For thousands of years, Mt. Shasta has been known to be a sacred place. At 14,162 feet, Mt. Shasta is one of the tallest mountains in the Cascade Range, and second in California. Uniquely, it is also all by itself – usually when there’s a 14,000+ mountain, there are other “14ers” clustered around it. But in Mt. Shasta’s case, there’s nothing higher than 9,000-foot Mount Eddy in the area, making Shasta stand out all the more.
The Native Americans saw this giant mountain all by itself and worshipped it as the Great Spirit/Creator. Many tribes from California and Oregon considered Mt. Shasta as the holy mountain and came here to their sacred rituals. When settlers began coming to this area in the late 19th century, they also experienced the majestic spiritual power of Mt. Shasta. John Muir famously said that “When I first caught sight of it (Mt. Shasta)… my blood turned to wine.”
In 1932, the book Unveiled Mysteries chronicled author Godfrey Ray King’s meetings with Ascended Master St. Germain on Mt. Shasta. This book became an international bestseller and spread the reputation of Mt. Shasta as an amazing place where the veils between dimensions of reality are thin. That reputation has grown exponentially over the past 100 years, particularly since the advent of the Internet in the ‘90s. One famous article, which went viral, said that Mount Shasta is the Root Chakra for the Earth.
The Call of the Mountain
I was very fortunate to discover Mt. Shasta when I was living in Santa Cruz, right after college back in the late 70s. I fell in love with the mountain the first time I visited and came back many times, often camping in beautiful, remote areas.
I had been raised by atheist parents and had taken on their philosophy. But, on Mt. Shasta, I experienced profound spiritual awakening, which completely changed my life. I connected with God for the first time and found deep peace and inspiration. Looking at Mt. Shasta from my home or hiking and meditating on her slopes never fails to open my heart and bring me back to the Present.
Through my company, Mount Shasta Retreat, I have the privilege of guiding sacred site tours and retreats visitors from around the world who come to Mt. Shasta for healing and spiritual awakening. I guide them through a transforming journey of releasing the past, deeply reconnecting in the Present, and receiving clear vision for the future.
Mt. Shasta is an amazing place for spiritual renewal. I see the mountain as a 14,000 foot mirror which reflects and amplifies the Truth in each of our hearts. People from around the world come here for retreats. Almost without exception, they experience a powerful connection with the Divine in the context of whatever path they are on.
Sacred Sites
The whole mountain is powerful, but, in my experience, there are sites on and around the mountain, where the Presence is greatly amplified. Some people call these places vortexes; I prefer the more universal term sacred sites. These sites include waterfalls, springs, and pristine alpine lakes, which are very supportive of deep cleansing and healing. Some of my favorites are the Headwaters of the Sacramento River (in the Mount Shasta City Park), Hedge Creek Falls, McCloud Falls, Lake Siskiyou, and Castle Lake.
I usually begin the sacred site tours at one of these water sites and guide a Hawaiian shamanistic purification ritual. Visitors generally experience a deep re-set (to use a term from the computer world). They let go of accumulated gunk and coming back to their factory original state of goodness and happiness.
There are also many sacred sites on the mountain, where I take visitors for walking and sitting meditations, sacred rituals, contemplation, and journalling. Some of the most potent sites are in the Red Fir Flat, Sand Flat, and Gateway areas. My favorites include Ascension Rock, Telos Portal, and Joy Portal. Many of them are accessible with just a short, easy hike. At these places, many people experience the profound joy of Coming Home, deeply reconnecting with their True Self.
Mount Shasta is also an amazing place to receive vision for the future. I find that sites with a beautiful summit view are especially inspiring for visioning. One of my favorites is a circle of trees I call Vision Ring in the Sand Flat area. I encourage visitors to stay in the area for as long as they can to continue to drink in the beautiful energy and to integrate their experience on the guided sacred site tour or retreat.
Spiritual Tourism
There are some wonderful places to stay in the city of Mount Shasta, which are perfect for spiritually-oriented tourists. Mount Shasta has lots of great stores, where visitors can purchase crystals and other items they can take home, which will help them reconnect with the energy of the mountain. The biggest spiritual store in town is Soul Connections. Crystal Room has an amazing, world-class selection of crystals. Crystal Tones has beautiful crystal bowls and offers daily sound bath which can be reserved in advance on their website. Some visitors enjoy staying in the restored historic mill town of McCloud, just 12 miles from the city of Mount Shasta. The sensational McCloud Falls are close by, and the charming downtown offers several boutique lodging options and wonderful restaurants.
So, if you are ready for a deeply renewing and profoundly peaceful vacation, come to Mount Shasta. People have been coming here with that intention for many thousands of years. Like I did, they find what they are looking for here and keep coming back for refreshers.
About the Author
Andrew Oser has been offering guided retreats on Mount Shasta since 2006. Through hikes to little-known sacred sites, guided meditations, spiritual life coaching, and time drinking in the silence of the mountain, he helps clients to deeply renew themselves in body, mind, and spirit and receive clear vision for their lives. Andrew also offers spiritual life coaching by phone and Zoom. A summa cum laude graduate of Princeton University, he is the author of several books, including How Alternation Can Change Your Life. For more info, see www.mountshastaretreat.net
