Sacred Space

Let’s discuss the nature of space and why you want to create sacred spaces for the purpose of working magic, doing meditation, or other reasons.

Magic and meditation, first of all, can be done anywhere you choose. I have meditated on busy trains and in bustling airports, and I’ve done magic in my car. I have done magic at a devout Christian’s house, someone who totally would not have understood what I was doing. And I have done magic sitting right here at my desk.

The first rule of creating sacred space is that you get to define what is sacred and what is space. You’ll find lots of books and articles and Instagram posts about beautiful decorated altars, and amethyst bowls for bathing, and elaborate candle patterns, and exactly what kind of silk you should cover your altar, and what kind of cushion you should sit on for yoga or meditation.

Don’t waste your money on those books. It’s fine to seek out ideas and images, to inspire you, but ultimately you get to decide what your sacred space will look like.

But first, I want you to decide what you want it to feel like.

Words that you might come up with to create ambience around your soon-to-be sacred space might be:

Ceremonial

Peaceful

Colorful

Isolated

Invigorating

Soothing

You get the picture. To determine what you want your sacred space to feel like, I would first – if possible – identify your reason WHY you are leaning now toward magic, toward the mystic arts, toward meditation. If it’s because you have a lot of chaos in your life and you want to make order and sense of it, I would suggest creating space that is free of distraction and peaceful, controllable. If you are drawn to this work because you seek physical or emotional healing, then maybe your sacred space needs to feel vibrant and alive. If you are leaning toward magic because you wish to make changes in your life, create a sacred space that is versatile and evolving.

Again, you get to decide what is meaningful, what is sacred.

You also get to decide exactly what is space.

Now, not everyone lives alone and not everyone will feel comfortable sharing their sacred space with others. In fact, if you will be working magic, I encourage you to keep your most sacred ceremonial objects private and hidden. You may diminish their power in your life if you expose them to the energy of people who won’t understand, who will judge, or who simply haven’t earned the right to witness your working.

At the same time, I really encourage new practitioners to work on any feelings of guilt and shame that are associated with the mystic arts. It’s easy – especially when just beginning a practice – to feel like others will judge you and not understand. Meditate on the ways that you can learn, and incorporate the teachings, without feeling like you are doing something wrong. Because I promise, you are not.

During the course of these videos and this time together, you will find practices that resonate for you and others that simply don’t. I encourage you to accept and embrace only what makes sense for you, and discard the rest. And if you are feeling any discomfort or uneasiness with the topics we discuss here, then I would say that you should start only with the one practice that feels most natural and right to you – and see where that leads.

I’m a bit of a human sponge – so I pick up a lot of stuff and have the weird stupid-human-pet-trick ability to make sense of it and parse it out – but I know that for many others, they have to start with baby steps. Maybe it’s just crystals right now, or maybe just a little bit of Astrology. You decide what you are comfortable with, and when you choose to discuss or share any of it with others. People get judgey, I know.

Once you know what your intention is right now with magic, or meditation (and it will of course evolve and change over time), then you can begin to determine WHERE you want your sacred space to be.

If you have been unwell and want to restore your health, maybe your sacred space is in your garden.

If you deal with PTSD or an anxiety disorder, you might put your sacred space in a walk-in closet, where you can fully isolate yourself and completely control your environment.

If you live with a bunch of people, you might just need to create the space wherever there is room and privacy. A corner of your bedroom, or the kitchen pantry, or the storage room that nobody else goes into. Heck, it can be your garage or your patio or the old camper you keep in the back alley. It could be the alley!

The most important thing is that you have a dedicated space. The second most important thing is that it not be your bathroom. Ritual bathing is one thing – but altars should not be in the bathroom. The flow of water means that energy is constantly moving away from that space and you want to control the energy around your altar or meditation corner. So that’s the only real place that you cannot make your sacred space – although, again, you can use it in sacred ways for the purpose of bathing and cleansing.

So, choose your spot knowing that you may choose another, some weeks or months or years later, if that makes sense to you.

I do my workings primarily in two areas – I have my altar in my living room and I do some workings in my office. Occasionally, though, I will also do ritual work outside – there is something about being under the sun or the moon, barefoot, and doing the Lesser Banishing Ritual or the Six Rayed Star or the Solar Adorations, out of doors.

In addition to my own magic workings, I also do ritual work every Saturday night. I clear my desk, power down my computer, and then I do a prayer and meditation for my clients, setting an intention for their success and abundance.

Wherever you decide will be your sacred space just has to feel right and natural and easy to you. It has to help fulfill your intention and it has to be a space that you can and will work within.

The next thing is to decide WHAT your altar or space will be. But first, decide where you want to place your altar and sacred space.

If you are going to meditate daily, you might want to have a comfy cushion.

For meditation, you might want to hear some light music or use a singing bowl, or a water fountain, maybe light some incense, or use an essential oil diffuser or change the light bulb in your lamp to a softer one – anything to create the ambience of the space you desire. All of these items can be placed on a side table or cabinet near where you will be meditating.

For magic, I am going to recommend that you start small. Rather than going out and buying an item that you plan to use as an altar, I would suggest you repurpose something you already have (like a dresser or a chest or even just a shelf).

You could dedicate one shelf of your armoire as your altar, or you could have a small tabletop that you use. Once you know WHERE your sacred space or altar will be, it will be easier to decide WHAT it will be.

Maybe it’s just your kitchen windowsill, with a couple crystals and other items. Maybe it’s one shelf of your closet. Maybe it’s a jewelry box. Maybe it’s a counter – whatever feels right and natural to use today, use that. You can change it later, as your needs grow and change.

Because you are going to start small with your tools anyway, it doesn’t make sense to invest in some pricey and elaborate altar. You won’t need that much space right away.

Next, you are going to decide WHAT you want to place on your altar.

You want to have the five elements present: Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Spirit. And maybe one personal item, something beautiful or meaningful only to you.

For fire, have a candle.

For air, have a fan or a feather or incense.

For water, have a cup (with water or without) or a small dish you can fill

For earth, have your crystals and other natural items.

For spirit, have something that represents Spirit / Aether / the Holy Spirit / God / Your Ancestors, etc to you. It could be a traditional Christian cross or it could be a small statue of the Buddha. It might be pictures of your grandparents, or your mother’s ashes. Again, the tools that you use are sacred to you so if you share this space with others, you don’t want to have them all just laying about. Have them instead in a drawer or a box and bring them out when you can, unless you have a dedicated and private space in the home you share with others.

Over time, you will begin adding other items both as Tools and simply as décor, placed upon your altar. Other items will be used and eventually replaced by new or more significant items.

Don’t worry right now about what KIND of altar you are creating – a spiritual altar or a pagan altar or a meditation altar or a witches altar – just add items that feel right. Create the space first, and then fill it appropriately. If you go walking this week and discover a fallen moss-covered branch and it speaks to you, bring it home and place it on your altar. Sprinkle a little water on it every few days to keep the moss or lichens alive. If someone gives you a precious gift – place it on your altar for a little while, let the magic of their generosity infuse your sacred space.

Sacred space is whatever you intend it to be. And you can change your mind about what exactly that means, anytime you wish.

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