Author :: Jess Marie, CVC, CAHC, INHC, RYT 🌻

Existing in a reality of digital interfaces & fleeting connections, where people often move through their days like shadows passing without acknowledgement, there exists a profound ancient truth: every soul carries an ember of the sacred, waiting to be remembered into flame. The art of treating each person as sacred isn't solely an act of kindness, for it’s a powerful form of Alchemy that transforms both the seer & the seen.

Consider the mother who looks at her newborn with eyes of pure love & acceptance, seeing not just a body of flesh but infinity wrapped up in a smaller body than her own. The baby, within the mother’s gaze of recognition, begins to develop a sense of inherent worth. This is our first teaching in the power of sacred witnessing: we become what we are seen to be.

But somewhere along the way, many of us forget. We learn to move through the world with eyes that categorize rather than consecrate. We see functions instead of souls: the barista is a coffee-maker, the neighbor becomes a noise-maker, etc. In our rush to navigate the material plane of this existence, we forget that we are all divine Beings living a human experience.

The practice of treating everyone as sacred may seem radical to some, but it’s quite simple. It begins with the recognition that sacredness is not something we bestow, it’s something we remember to see. Like cleaning a dusty mirror, we simply remove what obscures the obvious truth: that divinity is the natural state of all Beings.

This seeing takes many forms ::

• It's in the pause before responding, remembering that every person we encounter carries their own universe of hopes & wounds.

• It's in the quality of our attention, treating each interaction as a meeting of souls rather than a transaction of needs.

• It's in the recognition that the person who frustrates us most might be our greatest teacher.

• It's in understanding that behind every act of hatred lies a heart that has forgotten its own sacredness.

When we commit to this practice, extraordinary things begin to happen. The surly teenager at the checkout counter softens under the warmth of being truly seen. The angry colleague reveals unexpected vulnerability when met with unwavering recognition of their inherent worth. Like plants turning toward sunlight, people naturally orient themselves toward those who see their sacred nature.

This is not about ignoring harmful behavior or dismissing accountability. This is about recognizing that the most transformative change comes not from treating people as their worst actions, but from steadfastly remembering their highest nature, even as we address their current choices.

This Alchemy happens in layers ::

1. First, we practice seeing the sacred in easy places: in children, in nature, in those who are kind to us.

2. Then we taken on challenge to see it in neutral encounters: in strangers, in passing interactions, in mundane moments.

3. Finally, we face the ultimate test: seeing the sacred in those who have forgotten it so completely that they cause harm to others.

This is not easy work. It requires us to maintain our own connection to the sacred, to constantly clean the lens through which we view the world. It asks us to be steadfast in our vision even when others are blind to their own light. Like holding a space of calm in the midst of chaos, we must hold a space of sacred recognition in a world that has largely forgotten how to see itself.

The reward for this practice is nothing less than the transformation of our lived experience. When we commit to seeing the sacred in everyone, we begin to inhabit a different world, not because the world has changed, but because our way of seeing has transformed it. The soulless world reveals itself to be an illusion, a temporary forgetting of what was always true.

In this way, we become Alchemists of the highest order, transforming amnesia into remembrance. Each person we encounter becomes an opportunity to practice this sacred seeing, to hold up a mirror that reflects not their forgetting, but their original light.

And perhaps most mysteriously, as we persist in seeing the sacred in others, we find that we remember our own sacredness more fully. For in the end, the eyes that learn to see divinity everywhere cannot help but finally turn their gaze upon themselves and recognize: I, too, am this sacred thing I have learned to see.

This is the great Alchemy of not just seeing, but remembering. Not just witnessing, but awakening. Every interaction becomes an opportunity for mutual recognition, every moment a potential portal to collective remembrance. In treating everyone as sacred, we don't just transform the world – we restore it to its natural state, one divine recognition at a time.

experience the transformative process of Self-discovery & personal growth.

As a Vedic Counselor, I hold sacred space for a harmonious synergy that enhances mental health support & facilitates the transformation of consciousness.

If you're interested in exploring Vedic Counseling for mental health support, be sure to seek care from a qualified Vedic counselor (like me! 🌻) to learn more about this ancient & effective approach to healing.

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