Seeking the Sacred

People have always sought the sacred. It is the Divine within striving to reconnect with the all. We are instinctively drawn to that which is thought to be sacred. People have traveled from all over the world to walk the streets of Jerusalem, to stand in awe at the presence of Stonehenge, to view the pyramids of Giza, to be healed at Lourdes, etc.

At one time, all land was viewed with reverence and respect. Down through the ages, various animals have been considered sacred: cats, cows, even the serpent. We seek to attune ourselves to the sacred that exists within nature and all life through a variety of ways. We meditate, pray, go on spiritual retreats or any number of methods that feels right in an attempt to align with the source.

Although I've never had the experience of traveling to a sacred site or a place of power, I do try to reconnect with the divine that is in the nature that surrounds each of us every second of our lives. I'll admit that I try to keep indoors as much as possible in the cold weather season because I am not a winter person in the least bit but as soon as spring arrives I begin to bond with nature. Spring seems to signal a time when all things are being born as if from the very beginning of creation. This in itself could be considered sacred.

We can find the sacred all around us and within us if only we bother to look. It is in the land, the air, the water, the sun, the moon and stars. Even our bodies are temples for the divine spark within. We are sacred vessels. We need to care for and nurture our bodies as well as the spirits contained within them. We should also respect ourselves as well as others.

Everything in our creation is a divine manifestation of the source. One of the many definitions of the word Sacred is: worthy of respect. In this context, everything and everyone is sacred because all life deserves to be respected. There are certain areas around the world that are venerated because they may have been the homeland of a great spiritual teacher. A particular area may have been the birthplace of such an individual or the place of their death or burial. Certainly these places do retain a certain energy, a type of blueprint from the past that still resonates with bygone vibrations.

Other places are considered sacred because they were places of worship or sacrifices. Temples may have been built; miraculous healings may have taken place. But even areas that have no sacred claim to fame through mysteries or miracles still hold the sacred within them. Many of our ancestors knew this; they saw the sacred in the sun, the rain and the land that nourished and sustained them. They listened to the voice of the eagle in the sky and the howl of the wolf at night. There was something to be learned from even the smallest creature such as the industrious ant. Attention was paid to the signs that were prevalent in the earth and the heavens.

We don't always have time in our busy world today to focus our attention on the simple things around us. Our awareness has been trained to focus upon the quest for materialistic virtues. We arise each day and start a mostly unconscious, mechanistic quest for success, approval and monetary prosperity. Of course, we have to go through a routine that will assure us the material needs to exist in the world as it is but we can stay in tune with the sacred if we choose.

I can feel the sacred as I walk in a slow, warm rain. I can see the divine in the ants trotting across the walkway. I take care to step over them rather than on them. The point is that often we seek the divine without realizing the everywhere that divinity is at all times. Breathe in the scent of flowers as they bloom, listen to the speech of the animals, feel the caress of the sun, tread softly on the land that supports you. Respect all life. By doing so, you will recognize the sacred place of being.

Darlene Zagata is a freelance writer and columnist for the print publication Moon Shadows Magazine. She is also the author of "Aftertaste: A Collection of Poems" and "The Choosing." Her work has been published extensively both online and in print. For more information visit her website at http://darlenezagata.tripod.com or contact Darlene at http://darlenezagata.tripod.com

scheduled cleaning services Arlington Heights ...

In The News:

Luxury fashion brand Dior experienced a January 2025 data breach affecting customer personal information, and notifications were sent months after the discovery.

The commercial Unitree H1 humanoid robot weighs 104 pounds with 365 pound-feet torque per joint and demonstrates dangerous potential when software glitches occur.

Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.

Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.

Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.

A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.

Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.

Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.

Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.

PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.

As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.

The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.

OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.

Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.

Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.

The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.

The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.

Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.

Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.

AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.

Microsoft phishing scams use fake security alerts and links that redirect to credential-stealing pages with warning signs, including urgent language and unusual senders.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tesla vehicles manufactured since mid-2021 with AMD Ryzen processors can now access Grok 4, xAI's witty conversational assistant designed to make drives more engaging.

Understand how technology affects mental health through five concepts, including blue light exposure, screen time management and algorithmic bias.

Seeking the Sacred

Spirituality