Katie Kreisheimer - Landscapes of Sacred pg 79

Landscapes of the Sacred “Relation to the soil” pg. 79

“One’s relation to the soil… is a means of making subtle connection with the holy.” This is the belief of many of the Native American traditions and spirituality. I thought this was interesting because it went on to say that “the old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power.” In everyday society, this is not how regular people conduct themselves, but I believe this is one of the many connections people seek when going out to experience the wilderness. I believe that you can really revere the earth and form a connection to its sacredness through the humanly senses. Walking barefoot on the earth is just one example. A person can connect better through the touch, texture, temperature, etc. Sound, smell, and the sight of the different aspects of wilderness also help create a better relationship between the two. When a person sets out into the wilderness to experience what it has to offer, all of their senses become more heightened and they form a better relationship to the land which creates a closer connection to the holy and sacred.