Landscapes of the Sacred II

The axis mundi, as seen in Belden C. Lane's book, "Landscapes of the Sacred" is known as a "passage... from where all meaning derives" (Lane, 20). The axis mundi is considered the location where heaven and earth come together, and is usually a sacred place for many religions and cultures. For the ancient Pueblo people, their axis mundi was a Sipapu, located inside of a Kiva. The Sipapu was known as a portal that their ancestors entered the modern world through. Although an axis mundi has no geographical significance, it is considered the center of that cultures' world. It is important for different cultures to have their own axis mundi's because it is easier for people to praise a physical object or location, instead of worshiping a metaphysical being.