Walking the Earth Sacredly

Walking the Earth Sacredly
"It is all sacred. Every hill and every valley.
Our land is a living thing, not a grave of forgetfulness'
under our feet."
   _____ Owen M. Edwards, cited in Emyr Humphreys,
   The Taliesin Tradition


    The way in which we walk the earth matters greatly, but our feet do not always remember this. Instead of walking the earth sacredly, we tend to stamp with proud disrespect in every stride.
How can we remember the sacred dimension of the earth? Only when we realize it as a living entity does this understanding come home to roost. Nearly everyone has at some point experienced the impinging of a greatr presence when we have seen a beautiful view or stood at a powerful land feature through which earth's soul is clearly discernible, but this feeling fades away once we are back in our home surroundings.
    To get some sense of the living presence of the earth as an encouled being, we can chose to purposely  notice the abiding life of the earth by siting in nature and focusing upon its breathing its rhythms, and its soul. This requires that we filter out our own concerns and presence and focus instead upon the earth's. Whenever we give up this kind of time and attention, the rewards are striking. We learn, at first hand, the beauty and presence of the sacred earth; we hear its ancient stories, songs and myths; we become aware of the humbling fact that we are a part of the earth, not the earth of us.
     With this realization, we can take up a new relationship with our planet, walking gently and with remembrance, dancing the song-lines of the living mythis landscape in our soul's circuit.

"Today, wherever you walk, be aware of each step as a blessing upon the earth."
[From: The Celtic Spirit by Caitlin Matthews]