About

In Roman religion, the idea of the “genius” was thought of as the individual divine nature present within each person. The genius was similar to the idea of a guardian angel who is with you throughout your entire life, to represent the best in you and to protect and guide you in your endeavors. In addition to the personal genius, Romans also extended this idea to apply to places. The guardian of a particular area was known as the genius loci — the protective spirit of that place.

Our goal is to discover the genii locorum (plural of genius loci) of Lansing and the mid-Michigan region. Our method involves unearthing obscure facts, stories, and sights that are tied to particular locations and plotting them on a map. Hopefully, this allows us to make new connections and to see whether any larger forces come into focus when these points are viewed against the geographic backdrop of the area.