In Lane’s book (Landscapes of the Sacred) we have read of four axioms used to help define a sacred place. This was nice to read because I was interested in seeing a definition of what a sacred place is. The first axiom is the idea that sacred place is not chosen, it chooses you. This I believe is very true. You cannot just choose a place and say that it is sacred; we do not choose the places that are sacred to us. The second axiom is that sacred place is ordinary, ritually made extraordinary. Depending upon how you define ritual I agree with this axiom. I feel rituals do not only need to be spiritual, they can just be something you always do there. I found this axiom one of the most interesting. It is true when you look at a sacred place in a vacuum, as in all connotations aside, it is just a place.
The third axiom states that sacred place can be tread upon without being entered. This to me is the key axiom. In my mind reading the axioms, I asked myself “What if one person finds something a sacred place and some else does not.” To me this axiom takes care of that question by saying you can tread upon a sacred place, but if it is not sacred to you, you will not enter it. If you tread upon a place that is sacred to you, you will be able to enter it because you find it sacred. The fourth and final axiom describes the idea of sacred place being both, centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal. This means a sacred place is a place of mutual connection. When you visit such a place you truly connect with it finding a sense of peace. I found these axioms very helpful and interesting. I felt Lane did a great job in describing a sacred place.
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