Sacred Communication/Sacred Journey 2020

 Sleeping Under the... Clouds Simon Robson     Today is my first day back from Thanksgiving break. In such an odd and difficult year and semester it was extremely nice to get a small break and to see my family and friends. Recently I have felt so trapped within the large structures of campus and have had a hard time breaking away any part of my life besides my daily functions and school work. That is one of the reasons why when my older brother asked me if I would want to go hiking on Friday night I did not hesitate a second. We asked a few other people to come along with us but many of them were too afraid of the cold, so it ended up being only my older brother, his girlfriend, and me.      We did not need to prepare much for the trip because it was only about a 45 minute hike to the campsite and it wasn't very far from our houses. We brought small tents, sleeping bags, extra clothes, bug spray, fire starting tools, hot dogs, and what I would consider to b...

       Although it has been a few weeks since the class excursion to the Noland Trail, I keep thinking of the spot on the trail where we have to climb a hill to look over Lake Maury. That particular day the Virginia clay sharply contrasted the gray sky and drew attention to the Virginia Pines sitting on top of the hill. They stood tall and served as a barrier: one to provide separation between the trail and the lake. The green of the pine made the normal green of the lake more similar to a dark blue. The pine trees held my attention and made me acutely aware of my position in space and time. I was present with the pine trees on the hill overlooking the lake.      While I have ran that trail many times before, that particular day I was specifically drawn to this spot on the trail. I think it has to do with the particular wisdom that pine trees hold. While other deciduous trees shed their leaves and sleep every year, the pine tree stands tall and witn...

  We were only able to visit one place during the semester, so I chose to revisit that place to experience the natural setting again. To make this trip different from our class visit to the Lion’s Bridge and the Noland Trail, I chose to run rather than walk. This morning, I decided to run a segment of the Noland Trail during my six-mile run. I began the run by listening to Bryson Tiller. Once I got onto the trail though, I took my headphones out and focused on the nature around me. I did not experience flow as much as I would’ve liked due to my conscious and active reflection on my surroundings, but it was a great experience nonetheless because of my connection with nature. There were birds chirping, and at one point a few of them crossed the trail in front of me.  After seeing that, I began to run faster, hoping to see more fascinating events. Due to this, I ran a 6:07 mile as I crossed the Lion’s Bridge. It was quite cold, but it gave me something to reflect upon. While my e...

  A sacred journey can be described as an adventure providing an emotional experience that allows for a connection with the “Ultimate Other”. While running up Reddish Knob, I felt connected to the “Ultimate Other”, which for me was an ultimate order rather than a divine figure. Once every year from 2016-2019, I ran anywhere between 3-5 miles up Reddish Knob, a mountain in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This was just one of many places that we ran at during Blue Ridge Running Camp, but no other place I ran at provided me with the incredible connection to my surroundings as much as Reddish Knob. Especially at the top of the mountain overlooking the trees, I felt that I was in a sacred place due to the undisturbed nature. Silence is one of the key influencers for making a place sacred. In his article “Spiritual Rambling: Long Distance Wilderness Sojourning as Meaning-Making”, Dr. Redick demonstrates increased alertness by expressing how during his long-distance hiking, he “was aware of the e...

  To the ordinary person, the only difference between these two locations is that the Appalachian Trail is in the Eastern United States, while The Camino de Santiago is in Spain. However, the difference between them goes much further as one recognizes the distinct characteristics of the journeys that each location provides. It is natural to expect these differences to result in an argument for why one location is better than another, but the real interest in this comparison is discovering what unique benefits these two separate locations provide.      The Appalachian Trail is a hiking path that ranges from Georgia to Maine. It is a scenic natural route that is perfect for any hiking distance. What makes this trail unique is how the wilderness is optimal for spiritual rambling. In his article “Spiritual Rambling: Long Distance Wilderness Sojourning as Meaning-Making”, Dr. Redick demonstrates how the Appalachian Trail is ideal for Spiritual Rambling as he “was aware of...

  Today I headed out to the Noland trail for a run and for some fresh air. Since the beginning of this class I have started to realize how unhealthy my lifestyle has become since the beginning of quarantine; both mentally and physically. I have been actively trying to get out of my house more as a result of the knowledge and awareness that this class has brought me. I have also begun to feel a calling. I still don’t know exactly what the calling is. I feel as though it is just a beckoning from the outdoors. A call to hiking, or camping or kayaking. Just something more than what little experience I have with natural things these days. This calling was especially strong the day after we watched the film “Flow” in class. I read a trail journal about this woman who felt as though the Appalachian Trail was calling her. I have to wonder if this could be a calling from the Appalachian Trail as well. I love the idea of it. I just don’t know if I am prepared for that at all. I think it coul...

     This past weekend my friend Sadie and I headed to Humpback Rocks for a 5.0-mile loop hike. I am from the Blue Ridge Mountains, and after about a month of being at school near the beach and far from any such mountains, my heart started longing again for wilderness. Although we have the Noland Trail, I had been longing for the type of wilderness that is untouched, separate from human construction, deeply silent to the point of hearing your every heartbeat.     S adie and I set out at 5:30am, heading towards the mountains, the world as it should be, wild and beautiful. We arrived at the hike and started upward on a steep 1.5-mile trek towards the top, and then another 3.5 slow and steady downhill on the Appalachian Trail would lead back to the parking lot. The hike up was nothing less than brutal. It was much steeper than expected, with lots of large rocks, fallen trees, and running water down the trail's middle. After about an hour or two, we got to the top a...

 Blog #3 "Moments of Nature" Simon Robson     In chapter 2 of Landscapes of the Sacred by Belden C. Lane he cites Edward Casey's writing and specifically his six different "moments of nature". These refer to the basis for an exchange between a subject and a landscape. His first moment of nature is listed as "the surrounding 'ambient array' is what encircles or distinguishes the place. The second is "The 'sensuous surface' is what stands out on one's first encounter of the place. Third is "The things are physical entities that are profiled on the sensuous surface". Next is "The 'ground' is the underside extension of the sensuous surface, anchoring the site in the depths of the earth. Fifth is "The 'are' refers to that which fades from explicit presentation on the edges of the scene, a receding band of land or sea that also serves to hold everything in view. Lastly he says "The 'atmosphere...

Tim Dronfield         I often find myself thinking about nature and the complexity of it. Nature is a very beautiful thing to behold and it can be very soothing. There is a peacefulness that comes from looking at a sea of trees swaying in the wind. But, there is also a great amount of violence within nature. Storms can come through the woods and rip through the beautiful forests and create an extremely dangerous place. Strong trees can be ripped down and branches break off and fall crashing to the earth. Life can also be like this. Storms can come into your life and if they are strong enough even the strongest of people can be torn down by hard times.            There is a lot of beauty in human life as well as in nature. Interactions with both can be incredible, but some things are toxic. Poisonous plants litter the forests and are often very beautiful on the outside, but harbor deadly toxins on the inside. It is important to ...

      On October 27th, my class decided to be outdoors on the lion's bridge trail to see how the natural world not only communicates with us, but tries to show us how it's doing. I walked through the trail, looking at all the different species of tree, bush, and vine. The bush filled up small sunny spots between trees, while the vines gripped the trees, climbing up the trunk and branches to steal the sweet sunlight and nutrients from the infested tree.     There was a sectioned off area set away for long leaf pine growth. The once native species looked exotic, as it was quite unique among the rest of the trees. They were once all over the area, but were used for lumber and now are endangered, thus requiring a safe area to grow. Unlike the wild forest around them, they were kept, and didn't have disease nor the amount of dying branches like the wild trees. It stood out from the rest of the forest completely.     Through the forest I saw a few birds chir...