To be an animist is to understand that the world is full of persons, only some of whom are human. In the American West, contemporary herbalists are developing relationships with plants they understand as conscious, communicative beings—not simply as medicinal resources to be extracted. This practice represents a form of vernacular religion, where knowledge emerges through direct relationship with plant persons rather than textual authority or formal training. Join folklore master’s student Susannah Keate for a discussion about being in relationship to humans, the earth, animals, and our other-than-human kin in a way that encourages respect and reciprocity.

Susannah Keate is making a career transition from tech to folklore studies, bringing her background in taxonomy and information architecture to questions about how people relate to the more-than-human world. She is a Folklore master’s student at Utah State University where she researches vernacular spiritual relationships in the American Mountain West. Since 2021, she has been involved with the Harvard Divinity School Program for Evolutionary Spiritualites working groups, engaging with scholars exploring religion, ecology, and ethics. Drawing on theories of vernacular religion and new animism, she explores what these practices reveal about alternative epistemologies and the ethical dimensions of human and more-than-human relationships.

Meet in person at CVUU or online through Zoom on Sunday at 10:00 AM.