Sacred Spaces

Do you ever see a part of a quote that makes you want to delve deeper?? Yesterday, I was perusing the facebook group Ancient Stone Bothering when I came across the words “To encounter the sacred is to be alive at the deepest center of human existence.” Wow! Goosebumps! So of course I had to explore further!! The quote is from N. Scott Momaday and finishes “Sacred places are the truest definitions of the earth; they stand for the earth immediately and forever; they are its flags and shields. If you would know the earth for what it really is, learn it through its sacred places.” But why is it that we do feel so alive when we visit these places? For some it is a means of communication with their gods. For others, they feel they are blessed by being in a place of divine power, and for some it is simply a visible icon of the world. By honouring these sacred places, we help maintain centuries of culture as well as connection to the land and our ancestors. They provide a physical foundation for the songs and stories of creation. They are the threads that connect each new generation to their ancestors, giving them heritage and identity. So next time you come across a circle of stones, or a chambered cairn, a certain building or long barrow, a memorial, an ancient church or hilltop temple, or even a random standing stone, please remember that these sacred places are only to be honoured, respected and valued so that we may continue to sing our songs and tell our stories for generations to come 🐉💚