He Said, She Said

Sedona is more than just a pretty face. It has been a sacred site to Native Americans and others for hundreds of years. The Hopi believed the rocks held memories of their ancestors. The red rocks have a high silica content, the material of which microchips are made. If silica can be used as memory for computers, perhaps the Hopi were onto something. The striking rock formations each have legends attached. Some of these stories are based on the native peoples’ interpretation of the rocks’ shapes. Others are just plain eerie. For instance, there is a cluster of formations that look like wondrous structures in other parts of the world. The Parthenon, the Great Pyramids, and the Taj Mahal are all represented in spectacular detail in the rocks. Paula, a tour guide at the resort, told our group that the rock formations were around long before those buildings and pyramids were constructed. There is a theory that energy from the rocks traveled through the air like radio waves, and influenced people thousands of miles away to build these structures.

Part of Sedona’s mystique is the vortexes, or vortices, that draw people there. (I know the plural of “vortex” is “vortices,” but everyone I encountered in Sedona used the word “vortexes.”) Some people believe there are places in the world where the veil between the dimensions is thinner than everywhere else. Boynton Canyon, where Enchantment Resort is located, is one of those. There are five recognized vortexes in the Sedona area. Two are considered “male,” two are “female,” and one is referred to as “balanced.” It is believed that energy spirals invisibly upward from the earth in these special sites.

I attended a vortex talk at the resort, led by a man named Bruce O’Connor. Bruce has studied metaphysics for 30 years. He is an astrologer and hypnotherapist. His home is located within one of the female vortexes. He told us the terms “male” and “female” are really arbitrary, but that they indicate important differences in the vortexes. The female vortexes are centers of calming, introspective energy, whereas the energy of a male vortex is more arousing. The balanced vortex is exactly that: balanced.