Through the power of rituals, inanimate objects can be understood to transform into agents who can see, hear, taste and respond to the concerns of those who worship them.
Coral reefs in the waters of Tatawa Besar, a popular dive site near Komodo Island in Indonesia, photographed in 2009.
AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, Fil
Many Hindus, Buddhists and people who follow the shamanic religion of Bon undertake a pilgrimage each year to northern Nepal to look for Shaligrams, believed to be a manifestation of Lord Vishnu.
The natural world is an important part of Pagan practice.
Louise OLIGNY/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Practitioners of Pagan religions no longer need to go into a forest to find an object for their altars. Commercialization means that sacred objects are available online.