Over the years I've come to see many spaces as sacred. One of my favorite artists that creates sacred spaces is Andrew Goldsworthy.My wife describes sacred spaces as time and spaces created to be holy. The labyrinth at church, or attending church ritual. Or any time something sacred presents itself, like when her grasshopper came and fed on her lettuce.
When I entered pastoral therapy, we discussed sacred space in terms of therapy. Dr R challenged us to create sacred space in which the therapeutic alliance becomes a place of trust and of healing. Every time I welcome a client, where ever the office is, I create a sacred space in which they may bare their soul. It's a profound concept for me, and keeps my very mindful that each time they come in, I answer the calling of my Goddess.
Because the Divine is everywhere, I believe that all space is sacred space. Therefore, casting a circle does not so much create sacred space as simply recognize and acknowledge that fact. We can also recognize and acknowledge sacred space without any overt ritual at all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Debra, but with a slight twist. My thoughts alone: Everything and every place is sacred.... and also profane. The qualities are there. We define our spaces by casting the circle ..... or breaking the line. We take potential and turn it into something we refer to as sacred. On the other side is that as soon as we do others will define the same space as profane.
ReplyDeleteWhat you hold as sacred another holds as profane, what you find power and solace in, others fear and find sacrilegious. One object. One space. Multiple viewpoints.
So when you cast a circle or I break the line we create for ourselves a place we may call sacred. And it is.....and it isn't. I suppose in it's own way it depends which side of the line you stand on. In the abstractness of Zen, as soon as we give something a name we define not only it, but everything else as not it. The same holds true for what refer to as the sacred.
Debra was right IMO...everything is sacred... but she leaves off that everything is profane. It is complete unity until we divide it into places we define by our rules and standards.