In a conversation between Virginia Vigliar, Rachael Knight and Rutendo Ngara, they explore the essence of sacred sites and the importance of rituals.
Virginia Vigliar: What Makes a Sacred Site Sacred?
Rachael Knight: I think what makes a sacred site is the energy, attention, and honouring that humans give it. While it exists in and of itself, its relative power can recede or expand based on how well it is fed by humans. Across Europe and the UK, there are sacred sites that are being neglected and could grow in strength if they were properly tended, honoured, and recognized by humanity. This belief is shared by many peoples around the world who understand that sacred sites can expand or contract in power based on the energy given to them.
Rutendo Ngara: Well, firstly, I think all things are sacred. But as Rachael said, there are sites where the sacredness is so concentrated that it can break the veil between the seen and unseen worlds, or the spirit world, or the greater cosmos. Traveling from one sacred site to another reveals this. In Southern Africa, for example, Benda, in the northern part of South Africa, is an incredibly sacred province. Specific communities tend to it, caring for places like small waterfalls, forests, rocks, caves, or mountains where the ancestors are concentrated. It’s possible to connect to all sacred sites across the world because the communication networks are more amplified than general sacredness. I often use the analogy of chi flowing through the body: at certain acupoints, it is more concentrated, and that's what we are calling sacred sites.
There are sites where the sacredness is so concentrated that it can break the veil between the seen and unseen worlds, or the spirit world, or the greater cosmos.
Rachel Knight: When I come across a sacred site, it's impossible to deny it. I remember the first time I walked onto the land at Avebury in the UK; my legs started shaking, and I had trouble standing because the energy in the land was so powerful. I thought, "Oh my God, what's happening? This truly is a sacred site." Even if we may not initially recognize something as sacred, paying attention to our body’s perception and the subtle signs can make it more obvious.
Virginia Vigliar: What is the importance of rituals in your lives?
Rutendo Ngara: We need to define what a ritual is. Rituals exist everywhere— in boardrooms, shopping malls—those repetitive actions we perform to achieve a particular outcome. So, what is the importance of sacred rituals? Outside of the mundane rituals, for me, their importance lies in tending to the sacred place within and connecting it to the sacred place without. It’s about connecting the microcosm with the macrocosm. Rituals often have what we call activity fractals; when we repeat those actions, they activate the intangible, the unseen, or the spirit in ways that can impact the everyday. Rituals can also bring communities into a state of synchronicity, coherence, and collectiveness. By the same token, they connect self to other, or self to nature, or self to the stars. Sacred rituals are important for connecting to self and realizing we are part of an interconnected, interdependent whole.
It’s about connecting the microcosm with the macrocosm.
Rachael Knight: My focus these days is on rituals to honor and tend the Earth and the more-than-human world. The importance of these rituals is in feeding, tending, and giving energy to the remembering and honoring, especially through offerings. We must pay attention to what the ancestors and spirits of the land are hungry for. How do we give them what they need to feed or spiritually nourish them?
Rachael Knight: Someone once told me a story about a woman my friend knew who wandered into a little park in Novato. She was a seer, and her ancestors came out of the ground and revealed themselves to her, showing that they were starving because no one had fed them. She gathered some food and made a ritual offering, and she could see that a little more flesh came on their bones. I love this story because it visually reminds us that if we don't honor and feed the more-than-human world, we neglect an important relationship—especially with our ancestors. If we don’t tend to our ancestors, who will?
Rachael Knight: If these sites can grow in power from our attention and energy, then there’s something significant in the ritual recognition of our responsibility to not only take from the Earth but also to give back energetically. We should offer our sweat, the beauty our hands can create, and the songs we can sing—not just take, but give back.
