Architects of the Unseen: Modern Esoteric Views on Nature Spirits and Devas

Investigation into the multiverse of Nature Spirits, Devas, Beings of the Subtle Realms, is an ongoing fascination and project of mine stretching back several decades. As well as academic research into historical and contemporary aspects of the subject I have utilized my shamanic training to investigate these fascinating realms. This article is part on an ongoing series where I share my thoughts and insights. If you are a fellow investigator then I would love to hear from you. – Kevin Parker- Site publisher

Introduction

In the vast landscape of modern Western spirituality, few ideas are as persistent, poetic, and perplexing as the existence of nature spirits. From the shimmering devas of Theosophy to the industrious gnomes of Anthroposophy and the collaborative faeries of Findhorn, a rich and diverse tapestry of thought has been woven over the last century, suggesting that the natural world is not a mere collection of inert matter governed by physical laws, but a vibrant, intelligent, and populated realm. These intelligences, often invisible to conventional senses, are described as the architects and maintainers of the physical world, the spiritual forces behind the veil of nature. The term “deva,” borrowed from Sanskrit where it means “shining one” or a divine being, was adopted by the Theosophical movement and has since become a catch-all in many New Age circles for a wide spectrum of non-human intelligences, from the smallest elemental to the grandest cosmic angel. Similarly, terms like “nature spirit,” “elemental,” and “faery” evoke ancient, cross-cultural traditions of a “little people” or “good folk” who inhabit a reality parallel to our own.

This survey ventures into this complex and fascinating domain, seeking to compare and contrast the views, insights, and conclusions of a range of influential 20th and 21st-century authors and spiritual movements. It grapples with a central paradox: while the belief in unseen nature intelligences is widespread and shares common thematic roots, the specific descriptions, classifications, and proposed hierarchies vary dramatically from one seer to the next. The clairvoyant investigations of Geoffrey Hodson reveal a majestic, cosmic “deva evolution” running parallel to humanity’s. Rudolf Steiner, in contrast, presents a functionally integrated cosmos where specific elemental beings—gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders—act as the literal agents of plant growth and chemistry. The experiences at the Findhorn Foundation, particularly through Dorothy Maclean, shifted the paradigm from observation to dialogue, initiating a “co-creative partnership” with devas who hold the archetypal blueprint for entire species. This impulse was later expanded upon by figures like David Spangler, who introduced the radical concept of the Siddhe, not as hierarchical spirits, but as humanity’s “cousins” from a parallel dimension.

This report will navigate the intricate philosophies of these foundational figures alongside the unique contributions of independent seers and modern synthesizers such as Edgar Cayce, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, William Bloom, Susan Raven, Marko Pogačnik, Alanna Moore, Elizabeth Meacham, and Tanis Helliwell. By examining their distinct terminologies, proposed cosmic structures, and modes of perception, this analysis will chart the evolution of these ideas. It poses a central question: Amidst this diversity of clairvoyant perceptions, spiritual philosophies, and personal experiences, can a coherent consensus be drawn from their collective work? This inquiry seeks not only to map the subtle worlds as they have been described but also to understand what the evolution of these ideas reveals about humanity’s changing relationship with the living intelligence of the planet.

Part 1: The Foundational Pillars: Theosophy and Anthroposophy

The modern Western esoteric understanding of nature intelligences rests firmly on two foundational pillars erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Theosophy and its offshoot, Anthroposophy. These movements, while sharing a common origin, provided distinct and highly influential frameworks that have shaped nearly all subsequent discourse on the topic. They established the core vocabulary, the cosmological context, and the perceptual models—observation versus functional integration—that would be debated, adapted, and revolutionized by later generations of seers and thinkers. Understanding these two systems is essential for mapping the intellectual and spiritual landscape of the unseen world.

1.1 The Theosophical Bedrock: Geoffrey Hodson and the Deva Evolution

The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, introduced a comprehensive esoteric cosmology to the West, drawing heavily on Eastern, particularly Hindu and Buddhist, concepts. Central to this cosmology was the idea of devas. According to Theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater, devas constitute a kingdom of life entirely separate from humanity, following its own distinct evolutionary path. This concept was most systematically explored and documented through the extensive clairvoyant work of Geoffrey Hodson (1886-1983), a prolific author, occultist, and leading figure in the Theosophical Society for over 70 years.

Hodson’s work presents a vision of the deva kingdom on a truly cosmic scale. It is not a small, localized phenomenon but a vast hierarchy of spiritual forces, numbering in the millions, that stand behind and animate the entirety of nature. These beings are believed to perform a multitude of functions essential for maintaining ecological balance. The scope of this “deva evolution” extends far beyond the confines of Earth. Theosophists, through the clairvoyant observations of figures like Hodson, assert that millions of devas, sometimes called “solar angels” or “solar spirits,” inhabit the Sun itself. The Sun is viewed not just as a star but as the physical body of a great cosmic entity, the Solar Logos, and these solar devas are considered the most advanced life forms in our solar system. This hierarchy further extends to other stars, which are believed to be inhabited by “stellar angels”.

The primary method for perceiving this elaborate spiritual ecosystem is clairvoyance, described as the activation of the “third eye”. Hodson’s extensive writings, including seminal works like

Kingdom of the Gods (1952), The Coming of the Angels (1935), and Faeries at Work and at Play (1925), are presented not as philosophical speculations but as the result of direct, meticulous “clairvoyant investigations”. Hodson, a decorated British Army officer from World War I who later became a dedicated anti-war activist, approached his occult research with a notable degree of rigor. Colleagues and scientists who worked with him testified to his “scientific impartiality and accuracy,” his “meticulous regard for accuracy in both observation and description,” and his “tremendously careful and indeed craftsman like attitude” to his perceptive abilities. This approach was evident from his early work, when he toured the English countryside making “detailed notes on the various types of fairies and nature spirits” he observed.

This methodology establishes a particular archetype: the “spiritual naturalist.” Much like a 19th-century biologist exploring a new continent, Hodson observes, describes, and classifies the inhabitants of the unseen world. His work is a systematic cataloging of a reality perceived from a specific vantage point. This creates a paradigm of knowledge transmission where the specialized seer, the expert with developed faculties, reports his findings to a wider audience. The relationship between the human observer and the devic subject is one of investigation, not necessarily interaction. This model of observation from a distance, where the seer is the subject and the spirit is the object of study, sets a crucial precedent. It provides a foundational map of the spiritual world, but it is a map drawn by an explorer looking through a telescope. This “observer” model will serve as a significant point of contrast with the more intimate, dialogical, and participatory “participant” model that would later emerge from the experiences at Findhorn.

1.2 The Anthroposophical Cosmos: Rudolf Steiner’s Elemental Kingdoms

Breaking from the Theosophical Society in 1913, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) founded Anthroposophy, a spiritual philosophy that sought to apply the methods of natural science to the spiritual world. While he built upon the Theosophical idea of unseen beings, Steiner developed a far more detailed, functionally integrated, and psychologically rich system. His cosmology is not centered on a parallel “deva evolution” but on four distinct groups of “elemental beings” who are inextricably woven into the fabric of earthly and cosmic processes: the Gnomes (earth), Undines (water), Sylphs (air), and Salamanders or Fire-Spirits (fire). These names, which he adopted from the 16th-century alchemist Paracelsus, describe beings that are not merely “behind” nature but are the active spiritual agents of its very life.

Steiner’s most profound contribution lies in his detailed descriptions of how these beings work in a symbiotic relationship with the plant world. In his 1923 lecture, “The Plant-World and the Elemental Nature-Spirits,” he explains that a materialistic botany that sees only physical processes is missing the essential reality. For Steiner, the Gnomes are “root-spirits” that weave around the plant’s roots, mediating the mineral elements from the earth and carrying the “life-ether” to the plant. The Undines, or water-spirits, are the “world-chemists” active in the leaves, dreaming of chemical processes as they bind and disperse substances, fostering the “chemical ether”. The Sylphs, or air-spirits, are the “light-bearers,” working in the airy-warmth element to imbue the plant with light, fostering the “light-ether”. Finally, the Fire-Spirits (Salamanders) are the “warmth-carriers,” who work with insects to bring cosmic warmth into the blossoms, enabling fructification and fostering the “warmth-ether”. For Steiner, the life of a plant is the visible expression of this intricate, fourfold spiritual activity.

Furthermore, Steiner imbues these beings with distinct psychological profiles that differentiate them from the more abstract devas of Theosophy. The Gnomes, he describes, are extraordinarily intelligent and perceptive, the “preservers of world-understanding,” but they are also ironic and scornful of human logic, which they see as a clumsy substitute for the direct perception of ideas. They feel an antipathy, a “hate,” for the earthly-moist element in which they live, as it constantly threatens to trap them in the form of amphibians like frogs or toads. The Undines, by contrast, are dream-like, sensitive, and in a state of constant, flowing transformation, recoiling from the fish-form that threatens their fluid nature.

A central theme in Steiner’s work is that modern humanity has lost the “instinctive clairvoyance” that allowed ancient cultures to perceive these beings and that a renewed recognition of their existence is “absolutely vital” for the future evolution of the Earth. This creates a compelling paradox within his system. The elementals are presented as an unconscious cosmic workforce. They are essential for every natural process, yet they are described as being “ego-less” and “unaware of their own being”. Their consciousness is not self-contained but is kindled through their interaction with other kingdoms. For example, Steiner explains that the Sylphs experience their “ego-feeling” only when they perceive the flight of birds, which to them is a form of cosmic music. The elementals can only become self-reflective by hearing stories about themselves, which is why they are said to gather invisibly around children when such tales are told.

This establishes a fundamental, mutual dependency. The natural world relies on the ceaseless, unconscious labor of the elementals for its very existence. At the same time, the elementals seem to rely on other beings—and, by extension, a conscious humanity—for a mirror in which to see themselves, to have their existence affirmed and their consciousness kindled. This philosophical framework lays the groundwork for the “co-creative partnership” that would become the central tenet of the Findhorn community. Steiner powerfully implies the need for a renewed relationship between humanity and the elemental kingdoms; Findhorn, a generation later, would begin to articulate the method for achieving it.

Part 2: The Co-Creative Paradigm: Findhorn and its Legacy

In the mid-20th century, the esoteric understanding of nature intelligences underwent a revolutionary transformation. The locus of this change was a small, windswept caravan park on the coast of northeast Scotland, home to the fledgling Findhorn community. The experiences that unfolded there, particularly through the meditative work of its founders, shifted the paradigm from one of observation or functional analysis to one of active, conscious, and dialogical relationship. Findhorn did not merely study nature spirits; it spoke with them, worked with them, and in doing so, introduced the concept of “co-creation” into the spiritual lexicon. This new paradigm, built on the idea of a willing partnership between humanity and the devic kingdom, has profoundly influenced nearly all subsequent thought on the subject.

2.1 The Findhorn Revelation: Dorothy Maclean’s Dialogue with the Devas

The story of the Findhorn community, founded in the early 1960s by Peter and Eileen Caddy and Dorothy Maclean, is inseparable from its legendary garden. Faced with poor, sandy soil and harsh coastal weather, the community’s success in growing astonishingly large and vibrant plants became a symbol of a deeper collaboration at play. The key to this success was the inner work of Dorothy Maclean (1920-2020), a writer and educator who, through her regular practice of meditation, began to receive direct guidance.

In 1963, her inner guidance suggested she try to contact the consciousness of nature. Though she initially found the idea “very silly,” she persevered. During a meditation focused on her love for a garden pea plant, she received a clear, distinct response from a being that identified itself as the “Pea Deva”. This was not a vague impression but a direct, two-way communication. The message was revolutionary: the deva informed her that “nature” was interested in collaborating with the humans in their garden project. This single communication marked a pivotal moment, moving beyond the observational clairvoyance of Hodson and the unconscious symbiosis described by Steiner. It proposed, for the first time in this modern context, a conscious and willing partnership between the human and devic kingdoms.

The results of this “co-creation” were tangible and dramatic, manifesting as the famous 40-pound cabbages and winter-flowering roses that drew international attention to the small community. For Findhorn, the garden was physical proof that when humans work in conscious alignment and cooperation with the intelligences of nature, extraordinary results are possible. One deva communicated to Maclean, “To hold each little atom in its pattern, is to hold it in joy”. This partnership was framed as a path forward for humanity. The Pea Deva lamented, “Humans generally don’t seem to know where they are going, or why. If they did, what powerhouses they would be! If they were on a straight course, how we could cooperate with them!”.

As Maclean’s contact deepened, so did her understanding. A crucial insight she developed was that these devic forces were not entirely external entities. In a profound moment of realization, she stated, “what I did realise through this interaction with the devas is that they are within me, as everything else is. The kingdom of heaven is within one, so is the devic world”. This led to the understanding that contact is made from one’s own soul level, which exists on the same vibrational plane as the devas. Her conclusion was radical in its implications: “I am a deva, you are a deva, we are all angels, because that is the area of ourselves which is on the same vibrational level, the soul-beingness of us. There is no difference”. This insight democratized the entire process. Connection with the devic realm was no longer the exclusive domain of a gifted psychic with a developed “third eye,” but an innate potential of every human soul willing to engage in deep inner listening and attunement.

2.2 Architects and Craftsmen: A New Distinction

The experiences at Findhorn, particularly through the complementary perceptions of Dorothy Maclean and her friend Robert Ogilvie Crombie (known as Roc), gave rise to a new and highly influential classification system for nature intelligences. This framework provided a clear distinction between two primary types of beings, resolving some of the terminological ambiguity that had existed previously. This model is elegantly summarized in the analogy presented in the book The Findhorn Garden: devas are the architects, while nature spirits are the craftsmen.

In this model, Devas are understood to be the great archetypal intelligences. A deva is the “group soul” or the overlighting consciousness that holds the energetic blueprint for an entire species. For example, there is one “Pea Deva” that holds the perfect, ideal pattern for all possible pea plants that could ever exist. These beings, according to the devas Maclean communicated with, exist outside of the constraints of space and time. This concept was later articulated with great clarity by William Bloom, a Fellow of the Findhorn Foundation, who wrote that “devas hold in their consciousness the archetypal pattern or blueprint for every form in existence, whether it is a flower, a thoughtform, a planet, a person”. This aligns with the Theosophical concept of a deva as an archetypal intelligence behind a species, but it is imbued with the Findhorn experience of direct, communicable consciousness.

Nature Spirits, by contrast, are the beings who work on the ground level. This category includes the beings often referred to as elementals, fairies, gnomes, and so on. They are the “craftsmen” who operate within the “etheric” realm—the subtle life-energy field that underlies physical matter. Their task is to take the archetypal blueprint held by the deva and guide its materialization in the physical world. They work to infuse individual plants with “life force” and manage the practical, moment-to-moment processes of growth and development. Thus, while there is one Kale Deva holding the master plan for all kale, there are countless individual nature spirits working with the life force of each specific kale plant in a garden. This distinction was clarified by Roc, a scientifically trained man who, like Maclean, had to overcome his own disbelief when he began to communicate not with the overarching devas, but directly with these hands-on nature spirits.

This two-tiered operational hierarchy—architect and craftsman, blueprint and builder—provided a clear and practical model that was distinct from both the vast, parallel evolution of Hodson’s devas and the fourfold functional system of Steiner’s elementals. It offered a framework for understanding not only who these beings were but also how they worked together to create the living world, and, most importantly, how humanity could find its own role within this creative process.

2.3 The Expanding Vision: David Spangler, William Bloom, and the Angel of Findhorn

The initial, powerful impulse that arose from the Findhorn garden did not remain static. It was articulated, systematized, and expanded upon by key figures who were drawn to the community and helped shape its philosophy for a wider audience. Among the most significant were David Spangler, an American mystic who served as a co-director in the early 1970s, and William Bloom, a British author and educator who became a Fellow of the Foundation.

David Spangler’s arrival at Findhorn in 1970 was a pivotal moment. He was instrumental in establishing the community’s educational programs and in articulating a philosophy he would later term “incarnational spirituality”—a practical spirituality focused on celebrating and sanctifying everyday, embodied life. Spangler worked closely with the concept of the “Angel of Findhorn,” a term used to describe the overlighting consciousness or spiritual identity of the community itself. In an insightful analysis, William Bloom later explored what this “Angel” might be, proposing several possibilities that could exist in synergy: a powerful “thought-form” created by the combined energies and vision of the founders; a literal angelic being or group of spirits drawn to that thought-form; or a manifestation of a cosmic principle he calls the “Avatar of Synthesis,” a being that carries the vibration of joyful, holographic connection.

This concept marked a profound evolution in the understanding of devas. The focus began with plant devas, the intelligences of the natural world like the Pea Deva. However, Maclean’s own experiences quickly expanded beyond the garden. She reported tuning into the “deva of San Francisco,” which told her it needed love, and the “soul of Canada,” noting that these national devas must constantly work with and adapt to the energies that humans bring into the land. She even posited that man-made objects like machines possess a “hybrid” ensouling presence, a mixture of devic essence and human thought-form energy. The emergence of the “Angel of Findhorn” took this a step further. It suggested that a deva, or an angelic being, could overlight a human community, a social organization. This progression reveals a significant shift: the devic realm is no longer seen as merely the intelligence of nature, but as the archetypal intelligence behind any organized form. As William Bloom stated, a deva holds the blueprint for everything from a flower to a thought-form, a planet, or a person. The implication is that the “co-creative partnership” is not just about gardening more effectively; it is about building better societies, better organizations, and ultimately, better selves. The relationship becomes deeply reciprocal: humanity is not just helping nature, but the devic realm is an active participant in the evolution of human consciousness and culture.

William Bloom played a crucial role in synthesizing these complex ideas into an accessible form for a broader public. As a Fellow of the Findhorn Foundation, his work is deeply informed by its ethos. In books such as

Devas, Fairies and Angels: A Modern Approach and the more comprehensive Working with Angels, Fairies and Nature Spirits, Bloom provides practical guidance for the modern spiritual seeker. He often uses the Sanskrit term “Deva” as an inclusive, umbrella term for the entire spectrum of these beings, from tiny fairies to cosmic angels, defining it simply as “shining one” or “being of luminous light”. He emphasizes that a harmonious, co-operative relationship with this parallel world of beings is not a romantic fantasy but an essential component of a holistic life, necessary for everything from gardening and healing to the successful functioning of society. For Bloom, as for the Findhorn tradition he represents, acknowledging and working with these invisible beings is a fundamental aspect of the next step in human and planetary evolution.

Part 3: Independent Seers and Modern Syntheses

Flowing from the foundational streams of Theosophy, Anthroposophy, and the Findhorn experience, a diverse array of independent authors and practitioners emerged throughout the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st. While often influenced by these earlier schools, these figures brought their own unique perceptual lenses, spiritual frameworks, and practical applications to the study of nature intelligences. Their work reflects a broader trend in modern spirituality towards personal experience, psychological integration, ecological urgency, and the development of practical techniques for communication and collaboration with the unseen. From the trance-state revelations of a Christian mystic to the shamanic ecotherapy of an environmental philosopher, these voices add new layers of complexity and nuance to the evolving conversation.

3.1 Voices from the Trance State: Edgar Cayce on Angels and Elementals

Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), the famed American clairvoyant known as the “Sleeping Prophet,” offers a unique and somewhat anomalous perspective on nature spirits. Operating from a deep trance state, Cayce delivered thousands of “readings” that wove together a complex metaphysical system with a distinctly Christian-mystical flavor. His cosmology describes a multidimensional universe populated by a vast hierarchy of angelic beings—Thrones, Archangels, and personal guardian angels—who serve as intermediaries between the divine and human realms. Within this framework, he also spoke of what he called elemental beings.

Cayce’s readings provide some of the most “charming insights” into the unseen world, describing beings such as fairies, elves, gnomes, brownies, nymphs, sprites, and pixies. He did not dismiss them as fantasy but described them as inhabitants of a parallel reality that occasionally intersects with our own. His descriptions often align with folklore: gnomes are small, elderly men who guard the earth’s treasures, while nymphs are associated with water. This unseen world is an integral part of a larger spiritual drama in which humans, described as “godlings” or “gods in the making,” are on a long journey of soul development to return to a full awareness of their divine source. John Van Auken, a modern director at Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.), has become a key interpreter of these teachings, authoring books like Angels, Fairies, Demons, and the Elementals that compile and explain Cayce’s perspective on the supernatural world.

However, Cayce’s most significant—and potentially confounding—contribution to this field is a unique classification that sets him apart from other systems. In a reading quoted in a discussion forum, Cayce makes a startling distinction: “Brownies, pixies, fairies, gnomes are not elementals, but elements that are as definite ENTITIES as man materialized, see?”. This statement, if interpreted as recorded, directly contradicts the common esoteric usage where gnomes and fairies

are considered elementals. Cayce seems to be suggesting a crucial difference. “Elementals” may refer to more primal, impersonal forces—”entities who have not entered into materiality”—while beings like fairies and gnomes are distinct, individuated entities on their own evolutionary path, much like humans, even if they are not materialized in the same dense physical way. This subtle but profound distinction suggests a more complex spiritual ecosystem than is often presented, one with multiple streams of evolving life, and it remains one of the most unique aspects of the Cayce material on the subject.

3.2 The Ascended Masters’ Mandate: Elizabeth Clare Prophet and Elemental Life

Elizabeth Clare Prophet (1939-2009), as the leader of The Summit Lighthouse and the Church Universal and Triumphant, developed a comprehensive spiritual system drawing heavily on Theosophy, the “I AM” Activity of Guy and Edna Ballard, and her own channeled “dictations” from a hierarchy of “Ascended Masters”. Within this framework, “elemental life”—a term she used for nature spirits—plays a significant and dramatic role.

In Prophet’s teachings, nature spirits are the loving, unseen helpers who diligently tend to the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, maintaining the balance of Earth’s biosphere. Her book How to Work with Nature Spirits outlines this core concept. However, Prophet’s unique emphasis is on the immense struggle these beings face. They are not simply joyful gardeners of the planet; they are an overwhelmed and beleaguered workforce. They are burdened by the “weight of world karma, the burden of humankind’s negative thoughts, words and deeds, and the high levels of pollution and ecological imbalance in the world today”. Consequently, the nature spirits “desperately need our help”.

This creates a dynamic of urgent intervention. A channeled message from “Gautama Buddha” delivered in 1980 describes a situation where “the blessed elementals… could not stay the hand of turbulence” and that “elemental life working at maximum capacity could not yet overturn that darkness” caused by negative human activity and dark forces. The responsibility for restoring balance, therefore, falls squarely on humanity. Followers, known as “Keepers of the Flame,” are taught to use specific spiritual technologies to assist the beleaguered elementals. The primary tools are “decreeing”—a form of dynamic, vocalized prayer—and the invocation of the “violet flame,” a spiritual energy believed to transmute negative karma.

In this system, the human-spirit relationship is one of high stakes and spiritual warfare. Humanity is not just a gentle co-creator, as in the Findhorn model, but a necessary redeemer, called upon to wield spiritual power to cleanse the planet and relieve the elemental kingdom of the karmic debt imposed upon it by human ignorance and malice. This frames the partnership in more dramatic, urgent, and hierarchical terms, with humanity, guided by the Ascended Masters, holding the key to the salvation of both the planet and its elemental caretakers.

3.3 The Ecological and Shamanic Turn: Contemporary Practitioners

In recent decades, the conversation around nature spirits has increasingly been shaped by a sense of ecological urgency and a turn towards more personal, earth-based, and shamanic modes of interaction. A new generation of practitioners, while often building on earlier foundations, has focused on developing practical methods for reconnecting a disconnected humanity with the intelligences of the living world.

Among the clearest heirs to Rudolf Steiner’s legacy are authors like Susan Raven and Marko Pogačnik. Raven, a self-described lifelong student of Steiner’s work, explicitly aims to bridge science and spirit in her book Nature Spirits: The Remembrance. She connects the etheric world of elementals to emerging scientific concepts like torsion physics and frames the reconnection with these beings as one of the “most pressing assignments facing our newly awakening consciousness” in a time of planetary crisis. Pogačnik, a Slovenian sculptor and geomancer, takes a highly experiential approach. He advocates for using a “fairytale language” to bypass the limitations of the rational mind and directly perceive the “primal intelligence of Earth”. Through his practice of “lithopuncture”—a kind of acupuncture for the landscape using carved stone pillars—he teaches a form of meditative, artistic communication aimed at healing disrupted energy flows in the environment.

Another trend emphasizes practical, embodied magic and perception. Alanna Moore, a master dowser from Australia, has pioneered the concept of “sensitive permaculture”. Her work grounds esoteric perception in the tangible discipline of sustainable agriculture. She teaches the use of tools like dowsing rods and pendulums not as a supernatural act, but as a way to amplify the body’s natural sensory inputs, allowing one to feel the subtle energies of a place and design gardens and homes in harmony with them.

Elizabeth Meacham, who holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness, frames this work within the academic language of “spiritual ecology” and “shamanic ecotherapy”. Her book,

Earth Spirit Dreaming, offers a field-tested method of shamanic rituals and experiential exercises designed to foster direct interaction with the “intelligences and elemental energies of nature” and “light guides of the planet”. Her use of terms like “vibrational reality” represents a modern, psychologically-inflected vocabulary for the same phenomena described by earlier seers.

Finally, the work of Tanis Helliwell exemplifies a shift towards the deeply personal encounter. A Canadian mystic, Helliwell’s writings, such as Summer with the Leprechauns, are characterized by their conversational, humorous, and anecdotal style. She presents her relationships with nature spirits not as formal investigations but as peer-to-peer encounters. Her most unique contribution, however, is the concept of the “body elemental”. Helliwell describes this being as the “architect who builds your body every lifetime,” an intelligent consciousness that resides within each person, managing physiological processes and embedding karmic patterns. She teaches that by learning to communicate directly with this inner “body intelligence,” one can engage in profound self-healing and conscious evolution.

This concept of the body elemental represents a remarkable internalization of the cosmic model. It takes the Findhorn paradigm of an external “architect” (deva) and “craftsman” (nature spirit) and places that entire dynamic within the individual human being. The elemental that builds a flower is of the same kind as the elemental that builds a human body. This completes a century-long trajectory in esoteric thought. The relationship with nature intelligences moves from external observation (Hodson’s Theosophy), to external partnership (Findhorn’s co-creation), and finally to internal co-creation (Helliwell’s body elemental). This suggests that the macrocosm of nature’s intelligence is perfectly mirrored in the microcosm of the human body. Healing oneself and healing the planet are no longer just metaphorically linked; they become, in this view, mechanistically identical processes involving communication and collaboration with the same fundamental type of intelligence, operating at different scales.

3.4 Cousins from a Parallel World: David Spangler and the Siddhe

In his post-Findhorn work with the Lorian Association, David Spangler introduced a perspective on non-human intelligence that represents a radical departure from the hierarchical and functional models that preceded it. Beginning in 2011, Spangler reported a new and distinct type of contact with a group of beings who identified themselves as the Siddhe (pronounced “shee”), an ancient Irish name for the faery races.

According to Spangler, these beings were fundamentally different from any angel, deva, or elemental he had previously encountered. They explained that they did not reside in the “subtle worlds” or etheric/astral planes where nature spirits are typically said to dwell, but in what can be understood as a “parallel dimension”. This distinction is crucial, as it removes them from the familiar vertical hierarchies of most esoteric systems. They are not “above” or “below” humanity in a cosmic sense; they are alongside us.

Even more revolutionary was the model of relationship they proposed. The Siddhe described themselves as humanity’s “cousins,” explaining that our two species share a common, ancient ancestor but evolved along different pathways. This language of kinship completely reframes the dynamic. It moves beyond the observer/subject model of Theosophy, the architect/craftsman function of Findhorn, and the redeemer/burdened model of Prophet’s teachings. It proposes a relationship between equals, a collaboration between two sovereign, intelligent species who share a planet.

The purpose of this renewed contact, as communicated to Spangler, was a “mission of fostering wholeness”. The Siddhe are actively seeking human partners and collaborators willing to act as “guardians of the portals and pathways between our realm and yours, and between the spirit of Gaia and the physical world”. This is an invitation to a partnership of equals for a shared planetary goal. To facilitate this contact without imposing limiting human forms onto their protean, shape-shifting nature, the Siddhe instructed Spangler and his colleague Jeremy Berg to create The Card Deck of the Sidhe, a tool for attunement that deliberately avoids depicting the beings themselves.

This perspective may represent a significant maturation in the evolving human-spirit relationship. The vertical, hierarchical models that have dominated the field since the 19th century—with their language of higher and lower beings, masters and pupils, angels and mortals—are here collapsed into a horizontal framework of kinship and collaboration. If the earlier models reflected a more parent-child or manager-worker dynamic, the Siddhe model proposes a relationship between sovereign adults. This suggests a profound possibility: that as human consciousness evolves, our perception of and relationship with other intelligences must also evolve, moving away from paradigms of hierarchical dependency and toward a future of mutual respect and co-equal partnership.

Part 4: A Comparative Synthesis and the Question of Consensus

After surveying the diverse and often contradictory landscapes of the unseen world as mapped by more than a century of esoteric thinkers, the central question remains: Is there an overall consensus that can be drawn from their collective work? A surface-level reading reveals a bewildering array of terms, hierarchies, and descriptions. A deva in a Theosophical text is not the same as a deva in the Findhorn garden. An elemental to Rudolf Steiner is not the same as an elemental to Edgar Cayce. Yet, beneath this terminological confusion, a deeper analysis reveals both the clear lines of evolution in these ideas and the emergence of a powerful, overarching consensus, not on the fine details of classification, but on the fundamental nature of the relationship between humanity and the intelligence of nature.

4.1 Hierarchies of the Unseen: Mapping the Subtle Worlds

To clarify the points of convergence and divergence, it is essential to first map the various systems side-by-side. The single greatest source of confusion in this field is the inconsistent use of terminology. The following table provides a comparative framework, acting as a “Rosetta Stone” to decode the different languages used to describe the inhabitants of the subtle realms.

Table 1: Comparative Framework of Nature Intelligences

Author/School	Primary Terminology	Proposed Hierarchy/Structure	Primary Function/Purpose	Mode of Perception
G. Hodson / Theosophy	Devas, Nature Spirits, Angels	Vast, parallel “Deva Evolution” from elementals to cosmic Solar and Stellar Angels. Separate from human evolution.	Maintaining cosmic and ecological functions; forces behind nature.	Specialized clairvoyance (“third eye”). Observation and documentation.
R. Steiner / Anthroposophy	Elemental Beings (Gnomes, Undines, Sylphs, Salamanders)	Four distinct functional groups tied to the elements and plant processes. Ego-less cosmic workforce.	Active agents of natural processes (mineral mediation, chemistry, light/warmth bearing).	“Imaginative and inspirational” perception; a lost faculty of instinctive clairvoyance.
D. Maclean / Findhorn	Devas, Nature Spirits	Two-tiered model: Devas (archetypal architects) and Nature Spirits (etheric craftsmen).	Devas hold species blueprints; Nature Spirits build individual forms. Co-creation with humanity.	Meditative dialogue; inner listening. An innate soul potential.
E. Cayce	Angels, Elementals, Fairies, Gnomes, etc.	Angelic hierarchies. Uniquely classifies fairies/gnomes as definite “ENTITIES,” distinct from “elementals.”	Angels are divine intermediaries. Nature entities inhabit a parallel reality.	Trance-state clairvoyance; psychic perception (“sixth sense”).
E. C. Prophet	Elemental Life, Nature Spirits	Beings of the four elements who serve under a hierarchy of Ascended Masters.	Tending the elements, but burdened by human karma and pollution.	Channeled dictations; spiritual practices like decreeing to assist them.
T. Helliwell	Elementals, Leprechauns, Body Elemental	Peer-like relationship with nature elementals. Unique concept of a personal “Body Elemental.”	Nature elementals are form-builders. The Body Elemental is the architect of one’s own physical body.	Direct, personal, conversational encounter; inner dialogue for healing.
D. Spangler / Lorian	The Siddhe	Non-hierarchical. A parallel species of intelligence, “cousins” to humanity.	Seeking human partners for a mission of fostering planetary wholeness and guardianship.	Collaborative contact; attunement through tools like the Sidhe card deck.
Contemporary Synthesizers	Nature Spirits, Elementals, Intelligences, Light Guides	Generally adopt or adapt Steiner’s or Findhorn’s models. Focus is on practical connection over rigid classification.	Ecological healing, shamanic ecotherapy, personal growth, and reconnection with Earth’s intelligence.	Diverse practical methods: dowsing, meditation, ritual, nature art, ecotherapy.

This table immediately highlights the lack of a strict terminological consensus. However, it also reveals clear evolutionary lines. The Theosophical model provides the grand, cosmic backdrop. Steiner provides the detailed, functional mechanics within the earthly sphere. Findhorn transforms the relationship into a conscious dialogue and provides the elegant architect/craftsman distinction. Subsequent thinkers then either elaborate on these models (Raven, Pogačnik), translate them into new practical or academic languages (Moore, Meacham), or radically reframe the relationship entirely (Helliwell’s internalization, Spangler’s parallel evolution).

4.2 Modes of Perception: From Gifted Seer to Embodied Partner

A clear line of evolution can be traced in the described methods for perceiving and interacting with these beings. This trajectory reflects a democratization of spiritual perception, moving from a rare gift to an innate human potential.

Specialized Clairvoyance: The journey begins with figures like Geoffrey Hodson, where the ability to see devas is a specialized faculty, a form of trained and disciplined clairvoyance available to a gifted few. Knowledge is transmitted from the seer to the public.
Meditative Dialogue: Dorothy Maclean and the Findhorn community mark the next stage. Here, connection is achieved through deep meditation and inner listening. It is not so much a visual “seeing” as a telepathic “hearing” or dialogue. Crucially, Maclean concludes this is an ability inherent in the human soul, accessible to dedicated practitioners, not just psychics.
Practical & Embodied Sensing: The contemporary wave of practitioners has focused on developing practical, earth-based methods. Alanna Moore’s “sensitive permaculture” uses dowsing to amplify the body’s own subtle senses. Marko Pogačnik uses art and landscape ritual to foster connection. Elizabeth Meacham’s “shamanic ecotherapy” provides a curriculum of practices to reawaken what she calls our inherent shamanic abilities to interact with the “intelligences and elemental energies of nature”. The focus shifts to embodied, sensory experience available to anyone willing to practice.
Direct, Conversational Encounter: Finally, authors like Tanis Helliwell describe relationships that are personal, direct, and conversational. The interaction is less a formal spiritual practice and more a natural communication between peers, particularly evident in her concept of dialoguing with one’s own “body elemental” for healing.

This evolution from a rare, specialized gift to an innate, embodied potential represents a significant shift in how the human-spirit relationship is conceived.

4.3 The Great Work: The Converging Purpose of Nature Intelligences and Humanity

Despite the vast differences in terminology, hierarchy, and perceived methods of contact, a powerful and undeniable consensus emerges when one considers the purpose of these beings and the desired nature of their relationship with humanity. Across nearly every author and school of thought, four key points of convergence can be identified:

They are the Formative Forces of Nature: Whether called devas, elementals, or nature spirits, there is universal agreement that these beings are the intelligent, energetic forces responsible for building, shaping, and maintaining the physical world. They are the architects of form and the agents of life’s processes.
They are Essential for Ecological Balance: All sources posit that these intelligences are fundamental to the health of the planet’s ecosystems. Their work is what allows nature to function harmoniously.
Their World and Ours are Deeply Interconnected: The idea of a strict separation between the spiritual and physical, or the human and natural, is rejected. The two worlds are seen as deeply interwoven and mutually dependent.
There is an Urgent Call for Conscious Collaboration: This is perhaps the most significant point of consensus. From Findhorn’s call for co-creation to Susan Raven’s plea for reconnection , from Elizabeth Clare Prophet’s mandate to assist the burdened elementals to David Spangler’s invitation to become “guardians” with the Siddhe , there is a consistent, urgent message: the future health of the planet and the positive evolution of humanity depend on moving from a state of ignorance and separation to one of conscious, respectful, and active partnership with the intelligences of nature. This call is almost always framed in the context of our current ecological crisis, presenting this spiritual partnership as a vital pathway to planetary healing.

Conclusion: A Tapestry of Views and an Evolving Consensus

In reviewing the collective work of these diverse esoteric authors, it becomes clear that a simple “yes” or “no” cannot answer the question of an overall consensus. If consensus is defined as a uniform, dogmatic agreement on terminology and cosmic hierarchy, then it plainly does not exist. The devic kingdom is mapped in myriad ways, its inhabitants given different names, roles, and even psychological profiles depending on the seer’s perceptual lens and philosophical framework.

However, if one looks beyond the surface contradictions, a more profound and significant consensus comes into focus. It is not a static consensus of fact, but a directional consensus of purpose. The views presented are not necessarily competing reports on a fixed, objective reality, but can be understood as snapshots of an evolving relationship, perceived through the filter of an evolving human consciousness.

The trajectory of thought over the past century reveals a clear and consistent movement. It begins with the Theosophical observation of a grand, separate, and distant spiritual kingdom. It evolves through the Anthroposophical understanding of an integrated but unconscious workforce. It revolutionizes with the Findhorn discovery of conscious, dialogical partnership. It diversifies into a multitude of practical, earth-based, and psychological applications. And it culminates in the radical propositions of an internalized, personal elemental architect within the human body and a collaborative kinship with parallel intelligences.

This is the heart of the consensus: a unified call to shift the fundamental paradigm of humanity’s relationship with the Earth. It is a call to move away from the materialistic view of nature as an inert resource to be exploited, and toward an understanding of the world as a living, intelligent, and sacred organism. The core message, repeated in different languages by every author surveyed, is that humanity must awaken to its role not as a dominator of nature, but as a conscious, respectful, and collaborative partner with the myriad intelligences that co-create our shared reality. The ultimate consensus is not on what they are called or how they are ranked, but on the urgent, planetary necessity of learning to work with them for our mutual survival and spiritual evolution. The journey from Hodson’s clairvoyant notebooks to Spangler’s collaboration with “cousins” is more than just a history of an esoteric idea; it is a map of a potential transformation in the human soul’s relationship to the living cosmos.

References

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Bloom, William. “The Kingdom Within: Devas and Angels.” Celebrating One Incredible Family. Accessed July 18, 2025.

Bloom, William. “What Is the Angel of Findhorn? An Enquiry by William Bloom.” Celebrating One Incredible Family, October 3, 2022.

The Findhorn Garden: Pioneering a New Vision of Humanity and Nature in Cooperation. By the Findhorn Community. New York: Harper & Row, 1975.

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Prophet, Elizabeth Clare. “Pearls of Wisdom, Vol. 23, No. 43.” Urantia Gaia, October 26, 1980.

Raven, Susan. Nature Spirits: The Remembrance: A Guide to the Elemental Kingdom. Forest Row, UK: Clairview Books, 2012.

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Spangler, David. “The Sidhe and the Guardian Exercise.” Quest Magazine, n.d. Accessed July 18, 2025.

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Wikipedia. “Deva (Theosophy).” Last modified May 28, 2025.

Wikipedia. “Geoffrey Hodson.” Last modified May 28, 2025.