Chelsea Huber - Lane's Axioms

Landscapes of the Sacred

The first axiom is the idea that sacred place is not chosen, it chooses you. This idea makes me think of times when I am camping and suddenly I realize that the atmosphere of my pattern of thinking has changed. When this feeling strikes me, I can see the environment around me in a new light. The nature around me has become part of my new state of mind, even though I never planned it to be.
The second axiom dictates that sacred place is ordinary place ritually made extraordinary. When I consider places that have great importance to me, spiritually, I think of sporting fields. These fields carry importance to me because of the ritual of joyous family and friends coming together at these places to cheer and love life. This feeling resides within the stadiums and it can still be felt when the game is over.
The third axiom states that sacred place can be tread upon without being entered. This axiom makes me think of how ridiculous it is that people fight over religion. Every space is interpreted differently for each and every person. What is special to one person, may be meaningless for a different person. This is just fact, so why have huge wars and massive casualties trying to convince other people that your 'space' is better and more important than theirs.
The fourth axiom speaks of the character of sacred place being both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal. I see this axiom as the explanation for the feeling that a scared place gives us. We feel this huge connection to the world and everything in it. At the same time, we feel so important and full of life.