Welcome to those who are finding me through a link from Neferet (Stay for a Spell)! I admit to being an inconsistent blogger, which is something I find hard to forgive in myself, but, there it is.
I have been working on the ritual creation process I offer to my clients. It is a way for those who are new to ritual to begin to get their feet wet, so to speak. It is a nine step (currently) process that takes you through the creation of a ritual from beginning to end. It can be adapted for use with groups, but I have focused for now on what you can do to create personal ritual for yourself.
Please enjoy an excerpt from my ritual creation process on creating sacred space. There will be more to come!
Ritual Creation Process Step Three
Creating Sacred Space
“You can transform the most ordinary of rooms into an intimate sacred space, into an environment where every day you come to the meeting with your true self with all the joy and happy ceremony of one old friend greeting another.” –Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
The sacred space within which ritual takes place can be a physical sacred space (for example, a room or an altar with specially chosen objects that help you to focus on your intention, and/or help you to feel grounded, centered, and supported) or a “virtual” sacred space (a space that exists mentally and is maintained through your continued focus on what you are doing).
A sacred space can be set up for one ritual only, or it can be more permanent and serve as the setting for many rituals. A space that is used frequently for ritual often comes to hold deep personal associations with the sacred, making it even easier to reconnect during subsequent rituals.
If you had to fill a room with objects that remind you of your intention, what kinds of objects would be in there?
You can arrange the objects in a physical sacred space in any way that feels right to you. Experiment with different arrangements and notice how you feel about each. Often creating a central focus is helpful, for example, a candle surrounded by stones. You will sit or move around this central focus during your ritual, allowing it to remind you to stay present to your intention.
Setting a boundary around your space is very helpful. This signals to you that you are truly in a place set apart from your everyday consciousness and that you are safe and protected within this space. Setting a boundary can be done by visualizing a ring of light around the space, drawing a circle with your finger in the air, setting objects down to mark the boundaries, or in another way that appeals to you.
