Spiritual Homestead. Place speaks to me, land speaks to me. It probably does to you too. The Welsh concept of Hiraeth, which doesn’t have an exact English counterpart, means something like homesickness or longing, especially for place, and with a bit of sorrow for something unattainable or lost.
For those of us with deep connection through time to places on the earth, it can be a powerful way to explain both a kind of vague longing for home and a sense of familiarity with many places that are somewhat out of reach. In this article for Elephant Journal, I explore how we can find some remedy for this longing through developing deeper relationships with the spirit of place wherever we are. Shamanic wisdom has been really important in helping me with this. I hope it can be for you too.
Excerpt
“Home” resonates differently for each of us. We have a primal longing for places and people that feel like ours. Some of us are blessed with this; we feel comfortable, known, and accepted. Many of us do not. Coming home is a powerful thing. Ultimately it is within your power to define what it means for you. Intellectually we may understand that home is not simply a building, a group of people, or a location on the globe. Still, we have such strong associations with home being a combination of those things, blended across time with memories and emotions, that it takes determination to redefine it.
When we reorient around our definition of home, we reclaim our power to be at home, in our skin, and in our environment. While nature is not the only part of a spiritual homestead, it is a large part and an excellent place to begin.
You might be interested in…
Developing relationships with the natural and spiritual world around us is a frequent topic in Shamanism for Every Day: 365 Journeys. If this calls to you, here’s more information about the book and the journey delivery program. If you prefer a guided course, check the course list here.