How connecting with my ancestral land opened my curiosity about the Country I call home.
The sacredness of the land called us.
Forests, springs, cliffs, craters, ancient burial grounds. The beauty and serenity of the earth embraced us and welcomed us home. A home far from home. The home of our ancestors.
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We walked the paths of old. At the tip of a narrow peninsula, we watched the sunrise where the waters meet, weaving patterns along the shore. Swans bobbed on the water, great eagles played in the wind, and flowers bloomed among the windswept rocks. We stood on the edge of a land whose stories are embedded in our own.
Estonia may be considered one of the least religious countries; however, spirituality comes alive here as we connect with the earth, sea, and sky. Nature speaks.
The country is rich in sacred sites. They are easy to find; they are marked on the maps. Signs at the locations explain more than their history. They share how to pay respect, how to walk in reverence with the spirit of the place. At some sites, we’re invited to tie a natural fibre string or ribbon around a tree to connect us to this space. This allowed us to feel connected to the energy and know that a part of me will always be there. I am forever one with this place.
Being present in nature has always been for me a closeness to spirit. It quietens the mind and soul in readiness for awakening. Here I connected to the oneness of all.
When I left this land, which is a part of me and returned to Australia, I started to consider the sacredness of the country I live on. It is an ancient land. Our First Nations people have been here for thousands of years. They have a connection to country. Their country embraces them; the spirit of the land calls them.
I want to learn more. Where are their sacred sites? Surely the Wurundjeri country where I live is filled with them. Are they recorded on our maps? Which ones do they invite us to visit? Do they have information there about their history, stories and how to pay respect and walk in reverence with them?
I came home with my own Brew the Change Challenge: to learn more about the Wurundjeri people, to visit the sites they invite us to and pay my respects.
When you allow yourself to see and listen to the spirit of the land, your heart is opened to the stories of the people.
