Landscapes of the Sacred Pt. 1


The Clearing in the Woods

10/16/19

Beldon C. Lane tells the story of his experience with the 4 axioms in the wilderness called The Clearing in the Woods. He was traveling home to his cabin in the wilderness when he passed by an unpaved path in the forest. Lane was immediately drawn to the path. He didn't feel like he was intruding into the place, but the place invited him in. This was the first axiom of a sacred place.This was the first time Lane had noticed this path before. As he entered the hidden body of water, Lane felt a sense of peace. To some, it was a random lake in the forest, but to Lane, it was an escape from reality. This relates to the second axiom because this spot in the woods would be ordinary for most people, but it was extraordinary for Lane. It took Lane minutes of silence and reflection before the area of the woods was revealed to him. The 'silence' was the ritual experience the made the place so extraordinary. The third and fourth axiom in Lane's story correlate to bring Lane' story to a close. He would constantly tred the trail,l but his finding of the hidden spot allowed Lane to be entered into the sacred place. The fourth axiom ties in Lane's local and universal self. He has two separate experiences: His personal life set aside in his office, and his universal outside one which he experiences outside in the wilderness. All 4 axioms unite together in Lane's story to connect what the characteristics of a sacred place are. It's a storied place that can have a deep impact in someone's life. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Madison Heath- Kiyomizudera Temple, Japan

Image
I chose to write about the Kiyomizudera Temple, which means "pure water temple." It was founded in 780 on the Otowa waterfall, located in eastern Kyoto. The temple is famous for its large wooden terrace that has numerous amounts of trees for visitors to see whilst there. The main hall of the temple is home to a small statue of Kannon. Behind the main hall is a shrine of Jishu, which is dedicated to love. In front of Jishu is two stones that are placed 18 meters apart. It is known that if you can find your way from one stone to the other with your eyes closed, that you will have good luck in finding love. As I mentioned earlier, the Otowa waterfall is located at the base of the main hall. Visitors use cups connected to long poles to drink from each of the three separate streams of the waterfall. It is also known that each different stream has a different benefit to it. One to cause longevity, one to have success at school, and one for a fortunate love life. Another stru...
Read more

Ásatrú Temple in Iceland

Image
The Ásatrú Temple is a sacred sanctuary in Reykjavik, Iceland for the  Ásatrúarfélagið  religion. It was the first Pagan Temple and it was the central hub for the religion before the use stopped in 999 A.D. when  Ásatrúarfélagið  was suppressed by Christianity.  The religion is a Neopagan spiritual organization that worships Nordic gods (including Odin (lead god), Thor, Frigg, and Baldur). It was brought back in the 1970's, and now architect  Magnús Jensson is rebuilding it, which should be done by the end of 2019 . He is recreating the temple on a hill with the three sacred rocks that represent to the life and powers of Odin. Jensson made sure to align a dome with astronomical events due to the importance in the religion. Rituals in  Ásatrúarfélagið  religion are refered to as " blóts", and an important one has already occured inside the temple (thanking mother nature for the wood used to construct the Temple). It is also an inclusiv...
Read more

Revisiting Government Island

Image
Our class visit to the Noland Trail brought back memories of a trail I used to visit often in my childhood. Over thanksgiving break, my sister and I decided to take a break from technology and drive 20 minutes down the road to revisit the trail we used to walk on with family. This trail is called "Government Island" and is located in my hometown of Stafford, VA. The trail dates back to the time of the founding fathers and is said to be a place where limestone was confiscated to build the White House and other buildings in Washington D.C. Revisiting the trail brought back so many memories of jogging with my mom on weekends and bonding with my family. The flooding of nostalgia that I experienced felt similar to the spiritual feeling that sacred places evoke. Taking this trip with my sister has reminded me to cherish the time that I have with my family and appreciate nature trails with the information I have learned from class.
Read more