What is Sacred
All of these experiences on the US Tour are happening because of readers like you! This is a donation funded trip, and all donors receive a special shout out at a sacred site. Feel called to support this sacred pilgrimage? You can either donate through Venmo (preferred) to @Stephanie-Seger-1 or PayPal to eagletherapiesevents@gmail.com. All donors will receive a special gift from this trip, so be sure to include an address!
What is sacred?
I had a sinking feeling when I first started this US Tour that it wasn’t what I was originally conceiving. When I had originally received the message to visit Sacred Sites all across the United States and do Ceremony at them, I was concerned about the general public and how these ceremonies would be perceived. I was excited about what the Spirits of the Land would say, but concerned about the human counterparts.
This has proven true time and time again. I write this on the day after my Ceremony at Mount Rainier, where the Mountain himself was upset that people have lost touch with the sacred within the Mountain. Many people go to visit Mount Rainier for its aesthetic features, taking in only the surface value of what the Mountain has to offer. They go because of the stunning views, the waterfalls, and the inspiration from which they see. It stirs a deep part of themselves, but yet they ignore it. Just like they ignore the spirit of the mountain.
As an exercise, the Mountain suggested I offer tobacco to people. An easy way to give gratitude. It was obvious that my small crew and I were doing Ceremony. There were several people walking by that stopped and watched, and about 3 people who filmed us singing and praying. When the Ceremony was complete, I stepped out onto the crowded path as person after person walked by me. Many ignored me as I tried to offer tobacco blessings, and several avoided me. Out of the 8 people who I had face to face interaction with, only 2 people took a pinch of tobacco. And I felt that it wasn’t because they wanted to, but because they would feel rude if they didn’t take the offer. Especially because I mentioned the word praying, most likely evoking an age old guilt of something that was ground into them as children to do, but didn’t end up doing as adults.
I tried to stop early because it felt awkward. It seemed as though people were fine with watching, but interacting was so alien. However, the Mountain was insistent that I feel that alienation and that feeling of being ignored. In that moment the Mountain and I had a shared kinship. We were there offering gratitude and beauty, but most humans were too absorbed in their own nature to reach out to “the other”. I understood the message, and felt it deep in my bones. Most people just don’t care. They would rather just see the superficial instead of the deeper nature. They would rather feel comfortable in the known instead of risk being uncomfortable to talk to a stranger about what he/she might be doing.
Contrast to doing the Ceremony at Serpent Mound. I had no one show up that signed up for event tickets, however after the Ceremony I offered tobacco blessings, and every person I offered it to were eager to learn more about praying from the heart and how to offer prayers to the world around them. Most people come to Serpent Mound because the essence of the Sacred has been tended there for generations by a people with traditions. At Mount Rainier, the overwhelming numbers of tourists far outweigh the people who used to see and value the Mountain for what it meant to the people. The sacred has not been tended there, and thus the Mountain has become fickle, sharing her intimacies with the few that choose to honor the Mountain. To Mount Tahoma (Native name given to the mountain), people are insignificant and are just like ants. A minor nuisance and nothing more. He was there before humans and will continue to be there long after.
There was a beautiful moment when I was doing Ceremony at the Devils Tower in Wyoming. The sacredness has been tended by generations, and I felt it as I stepped onto the property. It was interesting being an outsider and giving gifts from another Shamanic Lineage. However, the Spirit of the Land understood the gifting process and I was not able to tap into the essence of the sacred until after I had given my humble gift. It was a private moment that made me cry, even though it was in view of the public. The sacred knows how to protect itself, but gifts given from the heart (especially after an introduction) will always be well received. It is about the honor, the acknowledgement, the respect from one living being to another, and it is about being apart of the gifting process.
Once we dig past the superficial nature of interacting with the world around us, we can find a deeper connection and interrelatedness that helps us feel more whole. Most people can’t put a finger on why they feel so disconnected or why they might feel like something is “missing” from their lives even though they feel they’re doing everything right. You know, the job, the house, the car, the 1.5 kids, etc. From my perspective, I didn’t start feeling truly whole until I touched into the innate sacred all around me. Of course it took a few soul retrieval’s and some personal work to get here because I wasn’t fully present enough in my body due to past trauma. I was legitimately missing parts of myself that could understand the meaning of the word “Sacred” and to tap into the sacred all around. I even had trouble conceiving that the sacred could even be found within myself because I had such little self esteem, and felt so disconnected from “all that is” or the universe/God, whatever you want to call it. When we want to find more meaning in our life, we will start our spiritual path down the road to connect more with the sacred in our daily lives. It’s about tending it within ourselves and acknowledging it, and giving gratitude to it outside of ourselves.
The truth is, that it’s a basic human right to have access to the sacred. But it takes work to be able to feel it viscerally within ourselves. Us humans come by it earnestly because we have had the sacred disconnected by how we were raised, society, and our mainstream culture (well, I can only speak for America). Instead, children get brought up with materialism and consumerism because it’s addictive. They lose sense of what is sacred because if something breaks – it’s replaceable. However, the divine cannot be replaced. If the rivers get polluted with fracking or oil spills, how can we “get a new river”? The mentality most have adopted is non-sustainable. It’s consumer based and not based in a reality that is sustainable.
The sacred is that deep sense of feeling or connection that you cannot put a finger on describing. It’s that feeling of feeling like a kid, looking up at the night sky with wonder and awe. It’s watching a waterfall and going, “Wow!” in appreciation. It’s about standing in that space where there is this unknown or mystery sense about things. That place of not knowing. This place of not knowing is where the magic happens, and where miracles take place. Miracles or the unexplained don’t happen that often because we don’t leave room for it. By tending and honoring the sacred within our own lives, we can connect to that profound depth of sacredness that is within nature all around us. Nature was here before us humans, and by giving gratitude to that which came before us, we honor the circle of life and awaken that seed of true love within ourselves.
Interested in joining us at a public ceremony? Follow our events on Facebook or Meetup. All of our events are free to come to and are run off of donation. If you missed us in your local area, you can view our recorded video excerpts on Facebook, YouTube or the forums. As of right now, Facebook will be your best bet because I haven’t got that great of internet reception to upload onto YouTube or the Forums quite yet.
These Ceremonies and interactions are run off of donation. I have taken a chance and have opened myself up to receiving the kindness of strangers. If you feel called to donate, you can either Venmo (preferred) to @stephanie-seger-1 or paypal eagletherapiesevents@gmail.com. Every dollar matters and helps ensure that these Ceremonies continue in a blessed and reciprocal way.
Many blessings to you and yours! Fly high and find the sacred within YOUR life!