Sacred space is a healing sphere that is pure, holy and safe. We can create sacred space and summon the healing power of nature anywhere on Earth. Sacred space allows us to enter our quiet inner world where the mundane cannot distract us, and every act is hallowed and deliberate, although not necessarily serious or ponderous. Within sacred space we experience the lightness of our being. Both laughter and tears come easily. Within sacred space our burdens become lighter, and we can be touched by the hand of Spirit.
I imagine sacred space as a shimmering cupola above the area where I do my healing work. Everyone within this space is protected. We can release grief and pain and experience the joy that often accompanies the healing process. Sacred space also gives us access to the luminous healers―the medicine men and women who assist us from the Spirit world.
Opening sacred space with an invocation, calls the spirits of the four cardinal directions—South, West, North, and East—and Mother Earth and Father Sky. Begin by facing the South direction and then each direction in turn, repeating the following procedure:
Smudge―fan smoldering sage or incense—or blow scented water. Then hold your arm up, with the palm facing outward and recite the appropriate verse of the invocation (see below) calling upon the archetype representative of that direction. The archetypes are more than symbols; they are primordial energies or spirits, having qualities and powers of their own. We summon serpent in the South, jaguar in the West, hummingbird in the North and eagle in the East. When summoning Mother Earth, actually touch the ground where you stand; when summoning Father Sky, reach to the heavens.
The invocation I use is described in this downloadable document. I did not learn it from anyone, although it has elements in it that are shared by many Native American peoples. It is novel and ancient at the same time. You can also listen to me recite the invocation here. This sacred space is known as Sacred Space of the Ecosphere. In the space of the Ecosphere, awareness exceeds that of the self to summon and embrace all of creation. Although there are certain components necessary to create sacred space, you can in time bring in your own personal expression.
The shaman’s covenant with Spirit is that when they call, Spirit answers. Powerful medicine people from the Spirit world appear in the form of luminous beings who assist us in our work. Literally we use the four cardinal directions to get our bearings in the material world. For the shaman, these directions also personalize qualities and energies. If we can imagine the movement of these energies in the same way that a weather forecast shows the jet stream bringing rain from one area to another, we can understand how energy moves through space.
The archetypal animals represented in each of the four directions are more than symbols; they are primordial energies or spirits. Each archetype has a life and powers of its own. While the representations vary from culture to culture, the properties of these energies remains the same because they stand for the same organizing principles of nature. The important thing is not what we call these energies, or even which archetype we use, but that we get to know them well enough so that when we call, they respond.
You can also open Sacred Space of the Noosphere. In the space of the noosphere, we share in global consciousness to envision the fulfillment of humanity’s highest potential. To create this sacred space, we utilize the light of the eighth chakra, the wiracocha, which resides outside the physical body but within the luminous energy field. The power of sacred space is amplified many times when we expand this radiant orb and rest within it. It is that part of us that is always one with God.
Imagine your eighth chakra as a small radiant sun above your head, an orb the color of the rising sun. Bring your hands over your chest into prayer pose. Slowly raise your hands, still in prayer pose, until they are above your head. Sense your fingertips entering the globe of the eighth chakra. Sense how this spinning sun yields and opens to you. Very slowly expand the circumference of this brilliant orb to envelop you by turning your palms outward and extending your arms, bringing them down to your sides. Now bask in the light of your eighth chakra that surrounds you.
It is important always to close sacred space after you have completed your work. With your palms at your side and facing out, raise your arms to gather the luminous orb of your eighth chakra to its place above your head and bring your hands back to prayer pose.
Within sacred space we have extraordinary spiritual assistance available to us. When we call within sacred space, the Universe conspires on our behalf.
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