Bryan Deel Places as Chora

On page 39 of Landscapes of the Sacred, Lane states that "Place as chora carries its own energy and power, summoning its participants to a common dance, to the “choreography” most appropriate to their life together" This quote caused me to think about the definition of the sacred. What causes a place to be sacred, and why do only certain places become sacred and others remain ordinary settings? My opinion is that a place can become sacred to an entire society (such as Devil’s Tower or Mecca), or it can be sacred to a particular individual.
The word sacred is defined as “entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things” (Dictionary). Places, such as a Christian church, can be sacred. These churches are built out of devotion and dedication to God. This example seems to fit the criteria of the definition of the sacred. People are expected to dress and act respectively in sacred places in order to display respect and reverence.
An example of a place held sacred by an individual could possibly be a place where something of significance happened to them and altered or affected their life or mindset. An example of this could be a particular spot on in the woods where someone experiences a religious revelation. These spots are held sacred to an individual but not necessarily by an entire society. Belden Lane tells about his sacred experience in Landscapes of the Sacred. He and his wife visited the Medicine Wheel in north central Wyoming, and while walking around the circle, he reported feeling closer to his wife. Lane stated, “But the circle joined us in that brief moment, making us part of a connectedness that the entire place seemed to share” (Lane 40). Lane affirmed that this experience became an integral part of what he believed was sacred. Referring to the quote, Lane experienced the Medicine Wheel’s energy and its ability to bring individual’s lives together.