Storms often get framed as the tempers of sky-spirits finally unleashed. In many West African traditions, lightning answers the call of thunder deities settling disputes among themselves. When fierce gusts lash the coast, it’s seen as a wind-spirit blowing off steam—sometimes even a warning that human behavior has upset the balance. Folklore from the Pacific islands speaks of sky-brothers who hurl rain toward Earth in playful jests or stern rebukes, depending on how well offerings have been made.

Earthquakes tend to be blamed on subterranean guardians stirring in their slumber. In parts of Japan, Shinto lore imagines a giant catfish, Namazu, thrashing below ground; its thrumming tail causes the earth to quake whenever social order is neglected. Across the Andes, tales describe mountain spirits—apu—shifting stones to remind people that the land is alive and demands respect. Modern tremors in places like California can still draw on these age-old narratives, offering communities a way to feel connected to the land beneath their feet, rather than helpless before science’s cold statistics.

Droughts get viewed as the tears or hold-outs of water-spirits annoyed by overuse or the corruption of sacred springs. Amazonian shamans might say that ancestral river guardians have retreated upstream, sulking because their groves were felled for cattle ranches. When Lake Turkana’s levels dropped sharply in recent years, local Turkana people wove new rain-calling dances, insisting that water’s spirit had merely moved on in search of better hospitality.

Across the globe, these explanations share a common thread: nature isn’t a backdrop but a living community of spiritual beings. Rituals, offerings, songs and dances become ways to mend relationships rather than commands to control weather. In an age where hurricanes look set to intensify—just ask anyone tracking the 2024 Atlantic season—that outlook feels surprisingly relevant. Treating storms, quakes and droughts as conversations with the land invites a touch of humility, reminding everyone that Earth isn’t just a resource but a neighbor.