animist
Believes everything's souled
An animist believes that natural objects, phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls or spiritual essence.
The belief system—animism—holds that rivers, mountains, animals, and plants have inner spiritual life, not just humans.
Animist traditions are found worldwide, particularly among indigenous cultures: The animist shrine honored the spirit of the river.
Indigenous spiritual healer
- medicine manTraditional indigenous healer
- healerOne who restores health
- curanderoLatin American folk healer
- divinerOne who foretells events
oracle · elder · priest · priestess · witch doctor · spirit medium · kahuna
Soul, mood, or liquor
- soulInnermost animating essence
- consciousnessState of sentient awareness
- life forceAnimating vital energy
- essenceFundamental nature of something
ancestor · nature spirit · tree spirit · river spirit · mountain spirit · sacred · sentient · supernatural
Spiritual clan symbol
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- nature spiritSupernatural being of wilderness
- guardian spiritProtective supernatural being
- spirit guideSupernatural personal protector
ghost · shade · genius loci · kami · loa · orisha · djinn · dryad
Ceremonial set of actions
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- offeringSomething presented or given
- prayerAddress to deity
- incantationSpoken magical formula
divination · trance · vision quest · spirit journey · drumming · sacred dance · sweat lodge · libation
Belief in multiple deities
- pantheismReality itself is holy
- paganismNon-monotheistic religious practice
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- totemismBelief linking clans to symbols
fetishism · spiritualism · mysticism · mythology · cosmology · worldview · tradition · nature worship
Originating in a region
- tribalOf a clan
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- AfricanOf that southern continent
- Native AmericanOriginal inhabitants of America
Aboriginal · Maori · Shinto · Amazonian · Siberian · Polynesian · Andean · Southeast Asian
shaman
Indigenous spiritual healer
- medicine manTraditional indigenous healer
- healerOne who restores health
- curanderoLatin American folk healer
diviner · oracle · elder · priest · priestess · witch doctor · spirit medium · kahuna
spirit
Soul, mood, or liquor
- soulInnermost animating essence
- consciousnessState of sentient awareness
- life forceAnimating vital energy
essence · ancestor · nature spirit · tree spirit · river spirit · mountain spirit · sacred · sentient · supernatural · metaphysical
totem
Spiritual clan symbol
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- nature spiritSupernatural being of wilderness
- guardian spiritProtective supernatural being
spirit guide · ghost · shade · genius loci · kami · loa · orisha · djinn · dryad · nymph
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
incantation · divination · trance · vision quest · spirit journey · drumming · sacred dance · sweat lodge · libation · sacrifice
polytheism
Belief in multiple deities
- pantheismReality itself is holy
- paganismNon-monotheistic religious practice
- shamanismMediation between worlds
totemism · fetishism · spiritualism · mysticism · mythology · cosmology · worldview · tradition · nature worship · ancestor worship
indigenous
Originating in a region
- tribalOf a clan
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- AfricanOf that southern continent
Native American · Aboriginal · Maori · Shinto · Amazonian · Siberian · Polynesian · Andean · Southeast Asian · Arctic
- believersbeliever, believers, adherent, devotee, theist
- occultistswitches, wizards, sorcerers, sorceresses, warlocks
- shamanismshamans, shaman, spirit guide, medicine man, medicine woman
- Animismancestors, totems, spirit mediums, forest spirits, earth spirits
- FaithsChristians, Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews
- holy peoplesaint, saints, prophet, holy men, martyr
animistmaterialist
Values physical over spiritual
mechanist · reductionist · naturalist · rationalist · secularist
animistmonotheist
One-god believer
atheist · agnostic · deist · Abrahamic · secularist