Making Space for Magic

Creating sacred space in your home or garden signals that self-care – deep soul care – is a priority for you.

 A well-designed sacred space – whether it is a dedicated garden, room, or home altar on a windowsill – creates a physical connection to the land and is a tangible reminder of what gives meaning to your life journey. "Sacred space is as simple as making meaning,” write Michael Samuels and Mary Rockwood Lane in Creative Healing, “Sacredness comes from the meaning of your life story... make a space and a time that is full of meaning to you. The space you carve out of your life is the space where magic will happen, the place where you will be healed, grow and change.” When you enter your sacred space, you send a signal to your mind, body, heart and soul that you are ready to tune out the noise of ordinary life and tune into meaning. Your sacred space sets boundaries, grounds intentions, and supports you to generate meaningful action and cultivate genuine relationships every day. 

Here are Five Tips for creating sacred space at home:

Photo credits: Unsplash

Tip #1: Where intention goes, energy flows.

Begin by setting your intention for your sacred space. Are you creating a private sanctuary or a shared space for community prayer and meditation? How do you want your sacred space to support you? Do you want it to be inspiring, motivating, energizing, calming, grounding, or something else? Before you begin, take time to write out your intention for the space and how you would like to use it. 

Photo credits: Laura Esculcas

Tip #2: Make it clear and simple.

 Simplicity is key. Choose a place in your home or garden where you will not be tempted with distractions. Make sure your space is clean, clear and uncluttered. This is your place of peaceful self-care, so avoid high traffic areas and transition rooms in the house or garden. Remove mobile devices and electronics, and do not work or have a home office where you create your sacred space. Once you’ve physically cleared your space, consider ritually clearing it as well by ringing a bell or chime, drumming, singing, chanting, burning sage, or using any element you choose. Bring into the space only a few basic furniture elements: a chair, cushion, or mat to sit on, a soft light, and a blanket to stay cozy. Choose colors that support your intention and create a comfortable ambiance based on your personal preferences. White or pastel colors enhance light and clarity, and dark, earth tones support going inward.

Photo credits: Laura Esculcas

Tip #3: Home is where the heart is.

Select for your sacred space items that support your intention and remind you of what you love. Personal items that are meaningful to you might include: a painting, collage, statue of protective symbols, favorite poem, sacred texts or words of wisdom, bells or musical instruments, ritual objects, images of your Spirit animal, a talisman symbolizing your intention for your space, photographs of loved ones, a candle, incense, personal divination tools such as runes or oracle cards, and a journal specifically designated for your sacred practice. ​

Photo credits: Unsplash

Tip #4: Make an Earth connection.

If your sacred space is in a garden, then you will naturally feed your connection with Earth. In Earth Calling, authors Carter and Gunther recommend having a dawn and sunset practice outside “in which you pay homage to your life, the air you breathe into your lungs, and the earth that sustains you.” In your home, bring in a connection with the earth by adding natural elements to your sacred space, such as plants, stones, shells, fresh flowers, and water. Include objects or images from places of pilgrimage and special places that you have known. Add a photograph of your favorite tree, mountain peak, lake, river, seashore, or any place where you have felt your connection with nature. Every home, garden, or room has a point that resonates with the sacred energies of the land. Calen Rayne has named it the Genesis Point. It is from this point, he explains in his Genesis Point Training, that information and energy stream in and increase the transformational potential of a space. 

Photo credits: Laura Esculcas

Tip #5: Make room to grow.

Use your intuition to gauge the energy of your sacred space, changing it with the seasons, special occasions, or to honor changes in your life. From time to time, review your intention for the space and update objects in it as life changes and you evolve. Make sure your sacred space is still supporting your intention, and if not, step back and look at what needs to be cleared or simplified in your space and in your spiritual practice. Asheville-based Feng Shui Consultant Jini Rayne suggests that you honor any changes you make in your space with ritual. Simply sounding a bell, lighting a candle, or saying a prayer will help you to reset your space and intention. ​

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This is an excerpt from the article by Laura Esculcas, "Creating Space in Your Home or Garden," published in Fine Homes of Western North Carolina, Spring 2016 Issue, p. 34.