Reverence: The Quiet Practice That Changes Everything
- Michelle MacEwan
- Oct 29
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 1
Today Reverence is on my mind. It’s not hard to include it in our everyday life and when we do it changes everything. Something I’ve come to realise is that when we have reverence for all life, that’s reverence for our own life.
My early morning practice is based in reverence and centres me perfectly to begin the day. As I wake up I lay quietly and listen to the sounds of nature - the owl calling, the possums rummaging around, the wind, the distant sound of the surf. As first light appears the early birds begin to call out, night creatures scurry back home, bigger animals are moving around foraging, frogs might be harmonising up and down the valley — especially if its raining.
Life is unfolding just as it always does. In these moments reverence is a natural state to be in. There is no effort or thought. It is sweet and simple and it grounds me immediately in the present moment.
So naturally, when working with individuals and groups, or guiding pilgrimages, my first mission is to ground everyone in a sense of reverence.
One of the first things we do on Wild Wisdom Pilgrimages is to visit the local holy well.
The wells are traditionally visited for reverence, healing, prayer and for community to come together as one. Places of great antiquity, they are steeped in legend and folklore, and still hold their power today.
There is an old saying, ‘women go to the well.’ I love that. A place where the practical and the holy go hand in hand, the well was a holy place where mysteries could be touched and where magic happened. I can imagine women met as they gathered water for the day, or came together to talk and share healing stories, offer prayers and blessings - to the well, to the day, to their dreams and desires and importantly, to each other. A sign of solidarity and companionship. And reverence — for the place and for life.
We access the wisdom that is inside the water from sacrifice.
Sacrifice in the old meaning - to perform sacred rites.
When I approach a holy well I have a simple ritual I follow which I can embellish depending on the individual well. You might not have a traditional holy well nearby but if you can find a natural source of flowing water you have your holy well.
Bring a candle and a small offering such as a flower, stone or shell.
Greet the well and ask permission to approach, or enter, depending if there is a structure around the well. Light the candle and place it on the altar with your offering, gratitude and prayers.
At certain wells that you can move around, there is a tradition of circling the well. This is a type of Turas, a circular pilgrimage, an expression of reverence and devotion. The tradition varies at different wells - it might be seven, five or even three rounds. You gather as many stones as the rounds you will make. I learnt to make seven rounds.
To begin, gather seven stones from around the well. Hold them with intention. Circle the well seven times. As you complete each circuit speak your words of reverence and intention and drop a stone. At the completion of your ritual you are ready to visit the well. As we walk with intention and say our prayers we are creating reverence. Reverence is something we create in each moment. Intention with action transforms even a simple practice into a sacred experience.
These simple rituals connect us to our oldest, deepest roots.
When you visit the water say your prayers, your petitions and dreams, out loud, inviting in grace.
Your voice is not passive. It is a bridge, a blessing. Use it with reverence. Saying your intentions and prayers out loud embodies the law of attraction. When you speak out loud in nature, you actively participate in the interconnection of everything and draw those forces into yourself.
You might then anoint yourself with that holy water or gather a small bottle to accompany you on your journey.
A holy well is a living presence — a guardian of memory and a meeting place between worlds. When we speak our words into its waters, they are received, remembered, and carried into the mystery. In this way, our prayers and intentions move into the wider field — through both visible and invisible pathways — where spirit and earth are always in conversation.
It is not unusual to come across a well that is adorned with all manner of offerings and tokens of loved ones.
Some wells have a tree growing beside them, its roots reaching deep into the hidden waters beneath the earth. Known as a clootie tree its branches are hung with ribbons, strips of cloth, or other personal items, each holding a prayer or wish.
Traditionally, a piece of cloth called a clootie is dipped into the holy water of the well and tied to the tree while speaking your prayer or intention with reverence.
As the cloth weathers and returns to the elements, it’s believed that the prayer or illness imbued within it is blessed and released, carried by the rain, sunshine and winds into the natural world where natural magic, or the Divine, intervenes and the cure occurs, the dream comes into being, the wish is granted.
The natural springs are our holy wells.
Up to 3,000 holy wells have been recorded in Ireland. I’m sure there are more, and though not recorded officially they are still visited to express reverence, pray for a loved one, ask for help.
One such well that comes to mind is on a remote peninsula in Connemara.
The first time I went to look for it, it was no where to be seen.
I knew from stories I’d been told that it was in a certain tiny glen where people leave unwanted goods that others come and take away - treasures to be found!
I hunted around but I couldn’t see it anywhere. Then suddenly right by my foot I saw a round stone marked with a faded white cross.
The grass around it was tidy not rough and wild like the rest of the place. I lifted the stone and lo and behold there was a hole filled with water reflecting the sky!
The wells are thin places.
The thin places are the borders between this world and the Otherworld.
Water is one of the main delineators of such places.
When we gather at the well, walk the shoreline, or any thin place — where water meets land, where two or three streams meet, the edge of the forest, the changing light at sunset — we are in the liminal space between the realms, the physical world and the Otherworld. These spaces are where we can receive deeply. And the holy well is a place where we are received deeply.
And when the land is dew laden it is a moment of great reverence. The moments before the sun rises too high and dries it up, are moments where heaven and earth embrace. Where there is no veil between realms.
Dew was considered to be one of the most holy and healing aspects of water. Many healers gathered dew into small vials and often people were instructed to roll naked in the dew to receive blessings and healing. And of course, dew at the holy well was a moment to behold.
The most simple ritual for reverence is to go outside - whether you take a short walk, do some gardening or simply go out and look at the sky. Be present to the moment and what is occurring around you - the light, the birdsong, the beauty — and express your appreciation. Give thanks.
Reverence is a vital part of healing. When we have reverence for all life, that’s reverence for our own life. Reverence is held within. It begins within. Reverence is something that we work with in Wild Wisdom personal sessions.
My dream right now is that our way of being inspires others to see the Divine spark in all life.
Wild Wisdom Sessions
Healing • Belonging • New Ways of Being
Work with Michelle
Book a personal Wild Wisdom Session or explore a package designed to support your ongoing healing and transformation.
These sessions offer a sanctuary for self-discovery, healing and transformation—a place to clear old ways of being, restore your vitality, and access your deeper wisdom. Whether you’re navigating change, seeking healing, or longing to feel more creative and at home in the world, each session is shaped around your unique needs and unfolding path.
Through grounded shamanic practices, guided inner journeys, inner alignment, and cultivating practical skills, you’ll learn to access your own Wild Wisdom—guidance that heals, inspires, and sustains you. These sessions support real and lasting change, helping you to move forward with clarity, balance, a new vision, and a renewed sense of peace and belonging.
Personal sessions are a powerful way I can support you as we move through these unprecedented times. Along with the regular sessions we have been offering, I have created new packages to support you on longer journeys of healing, discovering new ways of being or dreaming new dreams. These sessions are tailored to suit each individuals specific needs.
What I am dreaming about?
The Book of Wild Wisdom is going through it’s final copy edit and we will be formatting it soon. I can’t wait to share it with you!
Much love,
Michelle
