Water Spirits of the World – from nymphs to nixies, serpents to sirens

The latest book by Alanna Moore, 2008

This February 2012 revised 2nd edition is a 144 page A5 paperback with 66 b&w pictures ISBN 978-0-9757782-4-1
Python Press price – $28

Opening windows onto the genius loci of watery landscapes, Water Spirits of the World brings alive a rich tapestry of ancient geo-mythos. From the other-dimensional reality of Australia’s Aboriginal Dreamtime to the modern art of dowsing the devas, this book will delight and surprise. For seekers of the soul of landscape, it provides unique insights into the spiritual nature of life and place. The author is a master dowser inspired by the nature spirits to care for and better love the Earth.

Reviewed in Nexus magazine, Aug – Sept 2012:

Elemental nature spirits have been acknowledged and even worshipped in cultures around the globe since time immemorial. These spirits are still with us – but if only we had the means to see them and find them in the right places…

 Author and dowser Alanna Moore (see Nexus 17/02, 14/06, 12/03) shows that water in all its forms, from seas and rivers to lakes and waterfalls to springs and wells with curative powers, has its associated deities across various cultures. While Moore has a particular emphasis on water related spirits of Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, she has also tapped into the folklore, myths and legends of many other cultures, eg ancient Mesopotamia, India, the Americas and Scandinavia.

Among the multitude of deities are serpent spirits, sun goddesses, mermaids, water horses and remnant plesiosaurs, and many of them are given offerings in some form according to local cultural traditions.

Moore encourages us to develop a spiritual relationship with water. She offers suggestions, including dowsing techniques, for how we can connect with the spirit deva of a body of water. We can sing and talk to water, even if it’s just from the tap, as the voicing of our love and thanks for water’s gifts can resonate throughout nature. By honouring water, we also honour the water that makes up our bodies and we aid our health. Moore’s teachings inspire a deep reverence for nature.