Intriguing book explores spirit of place

Landscape, buildings, specific natural features - all can elicit powerful feelings, a sense of something larger than ourselves, something meaningful, something sacred.

Most people - especially in the Bow Valley - can quickly point to a place they consider important and meaningful for a variety of reasons, but how do we define if it is sacred? And what does 'sacred' even mean for that matter?

According to B.C.-journalist Star Weiss in her recently released book Havens in a Hectic World: Finding Sacred Places, none of those questions are easy to answer with a precise definition.

Instead of turning to the relatively common idea of sense of place - the natural and cultural history of a landscape - to look for answers, Weiss turns to what the Romans called genius loci or spirit of place to help her make decisions.

While 'sense of place' may attract our interest, it is the spirit that makes a place sacred.

"The choice of sacred place is a kind of shorthand for recognizing what brings meaning into our lives, or helps us get through a crisis, the dark night of the soul, or gives us a sense of being connected to something greater.

"...I'm learning that sacred places are like good friends, each unique, each meeting our needs a bit differently, each filling a distinct role in our lives... is this perhaps what we're seeking in sacred spaces? A place of grace, where we can find the authentic "I" in each of us?" Weiss wrote.

Historically, she added, the word sacred was tied to religious experiences and to buildings and sites, but today, that definition has broadened to include essentially anything or anywhere that creates a deep-seated, emotional connection.

Throughout this book, Weiss has done an admirable job of seeking out what we considered sacred and what that means in our modern times by providing concrete examples.

While all of the examples she uses are found along the West Coast of B.C., that does not necessarily diminish the intriguing value of this book, as many of her examples have obvious and immediate parallels in Alberta or Eastern Canada.

In her chapters, Weiss included mountains in general, waterfalls and bodies of water, even the forest, gardens, religious buildings and sites where we remember events and people, even our own homes - anywhere people gather to honour or celebrate a higher purpose or feel safe, secure and connected to place.

Rather than just describe why a place may be sacred from her perspective, she instead turns to others and asks them where and what they deem as sacred and the answers are as interesting as they are surprising.

And that opens the door for 'a-ha' moments allowing readers to quickly connect to places they love, but may not have thought of as sacred.

For me, a quick list of sacred places includes Grassi Lakes and Upper Waterfowl Lake in Banff National Park, a couple of the historical buildings and the mine sites in my hometown of Canmore and the spots along the Bow River where I played as a child that today still evoke powerful memories.

My list also includes the desert of the American Southwest, where I feel utterly comfortable. I must have been a desert dweller in a past life.

But what is more difficult to answer is why these places speak to me.

The true value of any book can be measured by how much it entertains, educates and inspires. And given that, Havens in a Sacred World certainly provides food for thought. Even though I read this book over the holidays, I'm still mulling over the places that I find sacred and why.

Weiss has laid out the entire book in way that she really is asking: "where is your sacred place"?

Havens in Hectic World: Finds Sacred Places is published by TouchWood Editions. It retails for $29.95.