Creating A Sacred Space
You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. – Joseph Campbell
As we creep ever closer to the beginning of fall here in the Northern Hemisphere, the crisp air and short days usher us onto a path of turning inward. These colder fall and winter months are perfect for slowing down, quiet reflection, self-care, and stillness. More BEing and less DOing.
This is the first in a series of posts on self-care, shadow work, and reconnecting to ourselves on a deep soul level as we move through these next several introspective months.
We’re starting things off with how to create a sacred space in your home so that you’ll have a beautiful haven to do the important inner work that lies ahead.
WHAT IS SACRED SPACE?
Sacred space will mean something different to each one of us, but generally, it’s any space in which you feel safe, grounded, and connected. For many people, places of worship and nature are sacred. Many different belief systems, religions, and spiritual traditions use altars as well in their ceremonies and rituals. You may choose to create one as a part of your sacred space, but it is not required.
WHY IS SACRED SPACE IMPORTANT?
What happens when you can’t get to the sacred places outside your home (like a place of worship during a pandemic) or you want to start or end your day in a sacred space? It’s unlikely that you can just swing by church on your way to or from work.
Having an easily accessible sacred place in your home is an important piece of self-care. These spaces don’t replace your house of worship if you have one – they’re a beautiful extension of it. And if you don’t attend a religious or spiritual service, then having a personal sanctuary at home can be a lovely way to invite the divine and sacred into your life. A space just for you where you can give attention to your inner life, sit quietly with awareness, ground yourself into intentions or gratitude, and deepen your connection to what’s meaningful.
We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly – spending time alone gives your mind the opportunity to renew
itself and create order. – Susan Taylor
HOW DO I CREATE A SACRED SPACE?
1. Decide what “sacred” means to you and what you want from your space.
To me, “sacred” is something regarded with reverence and connected to spirit and the divine; something that brings calm and peace. You’ll first need to define what it means to YOU.
In what ways will you use your space? Will it be a place to practice yoga? Meditation? This personal sanctuary can be used in many ways: to pray, journal, set an intention for the day, express gratitude, deepen your connection with yourself, or just be…the sky’s the limit.
2. Choose a spot in your home to become your sacred space.
I’ve worked with clients as they created sacred space for themselves and have seen the many spaces of friends and family. They are are as varied and unique as the beautiful humans who created them. Let me be very clear:
THERE IS NO ONE RIGHT WAY TO CREATE A SACRED SPACE!
I’ve seen sacred spaces and altars created on bedside tables, elaborate full-table spreads, dresser tops, a small bedroom shelf, a corner in an office, a windowsill, and even in an antique suitcase so it could be easily moved and kept safe from infant/toddler destruction. Some folks also have sacred spaces in their yards or gardens.
This is your personal sanctuary. Choose a place that makes the most sense for your current situation and speaks to your heart and vision for using the space.
3. Determine what items you’d like to include in your space.
As I mentioned before, this sacred space can be used in many different ways, but often it’s utilized with the goal of connecting to yourself, to spirit/the divine, and for finding peace and calm. Depending on how you choose to make use of your sacred space, you’ll want to include different items and tools.
This is a beautiful opportunity to get your creative juices flowing and to incorporate anything that speaks to you, moves you, and inspires you.
Here are some ideas to get you started, but really, the possibilities are infinite.
- Sage, Palo Santo, or incense for cleansing your space.*
- Candles, salt lamp.
- Talismans: symbols of peace and safety.
- Photographs of loved ones and special places.
- Plants, flowers, herbs.
- Your favorite calming or ambient music, an instrument, singing bowl.
- Sacred texts or words of wisdom.
- Statuary: traditional symbols of divine and protective energies.
- Daybooks, morning reflection books, journal.
- Essential oils for aromatherapy, diffuser, roller bottles.
- Oracle and/or tarot cards.
- Crystals, stones, and shells.
- Moon calendar
* A note on white sage and Palo Santo: using various kinds of smoke for energy clearing is a universal practice. Sacred smoke has been used as a way of releasing a dead body’s soul on its journey, to clear sickness and bad energy, as a symbol of prayers rising to heaven, and as a welcome ceremony and sign of respect…just to name a few uses.
As you’re creating your sacred space, take some time to research the rituals and tools of your own cultural background and ancestors. Additionally, you can look into local and sustainable alternatives to sage and Palo Santo (or even better, grow your own herbs and make your own bundles!). There are lots of herbs, resins, incense, and sacred woods to choose from. As part of my Winter Solstice Circles, we make our own cleansing bundles and it’s always such a special treat.
My ancestors are from Scandinavia (Norway and Sweden specifically) and Ireland, and in certain Norse and Gaelic traditions, the practice of cleansing, blessing, or consecrating is called saining. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and in this region, Douglas Fir, Red Cedar, and Juniper are great local and sustainable sources for smoke cleansing. I’ve also grown my own herbs to dry and use.
4. Create a ritual.
Now that you’ve created your space, it’s time to finally use it! Psychology Today explains that rituals serve as a bridge between our outer and inner worlds, between the profane and the sacred, and between the ordinary and the extraordinary.
A ritual can be as simple or as complex as you’d like it to be, but make sure it’s something that’s meaningful to you. You can light a candle each time you enter the space or listen to relaxing music, write intentions or prayers for yourself and loved ones in a journal, practice yoga or meditate. Maybe you come to sit for a few quiet moments to begin each morning.
I’ve got a couple of specific sacred places in our home. 1) I have an altar in the corner of our office where I meditate, practice yoga, breathe, cry, lie on the floor, journal, read daybooks, pull cards, etc., and 2) my workspace where I have a ritual I do before each call I have with a client. First, I make a hot cup of tea, light a candle, and cleanse the space around my desk with smoke or a spray infused with essential oils or herbs. Next, I sit at my desk, take a few big cleansing breaths, and with my eyes closed and the palms of my hands facing up and open in my lap I say, “May I be of service.” It all takes less than 5 minutes and sets a beautiful tone for each and every session. If you’ve ever coached with me, now you know what I’m up to before we hop on our calls!
It might take some time and experimentation for you to create a space that truly feels sacred and just right. Keep using your space while you try different things and new ways of using it. It will be ever-evolving with the seasons of the year and the phases of your life, and will grow and change right along with you.
Let me know how you get along with creating your own sacred space – I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
