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Everyday is Sacred
Throughout
history, people of nature religions found something sacred everywhere they
looked. There was no clear-cut boundary
between what was religious and what was not, what was magical and what was
not. Examples of this can be found all
over Europe, where people had Goddesses and
Gods for virtually every part of daily life.
From ovens and doorways, to bridges and wells -- everything was
sacred! Latin, and the languages which
descend from it, were shaped by Pagan cultures.
Language assigned gender to every person place and thing, perhaps
reflecting the idea that all things link back to a specific Goddess or God. Every person place and thing truly is a part
of nature!
Historians
and archaeologists uncover bits of ancient lore and share their treasures with
us. We love to marvel at something old
and rich in years. But while the
richness of history gives us valuable perspective, we should not overlook the
present. In this way, we learn from the
progression we make over time, the flow from yesterday to today. Today, every thing is still just as sacred as
it was in days of Old.
Look
to your own surroundings and see the sacredness in everyday life. The seasons and cycles still tell us much
about the nature of many things. Every
year, every moon, and even every single day waxes and wanes in a similar
fashion. What do these cycles mean to
you personally? How do you mark their
special points and midpoints? How do you
celebrate them? You may find that even
simple events like your morning shower can be a special ritual, marking the
beginning of your own "Wheel of the Day."
The
town in which you live is full of sacred sites and shrines! The busy concrete roads you travel every day
are sacred. And so are the many
crossroads we pass along our path.
However trivial they may seem at the time, each of these crossroads and
intersections bring us where we need to be.
Many roads have names or route numbers; we can address them personally
and thank them for our many safe journeys.
Remember this the next time you are frustrated in rush-hour traffic or
lost on a dark, lonely highway.
Remember
how your own neighborhood felt as a child?
Every tree or bush or sewer pipe was unique and familiar. As we mature, we need not lose that familiar
feeling. Notice the things around
you. Take time not just to smell the
roses, but to read the billboards and to hear even the noisy commotion all
around you. You may find that they speak
just as clearly as the rivers, winds and thunder.
Your
own home is full of sacred beings! An
entire pantheon lives in your pantry!
Your kitchen is not just the place you cook; it is a temple for the
herbs, fruits and animals which give us life.
Each of them is a relic of a bygone life form, with spirit deserving our
respect. See each meal as a ritual, a
blessed event which brings new life to that which we have harvested. These "food relics" become part of
you; they live again through you.
Throughout
your home, photos of loved ones can be a shrine to that sacred someone. Perhaps your own family's Mother
Goddess? Or your own beloved Lord of the
Wood? A photo captures and stores the
light and energy of the moment in which it was taken. Mementos of any special occasion capture a
bit of that energy, like the charge within a battery or a charm. Feel it the next time you "release"
that energy, as you open an old photo album, uncork that special bottle of wine
you've been saving, or just open up your favorite junk drawer! Things around your house store bits and
pieces of your life. They come into
contact with the sound of your voice, the heat from your body, the energy from
your thoughts. They hear your most
private conversations; they feel your heartbeat race. And just imagine the dreamy stories your
pillow could tell. . . No wonder packing
and moving all your possessions out of your home is so traumatic. The energy built up little by little over the
years is all released in one sudden moving-day whoosh!
Your
plumbing and faucet, furnace and electrical wiring, fans and windows, floors
beams and walls -- are these not the Elements themselves? Do they not combine to give you a fifth,
making your house into a home?
And
within yourself, many, many sacred things can be found. Every atom of every cell has its nucleus, its
center. Within us are many Suns! Our fingers and toes, arms and legs branch
like the limbs of any tree. Our tiny
capillaries feed larger veins and arteries, no different than rivers or streams
helping a drop of rain flow to the ocean.
And within our spirit lies the spark of all life, like a pilot light
which burns as long as we do.
If
we choose to see the sacredness in all things, even the most mundane parts of
our lives will become magical. Perhaps
someday, thousands of years from now, historians and archaeologists will
uncover age-old tales of deities which bless our microwave ovens or look both
ways through our aluminum sliding glass doors.
Perhaps they will see how we made every day sacred.
Link
6538 Collins Avenue # 255
Miami Beach, FL 33141
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