In India we find the oldest continually operating pilgrimage tradition in the entire world. The practice of pilgrimage in India is so deeply embedded in the cultural psyche and the number of pilgrimage sites is so large that the entire subcontinent may actually be regarded as one grand and continuous sacred space. Martin Gray spent the last 20 years visiting more than thousand sacred sites around the world and he guides us to some of the sacred sites of India.

Read more here: » Sacred Places: Sacred Sites, places and temples in India

Since the dawn of human time people have described certain places as being holy or magical, as having a concentrated power or presence of spirit. Ancient legends, historical records and contemporary reports tell of extraordinary, even miraculous happenings at these places. It is a curious fact, however, that these sacred sites, so significant to human culture are so little known beyond their own religious traditions. Of enormous importance, they have received only limited attention from social anthropologists, cultural geographers and religious historians. Why this remarkable omission of awareness and understanding?

Read more here: » Sacred Sites and Sacred Places: Pilgrimage and the lure of sacred sites

The research and study of the Sacred Geometry and Space of Sacred Sites have been the focus of Martin Gray for more than 20 years. Martin Gray is an anthropologist and photographer specializing in the study of Sacred Power Places. During a twenty-year period he has journeyed to more than 1,000 holy places in 80 countries. This introductionary article will give you an introduction to the Power of Sacred Sites and the Sacred Space they provide for Spiritual Awakening.

Read more here: » Sacred Sites: Places of Peace and Power

Sacred Places: Tree Of Knowledge Can Liberate You

Siddhartha Gautam roamed in search of the secret of sorrow and suffering. At Gaya, a village on the banks of the river Niranjana in Bihar, he sat in silent contemplation under a banyan tree.

He attained enlightenment there, and became known as the Buddha. The spot began to be referred to as the Throne of Wisdom, and the banyan tree is now known as the Eternal Wisdom Tree, the Akshaya Bodhibriksha .

Read more here: » Sacred Places: Tree Of Knowledge Can Liberate You

Sacred Sites: Temples as Places Of Deep Insight

Temples and other places of worship play a significant role in cultural reformation. The innate vibrations, cultural complexion, and spiritual qualities resonate all around the devotee. So they are more than places of worship; they are cultural rendezvous centres for traditional community activities. They are also meeting places for families and friends.

Read more here: » Sacred Sites: Temples as Places Of Deep Insight

Since prehistoric times sacred places have exerted a mysterious attraction on billions of people around the world. Ancient legends and modern day reports tell of extraordinary things that have happened to people while visiting these places. Different sacred sites have the power to heal the body, enlighten the mind, increase creativity, develop psychic abilities, and awaken the soul to a knowing of its true purpose in life.

Normally, when one thinks of such places, the mind imagines terrestrial locations, fixed and unmoving, such as mountains, lands and caves. But the planet is a water place too with more than 70% of the surface of the earth covered with water. Many sacred sites are connected to water.

Read more here: » Sacred Sites: Sacred waters around the World.

For many thousands of years our ancestors have been visiting and venerating the power places of Europe. One culture after another has often frequented the same power sites and the story of how these magical places were discovered and used is filled with fairies and nature spirits, sages and astronomers, and enigmatic myths of world destroying cataclysms.

Read more here: » Sacred Sites: Pilgrimage in Ancient Europe - Megalithic and Celtic Sacred Space

India has probably the most enduring pilgrimage tradition in the world. The greater the challenge of the path, the stronger its allure.

There is no typical profile of a pilgrim in India - they come from as diverse a background as the country itself, whether from the upper, middle or poorer classes.

There is an interesting passage in Frank Elias's The Gorgeous East published in 1913: "One of the strangest sights in India is that of the ascetics who make pilgrimages from one part of the country to another.

(See also: Pilgrimage in India , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Pilgrimage in India: Pilgrims' Progress And Donkey's Tale  

Buddhism sees humans neither as a special creation of God, nor does it see them as having been given dominion over 'lesser' species. It says that like all sentient beings, humans also wander in the limited, conditioned realm of samsara, the cycle of rebirths.

It believes that man influences the environment not only through his actions but also through the moral and immoral qualities of his actions - karmic effects catch up with people via their environment.

(See also: Buddhism and Ecology , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Buddhism and Ecology: Man & Environment - A Special Bond  

What makes a place sacred? A place where meditation is practised over many years automatically acquires certain powers. The place gets charged with the energy and vibrations from peaceful thoughts. Depending on the intensity of meditators, the sanctity and power of a particular place can thus remain charged, exuding powerful vibrations, for thousands of years.

The Parshvanath Hills is one such place. Twenty-two of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras attained nirvana on this hill, and these enlightened persons were separated by thousands of years.

(See also: Sacred places in India , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Sacred places in India: Mystical Powers Of the Ganga  

On his return from a pilgrimage to Amarnath, Swami Vivekananda hardly spoke to anyone. A disciple asked him what the matter was. "Oh that," said the otherwise fiery monk: "Since visiting Amarnath I feel as if Shiva is sitting on my head all 24 hours, not coming down for even a moment!"

Many of us go on pilgrimages, but not all our experiences are similar. Individual narrations differ in content and feeling. Every individual has a different experience to relate. All perceptions and reactions stem, however, from a common desire to forge a close relationship with the Divine. And it is this personal experience that makes a pilgrimage so different from a holiday or business trip.

(See also: Pilgrimage , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Pilgrimage: Going on a Yatra is a Trek of Faith  

Seven cities in India correspond to seven centres or chakras in our body: ÒAyodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika, Puri drawaravati chaiva, Saptaide moksha dayikaÓ. The seven cities are companioned  with seven sacred rivers; Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri

The microcosm and the macrocosm are interlinked. Planet earth, home to many organisms, is itself a large organism. It is not just a place for living beings; it is a living organism as a whole. This is what the Gaia theory says. Materialism considers everything as objects. Spirituality, on the other hand, discovers life in everything.

Read more here: » Gaia Theory: Chakras and the Seven Sacred Cities

MOTHER DURGA

The Durga Puja is celebrated in various parts of India in different styles. But the one basic aim of this celebration is to propitiate Shakti, the Goddess in Her aspect as Power, to bestow upon man all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge (both sacred and secular), and all other potent powers. Whatever be the particular or special request that everyone may put before the Goddess is being effected consciously or unconsciously. Everyone is blessed with Her loving mercy and is protected by Her.

From " Hindu Fasts & Festivals " by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Durga: The Hindu Godess Mother Durga

The most important festival of the Jain community is Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir. This is observed on the 13th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Chaitra. The day is celebrated with great zeal and devotion. People visit sacred places and worship Teerthankaras (spiritual guides) on this day.

Read more here: » Jainism: Indian Festivals - Mahavir Jayanti

Creating Sacred Space In Your Home

Many modern Celtic pagans today are faced with a difficult question: how can I bring my religion into my home? Whether we live in a dormitory, an apartment, a duplex or a mansion, most of us like to have our homes reflect our personalities and the things we are interested in, and that includes our spiritual practices, but many of us don't have back yards in which to practice and set up more permanent shrines, or 24/7 access to our favorite places in nature. For some, just setting up an altar somewhere in the home is either undesirable, unachievable or just not enough.

Read more here: » SacredSpace: Creating Sacred Space In Your Home

Shivaratri

THIS FALLS on the 13th (or 14th) day of the dark half of Phalgun (February-March). The name means "the night of Shiva". The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva. Shiva was married to Parvati on this day.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Shivaratri: Hindu Rituals and Ceremonies - Shivaratri

Guru Purnima:

THE FULL moon day in the month of Ashad (July-August) is an extremely auspicious and holy day of Guru Purnima. On this day, sacred to the memory of the great sage, Bhagavan Sri Vyasa, Sannyasins settle at some place to study and discourse on the thrice-blessed Brahma Sutras composed by Maharishi Vyasa, and engage themselves in Vedantic, philosophical investigation.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Guru Purnima: Holy Days in Hinduism - Guru Purnima

Why Wicca is Not Celtic Paganism

There are many out there who believe that Wicca and its related forms of NeoPagism are a type of Celtic Paganism (and vice versa),  but this is simply not true. The following article is meant to be a comparison of Wicca and Celtic Paganism in order to demonstrate this, and to educate the public about Celtic Paganism. While Wicca certainly contains elements of Celtic mythology, folk magic and religious belief, its basic tenets and beliefs are radically different from those of Celtic Pagans.

Read more here: » Wicca and Celtic Paganism: Why Wicca is Not Celtic Paganism

Astronomically speaking, when the sun, the moon and the earth are all in line, with the moon or the earth at the centre, a solar or lunar eclipse takes place respectively.

At the time of the eclipse, people bathe in the sacred rivers. They do charitable acts. They give cows, money and gold. The day after the eclipse they feed the poor, the Brahmins and the Sadhus. After the eclipse they clean their houses, vessels, etc., and take a bath before they start cooking.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Eclipse: Sun and Moon Eclipse in Hindu Worshipping

A beautiful assembly of poems and prayers on the theme of LOVE and TRANSCENDENCE.

“We will read them during the transit tomorrow on the most sacred places on the Isle of Wight.
We invite you to pray for World peace and love during the Transit of Venus at 11am GMT on 8th June 2004 for fifteen minutes. This will be the biggest global mass prayer meeting in the history of the World. You will find some multifaith prayers and poems, and a list of goddess names for your use on this page. Or make up your own prayer in accordance with your own faith or lack thereof. Or, do what thou wilt.”

Read more here: » Venus Transit: Multifaith prayers and poems, and a list of goddess names

Sacred Sites - Power Places and Sacred Places

Read more here: » Sacred Sites - Power Places and Sacred Places