People from around the world, and throughout time, have set up sacred spaces. We have temples, churches and shrines that dot the globe, places where people can come together and honor their spiritual path. Often, these spaces are beautiful buildings, with art to uplift and inspire. They may be maintained by the spiritual leaders or by the community as a whole.
Ancient peoples had sacred places as well, and alongside temples and more traditional buildings, they erected stone monuments and circles, many of which still stand today. They marked off natural places of significance, so that they could gather and honor the things that were important to them.
But, as modern Pagans, we often don't have such spaces of our own. We may attend services by other groups, and we may enjoy the spaces they share with us, but there are not very many dedicated Pagan churches or temples.
Now, many modern Pagans are also solitary. While many belief systems are focused on working together as a group, and thus really need a communal gathering place, many Pagans have, and always will be, solitary.
This leaves us with an interesting choice. We can create sacred spaces within our own home, whether it is a whole room dedicated to our spiritual path, a permanent altar set up somewhere, or even just spiritual art hung around our house in dedication.
But we may also not have that freedom, even in our own homes. Perhaps we are young or we live with people who don't share our beliefs. Perhaps we live in some kind of communal living situation with rules about such things (like a dormitory or barracks). Or maybe we just don't want our spiritual lives out where anyone can see.
Whatever your reasons, there are many ways to utilize temporary sacred spaces, and they can be just as powerful as more permanent ones!
When I was first starting out, I didn't have permanent sacred space in my own home, not even in my room. All my spiritual things were hidden away in a small wooden box. When I wanted to do something, I took my things out, did what I set out to do, and then packed them all away again.
For home use, this worked out just fine. Everything was together, and it was actually pretty easy to set up what I wanted and break it down again. My tools were very selective, and the bare bones of what I needed (I think I had a small pocket knife, a lighter, a dish and pin to hold stuff I was burning, and that might have been it).
As my practice grew, I acquired more tools, and wanted more things when I set up sacred space. I turned an old tool box into my sacred carry box. It had places for candles, for stones, for my blade and bell, for a wand and pentacle. One great advantage to having all my tools in a carry box like this was that I could take it out of my house, to the woods or beach or wherever I wanted to go, and I knew that if I grabbed the toolbox, I would have everything I needed.
There is something really neat about going out into the world, even if you are going to a private place (like a rented cabin) and setting up sacred space. Calling on the sacred in a place you have never been, and you are likely to never be again, taps into that power of between, the transitiveness of life itself. It helps keep you mindful of the fact that this moment is like no other moment, and we should cherish each experience as it's own thing, not just as a repetition of things we have done before and will do again.
There are some things you need to keep in mind, if you are setting up temporary sacred space. First and foremost, you want to make sure you have all the things you need. Because you have to bring in all your tools each time, it can be easy to forget things, especially if you are doing something that requires special tools or components...stuff that you don't normally use. Having an outline or list of supplies is very helpful, so you can check and make sure you have everything you need.
One thing I found very helpful to bring, as well as my toolbox, was a large blanket, one that was going to be about the size of the sacred space I was wanting to set up. It helped me keep a visual of the outline of my space (though depending on where you are setting it up you can also trace the outline in the sand/dirt or with chalk, or use candles to mark the boundaries), but it also helped me make sure that I gathered up all my bits when I was done. The blanket was the last thing I packed up, so it was easy to see if there was stuff left on top or not.
Temporary sacred space can be as elaborate or as simple as you want it to be. You may want to bring a lot of things, and make this beautiful space to have your moment in. Or you might decide to gather natural objects, and make a space that can be returned to nature (or left as a bit of art for other to enjoy). You may want nothing more than a candle, your journal, or even just yourself.
Marking space sacred ultimately is a matter of intent, and when we create temporary sacred spaces, we are deciding to honor the sacredness of not only this particular space, but also this particular moment. The act of setting up the space is part of our practice, as is the act of cleaning up afterwards. And when we leave, we hold that moment, forever in our hearts, even though the physical space is returned to the state we found it in (or better).
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