So on Saturday, I met with the other Priestesses on the course to discuss our next topic of Sacred Spaces!! This is quite an interesting topic for me due to some experiences I have had online and how I personally view places.
Sacred Spaces can be all kinds of places – from natural places (meadows, forests, caves, waterfalls etc) to man-made places like churches, the Callanais Stones in Scotland or Stonehenge.
While I am not a Christian, I do sometimes feel awed by a church when I visit as a tourist. Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral in London are two places of worship, in which I have felt awed and almost humbled.
Another is the Little Chapel on the Channel Island, Guernsey, which is, as it's title describes, little with barely enough space to fit more than 8 people at any one time. It is covered in seashells, pebbles and pieces of broken china. There is also a shrine that can be accessed through a winding staircase from within the church itself or by walking around the outside. There is a sense of peace there, not just at the Little Chapel but also on the island itself that I have not felt in a long time.
Sacred places can also be visionary places within our imaginations – guided meditations can help with finding somewhere within ourselves or a place we would like to revisit that exists just for us.
Some people do believe that our own bodies are sacred places – and to a point, I do agree with this idea. But only insofar as it is sacred to me, so if I wish to have body piercings and/or tattoos, then I can.
Our homes can also be sacred places because we decorate them as we want them to look and it should be a place where we can feel safe, as well as just enjoy time.
Within the Craft, we can also create a sacred space by casting a circle and calling on the elements and directions to watch over the work done within it. Be sure to find something that suits you as this can be done in several ways:
calling on the elements and/or directions
calling on a deity (or several if you work with more than one),
using stones, crystals, candles or string
or even using a hula hoop filled with salt (this is great for outside workings as salt renders the earth infertile)
You can use tools to cast a circle, and some might find this easiest at first because it helps to focus your intentions and energy. Good tools to use would be a wand (crystal, wood or made of something else), an athame (ritual knife) or your finger or hand (if you're on a budget and can't have all the tools you think you need/want). I do have a wand that I am going to use to cast my own circle and I will share that experience in the future.
Another sacred space is an altar because it can be the focal point for your workings, whether that's with the elements, deities, or ancestors. You could have an altar dedicated to each of the elements individually, or if you're more of a garden/green witch, you could have one in your garden space. While walking in nature, you could also make one along the way with things you collect that have already fallen to the ground. You could also use a mandala to create an altar – possibly as the design for the “floor” of your garden.
I personally have two altars currently in my home – an elemental altar for the elements, and an ancestral altar in my living room as I wanted to feel as close to my mum as possible while I'm awake.
I would like to have a kitchen altar space but in it's current state, I don't feel like it's the right time to start one up. Another altar I'd like to have would be dedicated to the Goddess Diana as it was her influence that started me down this path and I do feel like she's continuing to exert an influence over my journey.
I hope my musings have given you food for thought.
Love and peace to you all!!
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