CREATING SACRED SPACE
When we seek to connect and communicate with Divine Spirit through meditation, ritual or spell casting, we often prepare the selected area we will be performing this work.
This is called creating sacred space.
The purpose of creating sacred space may vary from practitioner to practitioner but there are some general reasons why one creates sacred space. One of the most common reasons is to make our surroundings more conducive for higher vibrations, deities or spirits to join us.
I like to think of it along the lines of an invitation to a dinner party. You, most times, would clean your home and make it a welcome environment before your guests arrived. De-cluttering, dusting, vacuuming, clearing away the dishes and making the room pleasant to be in. The same holds true for when we are about to invite Divine Spirit into our space to commune, celebrate, seek guidance from or strengthen spiritual relationships. We make the space where we intend to invite Divinity a welcome space for them to dwell and communicate with us.
There are several ways that one can create sacred space:
Smudging with herbs: Lighting a bundle of dried herbs such as sage, sweet grass or mugwort and moving around your space allowing the smoke to fill the room. Depending on the magical properties of the herb(s) you are using and your intentions, this is a very common and effective technique. White sage has been used for hundreds of years to rid people and places of malevolent or negative energy. Mugwort also protects against negative energy but also is inviting to spirits with whom you seek to consult for spiritual guidance through divination.
Purification through resins: Using resins collected from certain trees and barks and then burning them in a censor or on a charcoal disk is another ritual favorite in creating sacred space. Many religions, both Eastern, Abrahamic and Pagan alike use this purification technique. Burning frankincense, copal, dragon's blood, myrrh or benzoin is believed to purify your body and space of negative energy and prepare both to communicate with spirits. The sweet smells of these resins is pleasant to both humans and those of the spirit world and shifts the environment to a higher vibration that is more welcoming to spirits.
Consecration through blessed water: Using blessed water or holy water and sprinkling this water over objects and your space is believed to consecrate and banish negative energy. You can obtain holy water from a trusted clergy or you can create it yourself by infusing positive intentions with water and adding sea salt.
Banishing negativity with sound: Whether you clap your hands, bang together two pot tops, use a singing bowl or ring bells, banishing negativity with sound has been an effective technique to clear a space of unwanted or stagnate energy. It is believed that low vibration entities or energies cannot be in the presence of the high vibrations that musical instruments and melodies create. Everything operates on a certain frequency and when music is played or bells are rang, anything that falls below those frequencies dissipates and scatters away.
As with any spiritual practice or technique, it is advisable that you tailor each to fit your needs. These are just a few common suggestions that practitioners have used over the ages across many different spiritual practices.
If you are noticing that your space becomes heavy more quickly after your consecration or that it requires more energy to create sacred space, consider incorporating a different technique into your ritual or combining multiple techniques.
For example, if you normally create sacred space by burning incense but it no longer renders effective results, add sound to your ritual of consecration by ringing bells or singing a repeating chant or affirmation. Often times, inviting multiple elements into your space helps to create a sacred environment that is welcoming to you and Divine Spirit.
Most importantly, enjoy the space you are in. Be comfortable, relaxed and focused on your intentions and your energy will overflow into your chosen area and create a space that is sacred to you and all whom you invite to join you there.
Goddess Blessings,
Seraphine