Mount Shasta Peace Garden

We had a little storm last week. There were a few days of rain and then the temperatures dropped, and we got over 18 inches of snowfall in 24 hours. It was a lot. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that the whole town had a snow day. Even the freeway was closed 10 miles both north and south of us. The last time I saw this much snow was during a blizzard in Big Bear, when I was on vacation sitting on a cozy sofa, watching a movie with my kids while drinking spiked hot cocoa. (To be clear, mine was spiked, theirs was not. Also, butterscotch schnapps...just try it.)

We sheltered in place, watched some movies, put a puzzle together, and discussed how these two Southern California girls are NOT prepared for the winter. Cue the Amazon shopping spree (yes, we are buying local when it's possible). I also started to wonder where I was going to hike during the winter. I don't have snowshoes and am not an experienced hiker, so my options are somewhat limited. I did some research, joined a few online groups, and have a plan in place. This week though, with snow still on the ground and the holiday quickly approaching, I decided to explore the local Peace Garden.

The Peace Garden is a plot of land in-between two homes. Privately owned, the Garden is open from sunrise to sunset, and guests are encouraged to bring a token to leave behind. With the snow berm (expanding my snow-season vocabulary!) from the plows blocking the entrance, I had to ask for directions. (Let's be real, no one is surprised that I was a little bit lost.) Once I saw the sign, I climbed over the snow and easily found the path.

While you are greeted by a statue of Mary, and all religions seem to be represented, dogma is not the focus, Peace is. The welcome sign requests silence, reminding visitors that this is a place for prayer and meditation. Being respectful of other visitors, I passed by the statue and headed to the Healing Pole.

"Te Mana O Te Atua Pou" or "The Power of God Pole" was carved by a local man in 2019 in prayers for the healing of Turtle Island. It is a beautiful piece, with every single detail representing something specific. From top to bottom in the photo; 12 heavens, Alpha and Omega, Moon, Sun, Wind and 4 Directions, Forest, Sea, and Turtle Island within Mother Earth's Womb.

Continuing on, I passed what seems to be a path representing the Tree of Life with a shrine in the center. Someone was sitting in silence, so I moved on and found the newly planted Peace Tree. This little deciduous gem had only a few berries on her otherwise bare branches. I'll have to return in another season to see her fully dressed. But, with a bench beside her, and this being a place to silence and center yourself, I sat down to just...be. On the other side of the Peace Tree was a large circle of trees wrapped in prayer flags with another shrine in the center. To think that the circle must have been planned so long ago and hundreds of visitors have come to hang their symbols of hope on their branches was mesmerizing.

Heading back to the entry, I stopped to admire the statue of Mary. She is facing a small grove of large pine trees, under which are several stone benches. The trees were astounding, so many of them growing so close together there wasn't a speck of snow under their branches. Again, I sat down to take in my surroundings (pro-tip, don't sit on a stone bench in the shade when there is snow on the ground) and I noticed the Mountain watching over us, as she does.

I can completely understand why so many people have come here to leave tokens and flags and statues in their sorrow or in hope. The energy here is amazing, calming, uplifting. It's the perfect place to practice gratitude; for Mother Nature in all her Glory, for the warmth of the sun while surrounded by fresh white snow, for food and clothes and shelter, for friends and family both near and far, for the chance to love and be loved.