Elizabeth Watkins - Lane's Book (Axioms)

I've been really trying to understand Lane's book more and to do this I've been trying to relate to the book. For example, if I'm reading a chapter on Giving Voice to Place, I try to find examples in my life that will serve as a better understanding for what I'm reading. If that is not possible, I try to think of fictional examples that would work just as well. I really could relate to the chapter on Axioms for the Study of Sacred Place, however. To me the Four Axioms for Sacred Place make complete sense to me. The axioms reveal the other-worldly power of sacred place. They reveal sacred place as very assertive, also. I focused in on axiom number three. This axiom states that "sacred place can be tred upon without being entered". I definitely feel that I can relate to this axiom. Upon our trip to Noland Trail I felt after I left that this was most definitely the case for me. I had found a spot on the Noland Trail that I decided to write about for my essay. It was beautiful and, to me, a very powerful place. The place was a steep fall into the Maury Lake and at the bottom was a fallen tree that was floating on the lake. The tree was not dead, but appeared as if it was giving in to the power of the water. What makes me sad is that if you had asked me whether or not I saw that place as sacred, I would say no. However, looking back I do believe that I was in a sacred place without realizing it, which is the premise of Lane's third axiom. This serves as a wake up call to me. I now see the importance of really understanding the places around you. And I feel upset that I fell victim to going to a place that was probably sacred and not realizing it.