Chuck Pettis, founder of the Earth Sanctuary in Freeland, is dedicated to creating sacred places. Here in this Freeland WA oasis, the natural world is celebrated and sculptures honoring the Earth’s energies share space with flora and fauna.
So that we might better know the natural world and the various spiritual influences all around us, Chuck has just published Secrets of Sacred Ecology: How to Create Peaceful, Magical and Transformative Spaces in Nature.
In 2000, Chuck purchased 72 acres of forested wetland, and over the years has cared for and replenished the land, including restoring its ‘standing nation’ of varied forest. The forest is home to Earth Sanctuary’s more than hundred species of birds, beavers paddling in the fens, native plants, spirit deities and sculptures connecting the earth to the sky. The Earth Sanctuary is a touchstone on Whidbey Island, with its ability to heighten all the senses and renew our belief that harmony and well-being exists in reality.
As an Earth steward, author and environmentalist, Chuck is dedicated to maintaining biodiversity. His plans for Earth Sanctuary extend to a 500-year plan in the future, which includes planting hundreds of trees which will mature into an old-growth primeval forest–balanced with robust fungal networks and plants.
It was 50 years ago that Chuck visited a sacred place in England that greatly influenced his life from then on.
“In 1975, I visited the Rollright Stone Circle near Oxford England, and was profoundly moved by the palpable power of this ancient sacred space,” Chuck writes in the book’s preface. “Standing among the stones, I felt a deep connection to something timeless and magical. That moment ignited a lifelong quest to understand how to create places imbued with such transformative energy.”
Over the years the Earth Sanctuary has become host to energies that, if one can quiet one’s busy thoughts, help soothe and balance, creating a sense of well-being and connection.
One of the first sacred sculptures Chuck installed at Earth Sanctuary is the Dolmen Megalith. Inspired by a 7,000-year old site in Carnac France, the sculpture is the first to be built in modern times in our country. “It’s located over a Ley line power center, so it’ll hold strong emotions, and it’s a great place for meditation and prayer,” Chuck narrates in a meditation video. “When you’re in the dolman, my favorite meditation…we focus on our breath. And specifically, you count up how many breaths you have in 60 seconds.”
Ley lines, as mentioned above, “…combine the yin (feminine) calming effect of underground water with energetic yang (masculine) ley lines,” writes Chuck on page 184 of Secrets of Sacred Ecology.
In 1988, Chuck Pettis’ LLC, The Geo Group, was commissioned by the Seattle Arts Commission to map its ley lines. “Seattle is the first city in America – possibly the first city anywhere – to have its ley lines located and mapped,” writes Chuck on the Earth Sanctuary website. “Sacred places located all over the world are generally located over various Earth energies. These electromagnetic fields of energy emanating from the Earth have the capability to improve the well-being of people as well as the Earth as a whole. One of our goals is to identify the presence of all kinds of Earth energies and work in harmony with the Earth Spirit to improve the flow of these energies.”
When purchasing the land for Earth Sanctuary 25 years ago, Chuck Pettis wished to create an old-growth forest, a sacred space sculpture garden and a retreat center. Since then, as noted in his latest book’s introduction, “…more than 15,000 native plants–80 species, 3,350 trees–35 species, have been planted, 11 sacred spaces grace the land, our retreat center has hosted over 1,000 spiritual retreats, and over 100 Memorial Trees have been planted to honor loved ones, often with ashes interred nearby, creating a living legacy.”
Over the past quarter century, Chuck has observed an extraordinary evolution of Sacred Ecology. He notes in the book’s introduction: “Sacred ecology explores the interconnected relationships between the Six Kingdoms of Life, Spiritual Beings, and their environment, to foster the most diverse, vibrant and healthy ecosystems imaginable.”
How do we know we’re experiencing Sacred Ecology? Chuck writes: “You can feel it: the peace and magic in the air. The presence of wildlife and birdsong. An atmosphere that invites meditation and mindfulness. Sacred spaces–like stone circles, shrines or groves–that carry energy. A feeling that you are walking in a heaven on earth.”
How do we create sacred ecology in our lives?
In Chuck Pettis’s words: “Put nature first. Protect what’s already sacred. Plant for the future. Move with reverence–walk quietly, listen deeply, respect wildlife. Bring in spirit–Bless your land. Create spaces for meditation or prayer. Invite the guidance of spiritual beings of your path. Act with love.
Why does Sacred Ecology Matter?
“We live in a time when ecosystems are fragile and disappearing,” Chuck wrote. “But each of us can do something–small or large–to restore balance and create beauty. Sacred ecology is not only about conservation. It’s about connection–deepening our relationship with the Earth and honoring her as alive, conscious and sacred.”
