Ever since prehistoric times spiritual seekers have acknowledged Mount Shasta, in Siskiyou County, California, as a sacred mountain. Could the unique geology and location of Mount Shasta have something to do with the supernatural legends surrounding it? The belief that Mount Shasta contains some kind of hidden realm or alternate dimension within it, is ubiquitous and well documented in the many legends and tales that have evolved around it throughout history.
Petroglyph Point, near Lava Beds National Monument. (Image: © 2021 D.W. Naef)
Perhaps the earliest recorded inscription illustrating this belief is a distinctive petroglyph found carved into a cliff face, which is in a direct alignment with Mount Shasta itself, in a place called Petroglyph Point, located north-east of Mount Shasta near Lava Beds National Monument. The age of the petroglyph is unknown, but it is estimated to have been carved thousands of years ago. Because of its undetermined age, nobody can state with certainty what the carving represents, however it does curiously resemble some kind of humanoid situated inside of a representation of Mount Shasta, hewn out of the cliff face.
Ancient petroglyph located at Petroglyph Point. (Image: © 2021 D.W. Naef)
The concept of Mount Shasta containing some kind of spiritual dimension or otherworldly portal hidden inside it has lost nothing of its power or influence in the modern era. The mountain continues to inexorably draw people to it today, who travel here to experience its spiritual energy and transformative power. Most people register the strange energy they feel when they are near it. Why should places like Mount Shasta exert such an extraordinarily powerful effect on so many people’s consciousness?
Castle Lake, near Mount Shasta, California. (Image: ©2021 D.W. Naef)
Spiritual Vortexes And Portals
In modern language, the word ‘vortex’ is commonly used to describe Mount Shasta’s spiritual energy. In spiritual terms, a vortex is defined loosely as a special place in nature, where the earth feels unusually alive with energy. According to this belief, the planet is a giant battery whose energy is continually replenished by the natural forces of the cosmos, and there are certain places located around the planet called ‘vortexes’ where this mystical energy is highly concentrated.