Connections

The weekend has been a rainy, cool one here in Maryland. The windows and doors are open and a damp, earthy smell mixes with cinnamon from the apple cider donut holes we made for breakfast. I am reminded that the air we breathe, the food we eat, the land we cultivate, and the people with whom we share life represent sacred connections.

In my inbox this morning, I discovered an article by Shane Mitchell from Saveur magazine about a potato farmer high up in the Andes mountains of Peru who grows 180 different varieties of potatoes. The farmer, Julio Hancco, describes the growing of potatoes as sacred. In fact, potatoes are a crucial part of the ancient Incan mythology dating back at least 8,000 years. "According to legend, when the mythical founders of the Inca Empire, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca, the sun god Viracocha taught them how to sow potatoes." Connections and sacred energy shared between people, land and the divine are present in many faith traditions; however, these spiritual connections are seen most clearly in the indigenous spiritual pathways around the world. The Quechua people have a term that points to this shared energy, ayni.

Part of spiritual practice is experiencing that shared energy each and every day.