Awe Is the Beginning of Care

Awe is often misunderstood as a fleeting emotion — something spontaneous or accidental.
But Sacred Nature presents awe differently: as a trained way of seeing.

For ancient societies, awe arose from encounters with things beyond full comprehension — time, growth, weather, life itself. Sacred spaces were designed to cultivate this feeling deliberately.

Slow paths.
Filtered light.
Water heard before it is seen.

Armstrong argues that awe creates restraint. What we approach with reverence, we do not exploit casually.

In landscape design, this matters deeply.

At Loom + Leaf, we design for moments that slow people down:

• A bend in a path instead of a straight reveal

• A seating area placed for morning light rather than constant exposure

• Materials that show age rather than hide it

Awe isn’t excess. It’s intention.

And intention is what turns a yard into a place people care for — not just maintain.

Source
Armstrong, Sacred Nature, Chapters 2–3.