Sacred Communication/Sacred Journey 2020

Walking to the river, the breeze picked up and pushed against my face. Nearby, flowers feeling of cotton gently rests on the earth. Several magnolia trees sit beside me, each with waxy evergreen leaves. The trees carry fruits, each with peculiar red seeds. We advance to the statue. The words on the side read “Collis Potter Huntington. 1821-1900. Founder of the shipyard”. Atop the statue stands a man taming a horse, which can be portrayed as man taming nature- a perfect theme for this park touched by man. At the bottom of the statue are sitting men, each appearing to pay tribute to the shipyard. Next is the Noland trail itself, which is far newer than the park. At the opening into the woods, a dying tree remains. Its walnuts have fallen to the dirt, signifying how we are all temporary and will eventually fall as well. The crown of the tree is deadwood, reminding me of how our hair will be one of the first indications of aging. Deeper into the woods are wild cherry trees. Dr. Redick tell...

  Today we met and had class at the Lion’s Bridge and on the Noland Trail. After some instruction from Dr. Redick we were let go to interact with the setting around us. Although I did not have a lot of time to spend out there because I had a class right afterwards I tried to slowly make my way back to my car and interact with the different elements of the woods, water and trail around me.  As soon as I began walking back the first thing I was noticing was the trees and how many different kinds they are and how different each one was. Some had very smooth bark while some had large bulky sections that fit together like a giant puzzle. Some had vines running up them and some had the marks from where vines used to be as Dr. Redick pointed out to us. The diversity of the trees was reflective of people and the stories of their lives that they possess just as the trees have their own stories. Some trees lay face down in the water as they have fallen off the bank. Their life seems...

Walking in the woods, with the trees, the creatures big and small, and the vibrant colored foliage. Wondering aimlessly, breathing in the crisp cool fall air, letting it fill your lungs fully so they can feel anew, fresh, and pure with the sweet wilderness air; listening to the slow and steady crash of waves along the rocks, you know the water is breathing in and out with you. A bird passes overhead, its head pointed straight, wings flapping calming and gracefully, its legs behind and toes pointed, like a beautiful majestic ballerina of the sky, so lovely and effortless looking. Moving along the cleanly blazed trail, a tree knows you're coming and waves hello, the leaves swaying back and forth, welcoming you home.  Carefully choosing my steps along the trail, walking over sticks and past fallen trees. Stopping at a log that obstructs the path, there is a long line of ants. They were here first, do you yield to them and wait for them to cross, or do you step on them like they do not...

 Lane talks about "the intersubjective relation between humans and the more than human world". That is exactly what we did today on our walk from the Lions bridge and around the Noland Trail. The "more than human world" like the trees, grass, bugs, etc. obviously couldn't communicate to us like we do other humans but if we truly stop and listen they do communicate to us in other ways. All we have to do is use our senses and we'll begin to understand more than we thought. For example the tree we examined  before entering the trail, doctor Redick asked us what we noticed about the tree. Some talked about the color of the leaves, or the straggly branches, one thing I notices was the tree looked like it was partially dying or suffering. Although the tree couldn't verbally communicate that to me, just by looking at the tree I could gather that information. I could gather that it was still somewhat alive cause of the color leaves it could still contribute but ...

            When we started this class and began talking about sacred place and the kind of spiritual feelings that it can lead to there was one specific experience that it made me think of. Surfing. When I go surfing although I am not great at it this is where I feel a connection with something greater than me. I feel a similar feeling as to what Dr. Redick defines as flow and I leave behind all kinds of earthly thoughts and worries and I am at peace. As a result of these feelings and the definitions of sacred place we have discussed I felt it would be appropriate to compare surfing (although it’s not a particular place), to the axioms of sacred place as defined by Belden C. Lane in his book Landscapes of the Sacred.  The first axiom that he talks about is that sacred place is not chosen, it chooses. I felt as though this definitely applied to surfing because although I choose to surf and I often anticipate this feeling, I never actively chose to...

In Belden C. Lane's, Landscapes of the Sacred, he talks about the rules, or axioms, that guide one to spirituality and the understanding of sacred space. There are four of these axioms: 1. Sacred place is not chosen; it chooses, 2. Sacred place is an ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary, 3. Sacred place can be tred upon without being entered, and 4. The impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal. These axioms work together to understand and know sacred places; however, the first axiom is very special. As humans, we often find things or want things and take ownership or claim them for ourselves. A sacred place can not be sought after, like the nicest cars or biggest houses; on the contrary, a sacred place is about where one is, physically yes, but more so spiritually. Dipping into axiom three, one can be in a place physically yet simultaneously absent from it. Therefore, we understand the greater importance of spirituality and mental well...

     I am not one to read fiction books, but after reading countless books about self-improvement and getting things done, I decided I needed a break. I picked up a dusty book I got as a gift two years ago titled, "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry", and yes I know, it is a very long title. This book has been one of my favorites that I have read so far. It is an innocent book about a grandmother, Granny, and a grand-daughter, Elsa, and a make-believe place they travel to every night, the Land-of-Almost-Awake. There are many kingdoms in this Land-of-Almost-Awake, but Granny and Elsa's favorite was the kingdom of Miamas. This book has many intricate parts to it, and the only way to understand is to read it for yourself. This is an innocent book, however, when reading slowly, you can see some heavy issues addressed.       The first of these is when Granny says, "death's greatest power is not that it can make people die, but that it can make ...