Sacredness In Glastonbury

Sacredness is a dictate of collective fiat, a mass of worshipers is a congregation and they congregate in sacred spaces. There is a discussion to be had in the rational individuals uses to arrive at this fiat, but there must be determining factors that predispose a place to become sacred in the first place. Whilst sacredness can be the consensus of adherents, multinational organizations also attempt to assign sacredness; The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), can label places as sacred. Decrees from establishments of authority can be an extension of the consensus of adherents, but also tend to legitimize the location to secular individuals. Sacredness isn’t inherent to a strict religious dogma, it can
Glastonbury serves as a sacred site for Christians in the local cathedral where; allegedly Christianity took root in Britain, or that Joseph of Arimathea planted a staff that grew into a tree, among various other legends. The Christian Minister states of these legends that 'Making a physical pilgrimage to a place like Glastonbury, this confirms that identity for us.' The historical ties to ancestral adherents impart an added sacredness to a location. Pagans draw a similarity of historical importance to a sacred place, a Priestess of Avalon Sally Pullinger states that Glastonbury is 'a very special place in the landscape of the world. People used to journey here, pilgrim here, since before Christianity'. These varied religions claim stake to the same site, whilst differing in faith the adherents similarly recognize the importance of myth. The ancientness of a location can lend credence to ancestor reverence; a common theme among many belief systems. Stonehenge features many burial mounds which are revered by Pagans, who find it objectionable that remains are interred for display at the site's museum. Similar to the abhorrent thought that a church graveyard may be excavated. Ancestor reverence lends credence to many scared activities at sites, the ancient fascination with astrological activity is self-evident at Stonehenge, and upon important astrological events, rituals are held at this sacred place. This legacy
Religion is based upon subjective rationale, but some common ethos is found in similar activities at sacred sites. There is a Christian tradition of processions at Glastonbury, juxtaposed by pagan processions that also march through the town. Pagans and Christians are seemingly diametrically opposed from a sacred viewpoint, however, from a secular viewpoint they are very similar; a group of people walking down a street in unusual clothing, whilst brandishing iconography. The presence of unusual behaviour is a commonality at sacred places; odd activities that wouldn’t be done with a lack of faith, processions, ritual or unusual construction. Adherents rationalize their activity at sacred places by stating the place has something unquantifiable, such as the astrological influence of Stonehenge during the solstice making for a rewarding spiritual experience. This unquantifiable nature expresses itself as a search for spiritual apotheosis at these locations, as one adherent at Glastonbury states 'Sacred means that you have respect first, Sacred also means that the place helps you to reach a higher level of consciousness', or a priest remarking of Glastonbury ‘When we as Christians want to have security and strength and to be emboldened in our faith. We come to a place which gives us that security and strength’. The search for religious affirmation is a