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www.shamansociety.org 19 S H A M A N I C P R A C T I C E Cultivating Right Relationship with Spirit of Place by Gaela Morrison In reality all places have their sacred qualities whether they are special places of power or ordinary landscapes. Specific sites that have been sanctified blessed and tended with ceremony and prayer over time to keep them activated naturally attract de- vic and angelic spirit presences to the place. Possessing extraor- dinary spiritual potency these are places where the veil between the worlds is thinner acting as gateways from the physical world into the spiritual realm. The higher vibrations of these places have an expanded energy field and numinous qualities that can strengthen your spirit and offer power for healing inspiration recharging and balancing. But what about our own backyard I feel that it is crucial particularly at this time to develop an interconnected relationship with the consciousness of places in our own region the places where we live and work everyday. When we are able to discover create and activate our own sacred places in our local landscapes mutual healing and awakening can happen as we foster a co-creative vision of our future with the spirits of the natural world. What can you do to develop this deeper connection with the spirit of place or the genius loci in your daily lives By develop- ing your own deep attunement with the consciousness of a place you can expand your personal geomantic skills. The following principles and suggestions are useful for connecting with all sacred sites as well as well known power spots and are intended to encourage you to trust your own path in relationship build- ing with a places subtler energies. The spirit presence of each place is unique and is unique to each individual. To find your own sacred places in nature pay attention to what calls you and what you resonate with perhaps a place where the earth pulse is strong. We usually are attracted to specific places in the landscape for a reason whether to gather power for specific healing for visions and messages for inspiration or for rejuvenation and recharging. There may be an energy blueprint of that particular place that reflects similarities in patterns within yourself that you are attracted to. This being a relationship of reciprocity and knowing we are interconnected and related to everything the more we can be fully receptive to what these presences have to express the more the spirit of the place awakens and comes alive. The more we recognize honor and celebrate the con- sciousness of a place the more the place expands and restores its energy and power. How to enter and approach sacred sites is essential. See if you can feel the edges of its energy boundary and stop there. Entering with an attitude of the utmost respect and being very present you absolutely must have permission from the spirit guardians of the place to enter and if for any reason permis- sion is not granted by no means should you enter. If you get a go-ahead introduce yourself verbally as if you were speaking to a new friend. Physically touching a tree or stone at the entry point as a greeting helps to align you with the place and the beings there. You can always ask for guidance from allies power animals and spiritual ancestors. Honor the beings of the place and always honor the indigenous ancestors of the land. Approach with an attitude of openness and with offerings material and or of the heart of gratitude. Pay attention to any signs in nature that appear animals birds plants sounds wind. Get Present. Make sure to ground deep into the Earth con- nect with the Cosmos and then expand your chi out beyond what you think your boundaries are. Find a quiet safe place to be and engage all of your senses - perceive with softer eyes and listen for the sounds in between the sounds sense with your heart. Al- low your essence to shine feel your inner sun radiate - the joyful spark of your soul light. I cannot stress receptivity enough as forcing imposing or projecting will get you nowhere in develop- ing a rich co-creative relationship with the spirits of place. Rec- ognizing receiving and appreciating them will awaken and open new networks of relating. Simply being and allowing are key. Be in your innocence engage your imagination trust your intuition and just relax. Allow yourself to be touched by the experience. What does it feel like to allow yourself to be seen by the spirits of the place Whether you meditate journey or just open your senses try breathing with the consciousness of place. How you tune into the spirit of place is a very personal process. You may relate with various aspects of a places character in very different ways. Regardless of what aspect you connect with or how you do this it is important to always be in a place of receptivity sincerity and humility. I also find it beneficial to connect with a childlike innocence which helps to be more open to joy and non-attachment to any outcome. In my experience I find it simplest to connect with a feeling sense particularly when attuning to the devic fields but not everyone does so. Devas are non-physical beings connected to the consciousness of nature having an instinctive knowledge of the patterns and harmonies in the natural world.