Say “Yes” to the Presence of the Sacred in All Things
I once had a dream in which I was defending my dissertation before a panel of women. The leader was a beautiful black woman who pointed to me and said, “I know what you are. You are an Animist.”
When I looked up the word I found it meant one who believes that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls. It follows then that an Animist believes that everything, because it has a soul, is Sacred.
That dream occurred very early in my quest for the Sacred Feminine, but it has resonated with me for many years. The more I learn, the more I understand that there is something Sacred about everything. If I can look through the eyes of the Goddess, and see the sacredness in everything, then it changes my perspective. It causes an enormous shift in my outlook. But it is not an easy leap.
Accepting the presence of the Sacred in all things means that I see holiness in everything, from the smallest insect to the mightiest tree. I know, not just in my head, but in the deepest depths of my soul, that all life is to be cherished and held in holy esteem.
Seeing the sacred in all things means more than seeing the sacred in life. It also means seeing the sacred in the inert, in what we judge as lifeless. Rocks, rivers, mountains, the earth herself – those too are sacred and holy creations. In seeing them as such, I become much more cognizant of how I relate to them. That one small change in perspective makes all the difference in how I treat our Mother, the earth. If everything is Sacred, then it is much harder to use up or exploit nature. It makes the task of tackling climate change a real priority, rather than a political issue. It makes a difference in how we approach issues of sustainability and of materialism. Our perspective moves to how we might honor the natural world, instead of how we are tempted to use it up.
Really embodying the concept that everything is sacred also leads to the idea that I, myself, am sacred. Accepting oneself as sacred goes against the Patriarchal story that we are all flawed and less than. It means that I no longer denigrate and put myself down. It means that I no longer let myself be used or abused. It empowers me to be more, to love more, and to accept myself in a deeper way. And when I accept my own self as holy and sacred, then I can more easily see the sacredness of others.
If I see the Sacredness of every human being, then it becomes very difficult to make that human into the ‘other.’ I can no longer judge or describe that person as less than. I can no longer treat him/her as expendable or see a life that is any less valuable than my own. It opens my heart to see that other people are truly made of the same stuff as myself. It allows me to more fully embrace the idea that we are the same – cells of God/dess’ body, whose purpose is to love one another.
It naturally follows that if we truly love one another as sacred souls, we no longer make war. We find ways to peacefully resolve our differences. We honor each other’s gifts and help each other find healing. We stand together, not apart.
Even as we look at the earth, at life, and at the natural resources with which we have been blessed, we can also see the sacred in human-made things. The Holy comes through in beauty – beautiful art, music, the written word. All the many things that inspire or that bring pleasure through the senses, become sacred artifacts that lead us to joy and peace.
However, I would also posit that there is also something sacred about the less-than-perfect. As humans strive for perfection, their failures are also sacred monuments to making an effort. Those things that seem tragic can be the holy building blocks of evolution and growth. For no birth can come without the gestational period of quiet and darkness, even pain.
If I truly listen to the voice of the divine, then I am saying ‘yes’ to the presence of the Sacred in all things; if I am mindful, grateful, and in the moment, I am saying ‘yes’ to the presence of the Sacred in all things; if I wait in the silence, if I open my awareness, even a little, I am saying ‘yes’ to the presence of the Sacred in all things.
As I begin to say that ‘yes’ to the Sacred Presence in everything, I expand my awareness to all things. I open my eyes and truly say ‘yes’ to all of creation. I begin to relate to everything in a way that is deeper and more open, in a way that is not about how something can serve me, but about how I can serve.
How can I serve today?
Barbara Garland
November 20, 2020
