Pan of Barrington

Nature spirits are all around us – including in your own yard! This complex Pan territorial marker exists in an old willow tree on my sister-in-law’s property in Barrington Hills, Illinois.

Pans are one of the over-lighting life forms of the nature world. Half man and half goat, and master of the flute, Pans are known to have a lusty personality and to drink deeply of life. If you have a Pan in your yard or on your property, it indicates that place is headquarters for the nature spirits of that area. Pans are very inclusive, forgiving yet demanding of abiding by natural laws.

My brother and his family have a very generous and noble energy and there is a Pan in residence at their various properties. I have encountered the Pan who resides on their property in New Hampshire. This was when I first started working with nature spirits and I did not yet know their ways. The Pan scolded me for my improper behavior towards a community of moss fairies I had been introduced to by my friend gnome.

The Pan shown here has his headquarters down by a labyrinth and stream that flows through this gentle property. This large mature willow tree marks this Pan’s home, from which he oversees the natural comings and goings of the area.

The Pan has a very full head of hair, a beard and horns. Seen inside him are images of his lieutenants – a gnome and a greenman.

There is a skull at Pan’s third eye, descending from the greenman. The skull indicates stripping away the trappings of the world to focus on the basic templates of life. Even in a lush, prosperous area, who we are as people is what matters – our compassion and our core values that form our actions. 

These images are complex and overlap, which is very typical of nature spirit art. Part of one figure can be a different part of another. I have roughly diagrammed their outline. That’s thanks to my niece, Carrie, who suggested this would help folks see what I see. These are my initial attempts at using a Wacom tablet, so the images are a bit rough…but you get the idea.

Pan Diagram

Skull and Pan

Greenman and Pan