Four

The Lay of the Land

This chapter discusses what is to be considered when analyzing the part of your home or land you wish to rebalance.

Discerning the Makeup
of Your Environment

In analyzing a location so that you may use the Heart of the Earth method to make a space your own, you have to understand the topography of the space around you from both a physical and energetic point of view. This is a similar idea that an architect or engineer uses when they survey the land and its features before constructing a building. The survey makes sure that the land is appropriate for the building’s function and that the building will be able to endure the environment that it is built in. However, the Heart of the Earth method differs in that it is not trying to dominate or to dramatically alter the land, but is working in concert with the topography of the surroundings you are in.

Upon observing the land, you will notice that it has many features. Some are physical and some are energetic. Carefully observing all the different aspects of a place can tell you whether it is a good fit for you. This idea applies even if you are already dwelling or working in a space and have to discover what is needed to increase the flow of harmony and to diminish areas that are counterproductive.

The ambient energy for a man-made space can be perceived by the architecture of a building, how a room is designed, and where it is located. Keep in mind that you must include the other underlying spiritual components of a location, which is to factor in all beings seen and unseen that exist within it. Only then will your assessment be complete. This is where you need to listen not only with all of your five senses, but your own Heart. It is the intangible essence that causes you to resonate with a place or feel repelled by it.

In Native American spiritualities, the practice of working in harmony with our environment is omnipresent. Working in cooperation with the land enhances what we are building. You need to pay attention to the overall geography and climate of the area you are in. Observe the man-made features and the type of buildings that are in your vicinity and the functions they are supposed to serve. Pay attention to the living beings upon the land—the people, animals, and plants. Does the environment look healthy? Are the buildings and people upon it in harmony with one another or do things seem incongruous and tense? Is the community and neighborhood well planned and have they taken the local ecology into account?

It is very useful to have a general understanding of the history of the area and community that you are considering living in. Since the Heart, which is the essence of the land, has a specific energetic frequency, you will find that if you dig further into the history of a place, whether it a region or of a particular home, there will be certain themes that repeat over and over again.

As I have stated before, the land has a Heart of its own. There are places where the natural world can feel welcoming and other places where it can feel foreboding. What one may define as the ambience of a space is actually the use of instincts to accurately define the disposition of the space. You might experience this feeling when you go to a place multiple times and sometimes get a good feeling and other times an unhappy one. Land attracts people who resonate with its own energy and if a person builds on it in accordance to what the land is asking, they will find that their life is rich and extremely fulfilling. However, if someone goes against the energy of a place, they will find themselves plagued with problems and struggling to prosper.

In Native American traditions, we acknowledge that there are nonphysical beings that have always resided upon the land and in the natural world. Are there spirit beings present where you are attempting to build a harmonized space? If so, what type are they? In addition to this, pay attention to see if the innate energy of the land beneath you is agreeable to what you are trying to achieve. If the land is one that likes to attract new life to itself, then an edifice such as a warehouse, which is meant to keep things stagnant, would be repelled by the Heart of the land. However, this same land would be very welcoming to spaces that generate feelings of unity, growing families, creativity, and prosperity for all.

Physical Features

Some of the most obvious features of the land will be the physical aspects. Observing the topography, the water features, and the beings and creatures that dwell at a specific location can give you profound insights as to what the land welcomes. Of course, everything is in relation to itself.

Say, for example, an area that normally was composed of fields was suddenly dug up for a quarry, disfiguring the land. This will generate a harsh and potentially wounded vibe that will affect everything within that immediate region. However, if you are in the mountains where the natural topography is one of steep cliffs and jagged stones or littered with boulders, then you will find it is much easier spiritually to connect with the land and to find profound peace there. This is true wherever the natural topography has not been disturbed. Remember, too, that nature prefers Power to flow gently. It manifests as wind and water flowing over sharp angles, and over time, rocks become smooth, like tumbled river stones.

Natural Features

Since I like to keep things simple, I am going to break down some basic natural components that need to be considered when determining the Heart of a region.

Flatlands to Mountains

A place that is level can hold Power steadily, but can also be prone to inertia. When the land is uneven, the height and pitch of the topography shows the potential strength and speed that the energy can move. The greater the peaks and valleys, the more dynamic the forces that can be felt upon the place. Power flows like water. One need only to imagine how water would roll along over a specific landscape to envision how natural energy would move upon it. A place with a lot of steep hills and valleys will have energy that is very intense and restless with potential pockets of stagnation. A place that has rolling hills would have energy like gentle waves upon a lake, which can be soothing.

An area that is largely flat and without obstructions, like a large field or a prairie, can be intense in its own way because energy that has been set into motion can travel very quickly. However, just like water resting on a flat surface, the energy on flat topography will require some sort of directional energy to get it from point A to point B.

If you are looking for a place where the energy is strong yet restful, then it would be recommended to find a building located in mountains. Mountains carry energy that is intense, but also stable, represented by a mountain’s rocky features. The rocks, representing the element of earth, would slow down the intense energy. Mountains have an eternal quality about them and are great places to connect with the sacred spirits that watch over the land.

Bodies of Water Both Above and Below Ground

Water is considered to be the blood of our Earth Mother. Earth is a water planet and we are mostly made of water ourselves. The element of water is second only to the element of air in terms of elements needed to sustain life. Water unites all of us. There is an old expression I often share during community gatherings to highlight the unity of water: there are seven seas but only one ocean.

Water carries spiritual energy and is a conduit for electricity, as well as enhancing the intensity of energetic features such as ley lines, vortices, and portals, which I will explain a little further in this chapter in the nonphysical features section. Depending on the health and the flow of water, it can directly impact people and animals that live around it.

Since water is reflective, any water feature will help to enhance what is reflected within it. Whatever is placed within water can be purified, such as when people bathe in a sacred river, and that too can greatly influence a region. Water is like the blood system in our body. And just like us, Earth Mother’s blood needs to be kept clean in order to remain healthy. Keeping our waterways clean is like keeping our bodies healthy by only putting good things in them, like nutritious food or clean water. When observing a landscape for good energy, optimal water features would be peacefully flowing over the landscape and reflecting the heavens.

Another way to tell if the water in a landscape you are observing is life inducing and life supporting is to take a closer look at the health of the flora and fauna around it. Not only is it vital for your physical health to know what is happening to the waters around you, it also indicates the spiritual health of a place. Whatever body of water you are close to must be healthy and alive. This is obvious for health reasons, but for energetic reasons, any place that is polluted will also affect your emotions and may block energies over time. The more polluted a body of water is, the faster the degradation of your overall well-being, both physically and spiritually.

Waterways will always help to keep things moving. How forceful the movement of water is will determine the way that the energy is delivered to the land surrounding it. In other words, water that is moving gently like a small stream or raging like a river will reflect the energy that you will receive from it.

It is preferable to live in a place where the water is tranquil rather than turbulent. Any place that has a water feature of some kind that flows with clean and healthy water will be conducive to enhancing life. It will be a good place for processing ideas and working in cooperation with others who are of similar mind and philosophy.

Trees, Wildlife, and Other Natural Things

In order to work with the Heart of the Earth technique, it’s important to learn about the native plants, trees, and animals of a region so that you can easily understand its health. Energy flows like water, and just like that element, it likes to take the path of least resistance. Its speed and type of energy depends the beings that interact with it, both seen and unseen, as well as the topography and where the Power originated from.

This sacred energy can pool or be pulled in to flow in a certain direction due to the magnetic and electromagnetic forces of the earth. All beings—plants and animals—that come into contact with this sacred current color the energy with their memories and emotions. This includes all of the people and beings who have dwelt upon the land. This influence becomes cumulative and gains force and expression over years and centuries. Take time to get to know your wild neighbors and see how they are faring. Observe their overall health and well-being. This can be the best gauge to see if the land is copacetic for you to live on.

Let us say, for example, that you observe a species of tree that you know, under normal circumstances, should grow to be tall, straight, and strong. However, if you notice that the trees in a specific location seem to be dwarfed or twisted, then it is possible that the energy from that land is hostile, poisoned, or that the soil had been depleted of nutrients over several years.

Observing the species of animals in a region can also give you an idea as to the type of energy that the land holds. Let’s pretend that I am in a place where I know there should be many native songbirds. If the place seems quiet because it is missing many of those songbirds, then I can be certain that the land is not conducive to supporting delicate life. This is true regardless of whether the energy that created this was through natural processes or through human carelessness. The opposite can also be true. Imagine that there is an abundance of robust trees, grasses, and other flora even though the soil may not be especially fertile. This is a sign of healthy, nurturing, mother-like energy in the land. The same is true if you find an abundance of wildlife, especially where, under logical circumstances, the numbers should be substantially less.

Pay attention to whether a region is fertile or seems to be an area where decomposition takes place. If you find that the land is barren or stark, this would be a good place to set up a recycling facility or a warehouse that helps things to come to their final destination and speed along decomposition. Building anything that falls in harmony with what the land is doing will always enhance what you are trying to create.

Stones and Other Large Masses of Earth

Stones, boulders, and mountains are like the skeletal system within our own bodies. The element of earth held within stones holds ancient memories. I know this might sound odd, but even in science studying the strata of the earth tells much about the earth’s geographical history, in addition to that of past civilizations.

When you say you feel something in your bones, it’s the same way stones and crystals can hold memory. Bones retain energy to generate different cells depending on what the body needs: cells to enhance bone density or blood cells to ensure the flow of oxygen and nutrients. Stones and crystals can retain energy like a battery. Earth Mother can activate the stones and crystals within her to generate the energy she needs to remain in harmony. They give physical structure to our planet and, shamanically speaking, hold ancient wisdom and stories that teach us how to live in harmony within ourselves and all of creation.

Crystals versus Stones

Non-precious stones hold different types of information and Power than crystals, semiprecious stones, or precious stones. Common non-precious stones are said to retain the memories of daily life they have witnessed throughout the centuries. Because of this, common stones can be very useful for reflecting upon your life or connecting with the ancient wisdom of the land, often by sitting upon or touching a stone. Different crystals and gems hold energy and memories specific to their type.

For example, the quartz family of crystals are enhancers. They have piezoelectric properties and can easily amplify spiritual energy. In my experience, quartz crystals boost whatever energy runs through them. In the recent past, quartz crystals have been used in the making of watches and communication devices. Other stones, such as hematite, are utilized for grounding and for teaching us how to pace ourselves.

Air Quality

Air is one of the most critical elements to sustain life. It is a dynamic element. The winds of air are like the respiratory system for our Earth Mother. Making sure that you are in a place where the air is clean does more than ensure good physical health. It is a critical component needed to achieve and sustain spiritual health and beneficial Power. This is done by making sure that you do not pollute the air around you with too much noise or light, as well as avoiding doing things that can fill the atmosphere with smog.

Healthy air needs to circulate freely. A place that does not have air moving through it can be stifling and claustrophobic. Air that is stagnant or stuck in a closed system that is not purified can harbor the growth of harmful airborne bacteria that cause infection and disease. The element of air also represents thought and communications. When the air is stuffy, we get sleepy and cannot think clearly. When we are not thinking clearly, miscommunication and accidents happen. Making sure that the air around you is fresh is key for a happy place. If the ambience is heavy with energetic or emotional pollution, simple remedies like listening to pleasant music or the soothing sounds of nature can help clear the air.

Human-Made Land Features

When assessing the features of the land, we need to consider more than just what we find in the natural world. Just as land affects us, we have also made an impact on land over the centuries. As such, these human impacts must be included when taking an overall look of any place or location. If the land has not been treated properly, there can be very strident energy.

Mining, deforestation, and factories that are reckless in how they treat the environment are classic examples of places that no one wants to be living near. This recklessness is reflected back to us by the pollution causing disease and sickness. However, the opposite is also true. Places where great care has been taken to clean the oceans, plant trees to restore forests, and generally care for the environment will be full of welcoming and flourishing energy.

Buildings

Take a look at the buildings around you. Are the buildings routinely maintained? Is the skyline harsh with the sharp, jagged lines of buildings that compete for space? Or are the buildings inviting and homey, creating a warm community feeling? Sharp edges and points can send energy that cuts like a knife. They cast energy like sharp arrows. A building that has gentle and rounded contours softens the flow of energy so that it is like a friendly current.

Roads

Roads, regardless if they are a goat path or a major highway, transmit energy. As such, they can influence or alter the natural flow of Power of the land. A roadway that is congested and full of hectic, angry people can poison the energy of the land and return it as anxiety and tension to those who live alongside the road.

Roadways that are well managed can still have a lot of people, but will move them along fluidly so that getting to one’s destination is smooth and the energy is one of easy, dynamic movement. Living alongside these roads can be very invigorating because the roads act as places where the energy keeps a steady pace and entices people to new adventures.

Roadways that are more like country lanes or small pathways are not only the road “less traveled” physically, but they are paths that carry energy that can feel very private, individual, and more attuned to the natural world. If the roadway or path is too secluded, it can create an energy of stagnation and of being resistant to interaction with the outside world.

Power Lines and Towers

The electromagnetic forces that power lines, tension towers, and telecommunication towers emit are not good at all! They can be harmful and disruptive to the energetics of the natural world. Living close to these structures brings an underlying feeling of being continuously unsettled or scattered. Depending on the intensity of what is being emitted, long-term exposure can create sickness and unease to a point that there are constant disputes or even violence within a home or work place.

Parks

If they are well-kept, parks can be great places of healing and grounding. Parks act as an oasis not only for the natural world, but for us as well because we can connect with the Heart of the land and All Our Relations in a pure way. Parks are places where Sacred Ancestors of the Land and other nature spirits congregate. These locations facilitate growing our connection with nature and deepen loving bonds with each other as friends, family, and community.

Population Density

When it comes to population density, everyone has their own preference. However, the concentration of so much humanity in one space will choke out the natural world, which we need to be healthy. Having a place that is overrun by human structures can create a disassociation with our planet and our wild relatives in nature. Make sure that if you choose to live in a place that is highly populated, such as a city, you have access to nature in some way. Whether it be a park or a healthy plant living within your home, it is vital to always have that connection with Earth Mother and the other elements in some way in order to maintain the health of spirit, body, and mind.

Memorials and Graveyards

Memorials carry the echoes of the past and as such they can act as an undercurrent of mood and energy that one may not even be conscious of. How it affects the emotions of a population depends on who or what is being remembered and the manner in which those people or events are being honored. For example, the memorial wall of Vietnam veterans is very beautiful, but if you ever have the chance to visit it in person, the depth of love and sorrow is palpable in the air. As such, the energy in the area around the memorial will be more on the somber side.

Graveyards can be “noisy,” like silent cities. Although cemeteries and graveyards might be physically quiet to honor the dead, the spirit activity can truly affect the living. This is because these places are full of all kinds of spirits that congregate, from ghosts to Sacred Ancestors of the Land. Empaths, channels, and mediums will be particularly impacted by graveyards or memorials. Since it may not be easy to avoid these features, just be aware that taking note of the type of energy that a cemetery or memorial carries is similar to paying attention to the type of interaction and energy that you might have within a neighborhood of the living.

Places of Worship

Places of worship are wonderful locations because they welcome and channel divine forces. Depending on the strength of the sacred place, sites of worship can hold within them portals that allow divine energies and sacred beings to interact freely with us and give them easier access to bless our world. The energy and mood of the community surrounding the place of worship will depend on who or what the place of worship is honoring, including the types of beliefs it is reinforcing.

Major Events

Human-made land features and major events leave a social imprint on the land. When researching a location for your home or business, I strongly advise examining the history of the land and of the community. Remember that earth holds memories and echoes can remain that may affect new structures built on the land.

Say, for example, you visit a battlefield. Depending on how violent and brutal the battle was, you will be able to feel the echoes of that historical event. It is not uncommon to have ghosts who are still reenacting what has happened before. The opposite extreme of this type of manifestation is visiting a place where miracles happened or where a great joyous event occurred. A place with positive history will attract benign and life-sustaining beings. The land will also give you feelings of joy, positive energy, and lightness of being when you walk upon it.

The land calls to itself similar types of people that are congruous with its essence. Because of this, similar activities are repeated in a region, consciously or unconsciously, through the centuries. The land will accumulate and grow a particular type of energy exponentially as it acquires and holds on to specific types of memories, feelings, and lessons.

Nonphysical Features of the Land

Just like we have the different systems in our body, our beautiful Earth Mother has similar systems in her own body. She generates her own energetic fields, magnetic and otherwise. You can see it above us whenever there is an electrical storm, or it can be measured scientifically as naturally produced electromagnetic frequencies. These energetic systems can also be felt as sensations in your body as you walk the land itself.

In this section I describe three types of energetic systems that are the most commonly found on the land. It is helpful to be able to identify these if you sense them as you walk the land or an indoor space. These nonphysical features of the land are not related to spirit beings, but make up the natural energetic landscape. It is important to assess if you have any of these energetic features in your space because they can influence the movement and type of energy depending where they are located in your space. If you have ley lines, it’s important to know how strong their energetic current is and what type of energy flows within them? If you have a portal, what is being allowed to move in between this physical realm in the energetic realms? If you have a vortex, which direction is Power going in? Is it allowing an influx of spirit energy to bring in more life and vitality, or is it a vortex that is meant for releasing and breaking down that which no longer serves?

Ley Lines

Ley lines are direct streams of energy that can cover many miles, sometimes even whole continents. They help to transmit Earth Mother’s energy along the surface to help stimulate communication and the overall rhythm of an area or region. Ley lines are the energetic equivalent of creeks, streams, or great rivers that transport the living energy of our Earth Mother across her surface. The intensity and direction of these ley lines will feel as though you’re standing in a moving body of water. The intensity of the sensation depends on the strength of the ley line. Harnessing these lines is a good way to enhance what you are trying to create. Of course, paying attention to the quality of energy that is being carried by the ley lines must also be considered in order to ensure harmony versus unnecessary destruction or chaos.

Ley lines that are strong and directed at a person or location can pull someone under or erode the energy of the land, similar to being pounded upon very strong currents of water. In a further chapter I will explain how to harness the lines in a way that is cooperative and will enrich your life.

These lines of energy crisscross the landscape around the globe and act as the nervous center of our Earth Mother, much like the nervous system that runs throughout your own body. Strong ley lines of energy heighten whatever activity takes place upon the land they run through. It is very much like finding a high voltage wire. If not used correctly, it can blow things apart. However, if harnessed properly, the energy of a ley line can act as a wonderful catalyst, in addition to maintaining what you create. Ley lines will provide a steady stream of energy akin to electricity running through your home or place of work.

Portals

Portals are doorways. They are equivalent to the valves in our circulatory system that ensure blood flows in one direction and does not back up. Portals can be generated by nature or, upon occasion, by humans if there is a tremendous event that happened at a specific location. The energetic frequency the portal is resonating with will determine what type of beings will be attracted to it.

Portals act like doors, swinging one direction or both, depending on their purpose. Portals can allow different spirit beings and energies to come from other dimensions and places into our own if it is a door that swings inward. If a portal is geared to swinging outward, then it is meant to take energy from our world into the spirit and energetic realms. These energetic doorways are channels for universal energy to come to and from our planet connecting us to the whole Universe. Portals that swing in both directions can be harmful. Much like swinging doors in a restaurant, if the waiters do not know which way to go, they can slam into each other. The same can happen with these spiritual doorways. If the portal is opened and not attuned to any particular frequency, it can allow beings that are harmful or chaotic to move in as easily as those who would be beneficial.

Fortunately, it is very unusual to have a portal that would allow random chaotic or demonic spirits into our world. I will describe later in this book how to clean the doorway of a portal and attune it so that only a specific type of being or energy can come through. It is very much like creating a lock and a key and the only ones who have access are the ones with the keys. It is not uncommon for portals to occur naturally and very often they can be felt at sacred sites. At times, portals can be very evident when there is an influx of spirit energy or beings, such as places that are haunted or have been recorded to be visited by divine beings.

Portals are formed when there is a strong convergence of spirit energy and earth energy or when an extremely intense event happens. The opening of the portal is formed at the nexus of the incident. Because of this, portals are very common at sites where there have been wars or great gatherings of impassioned people of a movement or cause. Man-made portals, whether they are made consciously or not, vary in duration as to how long they remain open. Those that occur naturally, because they are part of Earth Mother herself, can endure for many centuries.

The way that you will physically sense a portal is you can feel, or sometimes see from the corner of your eye, energy or spirit beings coming into or out of a place before vanishing. When you are standing in a portal, it is very much like the sensation of being in a physical doorway. You can feel that there is an opening to another place. Portals are not to be feared because they are much like the doors in your home. It is just important to understand what they open into, and how to modulate what comes through and when.

Vortices

Vortices are whirlpools of energy. They act as catalytic forces when moving the energy of our planet. Vortices help to drain and release pressure and toxic energies from the land. They are meant to create functional chaos, which helps to tear down old structures so they can go back into the earth and come back in a new form. Vortices and the areas around them can have a very vertigo-like effect on the human senses. Because of their movement and concentration, vortices can also create a feeling of being in a whirlwind. If you are caught in a strong vortex, it could be very disorienting because you can feel that you are spinning very quickly, like a top. To create stability in an environment, vortices regulate, redirect, and redistribute sacred Power as needed. They ensure that spiritual energy circulates evenly throughout our beautiful planet.

An incoming vortex can help to bring in energy from the spirit realms and will have a very intense, empowering effect. You know that you are in this type of vortex because you might feel a giddy or very dizzying rush of Power that makes you feel stronger, much like having a head rush when you are enjoying a good ride at an amusement park. At the other end of the spectrum, an outgoing vortex can release energy generated by this world and have a draining effect.

If a vortex is born of Earth Mother, it will tend to be bigger and more stable. A vortex that is not natural can be accidentally created by a tremendous amount of chaos coupled with extremely intense emotions that actually create an energetic impression upon a land or building. A vortex, unlike a portal, exists strictly to release the pressure generated by the movement of energy on this side or on the spirit side where the worlds connect. By its very nature, a vortex will appear or disappear wherever or whenever our precious Earth Mother needs to equalize energy. From a shaman’s perspective, the creation of a vortex is similar to a lightning strike.

Exercise
Using a Pendulum to Determine
an Energetic Land Feature

In addition to physical sensations, you can detect an energetic feature by using a pendulum. The pendulum you use does not need to be anything fancy, it just needs to have enough weight to be able to swing back and forth at the end of a string or chain.

To begin, simply hold the string or chain between your index finger and thumb with at least three to four inches between your hand and the weight at the bottom. Walk to where you suspect or sense there is an energetic feature. If it is a ley line, the pendulum will swing back and forth in a straight line. If the pendulum swings more strongly in one direction than another, it is showing you the direction of the flow of the land’s energy.

If the pendulum moves in a cross or square formation, then you have found a portal. When this happens, stop the pendulum from moving and ask the pendulum which direction the portal opens. Then begin swinging the pendulum again. If it moves in a clockwise manner, it means the portal opens into our world. If it moves in a counterclockwise fashion, then the portal goes into the spirit world. If the pendulum only moves in the square or the cross pattern, then you have an energetic doorway that swings both ways.

If your pendulum moves in a circle, it has located a vortex. Just like when the pendulum finds a portal, its movement clockwise or counterclockwise indicates that the vortex is bringing power into this dimension or releasing energy into the spirit world respectively. The movement and intensity of the pendulum will mimic the movement and intensity of the Power flowing through the land.

A pendulum can also be used to detect the direction of the flow of sacred Power. As you hold the pendulum, ask for the pendulum to begin to swing in the direction where the energy flow is coming from. Turn to squarely face the direction that was indicated. Then ask the pendulum if you are correctly facing into the flow of energy. If the pendulum moves forward and back like someone who is nodding their head and saying yes, then you are facing in the proper direction.

If the pendulum swings from side to side as if someone is shaking their head and saying no, then continue to slowly turn toward the direction that the pendulum is indicating until it becomes the yes movement. If you want to know how strong the flow of energy is, face the direction in which the energy is flowing from and ask the pendulum to mimic the intensity of the flow. When you are facing the proper direction, the pendulum should swing forward and back in front of you doing the yes motion. A gentle movement indicates a smaller or weaker source of Power. A greater movement shows a bigger or more forceful current. The way that you can determine the perimeter of an energetic phenomena is by seeing where the pendulum swings the strongest. This is the epicenter of the energetic feature. Walk outward from the center until the pendulum drastically slows down or stops moving. This will show you the edge of the ley line, portal, or vortex.

Of course, there are variations and combinations of the features that I have mentioned above, but for now this will suffice. The strength of any of these energetic features will determine how much they can affect you. If they are very powerful, then it will be a matter of learning how to live with these influences in your life. If the feature in question is weaker or more receptive to being influenced because the energy from it is clean and neutral, then it will be possible to interact with these energetic features. When you’re able to interact with these energetic features, you will be able to use them to enhance what you want to develop on your property, create stronger protections, and enrich life in all areas.

Spirit Beings and Other Unseen Residents

It is extremely common to have other beings take up residence on the land who had been there long before you. I’m not talking about the animals, plants, or trees. I’m talking about spiritual beings. Spirit beings can be attached to a location because they are a part of the land, because of unfinished business, or because your activities have attracted them. What I typically find is many people are afraid of these beings and feel that unseen neighbors should be exorcised. This is unnecessary and as you will find out, this reaction is usually undesirable because of the problems it can cause. Just like you have physical neighbors who mean you no harm and can coexist peacefully with them, so it is with these unseen beings.

Much like living and being in a good community, making friends with the spirits and beings of nature is just a good policy. Spirit beings can help to bring you protection and can bring timely messages and healing energy, if you befriend them. The same rules to developing a good relationship with a human being apply to growing a good relationship with your unseen neighbors. It’s similar to inviting a well-known friend over in order to make them feel welcome. Sticking to clear guidelines of interaction, having mutual respect, and good house rules ensure a stable and healthy relationship that can grow into a strong friendship as the years go by. Let’s go over just a few types of spirit beings that would be relevant for you to know when you follow this practice of the Heart of the Earth.

Sacred Ancestors of the Land: These are extremely powerful and ancient entities. Everyone has experienced these beings, although they may not have been aware of who they were interacting with. If you have gone to a place in nature and felt a very kind and wise presence smiling and welcoming you, then you’ve experienced the Sacred Ancestors of the Land. Sometimes they send dreams and will also send messages through animals and other signs to interact with human beings. They are the guardians of the land. The Sacred Ancestors of the Land are extremely benign and incredibly patient.

If you welcome the Sacred Ancestors of the Land, they will feel like a warm and compassionate grandmother or grandfather energy. Having them upon your land is a great honor and blessing! When they appear, the Sacred Ancestors of the Land will usually take on the form of an elder. It is always proper to welcome them with great respect. Speaking to them and sharing your stories is a way of honoring them. You may find that you can feel their energy is strongest at a certain place. Typically, you can find them around trees, large bodies of water, or big tracts of land, such as mountains. As gentle as Sacred Ancestors of the Land are, if you anger one, great misfortune can happen, including the destruction of buildings and whole regions. However, befriending Sacred Ancestors of the Land brings tremendous blessings to all who work or live where the Ancestors reside.

Nature Spirits: Nature spirits are entities that are the children of the land. They are known throughout many cultures and have several names, such as the menehune of Hawaii, the dwarfs of Europe, and the jogah of the Iroquois. Don’t be fooled, nature spirits may be small, but they are mighty and many! They travel between what we experience as three-dimensional reality Earth and the spiritual manifestation of Earth. They are very wise, but can be very capricious. They are fiercely protective of those they are fond of and just as quick to punish those whom they are not fond of.

At times, nature spirits can be seen as points of light or shadows darting quickly. To befriend them is to have a strong ally. Not all places have nature spirits. You will know if a place does because you will feel a presence of curiosity about you. Nature spirits’ way of being is very quick-witted and very friendly, if they desire to interact with you. It should be noted that nature spirits are not poltergeists. However, it is not uncommon with nature spirits to have objects disappear and reappear throughout your home.

Nature spirits will feel very much like small guests observing what is going on throughout your home and will give feedback on what they see. They understand the idea of rules and structure, so a set of house rules that everyone agrees to is a good way to be comfortable with them. They appreciate gifts, such as small tokens of beauty, and acts of kindness to nature, such as feeding birds.

Sacred Ancestors: Sacred Ancestors are the spirits of those people whom we love who have crossed over and have completed their spiritual journey. They choose to be with us and are not lost souls. Some Sacred Ancestors come to protect, some to advise, and some to give strength and comfort to those they knew in life.

Honoring and asking for help of the Sacred Ancestors will help to bring a warmth and protection to your home that is not easily rivaled. This depends, of course, on the individual who chooses to return and what you ask for them to assist you with. For example, say that you had a loving grandmother who watched over you in life and was always very good at healing. As a Sacred Ancestor, she could help give protection against and speed up recovery from illness.

Ghosts: I mention this type of entity not because they are desirable, but because it is not unusual to stumble across one. There are two types of ghosts. The first type is that of a person or an animal that has died but has not completed their sacred journey to become a purified soul. These kinds of beings are harmful, but not because they intend to be. It is because the energetic frequency of the dead is very different than that of the living. If they are around the living for too long, the conflicting energies of life and death can create misfortune, illness, and increase arguments within a home or work place.

The remedy here is to compassionately ask for that soul to continue their journey back to the Great Spirit. You can also ask sacred beings, such as a Sacred Ancestor or other divine being, to assist by guiding the earthbound soul to where it needs to go. If you find that the ghost is still haunting your place in a way that is frightful or toxic, do not engage! It is best to call someone who is trained in these matters escort this resistant soul from this earth realm to where they need to be.

The second type of ghost is not sentient; instead, it’s a part of a land’s memory and is stuck reenacting an event. As mentioned previously, the land retains memories. If an event is traumatic or euphoric enough, its imprint can remain on the land and keep on repeating, much like replaying a video that you are streaming.

Malevolent Beings: This type of spirit being consciously chooses to be harmful or evil. Malevolent beings thrive on all things toxic and feed on pain and suffering. I am very pleased to say that malevolent beings are not very prevalent. I recommend not engaging with these beings at all and seeking expert help immediately! Trying to do it yourself is simply asking for trouble. There are people who are trained to discern what specific type of malevolent being is afflicting a location and know how to take the proper steps to keep everyone safe while extracting the entity.

Indoor Features

Assessing the lay of the land inside a building is equally as important as paying attention to the outside topography. Several things can affect the flow of Power in regard to a building. The distribution of rooms and their shape can affect the intensity of the flow, as well as its direction.

For example, some older homes have rooms that are circular, semicircular, hexagonal, or semihexagonal. These shapes have a tendency to create a vortex of energy and will have a penchant to hold on to emotional and energetic impressions more than other types of room shapes. These room shapes will hold on to the echo of events that have happened in the past. In my experience, rooms of circular or hexagonal shape seem to have a feeling of being lost in time. It is not unusual for ghosts, if they are around, to linger in this type of room and peer outside of a window. It does not make these room shapes undesirable, just be mindful of their tendencies.

Another thing to consider is the people who have lived or worked in a space in the past. Each time the resident of a home or work space changes, they leave behind an energetic residue and impressions of daily events. When you move into a space, you might find yourself acting in ways similar to an archaeologist or geologist, reading what has happened during a particular era in your space, perhaps finding similar historic patterns. As mentioned before, the land sends out its own unique energy signature and subconsciously, we respond to it. It is not uncommon to have a similar type of community, family, or individual coming to a place over and over again. Similar events will keep on repeating if they are harmonic to the land, but with different “characters” reenacting the scene.

The style of dwelling must also be factored in when considering its impact on the natural flow of Power and how it expresses itself in physical form. For example, a single level dwelling, such as a ranch style house, would have a quicker and more natural flow of Power in relation to the land compared to a dwelling with multiple floors, such as an apartment building or dorm. These factors also apply to office buildings. The more people, rooms, and floors in a building actually magnifies the original expression of the land or a significant event that happened upon it.

An additional consideration is to take into account the placement and intended use of a room and making sure those are in harmony with the direction or Arrow that would support it. This idea will be detailed in chapter Six.

The Role of Each Room

Now, I would like to talk about the role of each type of room that can be found in a home, dorm, work place, etc. For those of you who live in studio apartments or other single room spaces, your space can be broken down into areas or sections that act like rooms. You will use the same methods and techniques, but you would be applying them as if each area were a room of its own.

Hallways, Corridors, and Stairwells

Corridors of any type act as channels for Power to flow through, connecting different rooms to each other. Since hallways act as channels and connections, they behave like the element of spirit. This is why it is important to never let a hallway become cluttered. In Native American spiritual traditions, all things are practical and spiritual. Therefore, in addition to the spiritual need for a lack of clutter, the practical standpoint is that a hallway should never be cluttered for the sake of safety.

From a spiritual point of view, clutter prevents the Breath of the Great Spirit from moving freely and giving life and health to all who are in a dwelling. Choking a hallway with bric-a-brac would be akin to someone constricting your throat. Ultimately, your dwelling would not be able to “breathe” and would become a very unpleasant place to maneuver. The same guidelines apply to stairwells, for they have the same function as a hallway, except that they move the sacred energy vertically to connect the Power between floors.

Storage Spaces

Storage spaces, such as closets, attics, or crawl spaces, retain the memory of a place. Depending on what these storage spaces are filled with, they can either store or drain energies. These areas are aligned with the element of earth. You should always store items that actively enrich your life, not a hodgepodge of useless or forgotten possessions.

Have you ever had an area in your dwelling that is full of stuff that you don’t want to deal with and you hide it away? Of course, you always swear that you will get around to it…but that moment never comes around. Ultimately, when you do have to revisit this area, it becomes a much greater project than if you handled it all along. From a practical standpoint, this is self-evident. From a spiritual standpoint, this clutter could keep you locked into old patterns and hold you back from evolving. Having a storage area that is just holding clutter is very much like someone who is lost in the past, not paying attention to the present and paying even less attention to the future. From a safety standpoint, clutter is a health and fire hazard.

Bathrooms

The bathroom should be a place of release and recovery, with the element of water strongly represented. I know this sounds funny. The idea of releasing, of course, is represented when you are relieving yourself. But, it’s also represented when you are taking a bath or shower to wash away all of the tensions of the day—physical, mental, and spiritual tensions. Once you have completed taking care of yourself, you feel refreshed. The bathroom is also a place of privacy.

From a practical standpoint, it is important to keep the bathroom clean, which is obvious for hygienic reasons. From a spiritual standpoint, it is important to keep the bathroom clean to make sure that all unwanted energetic residues clinging to your spirit are washed away. Sometimes the toxins that your body and soul get rid of can be seen as the rings that form in the sink, tub, or toilet. When the bathroom smells clean, it is a welcoming place to do whatever restoring or releasing is necessary to feel good about yourself and get on with the day. A bathroom does not have to be fancy to fulfill its purpose. Only place items in the bathroom that are needed to feel safe and private so that you can present yourself the way that you wish to the world.

Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the areas in which all the elements must be present in order for it to fulfill its function. The element of fire is present through your source of heat for cooking. It doesn’t matter if the source is electric- or gas-based. Electricity is considered to be liquid fire and as you recall, fire is symbolic of the Breath of the Creator as a transformative element. Fire helps transform whatever ingredients you may place into a pot or pan and converts them from simple ingredients into a delicious dish. The element of fire brings warmth by heating your food and drinks, which can be especially pleasurable on a cold day. The kitchen is where meals are prepared that are savored and enjoyed by us and those we love, especially during holiday seasons.

The element of water is represented by the sink and appliances we use to wash our dishes and utensils. Just like in the bathroom, this element helps to restore and refresh us. Hygiene is also important in the kitchen, both from the practicality of being sanitary and from the spiritual standpoint of it being aesthetically pleasing. The element of water helps restore dirty dishes into clean ones. Water also washes raw ingredients so they can be ready to be prepared into a meal. When water is added to a recipe, ingredients are transformed and are turned to something new, such as coffee or soup. In the kitchen, water also represents health, as it’s often the room we go to for drinking water.

The element of air is represented in the kitchen by the way that our appliances are vented, in addition to any windows. Air deals with communication, how we think of life, and mental health. The aromas in the air that may come from a kitchen can either invite us in or turn our stomachs. There are times when we accidentally burn things and the smell of smoke reminds us to focus. Having a kitchen area that is vented is critical for the sake of safety and so that the air does not become rancid. Paying attention to smells that are pleasant welcomes us into the kitchen. Making sure that there is plenty of air and air circulation is another way to guarantee that the energy in the kitchen is as it should be.

The element of earth is represented by the counters, utensils, plates, or other appliances that do not deal directly with cooking or washing. This element is all about manifestation and building. Earth holds memory. This is represented by the food you make that you put in your body to help build your cells, which will remain with you for the next several years. Earth likes routine and structure, represented by mealtimes and other habits, such as cleaning out the refrigerator. I know at times it can be difficult and “biology experiments” can grow in the refrigerator or freezer from time to time. However, creating routines of what to rotate or what to throw out is a good habit to have and ensures that your provisions are fresh. Keep your work areas clean and tidy.

The element of spirit is found in the overall feeling of the kitchen, similar to how the Great Spirit is everywhere but not necessarily seen. What type of feeling does your kitchen have? Does it feel like a place of drudgery or is it a cozy nook you can go to enjoy something that will refresh you for the day? What you use for decorating the kitchen should uplift your spirits and be relatively easy to maintain. Again, it does not have to be glamorous or luxurious, but clean, simple, and inviting.

The kitchen is a place of nourishment and reflects a person’s self-worth. What you feed yourself with and how you do it reflects how you value yourself and others. This is not meant to be a statement of judgment. It doesn’t mean that you need to have gourmet, expensive foods to show that you care for yourself or others.

Rather, it is making sure that what you place in the kitchen takes the form of basic nourishing foods, such as natural foods instead of highly processed foods. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy fun foods myself. My personal favorite is chocolate. I joke that I worship the goddess “Chocolatina” a little bit every day. However, it’s important that the majority of foods you purchase are healthy and nourishing. It does not matter whether you cook or not, it’s just about taking the time to make the best choices to honor your body.

It is said that you are what you eat because what you eat and drink provides the resources for your body to build on. Food acts as Medicine because the nutrition you take in bolsters your immune system. Take care that you have what your body really needs readily available and that your kitchen provides you with the proper way to prepare it. The kitchen is the cornerstone of your home where you prepare this Medicine for you and others.

Bedrooms

The bedroom should be a place of rest and recovery. It should be one of the places in your home where you can safely be yourself and be rejuvenated. The dominant element here is that of fire. I know at first glance this may seem counterintuitive. Remember that this divine element represents the life force. Every day you need to make time to restore yourself.

It is also the place where there can be romantic fire, a place that encourages a deeper connection between loving couples and the celebration of their chemistry. Fire definitely needs to be represented, regardless of what other elements are dominant in the bedroom.

This is a room that should be private and hold things that are near and dear to your heart. Even within a shared bedroom, there should be spaces within the room that are unique to each of the individuals that sleep there, whether it be a dorm mate, sibling, or a life partner.

Study/Library

A study or library should be a place of learning and intellectual stimulation. Not surprisingly, this room is represented by air, the element of thought. This is the room that encourages constructive daydreams and the development of thoughts or plans for the future.

Even if you do not have a room that can act as a formal study or library, it is a good idea to always have a nook or corner in your home dedicated to this. Filling this space with personal things that inspire you will assist you in expanding your vision of yourself and the world. This room should not be like the sleepy libraries that you see in the movies. Yes, enjoy having different reading material for entertainment, but remember this is the place where you store food for thought. Make sure that what is stored here is a mixture of useful information, in addition to being pleasurable.

Garage

As I mentioned before, places of storage represent the element of earth. However, because a garage also stores forms of transportation, the element of water will also be present.

The garage should always be a place of movement. Make sure that all items such as tools or seasonal items are stored in a way that is easy to access. Otherwise, you will find this becomes a place of major clutter where in the end not even your car, motorcycle, or bikes and wagons will have a place to be put away.

The garage is representative of our desire to create and to explore. Many people use a garage as a place to have a workbench or workshop. Make sure that you have everything you need to make it a safe place as well, since many people store hazardous materials, such as fuels, paints, and gardening chemicals.

Sanctuary Space

For your own sake and overall well-being, you must create a sanctuary space, even if it’s just a tiny portion of a room. All elements should be present in this space, with your own personal element being dominant! The mood and energy of this room should help you feel your best so you can recover from a bad day or add an extra boost to your morale if you’re having a good one. These sanctuary spaces should have the ability to calm you down, recenter yourself, and revitalize you.

For each one of us, a sanctuary space is different. For some people, their sanctuary needs to be a place of perfect quiet. For others, such as myself, it is a place filled with activities, but sprinkled with options of rest. The idea of a sanctuary space is one where you can get away from the world. It is a primal need that we never really outgrow. At some point in our childhoods, we all had our little hideaway spots. A sanctuary space should be a private place that celebrates your own unique spirit. Let me describe three basic forms of a sanctuary space.

Workshop or Studio

A creative space is one that is usually filled with options of different activities such as painting, woodworking, jewelry making, or machining. The idea of a space like this is to give you an outlet to express yourself. This is ideal for people who find making things to be very therapeutic. This type of sanctuary would be considered to be most aligned with the energy of the southeast point of the Medicine Wheel.

As fun and exciting as a creative space might be, it could all too easily melt into a huge mass of disorganized chaos if not properly maintained. Take time to figure out where you are going to store tools, materials, and reference books (if you use them). Make a routine. Figure out how much time you need to set up for whatever activity you are going to do and make sure to budget twice as much time for cleaning up afterwards. Yes, I know this practice will shorten your time for creativity, but you will become grateful for this good habit as you become accustomed this routine.

The reason I recommend that your cleaning up time be twice as long as set up time is because this allows for you not only to wash and store your materials and tools where they belong, but allows for you to reacclimate and avoid the “culture shock” of moving from a space of personal creativity to a space of regular responsibilities.

Meditation Room

There are those of us who prefer to be at rest and at complete peace versus being busy. A meditation room is for exactly that. Whatever is placed in a meditation space should make you relaxed and help you unwind. The time spent in a meditation space is insulated from the hustle and bustle of the rest of your household. Place items, decorations, and pictures that allow you to move beyond your mind chatter and troubles so you can deeply relax. I recommend having an array of comfortable pillows, blankets, or bolsters so that you may sit or lie down in comfort.

Although a meditation space may not have as much of an inclination to go into cluttered chaos as a creative space, it might have the tendency to become stagnant and stale. Make sure to keep this area current and introduce fresh energy as needed. Take care to give yourself enough time to transition from your state of deep relaxation before going back to your daily tasks. I still insist on keeping the rule of thumb of giving twice as much time to come back into everyday life as you take to get into your relaxed state. This is because the transition from peace to everyday noise can feel extremely harsh, especially if you are an empath.

Den/Family Room/Recreation Room

There are some people who prefer to share their sanctuary space with their loved ones. These are spaces that are meant for families and friends to be able to recharge by being in each other’s company. Since these types of rooms could lend themselves to too much activity and noise, I suggest arranging the room so that the environment can turn from that of a joyful gathering or party into one of a soothing and relaxing evening. There should be plenty of comfortable places to sit and flat surfaces to set refreshments upon.

The definition of a soothing time is different for each of us. If you enjoy watching movies, shows, or sports, make sure that you have the technology to accommodate that, but balance that time with turning electronics off so there can be meaningful conversations and personal quality time with those you love. Remember that these are places that represent you as a group and as a family. Whatever is placed here should be whatever collectively gives you solace.

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