Why are the Cardinal Directions Important?

[Eudaimonia]

Everywhere through history cultures respect the 4 directions: North, South, East, and West. This seems so abstract to me and I can't understand why this has such significance. In ritual these are important, they also have to do with Wind and Temperature obviously. But can anyone explain them to me? I ask this here because I figure someone may have experienced them in their Astral projections.

[wstein]

Originally Posted by Eudaimonia

Everywhere through history cultures respect the 4 directions: North, South, East, and West. This seems so abstract to me and I can't understand why this has such significance. In ritual these are important, they also have to do with Wind and Temperature obviously. But can anyone explain them to me? I ask this here because I figure someone may have experienced them in their Astral projections.

When you live on the land subject to the rhythms of nature these sort of things are important. Directions are associated with where the sun rises and sets, identification of seasons, time of day, indications of what kind of weather is approaching, finding ones way on long treks/voyages, etc.

When one doesn't 'understand' such things or when one respects the impact of and lack of control over such things on their lives, they get incorporated into ritual. Often this is a attempt to get some kind of control.