The Vortexes
Sedona is the land of vortexes. These are centers of energy, some which come out of the ground and some which go in, that enhance and enliven a person’s individual energy. Different explanations are given to the sources of this energy, from magnetic to geological. People also describe the energy in different ways, sometimes giving it a masculine or feminine representation, other times using words such as “swirling” that reflect back on their nature as vortexes.
Now, where did the legend of the vortex begin? Was it a Native American belief? Was it a science fiction novel? Neither, in fact. A psychic named Page Bryant lived in Sedona in the 1970s and claimed she encountered Albion, a spiritual being, who described the different energy sites. Albion said there were seven different vortexes in Sedona; Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon, Cathedral Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Courthouse Butte, and Schnebly Hill.
I found myself in Sedona during a trip to Arizona with Rita. We stayed with our friends Carl and Poppy in their home in Tuba City, and then on the way back to Phoenix stopped in Sedona. Carl joined us. My first impression of the area was that it was very busy. State Parks were overflowing with traffic, and it took a while to navigate the town roundabouts and get to our motel.
Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte
We were only in town for a few days, but we set our sights on visiting all seven vortexes. On the first day we knocked two out of the park, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. They are right next to each other, and near our motel in the Village of Oak Creek. Rita, Carl, and I hiked from the parking lot out to Bell Rock. Rita was too tired and not willing to do the full loop, so she turned around.
Carl and I made our way around Bell Rock. On the other side, a woman meditated on a carpet while wearing silk clothes with style reminiscent of a fortune teller. She also had bells sitting to her side. Carl treated the vortex rationally, saying he didn’t feel anything special. I said it’s true as long as you believe it.
Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte were both beautiful Arizona red rock. The Butte is larger, and Bell Rock has the distinct look of a bell, as one might guess. On the hike we got to cross a Wilderness Area, the Munds Mountain Wilderness. Crossing designated wilderness areas is a hobby for Carl. This crossing was small, maybe a quarter or half mile.
Boynton Canyon and Airport Mesa
The next day Carl and I planned for Cathedral Rock but couldn’t get a parking space. Instead, we made for Boynton Canyon. The vortex is on a spur trail, a red rock spire that can by climbed without equipment. Still, it requires some strength. With a bad ankle, I stayed near the base and gave meditation a try. Carl scrambled up to the top. Did I feel any special energy while meditating? If you believe so, it’s true.
The rest of Boynton Canyon is a good hike, passing by adobe homes and then heading deeper into the canyon. After lunch we joined up with Rita and went to Airport Mesa. The vortex is two red rock mounds, by the trailhead and on the slopes of the mesa. Here, another believer danced gracefully, soaking up the energy. We were also treated with views of the surrounding area, including Bell Rock that we visited the day before.
Small planes landed on top of the mesa. Airport Mesa is, in fact, an airport. It’s a bit unnerving to watch the landings, with all the buffeting in the wind going on. We hiked up to the top of the mesa and guessed that we had probably exited the area of high energy concentration. So, we hiked back down and then summited the other red rock mound that makes up the vortex. Here the wind really started whipping. Does that count as vortex energy?
The next morning, Carl needed to drive back to Tuba City. Rita needed to study, which just left me to explore the remaining vortexes. It was a Thursday, so the parking area to Cathedral Rock was closed and a shuttle was required. I found an alternate way. Parking at Little Horse Trailhead, I found I could walk along the road all the way to Cathedral Rock.
Cathedral Rock and Chapel of the Holy Cross
Cathedral Rock is one of the more interesting, and difficult, vortexes to hike. It is short, but gradually gets steeper and steeper until you find yourself using your hands to help crawl up. The trail fades away and in the end it’s just an ascent up the butte, following some cairns. Luckily, the red rock has good traction. Any time I got tired I just stopped and admired the surrounding view.
Unfortunately, my bum ankle gave me some bum luck. There is one section where hikers need to scale a long, wide, rocky gap. The only way to do so is by spreading out hands and feet and doing a turtle walk so that each hand and foot is on an opposite rock face. I’d been leaning on my hiking stick for support, but I wouldn’t be able to do that here. I paused for a while, accepted my fate, and then headed back down.
Another trail allowed me to skip the road and do a hiking loop back to Little Horse. I got a bit nervous for a bit thinking I missed the turnoff to cross beneath the highway and had to stop a mountain biker to ask. Turns out I was only maybe thirty feet away from the turnoff, and it was very obvious when I arrived. Then, I drove to the sixth vortex, Chapel of the Holy Cross.
The Church is built right into the rock, and it’s a very popular place for visitors. It’s kind of like one of those European, Christian pilgrimages. Notice, I haven’t made any mention of the seventh vortex, Schnebly Hill. That is because it is six miles down a difficult, dirt road that requires four-wheel drive. My Chevy Spark rental wouldn’t cut it. After paying my respects at Chapel of the Holy Cross, I returned to that same Chevy Spark and learned that it wouldn’t start. Clearly my car battery wasn’t soaking up any vortex energy.
