September 11, 2026
To get to Edmonds from Lynnwood, I take 212th. The road takes me through the bustling city life of Highway 99, then a forested area at the top of Main Street acts as a natural barrier between urban and coastal living - buildings are replaced by greenery, and even the radio turns to static. At the top of Main Street I can see the water, and sometimes a sunset or the ferry.
With the radio gone and city life behind me, Edmonds presents as a small, secluded coastal town untouched by the growing pains of Seattle. Edmonds, however, has a surprising amount of through-traffic: Edmonds is host to a ferry terminal which connects the Olympic Peninsula to greater Seattle; the on-ramp to the ferry is bisected by a railroad which runs all the way to Chicago; and the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston crosses a route used by international shipping traffic.
Despite all the distant travelers passing through Edmonds, it retains a serene atmosphere. There is a strong community vibe in Edmonds, supported by programs like the various Art Walks, farmers market, and countless events like Oktoberfest, 4th of July parade and fireworks, and even the tree lighting in December. Of course, the vibration of Edmonds is also set by the Puget Sound, with its mostly calm waters.
This is all nice as a travel brochure for Edmonds, but what is an Energy Vortex?
Page Bryant, a psychic, is largely credited with coining the term in the 1970s to describe several specific rock formations in Sedona, Arizona. The term has since been used to describe various locations around the world like Stonehenge or Machu Picchu.
As a term coined by a psychic, the phrase “Energy Vortex” is often labeled as New Age or ‘woo-woo,’ with no official meaning or scientific evidence to back it up. Suffice it to say, however, that an Energy Vortex is a place with a swirling current of spiritual energy from the Earth or Source. Such places promote healing, deep meditation, or access to new ideas. It is a shame that such a concept would be consigned to the labels of New Age or woo-woo - after all, even mainstream culture has an understanding of a ‘place of healing’.
So what is the significance of being an Energy Vortex? What does it feel like?
As many Sedona visitors can attest, it feels like… nothing.
Others, owing to certain spiritual sensitivities, or even being susceptible to suggestions of the mind, may feel an intense reaction at an Energy Vortex. Such reactions may involve visions, nausea, epiphanies, out of body experiences, sudden memories, or releasing of emotions. Of course, we do not hear about such things happening in Edmonds, and nobody is offering spiritual journeys to Brackett’s Landing.
For me, the Edmonds energy is more subtle, though it is not simply calming, or a place of relaxation. Try this: exhale, then hold the breath out for just a few seconds. Upon breathing in, you may feel a certain joy in the body, a pleasurable sensation of inhalation - this is the joy of living, of receiving energy from the Earth. But in Edmonds, this feeling, though quiet and forgettable, just like our own breath, is constant, not tied to the cycles of exhalation and inhalation. The energy is constant.
So next time you are in Edmonds, try sitting at the beach at Brackett’s Landing. Look to the peninsula in front of you, or off to Mt. Baker, or out into Puget Sound. Or close your eyes. And ask yourself if you can feel the world breathing.
Written by Ethan Barker
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