The Relations are the physical animals and plants that co-habit this planet with humanity. Everything that lives and moves is our family, as many indigenous and pre-modern cultures have believed, from the smallest microbes to the blue whale and sequoias, and yes, even the 2.2k acre Armillaria ostoyae. Recognition that humanity is not the only important inhabitant is vital in this age of climate change, mass extinction and ecological destruction.

This portion of the cosmology is the one that is most affected by the unique and individual bioregions of each practitioner. Some animals and plants are found in almost every possible biome. Some are limited to only one. Each practitioner should work on forming relationships with the Relations that actually live in their “backyard” so to speak, rather than on Relations that, while beautiful or powerful or poignant, will never have an impact on their surroundings. This is not to say that, for example, one shouldn’t care about massive habitat destruction or species extinction in other parts of the world – far from it. The point is that relationship and right-living should begin at home – focus first on Self, then Family (human and non), Community (again, human and non), Region, and then World. Your ability to change the next sphere relies on solid work and development of the previous and current.