Available now6-MODULE, ONLINE COURSE

Sacred Sites

Unlocking Ancient Wisdom for Regenerative Futures

This learning journey brings you Indigenous knowledge holders from across the planet, who will speak of these sites as catalysts of planetary homeostasis, balance and harmony. You will learn about sacred sites from a spiritual, political, ecological and historical perspective, as well as how to work with them and protect them.

Facilitated and curated by Earthrise Collective

Trailer

Sacred Sites are places where humanity can engage with the earth, the more-than-human world and the cosmos at large, transcending the limits of our everyday human perceptions, and opening into relational possibilities with the land, waters, plants, animals, ancestors, spirits and gods. Sacred Sites have much to teach us, particularly given these times we are in. By looking closely at thousands of years of relationship between humans and sacred sites, we can learn much about how to forge deeply collaborative, synergistic relations with the land and more-than-human world we live with.

Course modules

Module 1

Sacred Sites and Indigenous Spirituality

In this opening class, we will gain a nuanced understanding of sacred sites and their role in Peoples’ spiritual cosmologies, traditional practices and human flourishing.

Module 2

Sacred Sites and Biodiversity

In this session, we will delve into the heightened biodiversity of sacred sites around the world.

Module 3

Aligning with the Cosmos: Sacred Sites and Time

In this module, we will explore the confluence of Time and Space, which ancient civilisations have brought to life through megalithic stone structures designed to align the movements of celestial bodies in relation to our planet.

Module 4

Sacred Sites as Places of Learning

In this module, we explore how sacred sites are places of learning, “unlearning” and deep wisdom.

Module 5

Sacred Sites Under Threat

In this module, we will learn about the forces that threaten sacred sites’ sanctity, as well as the extraordinary acts of advocates to protect their local sites.

Module 6

Becoming a Guardian of Sacred Sites

In this final module, we will explore how the rejuvenation and transformation of sacred sites can contribute towards climate resilience, increased local biodiversity, socioeconomic development, community transformation, and local and regional peacebuilding.

Course information

Across the planet, there are places that hold an ancient wisdom. Places where the boundaries between humans, spirits, ancestors, and deities are thin. Often humming with powerful, otherworldly energy, these Sacred Sites have been guarded through time by the those who know them best.

Through 6 modules, you will learn about sacred sites from a spiritual, political, ecological and historical perspective, as well as how to work with them and protect them. On this exciting journey you will learn first hand from a faculty of wisdom keepers and academic researchers from more than 12 nations including India, South Africa and Colombia, who have dedicated their lives and cultures to honouring sacred sites. You will gain rare insight into knowledge systems that encode the wisdoms of our relationship with the earth, ancestors, and the cosmos.

Sacred sites are places where humanity can engage with the earth, the more-than-human world and the cosmos at large, transcending the limits of our everyday human perceptions, and opening into relational possibilities with the land, waters, plants, animals, ancestors, spirits and gods.

To many local people, these places are “portals” where humans may give offerings or make prayers to - as well as receive messages or gifts from - the more-than-human world. These Sacred Sites may include springs, rivers, lakes, islands, rock formations, caves, mountains (or whole mountain ranges), forests, groups of trees, and special ecosystems that house sacred species. In some places, humans have embellished the power of the site by constructing monuments, building mounds, burying their dead, and erecting temples, churches and mosques.

In our rapidly changing world, Sacred Sites offer valuable lessons about respect, and our relationship with the past, present, and future. By examining the long-standing relationships between humans and these special places, you will learn how to cultivate harmonious connections with the land and the broader natural world around us. You will learn about the rules and protocols designed, through millenia, to ensure that they are cared for and related to honourably and with utmost respect

While Indigenous and local people fiercely protect their sacred sites, there are many thousands more that have been lost to memory together with the peoples who once protected them. Paved over by parking lots, lost in public forests, huddled under skyscrapers and housing developments, or hiding in plain sight, they remain unacknowledged and un-tended to. Through the course, participants will learn how to discover local Sacred Sites in their home landscapes, and begin to learn how to relate to, honour and tend to them.

Course Includes

6 hours of lecture by experts from across the world

Sessions are recorded to watch at your own pace

Community discussion

Readings and other resources

Teachers

Rachael Knight

Rachael Knight is a lawyer dedicated to championing the collective land rights of Indigenous Peoples and rural communities.