Creating Sacred Spaces
A sacred space is any area we infuse with prayer and protection, that allows a deep healing to take place within the body, mind, heart and spirit. It honors the very essence of life and creation. The space itself is an offering to the Divine.
Creating a sacred space can be a part of a ritual or ceremony, with the intention to release, extract, or honor. In Mesoamerican traditions, creating a sacred space in any area is to vivify, create and renew the space, raising the vibration to meet that of the Divine. We can intentionally create our homes as a sanctuary and sacred space for spiritual work and healing. A sacred space can be an area within the home, or office, studio, that honors our cultural beliefs and practices.
These spaces have the potential in their own right to aid in healing, purification and renewal. A Mesoamerican curandera Erika Buenaflor says “spaces, especially living spaces, are not simply inanimate objects; they have a soul essence and can take care of us in so many ways.”
Consider the area you wish to work with, where is it located? if you wish to create a smaller sacred space, like an altar, what direction will it be facing? What direction do you want to invoke and honor? Each direction itself has an energetic signature and purpose that will help amplify the energy you wish to create for your sacred space.
The directional location of your space will determine the energetic signature of your work. Below is a list of the directions and the essence of each direction: These cardinal directions are based on the Mayan cosmovision, which is the tradition I practice.
East-Tlahuizlampa: The place of the rising sun and the place of new beginnings, new growth and illumination he place of rebirth, the seeds of creation.
South-Huitzlampa: The place of passion and creativity. Where purpose and direction lie. Renewal and cleansing.
West-Cihuatlampa: The place of letting go, honoring the time to shed and go within. Where we develop trust to let go. This is also the place of materialization.
North-Mictlampa: The place of wisdom, protection, change. The place of the ancestors. This is where we face our adversities and gain strength and resilience despite the challenges we face.
Once you have become familiar with the energy you wish to infuse into the space based on its directional placement, you can call in that direction and its essence, thanking it for the work you will be doing together.
Here are a few items you can use as tools to activate the space:
Wooden matches. It is recommended to use as many natural elements during earth based practices to keep the integrity of the traditional medicine.
Candle/s.
Charcoal and resin/herbs or incense and fire safe container. You can also use herb or crustal infused waters, such as spray.
Musical instruments like: drum, flute, rattle, sacred bowl/s, flute, tuning fork/s. and bells.
It is important to cleanse the space physically and energetically, before the activation. I suggest using all natural, chemical free cleaning products to clean the space of dirt, dust and clutter. Once you have completed this step you will cleanse the space energetically of any lower vibration that may be present in the area. There are a few different ways you can do this:
You can light a small charcoal and burn resin and/or herbs to help cleanse the space and raise the vibration in preparation of the next steps.
To maintain the integrity of these practices it is important to be mindful of the resources you will be using. Currently sacred plants like Sage, Sweetgrass and Palo Santo are trending and being mass produced. This mass production leads to products that lack quality and healing powers which devalue the sacred medicines that our ancestors practiced. This mass production only feeds the wound of colonization and the trauma of capitilism. I suggest using herbs that aren’t often used. I list a few below.
You can sing, chant, and clap to cleanse the space.
You can also use music and instruments to cleanse the space like: bells, drums, flutes, bowls.
Holy waters, Florida water, water blessed by you, creek water, moon water or herb, crystal, planetary infused spray; sprinkling or spraying in the space.
Always holding the intention of the space in your heart while you do these practices of cleansing and clearing.
Here are a few suggested herbs you can use in place of Sweetgrass, Palo Santo and Sage, that carry beautiful and powerful frequencies to add to your sacred space.
Rose-Encourages healing and forgiveness in the heart. Can promote self-love and offers protection and purification. A beautulful herb to work with if you have experienced any trauma.
Rosemary- Encourages a fresh start, helping to break any habits, starting on a new path, helping to open new doors.
Yerba Santa- Heals broken hearts and encourages self-love, supports the release of emotional pain. Traditionally used as a smudge or incense for protection and setting boundaries. Inspires love, purification, growth, empowerment and beauty.
Basil-Fertility and love. Protector of family, releases negative energy from the home when burned. It creates a sympathetic vibration. It stimulates the conscious mind to invoke happiness. Opens the heart. It also calls in prosperity and protection over blessings.
Lavender-Dispels depression and negative emotion. It soothes and relaxes the nervous system encouraging rest.
Vetiver-Cleanes and purifies the human energy field. It is grounding and stabilizing.
Calendula- Stimulates a sunnier outlook on situations. Draws in a glow that magnetizes admiration and respect form your community.
Rue-Protection and cleansing. When burned it cleanses and purifies the environment and wards off negative energy. Helps strengthen existing relationship. Can attract love and passion. Attracts good luck and prosperity.
Penny Royal-Offers protection from the evil eye (jealousy and envy), it wards off evil, breaks hexes, and brings tranquility into the home. Draws in good luck. Good for resolving issues in relationships. Purifys energy field.
Coffee-Cleanses negative energies. It can help boost and bring clarity and speediness to your intention. Dispels negative thoughts and overcome blockages. Can provide protection. Breaks curses, and can be used as an offering to ancestors, spirits and deities. It will help push past a plateau. (Can burn on coal, or brew a cup for your bath)
Once the space has been cleaned and cleansed it is time to “activate” the space, this means breathing life into it so it becomes a container and channel for us to commune with the Divine. The intention for the space may change but the channel to the Divine will always be present. There are a few ways to activate and prepare your space:
Find a comfortable seated position and tap into your heart space. The next steps will require that you are deeply connected to your heart, the vibration of your heart is what will activate your space and connection to the Divine. Once you feel centered move on to the next step.
I like to honor the space and the land I will be working on. Honoring the original peoples that lived on the land, helps to further the medicine of your work, as the acknowledgement creates a healing ripple through any trauma that may have happened with the original peoples of the land. Ask for their blessing and thank them.
Speaking a prayer, invocation over the space will start to open the container and continue to release lower vibrational energies. In the Mesoamercian tradition and also in some Indigenous cultures we open the directions, calling on the elemental medicine of the cosmos, for assitance in clearing and opening this sacred space.
Command that the space will be used for connection to the Divine, through the channel of Great Spirit.
Call in the support of your spirit guides, exalted ancestors, angels, masters, guides, dragons, fairies animal spirits. Any support in the spiritual realm that you would like to be with you as you do the spiritual work in the space. Thank them for their presence, and ask them to witness you, to be with you and to guide you.
Once you have opened the container you can speak your intention over the space. What is the goal for the space, what kind of life do you desire it to live. Is it for healing, communing, releasing, activating, renewing, honoring, celebrating, connecting. Whatever it is speak this energy into the space, allow it to fill the space, with the breath you are using to speak with. Transferring some of your life force energy, giving the space its own life as an extension of you.
Be with the space for a bit, sit, and feel. Maybe sing or play another instrument to honor the Divine presence you feel.
Your sacred space is now open and activated for you to do your heart and souls work. If this is a place that will be actively working for you, like an altar, it is important to cleanse and refresh the space regularly. You can feed it with daily offerings of your choice, you can sing or chant to it, you can light a candle daily or an incense, you can play an instrument near it like a drum or flute, bells also work.
If this is a sacred space that you opened for a ceremony or specific ritual, please remember to close it out when you have completed your work. Allow the support you called in to be released if they’d like, you can also invite them to stay if they wish. Blow out candles and clean up the space once the container is closed. To close the container you can say a prayer of gratitude and state that the container is closed. Thank the guides that were with you, thank the tools you used and thank the space. Any herbs left over, ashes from resins burned or sacred waters used can be given to the earth as an offering.
So much love and energy goes into creating sacred space, doing this work creates a ripple of healing through all timelines, space, dimensions - past, present and future, through your lineage and through the collective. I am so grateful for the hearts work that you do for yourself, your lineage and humanity. Tlazocamati.
Con Amor,
Amanda