Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, Mono Lake County, California, United States
The trees reflected in the river—they are unconscious of a spiritual world so near to them. So are we.
—Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864), American fiction writer
Mono Lake, formed eons before humans walked on Earth, is a sacred site to diverse groups of people, from Native American tribes to conservationists, New Age believers, and practitioners of Wicca, Animism, and Paganism. This Northern California lake fed by runoff water has no outlet (such as a river, stream, or ocean) and high salinity. The combination has created a fertile ecosystem that supports brine shrimp, which, in turn, feed more than two million migratory birds.
If evidence of Creation’s ancient fertility might invigorate fertility in your spiritual, creative, charitable, or vocational endeavors, visit Mono Lake. The lake sits right on Highway 395 between the towns of Mono City and Lee Vining (which has a small airport) on the eastern side of Northern California near the Nevada border.
Take a guided nature hike to learn about this ancient place of fertility so revered by many spiritual traditions. Cast a sacred circle and invoke the Goddess to inspire you with ideas on how to be more fertile in all areas of your life.
In December 2010, NASA scientists discovered a new life form in Mono Lake: the rod-shaped bacterium GFAJ–1, an extremophile that is not adversely affected by arsenic, which is poisonous to many living creatures.