I'm not sure I'm posting this correctly but I thought I would share the class notes for anyone interested...
Sacred Space
By Hunters_Moon12
Since it is October, I thought I would begin with some aspects of October for reference�?BR>
October’s Aspects
Full Moon Aspect: Blood Moon
Universal Event: Samhain October 31 One of the high cross-quarter days in the journey of the earth around the sun
Message: To let go, to clean, to remember
Activity: Preparing for Winter
Healing Properties: Sedation of nerves
Appropriate spells: protection, uncrossing spells from bad luck, memorials to the departed, evening of scores, paying back debts
Manifestation: Ivy, plant of resurrection
Color: Blue
Tree: Yew
Flower: Calendula, cosmos
Creature: Mute Swan
Gem: Opal, tourmaline
Okay, now for a beginning subject I thought we would start with Sacred Space.
Quote: “You must have a room or a certain hour of the day or so where you do not know what was in the morning paper…a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are, and what you might be…At first you may find nothing’s happening�?But if you have a sacred space and use it, take advantage of it, something will happen.�?- Joseph Campbell
Sacred space can be anything from your altar, your favorite chair, a stone you sit on in the garden or a tree you keep company with on a regular basis. It’s not so much the type of space that makes it sacred, but the energy that infuses and sustains the space. It is a space where you celebrate, concentrate, and consecrate. Julia Cameron says “In order to stay easily and happily creative, we need to stay spiritually centered. This is easier to do if we allow ourselves centering rituals. It is important that we devise these ourselves from the elements that feel holy and happy to us.�?BR>
I have found this to be true as I have had my meditation table/altar for well over a decade now. For me, I have an altar in my room that was a gift from my husband and kids which is a writing desk with a flip-open front and a cabinet underneath. It works perfectly for me because I keep my candles, incense and stones on top for my daily devotionals, prayers and meditations, and if you flip open the front then all my altar supplies for circle casting and such is hidden inside away from curious eyes and sticky fingers.
The cabinet underneath I use for additional supplies as well as my metaphysical library which has gotten extensive after years of practicing and learning. It is now spilling over into my other bookcase. When I meditate, pray, stop to give thanks, close my eyes in silence, cast a circle, etc. I am here. And you can feel the positive energy, Love, serenity whenever you stop by there (my kids seem drawn to it regularly). I also have a shelf in my kitchen that I began to use as a kitchen altar for saying blessings, prayers, etc. before meals, as I go about my day, etc. as well as a family altar in the sitting room that the children can place seasonal items on if they wish (this month we’ll go for a nature walk to pick up items that represent fall and the elements to place there). And I have a stone and a bench in and about my gardens beside my chimes and blooms that I can sit on and feel the breeze or listen to silence or whatever I seem to need at the time. All these places are sacred because of the energy that I bring there and the energy that remains there. Does that make sense?
I have also created what we call meditation tables for my children in each of their rooms. This is a place where they can store their treasures (rocks, feathers, etc. that they collect) as well as sit and pray or be quiet at. It’s a touch stone for them to connect with Spirit and something they asked to have after spending time around mine. It’s nothing fancy nor does it take up a lot of space, just a narrow plant stand we found for $20 each that we put against a wall for them.
But I find children are naturals at creating sacred space. My daughter when she was little loved to hug trees spontaneously while my son often has conversations with his angels when the mood strikes him. Each and every time they do this they are creating sacred space whether they name it or not.
So what constitutes sacred space? Is it the circle? The altar? The frills? I don’t believe so. In my own understanding and beliefs, I believe what constitutes sacred space is you and the energy you bring to the place you are at. My sacred space glows with Love because Love created the space once I became open to allowing it in my life. Everything on it represents what I love or I am grateful for or hold meaning for me�?BR>
Stonehenge is considered sacred space not for the stones or grass or land it sits on but from the energy that still resonates there after years of people gathering there in mutual purpose and ideals sharing and raising their energies. It’s the same as a church. The church itself is nothing more than stone and wood (maybe some drywall and glass as well) but when people gather there, they come with a higher purpose, higher vibrations and energy which creates sacred space and this energy infuses the surroundings until the space itself becomes sacred.
But having a spot where you meditate, pray, etc. is important if for no other reason than to be a tangible representation of your path, taking time to connect, etc. as you go about your daily life.
So for this class, I want you to consider what you believe to be sacred space and how you envision your ideal sacred space. If you already have one, then describe it and think about what it means to you. Is there anything you would add, change, etc? Maybe take a picture to post to give other people ideas for their own altar. It doesn’t have to be your only altar, and it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just one single spot in your life that you come back to through your daily life �?your personal touch stone �?your physical reminder to connect to the sacred �?to connect to yourself.
If you don’t have a spot, then over the next week I want you to create a single area that is sacred to you. Some people are blessed to have a sacred room (space is at a premium in my house so that isn’t happening here), some have a sacred piece of furniture (I’m blessed with the gift from my family), some have a sacred spot on their dresser (that was my space until I got the desk), some have a sacred shelf, sacred window sill, sacred corner�?Whatever you can create.
I am the only Wiccan in my family but my husband is very supportive and understanding of my beliefs. However, I am very conscious of other people’s perceptions, misconceptions, bias and judgments which is why I keep my solitary practice extremely private and low key. Part of that has to do with Witch’s Pyramid ‘To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Be Silent�?and part of that is because of the repercussions it could have on my children and husband.
If you are in a household that isn’t open to your path, I can understand there are limits to the sacred space you can create but I am sure you could clear off a shelf, windowsill, dresser or end table for a small but tangible representation of the sacred �?of you. You can call it your meditation table for privacy, altar, whatever you like. Sacred space isn’t limited to Wiccans, new agers or anyone else for that matter.
Once you have picked your spot, how do you want to decorate it? Do you want to cover it in stones, feathers, candles, incense? Will you have something to represent all of the elements (for example feather, rock, seashell, candle, incense). Will you have an altar cloth? I have a white silk cloth with a pentacle ironed onto it along with all the elements but I also have other colored cloths for different seasons, reasons or feelings. Will you have a representation of deity? I have a Cycladic Spiral Goddess sculpture on top along with seashells, rocks, incense and candles with my more specialized tools hidden away for privacy.
The basic set up for an altar is a candle for the Goddess on the rear left, a candle for the God on the rear right, flowers or seasonal items in the middle of that, a censer in front of that and an offering plate at the front of that. From that basic set up you can design your altar to suit your needs.
Have fun with this. It doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. In fact I started with only a few things and then as I grew on my path so did my collection. It seemed whenever I needed something it would miraculously appear on my path. I never thought I would find a big cast iron cauldron for my budget and to sit on the floor (I didn’t want a small one but a big one that you could cook a chicken in �?no chicken was harmed in the purchase of my cauldron;-)) But each time I priced one out they were in the hundreds of dollars and far beyond my financial reach but by accident I was in Superstore going through the camping supplies and suddenly there was a cast iron Dutch oven on legs for the ridiculously low price of $20 and I got it. My budget was happy and I was thrilled to get this addition for my space. If I couldn’t buy it, I learned how to make it and if I couldn’t make it then I waited or did without because ultimately the only necessary ingredient to this mix is YOU.
Once you have the altar, create a ritual of coming back to this one spot every day. You can stand there and attune to the Lord and Lady, you can stand there and pray, you can meditate, whatever feels right for you. But make a point of doing this once every day for the entire week and keep notes on how you felt at first and then how you feel one week from now. Record any effects, changes, etc. that you discover as you create this small ritual in your every day life.
I realize we’re all busy and life gets hectic but first thing in the morning I always stop at my altar. I take a cleansing breath, I center, I give thanks, I ask for guidance, and then I finish with ‘Blessed be the Morn for me and mine, Blessed Be the Day for me and mine, Blessed be the Night for me and mine�? If I can, I make a point of saying this three times a day at all three points in the day by simply stopping what I am doing and thinking it, or going into the garden and reciting it or whatever works.
Another exercise is that you light your Goddess candle, take a deep breath, center and then recite the many names by which She is known in order to attune with her energy. Do the same with the God but at a different time. Like attune to the God in the morning as the sun crests and you envision its light bathing your body in gold and then attune to the Goddess at night before bed as you envision the moonlight silvering your skin.
Another idea to attune and to create is to begin a simple daily ritual of lighting the candles at your shrine, light the incense, place an offering on the plate and say something like:
“Lady of the Moon, of the restless sea and verdant Earth,
Lord of the Sun and of the wild creatures,
Accept this offering I place here in Your Honor.
Grant me the wisdom to see your presence in all nature,
O Great Ones!�?BR>
After, stand and contemplate your growing relationship, your feelings, etc. and then quench the flames with a clap, snuffer or blade (Don’t blow them out) and let the incense burn itself out. Do this every day at the same time, returning the offering to nature at the end of each day or when you return before placing a fresh offering onto the plate. It’s a simple but powerful right that will surprise you with its impact.
But remember these are just ideas, if you have a ritual or words of your own than use what works for YOU. Ultimately what I encourage you to do this week is create a sacred space that is in tune with your beliefs and ideas, and to visit that space every day. In a week, I want us all to discuss this topic from personal experience with either pictures of the altar we created or have, experiences we had from the daily ritual, insights we found, etc. In a month we’ll do the same. The craft is an experiential system of beliefs that gains us knowledge. Meaning that Belief is when you learn something through another person’s experience or words while Knowledge is when you learn through your own experience. Knowledge is powerful and I want us all to deepen our knowledge.
I hope you enjoyed this topic as much as I enjoyed preparing it. It reminded me of my first steps, and brought me back to the book that started my journey (which I am re-reading and finding new insight with) and it inspired me to clean up my sitting room and plants to create a more comfortable space for us all with a family altar or shrine or whatever you want to call that we can share and enjoy together. The energy flow is amazing now.
I hope this is the type of subject you are interested in and looking for. If you have suggestions or ideas or feedback, please feel free to let me know. If there is a topic you would like to discuss at a future date �?let me know as well and I’ll be happy to research and prepare a class on it. If you need any help or wish to talk to me private you can email me at [email protected] .
For next class the topic will be ways to cast a circle, ideas and personal experience as well as some exercises to practice afterwards. Thank you for your time, listening and many blessings to all of you. |
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