Chris Scott Likings and Love for the Sub-Human

In this chapter of The Four Loves, Lewis mentions how the 'mood' or 'spirit' of places causes people to fall in love with nature. I believe that these moods and spirits are also partly responsible for why people perceive certain places as being sacred. There are elements and characteristics about places that put people in certain moods, which in turn causes them to feel a particular spirit. This spirit causes people to feel as if certain places deserve their respect and therefore are sacred.
For example, lake Titicaca in South America is considered sacred for religious reasons--it is considered the site of the birth of Viracoca, the creator god, according to the Inca Empire. However, the lake also puts people in a humble mood, because standing at the edge of the highest navigable lake in the world, and looking across at it's vast expanses, instills in people the feeling that there is something greater than they are. It is almost as if the lake demands respect as it captivates people's attention with it's beautiful, deep blue color while lying within the boundaries of massive snow-capped mountains. This awe-inspiring landscape creates an appreciative spirit within people, and this spirit adds to the sacredness of the place.
That being said, I think that it is interesting to note how important the landscape can be to the sacredness of places. Typically, sacredness is focused around religious aspects, but the landscape is part of what makes people feel in touch with certain places. It connects to people's emotions, whether it be because of it's beauty, size or some other natural characteristic that people appreciate. Mood, spirit, and landscape all cause people to associate sacredness with places.