The Earth is a powerful place. People all across the planet and across history have recognized the mysterious power, spirit, and vitality of our planet. From the hunter gatherers and cave dwellers of our prehistory through pagan cultures and religions of the pre-Christian days to modern spiritualists and pilgrims traveling the globe looking for a connection with our planet, the desire to look up to the sky for answers often leads our attention down, toward out feet. These natural places of power and energy were not formed by man but by the beauty of nature.
Mt. Olympus (Thessaly, Greece)
Often acknowledged for its mythological importance as the home of the Greek gods, Mt. Olympus should not be disregarded as myth. In Thessaly, Greece, Mt. Olympus stands as a powerful, sacred site. It is not a surprise that the Ancient Greeks chose Mt. Olympus as the home of their pantheon of gods. For centuries, hermits and worshipers have lived in the caves and sought spiritual fulfillment.
Mt. Ararat (Eastern Turkey)
The king of sacred mountains, Mt. Ararat has numerous legends and spiritual connections associated with it. From reports of Noah’s Ark resting on its peak to its connection to Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, this dormant volcano, to many, provides evidence for the biblical flood that is evidenced in religious writing and stories across the globe. Still, to this day, religious experts and spiritualists consider Mt. Ararat as the resting place for the boat that survived the Great Flood.
Nantai-San (Honshu, Japan)
Nantai-San is, perhaps, the most sacred and revered site in Japan. Serving as a traditional Shinto pilgrimage location, the mountainous-terrain is crucial to many cultural and religious beliefs in Japan. Nantai-San also serves as a pilgrimage site and retreat for Buddhist practitioners. Many consider the mountains and hilltops as areas with highly-concentrated energy sought for meditation.
Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni, Bolivia)
An extinct volcano rises from a seemingly endless expanse of salt flats in Bolivia. These salt flats, Salar de Uyuni, and the extinct volcano, Mt. Tunupa, have no roads and remain untouched by human building. The dizzying reflection of the sky off of the sand, in the picture above, is not faked. The mirror-like reflection is caused by the purity of the salt flats. Visitors and locals credit the site for inspiring deep, inner peace and a sense of freedom.
Mt. Popocatepetl and Mt. Iztaccihuatl (Puebla, Mexico)
These twin mountains in Puebla, Mexico represent a warrior and a princess, two heartbroken lovers in the Aztec culture. Popocatepetl is an active volcano that regularly exhumes smoke, but Iztaccihuatl is an extinct volcano. Both mountains served as a religious site prayer and ceremony for the Aztec and earlier cultures for centuries. Like with many South American cultures, the Aztec gave the mountains stories that made them part of their religious history, but Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl are two of the most important with countless visitors over the centuries.
White Sands (New Mexico, USA)
The world’s largest gypsum dune sits in New Mexico and stretches 230 square miles. Many consider true sand dunes, those not situated near a body of water, as centers of energetic frequencies that promote calmness, clarity, and joy. Many visitors from all over the world visit the White Sands of New Mexico, but the power of this sacred site is undeniable. According to the Center for UFO Studies, hundreds of UFO sightings have been reported from the White Sands.
Shiprock (New Mexico, USA)
Standing at 1,700 feet, Shiprock is a volcano plume sacred to the Navajo people. Navajo legend considers the rock to be the body of a Great Bird that rescued the Navajo people and brought them to this site. The rock serves to lift Navajo spirits towards the Great Spirit, away from human problems. The Navajo prohibits visitors to climb the rock, but pilgrims and visitors to Shiprock notice a spiritual calmness and a sense of near-weightlessness.