That's a very beautiful post morfe, and it made me think that perhaps that which some consider 'sacred' is not dissimilar to that which others 'respect'. If, as with the Cherokee, we respect the quality of water, and the cosmos that contains it, we are not only showing respect for those things but also acknowledging their right to be; and perhaps in so doing, acknowledging the fact that we are just one small part of all that is and is not.

<i>"This we know: The Earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth."</i>

Chief Seattle

>> For instance, if the Cherokee believe all water to be sacred, they are teaching their
>> children and their children's children that their life depends on water, and the quality of it.

Indeed. If the forum search were available I'd hunt out the several occasions in discussions about the antiquity of holy wells where I've said something like ...

When you find a good water source you want to stop people pissing in it! What better way than to make it 'sacred'? Also, by erecting a monument/shrine whatever near to it you mark it. This serves several purposes depending upon the society you live in. It could be so that you can find it again if you're nomadic. It could be so that others know it's safe. It could be to say 'this is ours'. It could be just to remind people not to piss in it. It could be any combination of the abovve.