Earth Spirits - There are more types of nature spirits associated with earth than with any of the other elements. These extraordinary spirits exist in an enormous variety of sizes from enchanting tiny beings no bigger than a spark of light to great and magnificent mountain devas. They work with every aspect of solid matter. They are connected with the mineral world, with substances and structures deep within the Earth, with landscape features on the surface of the Earth, with plants of all types and with the cycles of the seasons.

Nature spirits of the Earth work mainly with two processes, contraction and expansion. Some earth spirits are dedicated to only one of these processes while others work to harmonise the two. Contractive activities allow forces to be drawn together in a variety of ways while expansive activities allow differentiation, evolution and growth. The interaction of these two forces creates the foundation for all physical forms.

The smaller nature spirits of earth are often known as the 'little folk', who are familiar to us from legend and fairy tales. These are the faeries, elves and gnomes who are an essential part of the Earth's function and who work on or close to the surface of the Earth.

There are so many different types of nature spirits of earth that a small encyclopaedia would be needed to describe them all. Only a very small selection is described in these notes to give an idea of their diversity and functions.