Mabon 1999 Newsletter Sacred Gardens and Sacred Sites by Lesley-Caron Veater

Does your garden help to keep you connected to the land? Do you recognise the Earth as sacred? Like many Pagans do you share a passion for organic gardening that reflects your connection to the land and your spiritual path? Have your spiritual practices lead you to create special places in your garden for ritual, meditation or healing? Do you recognise areas with special energy in your garden or locality which you tap into for ritual, meditaiton or healing?

With a book in mind, I am very interested in hearing from Australian Pagans with special gardens. groves or sanctuaries. Do you have somewhere special in your garden, whether natural or created by you, for ritual, meditation or healing? Do you work with devas, spirits or natural energies in your garden? What elements make it sacred for you? Do you have special features, water, statues etc.? Do you preserve ‘wild spaces’ which no person interferes with? Have you a grove or circles in your garden, on your property, or in your locality? In addition I’m interested in hearing from people interstate (I am in Victoria) about natural sites of power or aboriginal sacred sites in their region.

I plan to discuss the creation of mystic or sacred gardens through a spiritual connection with the land and local environment and using natural organic gardening practices. I am looking to interview people with a view to including this inspiring material together with beautiful photographs throughout the book. The focus is particularly Australian, however, this will obviously mean an eclectic selection of cultural backgrounds, spiritual traditions and gardening practices! My own background as a white, female, anglo-celtic wiccan preistess has led me to create the odd mix if Australian native/traditional English style cottage garden so typical of relocate Brits, which would probably horrify the traditionalists. However it pleases me personally and reflects a connection not only with my roots but this wonderful land and my own spiritual practices. My herbs certainly thrive under the shade of gums and blackwoods! I would be facsinated to hear from others who are connecting with this land while mantaining spiritual practices belonging to other cultures and traditions whether Eastern or Western.