The ancient art of sacred space

Everyone needs a place to go where they feel safe and comforted. For some it is the privacy of their bedroom, others their garden, for some it is a space set aside in their home where they can be still and commune with the Divine, however they see it. The creation of sacred space is as old as humanity. Places such as Stonehenge, Easter Island, burial mounds of Native Americans here in the states, and the countless shrines in Ireland offer proof that humanity has a deep desire to commune with the Divine. Altars give the individual a space where they may do this. In most Pagan homes, this space is the altar.

When you first begin your path, most set out to create a space where they can pray, worship, meditate, study, and work with energy. This is one of the first steps in laying the foundation of any path and it is not central to Paganism. I have never seen a church or temple that did not have a central altar. This is the connection point and whether the focal imagery is a statue of Brighid or a stained glass window, the idea is the same: to connect and be in the presence of the Divine. This is the focal point and reason for creating sacred space.

The first thing to be considered is purpose. What are you trying to relay? Are you creating an ancestor altar, an altar for working magick, solely meditation, dedicated to a specific deity, or for general worship? By general worship, I mean an altar that is created for honoring deity in whatever form without being dedicated to a specific deity. For instance, our family altar is set up to honor the Sabbats and changes with each season. It is created for our family's benefit and isn't dedicated to a specific deity whereas our Arachne altar on our patio, our La Santisima Muerte altar, and Kuan Yin/Rhiannon/Hestia altars are designed for those deities. Non-specific altars are created to honor the Divine without putting a name and are usually much simpler to create and maintain. Specific altars are designed in every aspect for working with those deities. The space should reflect your path to help you better connect and grow with it. You will change as you grow, and so should your space.

When you have decided your purpose for this space, you now have to decide, well the space itself. How much room will you need versus how much room do you realistically have? Will it be indoors or outdoors? A garden shrine, kitchen shrine, or over the hearth? Do you really need a lot of space when you start out? Realistically no. The first year or two in a Pagan's path, especially if they are planning to do energy work, is study, meditation, getting to know their path and their deities, and more importantly, getting to know themselves. So basically all you need is a space to sit, pray, meditate, and study. Doing daily meditations will lead you to know your patrons. It will also offer guidance, expand your mind, and increase the mind, body, spirit connection that is vital in doing energy work. So to begin with, your space should be centered around this. A small table, a bench, windowsill, balcony, patio, dresser drawer, or box will all work for creating this.

One of the biggest questions I tackle in my shop regarding altar construction is what should it be made of? Does it HAVE to be wood? No it doesn't. In fact any material can be used to create your altar. A baker's rack makes an excellent altar especially if it has drawers, shelves, or other space. If you find something that calls to you and offers storage, use it. There is a reason why it appeals to you. Natural is always best, however metal is also a natural element. You're going to spend a lot of time in this space. It should be a space that makes you happy, comfortable, and is easy to work with. The second biggest is should it always face North? No. It may not always be possible to place your space facing North. Your altar should always go where your spirit tells you to put it and where it will be in the greatest harmony with the rest of your home.

Any altar construction should consist of three spaces within a space. A space for sitting, a space for storage, and the actual work space. You should have enough room to sit (or stand) comfortably and move freely. You should not feel cramped or hindered by other items. It should be big enough for a cup, a plate, some physical form of representation (either a picture, a statue, or other item that represents deity), a bowl for offering, a fireproof burner for incense, and at least two candle holders of some kind. There should be space to store your apothecary, books, incense, oils, candles, and tools. You may opt to not have your tools on display all the time, especially if you have small children. If you can't store these items with your altar, you should have a safe location where you can.

Once you have a space created and designated for this purpose, you should consecrate it by washing the tools and the altar with a mixture of sea salt and water. There are many different variations of sea salt from all over the world so you are bound to find one that suits your purpose. Mix a tea spoon with a quart of warm water and powdered sage or other smudging herb. Say a prayer over it, and then wash every corner of it with this mixture. Discard the rest and dry your space. The more you use it the more charged it will become.

Namaste ~