People have always sought the sacred. It is the Divine within striving to reconnect with the all. We are instinctively drawn to that which is thought to be sacred. People have traveled from all over the world to walk the streets of Jerusalem, to stand in awe at the presence of Stonehenge, to view the pyramids of Giza, to be healed at Lourdes, etc.

At one time, all land was viewed with reverence and respect. Down through the ages, various animals have been considered sacred: cats, cows, even the serpent. We seek to attune ourselves to the sacred that exists within nature and all life through a variety of ways. We meditate, pray, go on spiritual retreats or any number of methods that feels right in an attempt to align with the source.

Although I've never had the experience of traveling to a sacred site or a place of power, I do try to reconnect with the divine that is in the nature that surrounds each of us every second of our lives. I'll admit that I try to keep indoors as much as possible in the cold weather season because I am not a winter person in the least bit but as soon as spring arrives I begin to bond with nature. Spring seems to signal a time when all things are being born as if from the very beginning of creation. This in itself could be considered sacred.

We can find the sacred all around us and within us if only we bother to look. It is in the land, the air, the water, the sun, the moon and stars. Even our bodies are temples for the divine spark within. We are sacred vessels. We need to care for and nurture our bodies as well as the spirits contained within them. We should also respect ourselves as well as others.

Everything in our creation is a divine manifestation of the source. One of the many definitions of the word Sacred is: worthy of respect. In this context, everything and everyone is sacred because all life deserves to be respected. There are certain areas around the world that are venerated because they may have been the homeland of a great spiritual teacher. A particular area may have been the birthplace of such an individual or the place of their death or burial. Certainly these places do retain a certain energy, a type of blueprint from the past that still resonates with bygone vibrations.

Other places are considered sacred because they were places of worship or sacrifices. Temples may have been built; miraculous healings may have taken place. But even areas that have no sacred claim to fame through mysteries or miracles still hold the sacred within them. Many of our ancestors knew this; they saw the sacred in the sun, the rain and the land that nourished and sustained them. They listened to the voice of the eagle in the sky and the howl of the wolf at night. There was something to be learned from even the smallest creature such as the industrious ant. Attention was paid to the signs that were prevalent in the earth and the heavens.

We don't always have time in our busy world today to focus our attention on the simple things around us. Our awareness has been trained to focus upon the quest for materialistic virtues. We arise each day and start a mostly unconscious, mechanistic quest for success, approval and monetary prosperity. Of course, we have to go through a routine that will assure us the material needs to exist in the world as it is but we can stay in tune with the sacred if we choose.

I can feel the sacred as I walk in a slow, warm rain. I can see the divine in the ants trotting across the walkway. I take care to step over them rather than on them. The point is that often we seek the divine without realizing the everywhere that divinity is at all times. Breathe in the scent of flowers as they bloom, listen to the speech of the animals, feel the caress of the sun, tread softly on the land that supports you. Respect all life. By doing so, you will recognize the sacred place of being.

Darlene Zagata is a freelance writer and columnist for the print publication Moon Shadows Magazine. She is also the author of "Aftertaste: A Collection of Poems" and "The Choosing." Her work has been published extensively both online and in print. For more information visit her website at http://darlenezagata.tripod.com or contact Darlene at darzagata@yahoo.com