In troubled times, we all need a sanctuary. We need a place where we can go to be nourished, to be at peace. Our sanctuary can be a park, a garden, the forest or mountain or shore. It could be a coffee house, a church, a museum. At some time, these can all be sanctuaries.
Home should be a sanctuary. Sometimes it isn't. Sometimes the people with whom you share space create chaos. That may be an issue for another article. Today, I will take us back to Dr Arlene Unger who writes in her book, How to be Content, "Thresholds - even everyday doorways into houses - are held sacred in many cultures. Throughout time, peoples have adorned the entrances of their homes with shields, lucky charms, and spiritual icons, all intended to promote the happiness and protection of the family within. And all of us can benefit from a threshold ritual that marks the transition between home life and working life." She suggests taking a moment to pause at your front door and breathe deeply - allow yourself to arrive. Focus on the act of unlocking your door. Remove your shoes when you enter. Along with keeping your floors clean, the act reminds you that you are leaving the public space and entering the private space.
Within your home, you may want to carve out your own sacred space. I have a friend who took a corner of her bedroom to be the place where she can be alone to pray, to meditate, to write, and to be at peace. She hung a collection of crosses from different countries on the wall above a little desk, outfitted with a journal and a pen. Her books on spirituality are on a shelf along with some particularly meaningful momentos. I tried to create a sacred space centered around a particularly deep window seat in my office. I moved my books on spirituality to the bookcase next to my window seat, hung a favorite picture, added a comfy throw, and proceeded to cover the space with books and papers related to projects that I am working on. Not a success.
A few weeks ago, Color your home beautiful turned up in my Little Free Library. There is a section on colors for spirituality. The author(s) (uncredited) write that creating a space for prayerful thought is "a necessity of life". Color plays a part in that. "A spiritual environment includes colors that radiate sublime quietude or are heavy with symbolism". Here are some colors for spirituality: orange suggests the radiation of inner spirit, green is contemplative, red signifies the heart. White has a purifying effect on an environment, black suggests the limitless universe, grey "ties us to tradition, to ancient holy places hewn form stone", and beige "can relate to the serenity and spiritual escape of the monk's cell". Finally, "color is the safe harbor for the ships of our souls" so it seems as though blue should be considered a spiritual color, too.
These books will help you bring peace and beauty into your environment:
Altars made easy : a complete guide to creating your own sacred space / Streep, Peg. 291.37 STR
Contemplative by design : creating quiet spaces for retreats, workshops, churches, and personal settings / Grimsley, Gerrie L., 263.042 GRI
Bead one, pray, too: a guide to making and using prayer beads /Winston, Kimberly 203.7 WIN
Knitting into the mystery: a guide to the shawl-knitting ministry /Izard, Susan S. 247 JOR
Zen and the art of knitting : exploring the links between knitting, spirituality, and creativity / Murphy, Bernadette M. 746.43 MUR
Let me introduce you to another book in Plymouth Library:
"The notion of designing and respecting sacred space has been around for centuries, recognized in such current culture trends as Feng Shui, Wabi Sabi, and even the push to make homes greener. Vastu - India's ancient science of architecture and design for buildings and gardens - is the origin of traditions like Feng Shui, and finally gets a proper introduction in Vastu: Transcendental Home Design In Harmony with Nature by Vastu sacred space design consultant Sherri Silverman.[747 SIL]
Vastu is a beautifully illustrated and detailed guide to harnessing the tremendous power of this ancient tradition to create tranquil, attractive living spaces that bring the home-and everyone in it-back to center by enhancing inner peace, joy, prosperity, and relationships through attention to the structure and design of living and work areas. Vastu actually enables one to not just leave a light footprint on the earth, but to also improve the environment while living in a home that supports, nourishes, and protects health, happiness, and fulfillment.
Vastu covers all rooms in the home, as well as directions (north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, center), the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space), the importance of beauty and natural materials, clearing of clutter, and air quality. Vastu also provides tips that teach how to use the power of meditation, love, grace and gratitude, sacred archetypal energies, mantras, and yantras to bless a house, and much more." - from the publisher
There was a big craze for feng shui about twenty years ago. According to Wikipedia, "Feng shui, sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is an ancient Chinese traditional practice which claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term feng shui means, literally, "wind-water". It is a way in which human life can be connected to, and flow with, the environment around it. When I lived in California, I was friends with Angi Ma Wong. I knew that after I moved back to Seattle, Angi wrote a few books on feng shui. I even saw her on Oprah! When I did a google search today so that I could recommend her books to you, I found that there is even a Wikipedia entry for her. The last time I saw Angi, twenty years ago, she and her husband Norm were on a trip to the Pacific Northwest. I had them over for dinner, and the talk turned to feng shui. I knew that my house was not built on feng shui principles, but I always felt quite happy and at peace in it. Angi assured me that if you love your environment, that transcends any architectural taboos. She said that her advice was based on what was practical. If you are dissatisfied with your home's energy, track down one of her books:
The Wind-Water Wheel : A Feng Shui Tool for Transforming Your Life
Feng Shui Dos and Taboos: : A Guide to What to Place Where
Feng Shui Dos & Taboos for Love
Sadly, Angi died in 2015 after battling cancer for twenty-five years.
Other books to explore are Natural style : decorating with an earth-friendly point of view / Sobesky, Janet. (747 SOB) and The sanctuary garden : creating a place of refuge in your yard or garden / McDowell, Christopher Forrest, 712 MCD
For me, I need big windows, lots of light, book shelves - many book shelves - and books, of course. A comfortable chair, a mug of tea, and outside, a garden. That's my sanctuary.