IF OUR EYES were suddenly opened to enable us to see into the inner working of Nature, we would be lost in amazement and wonder.

Everywhere we would discover the forces active in Nature to be living beings, who take part eagerly and conscientiously in the coming into being and passing away in the vast realms of Nature.

If we could look more closely, we would also finally discover the archetypes of the garden gnomes of which approximate images, more or less well produced, adorn many gardens.

This glimpse behind the curtain of the beyond is of course possible only for such human beings as have the gift for it, thus who are clairvoyant. It is they who at some time or other have drawn the figures of the dwarfs or gnomes, and passed them on.

The little nature-beings, to whom the elves, as well as the water sprites, salamanders, sylphs, and so on belong, had already been active on earth long before man set foot upon it for the first time. Without their participation there would be no mountains, meadows, rivers, lakes and seas.

The whole of Nature is animated by these faithful servants of God, who carry out His Will and Commandments most accurately in all things.

Since they swing selflessly in the Will of God they can neither be malicious nor do wrong. Only men have imputed such things to them. All over the earth, from ancient and also more recent times, there are many traditions about the nature-beings. They are mentioned in the Bible, for example in the Gospel of Mark (4, 35-41), where it says: “And Jesus arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."

This simple, biblical description expresses nothing other than that Jesus spoke to those nature-beings who are active in the elements of air and water.

Of Paracelsus, the famous physician and student of Nature in the Middle Ages, tradition has it that even as a boy he was able to see the little nature-beings at work in the lead mine at Karnten. His father attended the miners there as a doctor.

The gnomes shared with him much knowledge of their activity, explaining the mysterious forces in flowers, metals, and minerals, and how they are to be used for health and for the healing of illnesses. Later Paracelsus published a pamphlet on his experience with the water, earth, fire, and air beings.

The people of former times saw and heard these beings much more often than is the case today. It was a blessed working together, a joyful giving and receiving in helping and supporting love.

But for a long time now, with few exceptions, men have through their ever increasing materialistic attitude lost the connection with the helpers in the beyond. They were finally banished by men to the realm of fairy tales and fables.

Their real forms were rendered ever less true to nature, and the already existing knowledge of their activity became superficial and merged into fantastic stories, which hardly correspond any longer to reality.

Last but not least, during certain times the knowledge of the nature-beings was forcibly suppressed as heresy.

Nevertheless the nature-beings still exist even today, in full activity. They direct and guide, tend and protect, foster and nourish, form and unite. On the astral plane they create wonderful prototypes and models for the gross matter of this earth.

Or they take part in the great flights of migratory birds, which contain so much that is mysterious to men, in which sun, stars and magnetic fields are indeed outwardly important; but behind it stand the animistic servants, controlling and helping.

They also warn of coming natural events, to which warnings animals are particularly sensitive. This, however, has nothing to do with either instinct or a sixth sense, but the animals simply see the nature-beings and recognize their warnings, because owing to their related species they are more receptive to them than men.

Animals then pass on the warnings to men through conspicuous behavior, and in this way the lives of many have already been saved.

In the Book of Numbers (22, 21-35) such a vision is described very expressively. The ass on which the Prophet Balaam was riding suddenly saw before it a higher being, an angel of the Lord holding a naked sword in his hand, and refused to go any further.

At first Balaam did not see the angel and struck the resisting ass three times, until his eyes were opened. Then he could also see the angel and recognize that he himself was about to do something wrong.

In their activity the nature-beings work with rays, which they bind, combine, lead towards and direct away from, and which so to speak are their instruments. Thus the little master-builders are also active in the coming into being of matter from atoms.

It will be a blessed and peaceful time when men are again able to take up the connection with the small and great beings of Nature. Clairvoyance is not absolutely necessary for this. It is enough if the human spirits through constant, genuine effort awaken in themselves the ability to discern, and in their inner perception try to draw near to these beings.

Trust and a pure heart are what is needed for this. He who only wants to satisfy his curiosity or stimulate his imagination will find no connection.

But the servants of God still mourn over the human spirits who like to know everything better, whose arrogance and derision have already had to become silent in connection with many other intangible things, when that which previously could not be seen was in the meantime suddenly made visible through instruments that had been refined.

Certainly there are still people today who are able to see the nature-beings. But for the most part they remain silent about it and keep their experiences to themselves, unless for once they meet people who are open for it, to whom their knowledge is of spiritual benefit. –

According to these explanations it is surely not so far-fetched to regard the sculptures of fairies and garden gnomes as symbols of the actually existing little nature-beings, who also help human beings in manifold ways. But should the plaster fairies and gnomes be an inducement to concern ourselves more closely with the lovable living beings, then even they would fulfill a task not hitherto intended for them.

For it is remarkable how the use of these artificial fairies and garden gnomes has become so widespread in many countries. Perhaps this is also an indication of the fact that the beings of Nature are still quite strongly anchored in popular belief. But out of such belief, with an earnest volition, a knowledge of the realm of Nature in its full vitality can one day grow again.

For Nature is nothing other than the natural unfolding of the activity of the animistic servants. But for man, Nature with all its animistic working is an indispensable step in his spiritual development on earth. The more he is linked with Nature, the sooner is he able to begin his spiritual ascent.