By Jo Mooy
Creating personal sacred space is one of the most helpful projects we can undertake right now.
There’s a mystique about sacred sanctuaries. They trigger a deep place resident in the human psyche and may even be part of our genetic code. If the sanctuary exists in nature, we revere its power, visit it, hold ceremonies there, and, in some religions, worship the deities that inhabit the space. If a sacred space doesn’t already exist in nature, we create one so it can serve the spiritual or religious needs of a community.
The oldest sanctuary on earth is Uluru in Australia. The Aborigine say that in the Dreamtime, (65,000 years ago) ancestral spiritual beings created the land, the rivers, the hills and the rocks and that everything they formed in the natural world should be revered. When these beings carved Uluru along with the caves at its base, they told the people it was a living, breathing entity where the ancient spirits resided, and it would always remain their most sacred place. It remains so today, where Uluru is guarded and protected as a holy shrine by the Anangu people of Australia.
Mountains, caves, waterways, and forests, were respected by the ancient people. In those places they carved geometric spirals on huge monoliths, painted animals in underground caves, erected “altars” near their dwelling places, and aligned their largest monuments with the constellations. These monuments weren’t one-off structures. They’re found on every continent reminding us that sanctuaries and sacred places are embedded into human history and DNA.
In June the northern hemisphere celebrates the arrival of summer. Ten thousand years ago neolithic people celebrated solstices and equinoxes at their sacred temples around the world. The most famous, Stonehenge, is astronomically aligned with the summer solstice. Researchers found that the creators of Stonehenge and other major ancient temples used sacred geometry, underground waterways, magnetic energy, and incantations to enliven and energize the structures.
Centuries later, recognizing the power of the designs, medieval architects built cathedrals on top of many of the sites, retaining the elemental magic of the original and keeping it sacred and intact. A visit to any ancient cathedral associated with the old sites will cause an emotional and/or mystical reaction. Hearing the ancient water hundreds of feet below the cathedral can elicit an otherworldly experience. A sensitive or empathic individual can feel or open up to the energetic portals that are inside and outside the cathedral. The air holds an electric charge, the senses pick up impressions, and there’s a subtle force that surrounds the empath.
But it’s not necessary to go to an ancient cathedral to have a sacred experience. Many individuals have created personal sacred sanctuaries in their homes or gardens where they meditate or pray. We live in a tumultuous time. Creating personal sacred space is one of the most helpful projects we can undertake right now. It doesn’t take that much effort to create a holy sanctuary but the benefits are extraordinary in calming the space you live in, and maintaining tranquility around you.
Start by determining the directions (north, east, south and west) around your home. Sense the energies associated with each direction and decide in what direction you’ll place your altar or set your sacred space. The elements of fire, earth, water and air should be used in the design. If you’re fortunate enough to have a garden, some choose that location for their sacred space. If you don’t, bring the garden inside and create the space with plants or flowers. Again, it doesn’t need to be complicated. But, you’ll want to align with the energies around the home as those energies are raised in your spiritual practices and will keep the peaceful atmosphere in place. If you have special crystals, or statues of deities, add them to your space as they bring unique energies that will focus you and hold firm the prayers you’re invoking.
This sacred sanctuary that you’re setting becomes a “go-to” place when the chaos of the outside world seems ready to upend your equanimity. Burn incense daily. Light a candle representing your wishes and prayers and leave it burning. To connect with someone in spirit, float a flower in a dish of clear water. On seasonal holidays you’ll have a special place that’s filled with your good intentions and wishes, and one that will calm the atmosphere around you. When visitors come into the home, they’ll notice the “feeling” inside.
Your suburban sanctuaries are not that far removed from the monuments of Stonehenge or Gobekli Tepe. Each was built with reverent intentions and designed with motifs and symbols to open wide to the unseen dimensions. Everything we touch is sacred, but when we build our own personal sacred space it connects with every temple ever built and the geometric connection of each is reinforced and revitalized.
There’s a powerful holiness that resides in our cellular structure. It ignites beliefs in spiritual endeavors and holds the containers called religion. As long as we remember and honor the inherent holiness and recognize the connection that we are all fragments of oneness, then human consciousness is enriched and will be expanded. Personal sacred sanctuaries aid in that daily remembrance.
Jo Mooy has studied with many spiritual traditions over the past 40 years. The wide diversity of this training allows her to develop spiritual seminars and retreats that explore inspirational concepts, give purpose and guidance to students, and present esoteric teachings in an understandable manner. Along with Patricia Cockerill, she has guided the Women’s Meditation Circle since January 2006 where it has been honored for five years in a row as the “Favorite Meditation” group in Sarasota, FL, by Natural Awakenings Magazine. Teaching and using Sound as a retreat healing practice, Jo was certified as a Sound Healer through Jonathan Goldman’s Sound Healing Association. She writes and publishes a monthly internationally distributed e-newsletter called Spiritual Connections and is a staff writer for Spirit of Maat magazine in Sedona. For more information go to http://www.starsoundings.com or email jomooy@gmail.com.