Lane's 4 axioms - Nina Salzberg

In Lane's book, Landscapes of the Sacred, he states that there are "self-evident princliples that underlie the way by which landscape is molded in the religious imagination". These axioms describe how sacred places are perceived. The first axiom is "sacred place is not chosen, it chooses". This means that you can not just walk into the woods and find sacred place. You must go in with no intention. The second axiom is "sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary". This means that sacred places can be places you walk by everyday, somewhere common. But they are sacred to certain people because of what has happened there. The third axiom is "sacred place can be tred upon without being entered". This means that you might have come across sacred spots before, but you didnt open up yourself to receive the experience. And finally, the forth axiom is "the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal". This means that sacred places can be around you but also in your thoughts. You may relive a sacred experience but not actually go there again.