A PLACE OF BEAUTY - setting up an outdoors sanctuary

 

 

Ritual is a natural human spiritual function. Even the most austerely aesthetic or minimalist spiritual practices need a space in which to operate - a 'sacred' space, a special space for privacy and quiet, set aside from the everyday, a place to share ritual with others.
Today, we often experience a personal devotional vacuum - no daily practice or structure, often no clear connection with a particular 'religion', and no sacred area in our everyday living space. This can feel isolated, disconnected and 'dispirited'.

 

SIMPLY PROFOUND
Setting up a physical space, or sanctuary, however, is a very simple remedy, and one which can bring us profound learnings in the process. Meaningful rituals develop through the tending and upkeep of the space that are compatible with most paths.
It is easy to get caught on elaboration, complication; if our non-human relatives in Creation could make a documentary on our species, I could imagine their equivalent of David Attenborough plodding through scenes of urbanisation earnestly commenting "Humans seem compelled to complicate any situation..." !
Keep it simple - your own back garden is an ideal place to create a sanctuary; there you can honour and bless the Earth Mother and Sky Father and refresh and renew your own environment and spirit. If you have no garden, a windowsill, or balcony will do.
Here I offer some suggestions - no ancient prescription, or set of rules - but a simple synthesis of human ritual practice, ancient threads of sacred intuition that we all carry within our human spiritual genetics.

 

FINDING A PLACE
First, find a spot that feels good, which calls to you. This may take a while, so don't be tempted to rush. Explain your intention to the Spirit of the Place and ask if it is willing to give permission and help. For what you do, whether or not its physical aspect remains long, will imprint on the land, passing it along the corridor of time to those who come after you.
If all seems agreeable, leave a thank-offering and spend a while getting to know the place, in all its moods, weathers, times of day. You are also giving the place time to acclimatise to you.
Approach it with the playfulness of a child, with wonder and sensual pleasure, to create alignment with its spirit. This will help you create from the beauty and power that it already has.
As the process unfolds, you will find things falling into place. You may find a particular stone calling to be brought to the place, or be given a dish that will look really right filled with water to reflect the changing sky. Your sanctuary will unfold itself - you provide the physical muscle power!
Hold in your awareness the four sacred elements and bring a representation of each one into the space. This way we can bring balance and peace into the sanctuary; in this way it will reflect the whole structure of Creation in the simple honouring of earth, air, fire and water.

 

HONOURING THE ELEMENTS
The element of earth can be embodied in an obvious way by rocks and pebbles, gravels or sands that you find beautiful.
Water may already be present, but if not can easily be brought there and kept in a beautiful container. In the world of Spirit and ritual, antique values and political correctness is not uppermost. A shrine is a reflection of your heart, not some New Age Fortnum and Mason catalogue. An ancient raku pot or singing bowl may not bring such an empowering presence as a beloved dish bequeathed by one of your own ancestors that has meaning for you.
If in doubt - try it out. The place will soon reflect to you what feels uncomfortable, or what needs to change. Your eye and heart will usually perceive this in terms of harmony. An object that does not fit may look 'out of place', as if it has somehow lost its flavour or sparkle.
The element of air can be celebrated in many wonderful ways; its presence encouraged and acknowledged by wind chimes, aeolian harps, fluttering ribbons, feather, or strings of tiny bells. Hanging coloured glass items will allow both light/colour and the breeze to play together.
Fire can be introduced by a simple candle, or by a small fire pit, or brazier. You can put in something mirrored to reflect the firelight of the sun, - a dark container of fresh water may serve this purpose too.

 

SELF-BALANCING & HEALING
Notice which of the elements you are most familiar with, and which you feel less attracted to. This will give you an idea of how you yourself need inner balance. If you find the watery aspect, for instance, has miserable connotations of rain dripping down your neck, but as you explore beautiful ways to incorporate it into your sanctuary, you may come to befriend its positive aspects.
So as you tend your sacred space, you find out much about yourself, too. You develop that spiritual muscle which senses flows and connections of earth energies, of how the outer world reflects the inner.

 

RESPONSES TO SPIRIT
How you care for your sanctuary mirrors your attitude to yourself; if it is neglected, you may feel disenchanted, or aggrieved, or have lowered energy. Tending the space, in contrast, gives that elusive 'feel-good' factor that politicians are busily (and of course, fruitlessly) trying to package and sell us. Tending is, in a real way, both a connecting meditation and your gift of caring to the sanctuary.
It is a good idea to smudge, or use incense, or the sound of a rattle or bell, to psychically clean the space regularly, and mark its physical boundaries - the old tradition of 'beating the bounds'.
Part of your gift to the space will also be your appreciation for its beauty. Giving thanks and speaking to Spirit comes easily as you tend it - a valuable time to make prayers about any imbalances, fears, regrets or issues that you need help with. And it is a place where one can be still and receive communications from Spirit.
Pay full attention to the sounds of the wind chimes, the way the smudge smoke curls around, the flashes of sunlight and birdsong, for you have made a place for spirit to meet with you which is not unlike a telephone box. Or maybe like Dr Who's Tardis time machine, where you can step outside of the everyday world for a while and into your own limitless and all-wise soul place. Here there can be connection with all places, all times, all possibilities.
As your relationship with the space develops, this will be a more and more automatic response. It is a temple place and others will sense it, as one can sense the reverence and peace of any true temple. Be aware that for some, your space may be puzzling and it may be necessary to give it an understandable label, if asked. Most people accept and respect such terms as a 'quiet spot', 'peace garden' or 'special corner' rather than 'earth-goddess shrine', or 'sacred four directions altar!'

 

KNOWLEDGE TO USE
Having gained experience of this way of linking in to Beauty, you can apply this kind of balancing and shrine building to situations that are in special need of it. Think how wonderful it would be to have such sanctuaries in hospitals, in doctors' surgeries, in law courts or prisons; to former battlefields, to places of anxiety and distress. Or how about a sanctuary corner in the staff rest room at work, or alongside the school playground or shopping mall? It can be done imaginatively under acceptable labels such as 'landscaping', or 'customer service enhancement . . . . '
The elderly can find comfort and a place to reflect, naturally serving the need to reinforce connection to spirit, as they prepare to leave their physical state. At the other end of life, children can be encouraged to help create their own special places and by being asked to respect any that have been created, will learn the process through their feet - the way we all learned long ago, when spirituality and daily life interwove and the feel-good factor was not regarded as a political matter, but as essential to vitality, health and peace.

 

 

This article first appeared in Sacred Hoop Magazine Issue 11

 

© 2004 Jan Morgan Wood

 

If you wish to reproduce this article in any way please seek written permission from Jan Morgan Wood.