“The surface of a lake does not show the lake itself but the sky.
This world, the world of humans, is a reflection of the Sky World. Since everything in the Sky World is invested with consciousness—is, in a sense, a person—so too are all the things on earth. A tree is a kind of "person," as is a rock, a lizard, a meteor, a corn beetle, the yarrow root, the sun, a snake. Thunder is a person and ice is a person. You can speak to all of these, whisper hot prayers or encouragements, and they will hear. It is possible, furthermore, for a "person" to change from one form to another, or to have his or her form changed: root to snake, rock to moon, flower to woman, child to mouse, man to tree stump. Certain objects are special; they can transform themselves or work the effect on others. These are aaskouandy: charms. A snake bone, a twist of husk or hair, the castor sac of a beaver, a claw, a black stone found glistening in a deer's stomach. What we see before us does not remain as it is, but shifts. This is reality. These things happen here in the world.”
-Seneca traditional world view as described in Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom by Russell Shorto