Sedona Vortexes, Sedona
Bell Rock, site of another vortex, under moonlight and stars.
Photo
Patrick Spence.
Meditating at the vortex of Airport Mesa. Photo
Toshimasa Ishibashi.
Dramatic formations in Boynton Canyon, said to be home to a vortex.
Photo
Scott Ableman.
Twisted trees are considered signs of a vortex. This one is on Airport Mesa in Sedona. Photo
Toshimasa Ishibashi.
Boynton Canyon glowing at sunset. Photo
Jack French.
Cathedral Rock with waters of Oak Creek. Photo
Chris Hemmerly.
View from Cathedral Rock. Photo
Ben Record.
Native American ruins in Boynton Canyon. Photo
Jason Shultz.
The power vortexes* of Sedona, Arizona, are important sites for New Age adherents, who regard them as places of powerful mystical energy. First discovered by mystical methods in the 1950s, Sedona's vortexes have become so popular that the town has become a major center of New Age spirituality. But many nonbelievers are attracted to Sedona as well, thanks to the area's spectacular red rock formations - four of which happen to coincide with vortexes.
History
In New Age thinking, a vortex is a place of especially high mystical power or energy, located where hypothetical alignments called "ley lines" intersect with one another. The idea of ley lines began with the publication of Early British Trackways (1922) by Alfred Watkins, an amateur archaeologist and antiquarian.
Watkins noticed that straight lines could be drawn between ancient sacred sites like Stonehenge and Avebury and hypothesized that these lines were ancient trade routes. He associated these "trackways" with the Greek god of communication, Hermes, and suggested a Celtic/Druidic equivalent was the primary god worshipped in prehistoric England.
The New Age movement eventually took up the idea of ley lines, interpreting them as magnetically-charged sources of cosmic energy. Some also associate the lines with UFO landing sites and/or the "spirit lines" of ancient shamanic flights. Ley lines are now regularly discovered and mapped, most commonly through the use of dowsing rods.
New Age adherents believe that by meditating at these special locations, one can experience spiritual and sometimes even physical healing. Vortexes, where two or more ley lines intersect, are therefore especially powerful sources of energy.
Sedona's vortexes were discovered in the 1950s by New Age adherent Page Bryant through channeling. Bryant identified four "power vortexes" that coincide with spectacular rock formations in and around the small town of Sedona: Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon.
Sedona's vortexes have since become so popular that visitor centers now offer handouts and maps map pointing out their locations. There are also guided tours, accompanied by commentary emphasizing Native American and New Age spirituality.
What to See
Fortunately, some of the most impressive geological features of the Sedona landscape are also considered vortexes, so visitors can experience some spectacular natural beauty while exploring the energy fields. According to some sources, a good way to identify where the vortex power is strongest is to look for twisted juniper branches. The four main vortexes are located at:
- Bell Rock (masculine energy)
- Airport Mesa (masculine energy)
- Cathedral Rock (feminine energy)
- Boynton Canyon (balance of masculine and feminine energy)
Follow links above for more details on each or see our Sedona Map for an overview of their locations.
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | Sedona Vortexes; Sedona Power Vortexes; Sedona Vortices |
| Location: | Sedona, Arizona, USA |
| Category: | Sacred Rocks |
| Faith: | New Age |
| Status: | active |
| Date: | c.1980 (approximate date vortexes were identified; rock formations are obviously older!) |
Visitor Information |
| Cost: | Free |
| Photography: | Permitted |
Travel Resources
- Sedona Map - our detailed interactive map of Sedona, plus hand-picked links to more
- Sedona Guided Tours - book sightseeing tours and activities in Sedona
- Sedona Hotels - check availability, maps, photos and reviews, then book at the guaranteed lowest rate
- Sedona Restaurant Reviews - the best places to eat in town
- Sedona Travel Forum - tips, answers and advice on Sedona tourism
- Sedona Hotels - hotel bookings in Sedona
Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
- Frommer's Arizona
- Sedona's Energy Vortexes - Love Sedona
- Sedona Vortex Map (PDF)
- Ley Lines and Vortices of the American West - VortexMaps.com
- Sedona exerts a strong pull on seekers of many sorts – Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2002
- Vortex Experience in Sedona - Sedona New Age Center
- Ley Lines - Earth Mysteries (Chris Whitcombe, Sweet Briar College)
- The location of sacred sites according to regional configurations of sacred geography - Martin Gray
- Ley Lines - Skeptic's Dictionary
*The grammatically correct plural form of vortex is "vortices," but "vortexes" is much more commonly used in this context. We follow this convention in this article.
Article last updated: 04/18/2009.
