First of all, the things I’m about to say don’t come from any book I’ve ever been able to find; they are just things that I know and feel deep within me – my heart, my cells, my very bones; they are a deep truth for me. They are also things I’ve experienced to a very deep level in my interactions with this sweet Earth. But you won’t find them in any reference book. I cannot qualify what I’m saying with any proven scientific document, although science is beginning to open up to these possibilities.
So I just ask you, as you are reading, to check in with yourself, with your heart, your gut, your own intuitive nature, and feel what rings true for you - what resonates, and what doesn’t. Many of you may already be well aware of all these things and have had many experiences of your own.
Take what feels good to you to chew on and slowly digest, and let the rest go. I am only here as a guide, sharing my own unique truths, stories, and experiences, but when it comes down to it, we are each responsible for our own discernment and our own journey. We are all empowered beings, all ultimately self-referencing, and for that reason we must always listen to our own inner guidance first.
With that being said…
So I just ask you, as you are reading, to check in with yourself, with your heart, your gut, your own intuitive nature, and feel what rings true for you - what resonates, and what doesn’t. Many of you may already be well aware of all these things and have had many experiences of your own.
Take what feels good to you to chew on and slowly digest, and let the rest go. I am only here as a guide, sharing my own unique truths, stories, and experiences, but when it comes down to it, we are each responsible for our own discernment and our own journey. We are all empowered beings, all ultimately self-referencing, and for that reason we must always listen to our own inner guidance first.
With that being said…
Mt. Edith Cavell, Jasper National Park
All parts of our sweet Mother Earth are sacred, but some sites, because of their unique physical situation, their alignment with star maps, ley lines, and landscape features, some sites are more powerful than others. Some carry far greater energy, and therefore provide a greater access to the Higher Realms, than others.
In a way, these places – call them power spots, energy vortices, or sacred sites – are like humans. Each
site carries a unique frequency, a particular energy signature and vibration that is different from all others. This energetic field is often described as the “spirit of place” and indeed, each sacred site has its very own unique spirit of place that is very much conscious and can be interacted with. It is not only a portal or a gateway - it is also a Teacher.
Our ancient ancestors were well aware of this and often used these areas for ceremonies, vision quests, and places of initiation. First Nations, Native Americans, and the indigenous peoples of the world had, and still have, great reverence for these areas, generally making an offering and asking for permission before entering a site.
When we are able to step into a sacred site with reverence, love, and focused intent, magic happens. The land opens up and speaks to us in so many different ways – through subtle changes in temperature, wind direction, birds and animals showing up.
In a way, these places – call them power spots, energy vortices, or sacred sites – are like humans. Each
site carries a unique frequency, a particular energy signature and vibration that is different from all others. This energetic field is often described as the “spirit of place” and indeed, each sacred site has its very own unique spirit of place that is very much conscious and can be interacted with. It is not only a portal or a gateway - it is also a Teacher.
Our ancient ancestors were well aware of this and often used these areas for ceremonies, vision quests, and places of initiation. First Nations, Native Americans, and the indigenous peoples of the world had, and still have, great reverence for these areas, generally making an offering and asking for permission before entering a site.
When we are able to step into a sacred site with reverence, love, and focused intent, magic happens. The land opens up and speaks to us in so many different ways – through subtle changes in temperature, wind direction, birds and animals showing up.
Swan Lake, Victoria BC
A beautiful energy exchange takes place – one of sacred reciprocity, or Ayni as they say in Q’echua: what we give, we receive. Just as we humans feed the plant realm with our outbreath of carbon dioxide, the plants feed us oxygen through their outbreath in perfect symbiosis. Their outbreath is our inbreath and their inbreath is our outbreath; it is all set up so perfectly! When we give our love, gratitude, deep reverence, and absolute presence to a sacred place in this way – through our intention, breath, voice, and blessing, it not only returns to us a thousandfold, it returns to us infused with the encoded light "signature" of that specific place. In other words, it imprints us with a unique mandala of light that no other place on Earth has.
Takakkaw Falls, Yoho National Park
When we engage in this exchange, we help each other evolve. Human beings are bridges not only because we are conscious, but because we’re able to direct our own loving heart energy through our intent. When we feed our love and attention to something, we allow for it (stone, plant, fish, bird, animal, place) to become more conscious, to “individuate” from the collective soul into an individual soul with its own “personality”, and therefore to evolve as a unique being. In turn, it refines that love energy even further and feeds it back to us in a much higher resonance of light. This beautiful, symbiotic feedback loop continues as we refine this energy further each time we pass it along.
One of the most powerful ways we can engage in this kind of reciprocal exchange is through Sacred Ceremony. In ceremony, we have the opportunity to set all of our every-day routines, priorities, and distractions aside and “step out of time” for a few hours, days, or moments. When we step out of time, we step out of our perceived limitations into a reality where anything is possible.
How do we step out of time? By opening Sacred Space.
One of the most powerful ways we can engage in this kind of reciprocal exchange is through Sacred Ceremony. In ceremony, we have the opportunity to set all of our every-day routines, priorities, and distractions aside and “step out of time” for a few hours, days, or moments. When we step out of time, we step out of our perceived limitations into a reality where anything is possible.
How do we step out of time? By opening Sacred Space.
Independence Pass, Colorado
Sacred Space is a safe container where we may do our ceremonial work – it’s like an invisible sphere of vivid clarity that we quite literally “build” with our focus, love, and intention. The basic building blocks of this space are the 5 elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Ether) as well as the 6 directions (South, West, North, East, Below, and Above) - all of the essential energies comprising Mother Earth. The 7th direction is the center itself, the Heart. The heart is the central pillar, anchor, and circumference of any true sacred space. And it is also all of the space in between!
For this reason, we always begin by feeling into our deepest love and gratitude and opening our hearts widely. Then we literally “call in” the spirits of each of the 4 cardinal directions as well as Mother Earth and Father Sky. We also call our own guiding spirits, angels, and animals to come and hold space with us. And, we invite the Spirit of Place to join with us, the Mountain Spirits, as well as the Ancestors of the land to come and guide us in our work.
Once we are within Sacred Space, our ceremony can take place. There are many different kinds of ceremonies, but when working with sacred sites, the ones I practice most are blessing ceremonies for our sweet Mother Earth. We feed our highest love and gratitude into each and every ingredient as we co-create a "gift" to be dispatched into the land itself, through the waters, or released through a fire ceremony. In the Andes, this is called a "Despacho" and it is a beautiful way to honour this conscious, living planet we call home.
For this reason, we always begin by feeling into our deepest love and gratitude and opening our hearts widely. Then we literally “call in” the spirits of each of the 4 cardinal directions as well as Mother Earth and Father Sky. We also call our own guiding spirits, angels, and animals to come and hold space with us. And, we invite the Spirit of Place to join with us, the Mountain Spirits, as well as the Ancestors of the land to come and guide us in our work.
Once we are within Sacred Space, our ceremony can take place. There are many different kinds of ceremonies, but when working with sacred sites, the ones I practice most are blessing ceremonies for our sweet Mother Earth. We feed our highest love and gratitude into each and every ingredient as we co-create a "gift" to be dispatched into the land itself, through the waters, or released through a fire ceremony. In the Andes, this is called a "Despacho" and it is a beautiful way to honour this conscious, living planet we call home.
Despacho Ceremony
But it is not the only one. A blessing ceremony can be as elaborate as a Despacho, or it can be as simple as a breath, a song, or a flower on the water. It's whatever our hearts guide us to do when we are in this space. Each site is unique, and each will call for something entirely different.
Flower Blessing
Children are natural ceremonialists and so are all humans; we are just starting to remember. With all that is happening in the world right now, we are being called back to our indigenous roots, the earth, the seasons, the sun and moon cycles, the rhythm and pulse of nature, our Great Mama’s heartbeat.
Ceremony is one of the deepest and most potent ways we can connect with our Divine Mother and Father, with the higher realms and the deepest depths, and anchor the new vibrations. Powerful energies are available to us for the first time in millennia, pouring in through the center of our galaxy and the heart of our Sun! But these energies are nothing to us (in fact, they can seem quite chaotic) unless we consciously take them into our own bodies and ground them deeply into Mother Earth. Some say that one day the whole earth will be one fully-integrated sacred site, but for now we still have a bit of work to do.
When we do ceremony at sacred sites, the love and gratitude we emanate is amplified to colossal proportions and we send those great ripples out to the whole world. We can try to imagine it, but we really have no idea how much of an impact we can have when we join together in this way.
Ceremony is one of the deepest and most potent ways we can connect with our Divine Mother and Father, with the higher realms and the deepest depths, and anchor the new vibrations. Powerful energies are available to us for the first time in millennia, pouring in through the center of our galaxy and the heart of our Sun! But these energies are nothing to us (in fact, they can seem quite chaotic) unless we consciously take them into our own bodies and ground them deeply into Mother Earth. Some say that one day the whole earth will be one fully-integrated sacred site, but for now we still have a bit of work to do.
When we do ceremony at sacred sites, the love and gratitude we emanate is amplified to colossal proportions and we send those great ripples out to the whole world. We can try to imagine it, but we really have no idea how much of an impact we can have when we join together in this way.
We do ceremony without any attachment to outcome. As humans, we do our best to bring all of the elements together, but at the end of the day we leave the results, if any, to Great Spirit. When we are able to detach from any particular outcome, we step far beyond our own limiting beliefs and into a place where anything can happen – including miracles! We may think we know what is best, but in the grand scheme of things, we do not. When we offer up our expectations as well as our blessings, we align our personal will with that of Divine Will, allowing for Spirit to completely take over.
Harpoon Rock, Victoria BC
We carry with us the unique energy patterns of each and every sacred site we have ever visited. In turn, each sacred site we visit carries ours thereafter, becoming brighter and more intricate with every new pilgrim’s presence. And ceremony amplifies this process.
A magical way of picturing it is to see ourselves as hummingbirds and each site as a flower. As we stop to drink the sweet nectar of a sacred place, we are simultaneously pollinating it with our own energy as well as the light patterns of every other sacred site we’ve ever been to.
A magical way of picturing it is to see ourselves as hummingbirds and each site as a flower. As we stop to drink the sweet nectar of a sacred place, we are simultaneously pollinating it with our own energy as well as the light patterns of every other sacred site we’ve ever been to.
Just think of it! This potent, luminous, effervescing pollen goes with us everywhere we go, further enhanced by each connection we make, nourishing every being we meet and every place we stop at, including our own sweet and sacred homes.
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