seed that
gets planted and you're like Ijust this is going to be a book.
(02:18):
So take us back maybe to thatmoment when, if you can like,
when you were like this this issomething I want to write about,
this is something people needto know about, and let's start
there.
Granddaughter Crow (02:29):
I think that's a very important question
because a lot of my other booksthere I can remember a moment
or when it developed within me.
This one is actually like theopposite of that.
I wanted to write a book and Ididn't know what I wanted to
write about, and I was talkingwith Llewellyn Worldwide, the
(02:51):
publishing house that publishedit, and my acquisition editor at
the time, and I was like, well,we could do something obvious
that I always do, and that'sthink about the wisdom of the
natural world.
And she's like what do you meanobvious?
I'm like, well, you knowthere's so much wisdom.
It's our greatest teacher andyou know plants, animals, mother
(03:15):
earth, how it shows usspiritual and practical
teachings that you could do likehelp you with your
relationships and your romanceand your health and finance.
And you know your health andwell-being, your business and
finance.
And she's just like, oh, thisis a really good topic.
And I honestly, you know howyou have one of those thoughts
(03:36):
that's like doesn't everybodythink like this?
And it takes you into, like,your adult life and you're just
like, oh, that was just me allthis time.
That's what this book is.
It literally is a book aboutthe way that I perceive the
world my greatest teacher.
(03:57):
People ask me, granddaughterCrow, who is your mentor, and I
say the natural world is mymentor.
Jenny C Bell (04:05):
I love that.
You thought it was obvious too.
That's like the best part ofthat story, right?
Because it's it's not.
It's not for most people andthat's why this book is so great
is because a lot of peoplespend so much time indoors and
we have like artificial lightingand now we have lighting on our
phone and social media.
There's so much much, and witha lot of people, like with covid
(04:26):
, they just got into like notgoing outside and some people
just don't make it like a thingto go outside every day or
connect with their tree in theiryard or feed their birds, like
some people just don't eventhat's not even a thought,
because and it's not a judgmenton them, like at all, but they
just it's never dawned on themthat like there is wisdom to be
(04:49):
had in the natural world and Ican tap into that by being out
there absolutely, and you know,I guess it's just like you said,
it's, it's not even a topicpeople, just you, you don't go.
Granddaughter Crow (05:02):
Hey, did you go out?
And what did you learn from thenatural world today?
You know people, you know, butI kind of think that way and
even though I don't always makeit outside and you're right, you
know we get so busy anddistracted in our life and you
know, you can see, you knowthings on your phone or your
screen, but there's a totallydifferent interface between you
(05:25):
and the unseen powers that bewithin the natural world, the
nature elements.
That actually draws aconnection and there can be a
dialogue.
However, due to our trainedbrain to observe a screen, a lot
of times when we go out to thenatural world, we kind of think
(05:47):
that we're just observing, it'sjust on the screen, we don't
realize that we are a part of it.
And that's one of the beautiesthat I mean.
It's a brilliant, very easywisdom to go.
Wait, I'm a part of the naturalworld and I'm going to go out
there.
And when I'm standing in mybackyard, when I'm in the park,
(06:07):
when I go for a hike, whereverit be little thing of grass
downtown, wherever you are thatyou are actually communing and
it knows that you're there too.
So it fills this like a part ofthe human spirit that has been
neglected and almost feels like,oh, I'm all alone in this world
(06:28):
.
It's like, oh no, the treesknow you're here, you know the
grass knows you're here, thosebirds see you, that squirrel
wants to know if you have apeanut for it, you know, I mean,
it's that interconnectivitythat actually can kind of build
up your spirit and give you alot of healing in so many ways
that we don't even evenscientifically, we don't discuss
(06:50):
.
Jenny C Bell (06:50):
Yeah, and I want to bring it out in a book, yeah,
yeah, and then you do talkabout that in the book, some of
the science that backs some ofthe spirituality.
But something that was reallyinteresting is you gave an
example about like looking at atree and the different ways that
we can look at a tree, and youtalk about like the kind of what
we would say like thescientific, mundane way, like I
(07:11):
see a branch and I'm seeingleaves and they're this shape
versus the other way.
So I don't know if you couldkind of share that with people,
because that's something thatfor most part, someone could go
out and do today.
They go look at a tree and seethe different ways and kind of
relearn how to see a tree in adifferent way, right, I?
Granddaughter Crow (07:30):
think that it's very important.
It's almost like understandingthat the translator between the
natural world and what it'ssaying to you is actually the
way that you're perceiving it.
So when you perceive a tree andyou're just like I want to
connect with you, I'll justbreak it down and tell the story
(07:50):
.
Jenny C Bell (07:51):
Yeah, that's great.
Granddaughter Crow (07:52):
I'll just tell the story.
So my father, when he walkedthe earth, he was born full
blood Navajo, english secondlanguage, and then he grew up
and then he learned he actuallybecame a translator.
There's a lot that I talk aboutwithin my father, about my
(08:18):
father, throughout some of mybooks, but there's one thing
that I don't really share,because it never comes to my
mind, is that he actually was ona project way back when he must
have been.
He was born in 1932, soprobably somewhere in the 50s.
He was actually a part of asmall, small team that
translated the New Testamentversion, king James Version,
(08:41):
into Navajo from the Englishlanguage.
Wow, so I never get to sharethat.
It's one of those, like youknow, just facts.
But I guess I bring it up notonly to honor him but to show
that he knows how to translate.
Now, if you translate somethingfrom a language that is a lot
(09:04):
like your own given language,it's easier.
But when you translate Navajoto English, you're literally not
only translating a language,you're translating a thought
process, you're translating howyour brain works.
So I asked my dad how is itbeing in two worlds like
(09:24):
translating?
What's the difference betweenEnglish and Navajo?
And he says oh, joy, joy.
He says, let's just say, if youask an English speaker, english
thinker, to stand in front of atree, they will stand in front
(09:45):
of a tree.
And you say, get to know thetree.
They will say, okay, that's atrunk.
They break it down and theylabel it.
That's a trunk, that's a branch, that's a leaf.
I'm going to name the tree Veryscientific, like you said, very
left hemisphere in yourthinking brain, linear thinking
logic.
Break it down scientifically.
(10:05):
It's an oak tree.
I know the tree and they walkaway.
And they know the tree becauseindeed they do know the tree but
they don't completely know thetree.
So you get a Navajo standing infront of the same tree and you
say to them same assignment,navajo speaker, navajo thinker,
(10:25):
and you say, get to know thistree.
Navajo will go, oh, and see agreat organism in front of them
and they'll just look at it andthen they just watch it, they
don't break it apart, they justsee it as full and they want to
(10:48):
understand.
In order to get to know it, Imust find a connection between
me and it.
And then it sees the leavesmoving from one direction to
another, Maybe they're blowingto the north.
And then the Navajo looks attheir own hair and sees that
their hair is blowing in thesame direction as the trees is
(11:09):
and the branches and the leaveshas flown to the north and they
would say they would understandthe same spirit that is moving
the tree is moving me, and now Iunderstand the tree, I know the
tree, we are one.
So in that it's more of a righthemisphere, creative, holistic.
(11:30):
It's more like, I guess youcould say, english speakers
speak in nouns, we label things.
Navajo speakers and thinkersare more verbs.
They talk in description, theythink in descriptive terms.
So that's the difference.
(11:52):
Instead of granddaughter crowtoday, they'd be like the lady
with the hat and the red shirt.
That's who I am, because that'show they perceive me.
So it's a totally different wayof engaging.
Perceive me.
So it's a totally different wayof engaging.
And if you can step out intothe natural world and release
this idea that I'm going to gotalk to the tree and the tree is
(12:12):
going to speak English, whichmaybe it will, because sometimes
it does, I'm not going to knockthat.
I've heard trees talk to me andthey're like what are you doing
or whatever, but in a veryinteresting way they're speaking
body language, and bodylanguage, according to our
(12:33):
communication experts I thinkit's Alton Barber louder than
words in a communication classundergrad degree.
You guys can look it up online.
It's like 97% of the humanlanguage is in body language
(12:54):
tone, pitch, facial expressionsand very little like seven, 8%,
and then sometimes, if younevertheless, it's very, very
low how much it is words.
So if we keep looking for words, we're not going to hear
everything.
If you pay attention to bodylanguage, you'll be like tree is
strong, stands tall, rain orsnow, it's still there.
I can do the same, and thatwould be a wisdom that the tree
(13:17):
could give you.
Jenny C Bell (13:20):
I love that.
There's a lot of things I lovedabout that, but in the book you
definitely I loved.
I never thought about languagethe way that, but in the book
you definitely I loved I neverthought about language the way
you talked about in the book andI studied linguistics, so I'll
put that out there for people.
So even if you studiedlinguistics in the university,
you're still going to think ofthis different, because it's
definitely what you said.
If the way we speak is the waywe think, right, so if our
(13:46):
language is in nouns and in, youknow, the kind of Western
culture is very materialistic,and I don't mean like money, I
mean like we want to.
If we see it, we believe itright, very scientific, very
materialistic.
That spirit that you're talkingabout, that like inner knowing,
everything that's been removedfrom the language right and
removed from like everything,because it's like language right
and removed from likeeverything, because it's like
(14:06):
you don't ask someone like youknow how's your spirit.
It's like what do you do for aliving?
That's exactly right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And so I feel like what you'redoing in here in this book, in
wisdom of the natural world,you're giving people the
language, the tools, thelanguage to be able to kind of
not like crazily rewire theirbrain, but give them the ability
(14:32):
, the tools to be able to belike.
Ok, this is another way for meto look at an animal or another
way for me to understand ananimal than other, just like a
field guide.
Granddaughter Crow (14:42):
Absolutely.
And the interesting thing aboutit is that we're doing it.
We just don't know that it'sconscious.
So it's kind of like you don'trun up to a tree, usually, hug
it and say thank you, becauseI'm going to have a picnic and
you're giving me shade.
You just have that relationshipRight.
(15:06):
And this is that bringing itforward a little bit more.
You understand that the tree isnot going to fall on you while
you're eating your little picnic.
You know there's a relationshipthere.
There's like what I'm callingthe interface or an exchange, a
dialogue or connection, and itis another doorway to walk
through or lens to put on whenyou are perceiving the natural
(15:30):
world, to perceive it as though,if you were to look at it and
just pick up the body language,what is it saying to you?
And that's a great place tostart, because everybody can
come up with something.
Even if you don't speak English, you come up with something
because it is talking to you.
We just need to figure out howdo we translate it.
Jenny C Bell (15:50):
So, yeah, yeah, and I feel like it's, in a way,
it's going back to like whateverybody's ancestors would have
been doing Right Before we hadlike books and social media and
everything to label everything.
We would have just explored anew area and like observed,
right, and like looked at thistree and like what is it doing
and how is it moving, and liketry to understand.
(16:11):
You know, can we eat the fruitoff the tree?
We have to really get back toconnecting and observing in
order to just even survive,right?
Granddaughter Crow (16:19):
Absolutely.
I mean, if you just like slowdown a little bit and go, wow,
there's a really big tree overthere and it's in the middle of,
maybe a meadow, why is there,just like, maybe a couple of big
, big trees over there?
You would then sit back and gowell, obviously there's a bigger
(16:42):
water source over there.
So you start understanding thatthe tree is saying things to
you, you know.
And then it's like oh, and it'sin a place that maybe some
birds that don't like to bemessed with will live in, that
tree, you know.
So it becomes a whole story.
You understand it as anorganism and how it's
(17:04):
interconnecting with everything,which then branches your mind
into understanding that that'swhat happens with us too.
Jenny C Bell (17:12):
Yes, and that I love, like so many people feel.
They say disconnected.
So many people I hear so manypeople say that word I feel
disconnected.
Or they say I feel lonely, Ifeel alone because they don't
think of themselves as part ofthe natural world, because they
are, but they are so far removedfrom that connection that there
(17:34):
really is like a lonelinessepidemic.
Granddaughter Crow (17:37):
There really really is, and I think
that it really hit our consciousawareness collectively under
the pandemic, when we did haveto shelter in place or the world
was shut down or the socialdistancing, all of that kind of
removed a lot of the things thatdistract us, even the wonderful
(17:58):
things like let's go out fordinner, that distracted us.
We kind of were left to sayokay, and I know that a lot of
people felt lonely at that time.
Actually, it was right aroundthen when this book came out.
So that was really cool, but itreally is.
If you kind of go I water mylet's say something simple I
(18:21):
water my flower bed once a dayin the morning you don't think
those flowers are going, aren't?
If you don't go out there, youknow they've got to miss you.
Yeah, there is a.
They're expecting you to bethere.
You're a part of their world,just like the bumblebee, the
bird, all of it.
(18:41):
It's an organism and you canbuild relationships within there
too.
So yeah, yeah, yeah, I love it.
Jenny C Bell (18:48):
Can you talk more about how nature is aware of us
and witnesses us?
Because for me that's huge.
Like someone you know a lot ofus like, who are spiritual or on
a witchy path, we alreadyconnect with nature, but to know
that like nature does witnessme, does see me back, there's
something that does make youfeel much less lonely.
(19:09):
You do feel a sense of thatinterconnectedness like you're
talking about.
Granddaughter Crow (19:14):
Absolutely, and I really think that it
already is.
It's just that we need to finda place within our own psyche
that helps us to connect with itand understand it.
So the way that I kind of dothat at first is I will say go
(19:34):
out, find a tree, touch the tree, put your hand on the trunk and
just close your eyes andbreathe.
Or if you are in the placewhere you can sit down and lean
up against the tree and justbreathe, wait until you feel the
(19:57):
connection and some people willfeel it automatically.
But just keep telling yourselfin your left hemisphere, in your
logical mind, that doesn't knowthis information and needs to
learn it for the first time.
Your body knows, your spiritknows, but it's like this tree
knows I'm here, this tree knowsI'm here.
This tree knows I'm here.
(20:17):
And even if you think it'scrazy, you can just say
granddaughter crow said thistree knows I'm here.
You could just blame it on me.
But at the end of the day, onone level or another, I believe
in animism.
I believe that the naturalworld is full of sentient beings
.
Everything has a soul and aconsciousness and although it
doesn't have five fingers andstand upright which trees
(20:41):
actually do stand upright.
But you know it's one of thosethings that the tree does know
you're there, even if it isbecause you, your hand, is so
cold, the tree will sense thatsomething colder is there.
Or your hand is a lot warmer,the tree will sense that there's
(21:01):
something warmer there.
And, trust me, if you want totest this scientifically, and
trust me, if you want to testthis scientifically, all you
have to do is build a huge wallbetween the tree and the sun and
see how that tree does, becausethe tree understands the heat
from the sun and the light fromthe sun.
And although your encounterwith the tree may only be for a
few moments and its encounterwith the sun is going to be a
(21:23):
lifetime, it still is anexchange and I hope that makes
sense.
And the next thing is I look upand when I see a crow fly by or
a raven or a hawk, I know itsaw me first and I know that it
(21:51):
let me see it.
And and when you start thinkingin that terminology, you're
just like well then, when you goout, maybe to the hills or the
mountains or wherever you go,and you see a fox, that fox
knows how to hide.
It knew you were there and itlet you see it.
And that is the magic rightthere.
Jenny C Bell (22:11):
Agreed A hundred percent.
I love that and I love cause Ialways I would tell, I tell my
kids, like when we're on a hikeor a walk and the birds are
calling, I think they're talkingabout us.
Hey, there's some, you know,walking upright, hairless people
, things, and they're, they'rewalking down, they're all
talking about us and tellingeach other we're coming.
And I said so.
It's like when people saynature doesn't respond, nature
doesn't see you, that's notconnecting with us.
(22:33):
Well then, why are they talkingabout us?
Right?
Granddaughter Crow (22:35):
Absolutely, I agree, 100%.
In fact, I have a couple ofblue Jays that come over every
morning and some mornings I'msleeping in and they will stick
their head pretty much in thewindow, not necessarily, but
right outside and startscreaming in my window like
where are you and where are mypeanuts, or whatever it is.
They're like hello.
(22:56):
And so what I do is I do thecall and response with them.
I will whistle back and thenthey whistle back and I whistle
back and they look at me andit's just this back, and they
look at me and it's just thisbeautiful, like oh my god, I
have a new friend and there's aconnection.
Yeah, but you're absolutelyright, the birds definitely are
(23:18):
going to be like.
There's a tall one and a coupleof short ones coming.
You know, do they lookdangerous?
Do they have any food?
You know, it's totally that.
Jenny C Bell (23:27):
Absolutely yeah, yeah, and that's something we
talked about the pandemic.
Something that really helpedour family is we did a lot of
outside time in the yard andoutside time at parks and the
kids.
First friend moving here weactually moved during the
pandemic was the next doorneighbor's cat.
My first friend was a scrub jayand I named her peanut and she
(23:48):
just started like talking to meand looking for her peanuts and
there have been times where sheknows she'll come to the kitchen
window and like look in there,like hey, you're a little late,
and it's like it's arelationship at this point.
Granddaughter Crow (24:01):
Yes, absolutely.
And you know, some people mightsay well, aren't you
anthropomorphizing the naturalworld?
And to a certain degree, I'mlike, yes, I am helping my brain
understand it by giving itEnglish language.
However, there is an exchangethere that I can only explain to
(24:21):
you another English speaker inEnglish.
But there is an exchange that'shappening there that my spirit
feels, that it's my mind isrecognizing, that's like oh my
God, it sees me this.
Jenny C Bell (24:35):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's, and it's science
.
I mean, scientists have proventhat crows recognize faces and
crows will hold grudges and theywill pass on the faces they
don't like to their offspring.
And it's like if you didsomething bad to a crow, they
will know forever in all oftheir lineage because they pass
that information down.
(24:55):
And so science has proved thatit's not, it's not just us being
, like you know, witchy orspiritual, right, it's like they
really do see us.
They do, they absolutely do.
I love it, I love it.
I love it too.
So one of the things I thoughtwas really interesting about
your book in particular was thatthis kind of all of this
information and all of thenatural world can also be
(25:17):
applied to like relationshipswith other people and also work,
career, and that's notsomething we see very often in
these books.
Right, a lot of times you readthis it's really just for you,
the one person, and you mighthave like a little shift or a
change that definitely affectsthe world around you, but it's
not so much like so clear.
Granddaughter Crow (25:39):
So if you could talk a little bit about
that too, that'd be greatabsolutely so when I talk about
the wisdom of the natural world,and let's just break it down
into, let me show you what itlooks like to work with the
animal kingdom, to assist youwith relationships, and then
I'll give an example on how itcan help you with business.
(26:02):
You know your finances, okay.
So every animal in the animalkingdom moves and perceives and
walks the earth, or flies orswims in different ways.
Some are slower, some arefaster, some are hunters, some
(26:23):
are like they just graze.
There's different.
We'll just break it down intoalmost like characteristics,
behaviors, and so let's say thatI'm granddaughter crow and
let's say that I am crow because, well, honestly, I behave like
(26:44):
a crow, I behave like a raven.
Well, honestly, I behave like acrow, I behave like a raven,
I'm very, I'll fly into yourspace and I'll be like you know,
and I'll, I'll call and I'lltalk and then I'll fly away and
people are like what you knowand you know.
There's a lot of otherattributes, obviously, that I
have, but I'm, I'm, I see things.
(27:04):
I guess that's another onebecause I'm a crow and have that
totem or identify as a crow, ortotem I can see from a bird's
eye view.
So then.
Hence I'm a visionary, I seebig picture, which also means
that maybe I might lose a littlebit of that grounded detail
because I'm up in the air, andso the attributes and the
(27:28):
characteristics and the behaviorthat I have aligned with in the
spirit of the crow are thingsthat I carry.
Now, my husband is not a crow,he is not a raven.
He actually has a spirit totemof a wolf and I'll talk about
spirit totems in just a second,so we'll cover that but his
(27:49):
spirit totem is a wolf.
And what are the differentbehaviors?
Well, he's got four feet, hestays grounded, he can't fly.
If he wants to see a bird's eyeview, he has to go to the top
of the mountain or talk to me,because I can tell him what I'm
seeing.
And then, if I want to see,like, what is right in front of
us, he will tell me because he'sgot four feet on the ground,
(28:12):
he's logical, he's walking Iguess you would say practical
grounded, with the four feet onthe ground.
So, yeah, we could argue and gothat's not what it looks like
from up here.
Well, that's not what it lookslike from up here.
Well, that's not what it lookslike from down here.
But instead of getting into thattype of a relationship dynamic
(28:36):
that most people have on tryingto cause somebody to perceive
something their way but go, well, we're headed in the same
direction I see that we can dothis.
And then my husband says, yeah,but there's a tree and it's
going to take us longer.
Did you eat your lunch?
Did you bring your lunch, youknow?
(28:56):
So we actually have thatsymbiotic relationship, and even
in the natural world, ravensand wolves have that symbiotic
relationship and so it is withus.
So, really quickly, before I getinto the business,
(29:17):
no-transcript, you fall in lovewith somebody's authenticity.
When it's not yours, yeah, butyou can stretch yourself to
understand it and know that theyhold a position that is
beautiful and that can assistyou, as you can assist it from
different positionings.
Is that?
(29:43):
Well, granddaughter Crow, Ithought that you know animal
totems and spirit guides and allthat.
I thought that if I, as anon-Indigenous person, does that
, am I not being appropriate?
Is that am I appropriating?
How did you know?
I was going to ask that BecauseI'm psychic, you are, I am, and
then I'll talk about thebusiness, but it just it was, it
was almost a yeah, it was aquestion, and so it's kind of
(30:03):
like yeah, I'm not asking you todo an indigenous shamanistic
recognition.
I'm literally asking you whatkind of an animal do you feel
like today?
You can change it tomorrow.
How are you behaving in yourrelationships with this person
(30:25):
today?
And when you do that, then itopens up.
It's animals that we connectwith, and that is a global thing
.
There's animals all across theworld.
There's animals in allreligions.
There's animals in all cultures.
It's not appropriation to go.
(30:46):
I love kangaroos you know.
Or, and I love to hop and I'vegot a pouch or something like
that, or I always love dogsbecause they're loyal.
Oh, that means that you'reloyal?
Oh, I always like cats whythey're independent.
Oh, do you recognize yourindependence?
So it's kind of that type of athing.
I think I, you know, I think Iwill need to talk about that
(31:08):
more in the future, just becausethe sensitivity around people
not wanting to be you know, tobe okay, to be right, and what
their practice is.
So I'll probably outline it inone of my next books.
But even more.
But I'm not asking you to get aspirit totem or do a
shamanistic thing.
(31:29):
I'm asking you to do somethingthat you would ask your children
in kindergarten Okay, everybody, we're going to play farm.
Who wants to be the duck, whowants to be the pig, who wants
to be the cow?
And that kind of a style.
Does that make sense, or am I,I love that.
Jenny C Bell (31:47):
I think what I had a lot of thoughts, so we'll
get to the business question asecond.
But the first thought was Iremember taking psychology
senior year, high school and myteachers like she did a lot of
fun little activities and one ofthem was like Okay, close your
eyes, You're going to the zooand you're going to get to take
a picture with an animal.
What animal are you taking apicture with?
(32:08):
And then we all wrote it downand she said that's what you're
looking for in a partner at themoment.
Right, and everyone was likewhat?
Like everybody, it would fit,it fit everybody.
And so I love the idea of seeingour loved ones, our work
relationships, our friendshipsas animals, seeing ourselves as
an animal, because what it doesis it takes a lot of blame and
(32:29):
it makes it so.
It's like I don't want you tochange because I know you're
just, you're a cat, and catscome and go when they please and
they're independent and youjust that's who you are.
You're a little aloof and it'sOK because that's you're a cat.
That's how I see you.
You never have to tell theperson that, but it does.
It really helps us see thingsdifferently and I like that.
You said it's like what youwould ask a kid and it kind of
(32:49):
brings that inner child intoplay.
I think that's amazing becauseit really does open us up to see
the world in an interconnectedway, right like so, and I did
that as a teacher as fun toshare.
So I definitely identify withwolves.
I love wolves, they're myfavorite animal and when I was a
teacher I saw each classroom asa pack and I was alpha and I
(33:13):
would make sure that they.
That was established.
Just, you know, not throughanything wolf-like, but it was
like I want them to know.
I'd often say, like when theywould be talking I'm sorry, this
is the Mrs Bell show, not yourshow.
When you have your collegedegrees you can run the show,
but it was like a very clearmessage that I'm Elsa and you're
(33:34):
the pack and you're all goingto follow me.
And I didn't even think aboutthat until a couple years into
teaching and I was like, oh mygosh, I'm running them like a
wolf pack.
And it's been working, becausepeople would say to me well, how
are you getting the kids to bequiet when you need to be quiet?
I'm like what do you mean?
They just are.
But it was because I think Icame in and I'm like natural
world, that the alpha wolf willautomatically go in order for us
(34:10):
to actually assimilate, learnhere, you guys need to respect
this space.
Granddaughter Crow (34:16):
And I'm the alpha and you're raising a pack
of wolves and and I think thatthat's absolutely lovely.
And also it's not onlyunderstanding.
I love you, you're a cat, youcome and go as you please and I
don't need you to change.
It also addresses this compareand contrast that we do a lot.
(34:37):
A lot of times it's like, well,I can't fly.
Well, I can't fly likegranddaughter crow flies.
It's like, yeah, because you,you're a wolf and granddaughter
crow can't run as fast as youand she doesn't have the teeth
that you do.
And you know, there's all.
Everybody gets to be their ownand then you have the
interchange between them.
(34:57):
So if you're looking atsomebody who is behaving like a
cat and then you're looking atsomebody who is behaving like a
cat and then you're looking atsomebody who's behaving like a
wolf or a dog, you're going tohave a natural, you know dynamic
there that sometimes they getalong and sometimes that little
dog wants a lot more attentionand wants to snuggle on the
couch for movie night and thecat's like whatever you know.
(35:22):
So there's there's thisautomatic exchange when you
think about.
How is your partner behavingtoday?
Is your partner a mouse and areyou overwhelming your partner?
Is your partner a bird?
And you are, like, why do theykeep wanting to fly around and
(35:42):
go places?
It's like it has nothing to dowith you, honey.
Like, why do they keep wantingto fly around and go places?
It's like it has nothing to dowith you, honey.
It has to do with theirpersonality.
So it gives a lot of respect toself as well as the other, and
it really shows us that there isbeauty in being different.
So if you're enjoying the Belief, being and Beyond podcast and
(36:03):
would like to support it, I'm onPatreon.
Just go to Patreon,granddaughter Crow, or you can
find it at granddaughtercrowcom.
Thank you so much.
And then you get to go.
Well gosh, there's a lot ofdifferent animals.
What if my partner behaves likea dolphin and I behave like a
(36:26):
bear?
Well gosh, you guys aren't evenin the same realm.
Like, there's got to either bea lot of love or you it's got to
.
The dolphins got to find herway up to the mountains and
you've got to find your way downto the ocean.
So there's a lot of differentbarriers or a lot of different
challenges with that, eventhough you love dolphins.
(36:46):
So you know, or you can go ohwell, I don't need my bear side
as much and you turn into youknow.
So there's.
It's a lot about psychology andhuman development based on
animal personality traits.
Jenny C Bell (37:00):
Yeah, and it's.
You're saying it's notappropriation because we're not
walking around saying wolf is myspirit totem.
You're just saying I feel likeI'm a wolf today and because I
feel like this, I'm acting thisway and this person's like this
and we're interacting and it'sjust a way to see the world and,
I think, relationships in amore pleasant way, like it's
less.
(37:20):
Like I said, it's about theblame and the, the ticks and the
problems.
You just accept because we justaccept that a wolf is a wolf.
We don't ask the wolf to belike a dove.
We don't ask it to change right, right exactly and and in such.
Granddaughter Crow (37:34):
Then you get to see that.
And you get to see it, uh, evenwith your children, as far as
maybe one's a bookworm and theother one loves to run around
the backyard like a squirrel andyou're like, do they have ADD?
And you're like, nah, he's justgot a squirrel totem.
You know, it's kind of like,just give him some nuts, he'll
be fine, let him dig.
You know, I mean, you know,that's just a funny example, but
(37:57):
it really does show about that.
It really does show about thathow do I approach my
relationship and how do Irespect and how much do I
understand my partner.
And then, taking that into,like even business would be or
finance would be.
Well, it would be like thisMaybe right now, due to my
(38:22):
financial structure, I need tobehave like a turtle, I need to
kind of pull everything in, Ineed to put a cap on myself and
I need to move slowly throughwhat I do, and then you learn
that way.
And then let's say, no, I thinkyou know, I with my finances,
(38:44):
I'm more like, I guess I wouldsay, a bull.
And the reason why I say a bullis because we have the bull and
bear market right.
So that's an easy you know line, and so it's kind of like I get
to be, you know, strong andmove and spend money and save
money and you know.
So this it really has to do withlooking at the animal kingdom
(39:06):
and the variety of differentcharacteristics, behaviors,
attributes within each of myteachers and going.
If I'm going to approach mylife today as a butterfly, how
different is that than Iapproached my life yesterday as
an opossum, when I just laidaround.
You know there's and you get toconsciously make these choices
(39:27):
and do it with relationshipswith yourself, with your health
and wellbeing, with how you eat,with how you spend money and
how you interact at work.
If you have a team and there'salways that one dud and maybe
all of a sudden that dud, you'rejust like.
They act like a spider, they'realways like by themselves and
they're very territorial andit's just like, yeah, but they
(39:49):
really can create that web now,can't they?
So maybe this is your computerprogrammer, that you need to
quit bothering and let them beby themselves so they can create
that.
So it kind of alleviates a lotof that.
I need them to be like me or Ineed to be like them.
You know programming.
Jenny C Bell (40:09):
I love that.
I want to talk about a littlebit about how the book is really
good for someone who maybeisn't considering themselves
spiritual but just kind of likewanting to have that intuition
and that more of a connection.
Because what I like about it isin the wisdom of the natural
world you have, you go overplant kingdom landscapes.
(40:29):
But you also talk about likeusing Oracle cards and even
explain how to make your ownreal quick.
So if you don't have a carddeck, let me just tell you how
to make one.
You talk about the seasons andthe weather cycle.
And then even at the end, whichyou've written a whole book on,
you talk about the shadow.
So it's like someone is reallygetting a very full introduction
and they can go to thedifferent things and maybe take
(40:52):
a deep dive later.
But I just wanted to kind oftalk about, like, how this is
good for a beginner or someonenew to all of this.
Granddaughter Crow (40:59):
I absolutely love this, or someone
new to all of this, Iabsolutely love this.
This is something that I think,because of things that you had
mentioned, like this is how ourancestors knew what fruit to eat
.
This is something.
This wisdom isn't somethingthat's new within our human
psyche.
It's something that a lot of ushave forgotten because of the
(41:22):
social structure that we wereraised in, born to and live in.
So if you were out in thejungle or in the Andes or
something like that, this wouldmake a lot more sense to you.
So it really is just areconnection with self.
As far as a beginner, I think itworks really well because I
(41:43):
mean, it's fun and you, it'seasy to understand.
There's not a lot of.
I mean, I could walk into akindergarten class and say who
wants to be a doggy today, getthe hands.
Who wants to be a cat today,get the hands.
Who wants to be a mouse?
And then go okay, how are youguys interacting?
(42:04):
And they would all know whatI'm talking about, because it's
not necessarily spiritual, butit is spirited.
It's working with the elementsof something that is very, very
amazing within our humanexperience, that we forgot or
(42:25):
disconnected from.
So, as far as a beginner's guide.
You could do this one evenbefore you do anything, or even
if you're just like I'm reallynot interested in spirituality
at all.
I just really have a team ofpeople that I need to work with
in a different way becausenothing's working.
(42:47):
So for beginners, it's askingyou to consider the world from a
different point of view.
That isn't mine, but it issomething that we all knew, that
we forgot and I'm trying toremind us, and it can be woven
into your spiritual beliefsystem, or it can be a la carte
(43:09):
and you can just use it for yourkindergarten class or your team
at work or whatever.
Jenny C Bell (43:14):
Yeah, and I've given you this compliment off
camera, but I'm going to say ithere is that you are an expert
in leadership and you're anexpert in a lot of things and
you have a really like robustbackground.
But you somehow take thesereally big ideas, a lot of which
are scientific or based in likescience, and you break it down
for anybody, because you don'thave to have like a college
(43:36):
degree to read this book.
And even if you do, you're'restill going to like it's not,
it's not dumbed down, but it'sexplained in a way that anybody
can just get it and they can gooh, I don't have to, I don't
have to reread that chapter, Idon't have to go find another
book.
It's explained in a way.
It's very available foreverybody.
Granddaughter Crow (43:56):
Thank you, I really appreciate that,
appreciate that I actually dothat on purpose, because I
define intelligence or evengenius, is the ability not
necessarily to always use $5words or have those
conversations that only canhappen in your field because you
(44:18):
have all of this lingo andjargon.
But I see intellect and being agenius or doing something
brilliant as taking an esoteric,crazy concept and boiling it
down where you can explain it toanybody, irregardless.
And you know, even I mean, evenif you do have your doctorate
(44:41):
you're reading this and you'rejust like huh, that makes a lot
of sense.
All the time I've been treatingmy wife like a duck and she's a
swan, you know.
Jenny C Bell (44:52):
Yes, yes, I think it'd be fun if there's anything
else you'd like to share aboutthe book.
But before we end today, Ithink it'd be really cool if you
were to read the Navajo BeautyWay prayer to everybody that's
in the book, because it'sactually personally, one of my
favorite prayers and I love it.
It's like I think it's such abeautiful prayer for people to
(45:14):
think about every day, to readevery day, to say every day, and
it's one that really kind of, Ithink, boils down the whole
idea that, like, connecting witheverything is beauty, right,
it's beautiful to be connectedand beautiful to see the world
the way that you're explaining.
Granddaughter Crow (45:32):
I love it.
I'm going to do it from memory,and I love this because, even
if you don't pick up the book, Ireally want you as a listener,
if you've made it this far, toreally take this in for a moment
.
There are paths that you walkin life and there are ways to
walk in life and differentcultures have different ways,
(45:56):
and one of the ways of theNavajo is called the beauty way.
Yeah, the beauty way.
And so here is.
There's many iterations andversions of this, but take this,
if you will, and then, if youuse it, say that it's a Navajo
beauty way prayer thatgranddaughter crow shared from
with you, and that will be.
(46:18):
Take care of any appropriation.
So here it is.
Take a deep breath.
So beauty walks before me,beauty walks behind me, beauty
walks above me, beauty walks tomy left, beauty walks to my
(46:41):
right, beauty walks within me,for I am beauty.
I love that because you canmake it your own.
You can say strength walksbefore me, behind me, above,
(47:05):
below, right, left, within.
You can say courage, you cansay peace, you can say whatever
you wish.
Originally, it's beauty, andthat doesn't mean superficial
beauty.
It means the true essence of,like a rose, a flower.
(47:27):
The strength, beauty walkswithin you and even if you
remember this and you can'tremember oh, did she say right
or left, it doesn't matter.
What matters is if you'represent with intent, and it not
only sets up your way and yourday, it also is a protection
(47:49):
around you because you aredeclaring what will be invited
into your energetic space.
Jenny C Bell (47:58):
That's wonderful.
Yes thank you for sharing itwith everyone.
I liked hearing it in yourvoice.
Granddaughter Crow (48:06):
Oh, I thank you so much, jenny.
I love it.
There is this, so much more inthis book.
Wisdom of the Natural World.
You can find mewwwgranddaughtercrowcom all
social at granddaughter crow.
Wisdom of the natural worldspiritual and practical
teachings.
(48:26):
And again, this book isn't hereto teach you as much as it is
here to remind you.
Jenny C Bell (48:35):
Yes, thank you so much and that's the beauty way
right, Remembering and beingpresent of all that is around
you and that you are connectedand you really are truly never
alone.
Granddaughter Crow (48:45):
I love that you are never alone.
So thank you for tuning in toyet another episode of Belief
being and Beyond with your host,granddaughter Crow.
Text the show I want to hearfrom you Like, comment,
subscribe, share.
If there's something in hereyou're just like, oh, this
person would like to see this,share it.
I would love that.
(49:06):
Um, my hope is is that whoevercan benefit and feel inspired,
encouraged and empowered to beyour authenticity.
That's what I'm here to do.
This is granddaughtergranddaughter love.
See you on the flippity flip.
Thank you, Jenny.
Jenny C Bell (49:25):
Thank you.
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