Opening Sacred Space

“I do not bestow grace on anyone. I just hold sacred space to allow that to occur”

(Quote: Don Jicaram (hatun laika – tutor of alberto villoldo). photo: meirion wynn roberts)

….and can I do it too?

 

 

What is the ‘Opening Sacred Space’ process? Can I do it too?

A great question!

The answer to the second question is yes! How you can do this and the answer to the first question follows…..

 

“I do not bestow grace on anyone. I just hold sacred space to allow that to occur”

Opening sacred space, I find, can be essence-ial for deep work.

It is something to be experienced and felt mostly, but here I will also say some more. I still remember my eyes opening the first time I heard someone do this – I did not quite know what was going on, what to expect. But I think even then, so new to all of this, I felt something, noticed something. A quiet radiant, integrity of empower and a feeling of safeness I could maybe describe it. If you have experienced myself or someone else opening sacred space, maybe you will have your own words to share of that feeling. I remember doing this for a Creuynni stall at a mind body spirit fair before the event started. Once the event started I remember people (who did not know I had done this) telling us that they felt drawn to, and comfortable with having treatments with us even in this busy festival, as they felt safe in this little pocket of space that we held. It could have been just our presence, but I felt that feeling of safe too – particularly once I had opened sacred space. Some festivals special to me, ask me to open sacred space over the whole healing area, or festival, to help bring us together, to connect, and to help us feel held. If new to this experience, you may have sensed a similar kind of sacred space before. The feeling reminds me of what I felt when I was a child, entering an ancient chapel where people had been praying with sacredness for generations. Like a warm blanket – a ‘hygge’. I have heard described as the feeling of protection, of being held safely, of feeling like a place of infinite possibilities – ‘a magical place where anything is possible’, a place where synchronicities are more keenly felt/experienced. In this sacred space, I do find that it can be easier to be with the present moment, to feel the close connection to what is known as the ‘sacred’ – to be able to hear, and be guided by the ‘sacred’  – whether we may feel that to be our inner selves, our higher selves, divinity, guides, source-creating energies, our archetypes, our intuition.

 

Sacred space can be a place of focus, in which we can do our deep work, safely. Whether it’s meditation, innerwork or another activity – I have even opened space for mediation/conflict transformation work.

 

To me, opening sacred space is an inviting in, and aligning with universal archetypical energies around us and within us. Archetypical qualities represented so well by animals, for example, that can assist us.

 

In various traditions, ways, these archetypical energies can appear to us in different ways. Throughout all the learning and experience of different ones, I like the animals still – they instantly bring to mind and feeling their qualities in just one word. I like the way Don Jicaram in ‘Dance of the Four Winds’ describes these ‘power’ animals:

 

“these so called power animals are energies of nature, elemental spirits that we personify as animals. i like to think of them as a merging of you and a force in nature. a manifestation of an archetypical energy in time or space. primitive consciousness personifies them as animals, and they assume that form when we connect with them. that is a good theory at least”.

 

And we can call in very specific ones that represent qualities that can be so useful in sessions. For example: The serpent and salamander represent the ability to shed the past, the way the serpent sheds their skin and grow the new. Close to the earth, they can see the world as it is – without judgement, without attachment, without suffering. The jaguar, puma, lynx can track with integrity and see what is beneficial to see. The hummingbird, the bee – the ability to follow our bliss and find the nectar – to bring this into our lives. The dragon – our ability to see our world from the mythic – how all those myths and legends – we are walking our own heroic adventures – finding the treasures to share with our communities.  The eagle, the buzzard, the kite – the ability of that gift of flight – to see the world from different perspectives. To make shifts with ease and grace – to find that air current that will take us where we wish to go, and with a touch of a feather take the current, to bring our visions of healing and wellbeing into the now. Then also the earth and elements, the sky and the stars, and source energies ourselves – so we are surrounded and held by these sacred energies. Helping us be able to journey deeply within, safely and with the qualities of these.

When working with the full training, and some in sessions and workshops too – we get to know some of these qualities really well. And it’s from these connections with the qualities, that a lot of the words come. Over time, when working with opening sacred space yourself, I invite you in time to get to know them well, in meditations (some guided ones are to come from myself on the Creuynni Wisdom Connections podcast), in training, automatic writing or simply sitting with the awareness of these. There are some great frameworks of words available for you to weave the words that come from you around. You may find, as I do, that they weave and evolve over time within this framework. You can find examples of the words that I currently work with, on many of the podcasts that are available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ResxkIjFZ5p6AOUacohP6?si=JliwiXIbQi2rAo6tLIwf_A Anchor: https://anchor.fm/creuynni1 Google podcast: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yYTRkNDQzMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

 

Q’ero Don Francisco does this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckPDrOa32IA Dr. Alberto Villoldo does this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raK7HMrGXZY&feature=emb_title

 

When opening sacred space we usually turn to each direction and call and greet it after each direction’s call. Some people hold their hand open to each direction, some shake rattles, some drum to the directions (the south, the west, the north, the east, the earth, sun-moon-stars), some play panpipes or similar. We can find the way that feels right for us with what we have,  with the focus and intention when opening sacred space being central to this process.

 

Some of us tend to say ‘ho’ or ‘hey’ after each direction, which roughly can translate to a ‘Welcome’ and ‘I resonate with you’. Others may say ‘Blessed Be’, ‘Welcome’, I’ve even heard a bright joyful ‘Oo la lee’!. Again, it’s how feels good for you.

Some written word examples to frame yours with are as follows:

Winds of the South, Beautiful serpent energies, energies of the salamander, the newt, May you come hold sacred space, may you teach us your ways, to shed the past, the way you shed your skin, to grow the new. May we see the world as it is through your eyes, free from judgement, free from attachment, free from suffering – walking softly on the earth – to see the beauty way as you do. Be with us Aho.

Winds of the West, energies of the jaguar, the puma, the lynx.

May you come hold sacred space, may you teach us your ways, to track with integrity – to see what is beneficial for us to see May we see the world as it is through your eyes, to see what we can let go of, to give to the earth – to feed the earth and free us to be who we came here to be You who have seen the birth and rebirth of stars and galaxies, may you be with us in each birth and rebirth in each moment Be with us Aho

Winds of the North, energies of the hummingbird and the bumble bee May you come hold sacred space, may you teach us your ways, to find the sweet nectar in our lives, to follow that nectar – and grow this in our lives May we see the world as it is through your eyes, where everything is that epic adventure, and Ddraig Goch – great dragon energies – may you help us see that adventure as it is, from the mythic – where we are all walking those myths and legends, our heroes journeys – finding the treasures in life to share with our communities Be with us, Aho

Winds of the East, energies of the eagle, the buzzard, the kite, May we share with you your gift of flight, of seeing the world from new perspectives, May you teach us your ways – to make the shifts we wish to make with ease and grace as you do, to fly to the awen – that inner and universal nature wisdom that we can access, bringing back this wisdom to share with the land. And beautiful land – may you share this experience with us as you share this space with us, Be with us, Aho

Beautiful earth, you who hold us so sweetly, with so much nourishment and abundance and love, May you come hold us in sacred space. May we have the assistance of you, and all who live upon you – the sacred plants, the sacred animals – our allies, the sacred elements – taniad the fire, awenna the air, brigid the water, and tir the land – and the gentle earthkeepers, wisdomkeepers who have stepped outside of time, and share with us their wisdom – as others have shared with us. Be with us, Aho.

Beautiful moon, sun, stars – the star nations – our ancestors, brothers, sisters, who are the stars in the sky Thank you for holding us in the universal sky, just in the right place for us to grow. May you hold us in sacred space, May we have your cloak of protection, and wisdom of infinties. Be with us, Aho

And great source, creating energies – you are known by so many names to so many people, and felt by so many. You who are around us, within us – you who are us, and you who hold us so sweetly every day and night of our lives, May you come help hold us in sacred space. May we feel our connection to you – our connection to ourselves Be with us! Aho!

Then after a session, workshop, training or simply when we feel, we tend to thank sacred space – the same framework of words, but with thank yous.

Again, these are woven a frame work, with this weaving evolving and flowing from experience. With time and connection, they may do with you. And I would love to hear what you co-create! If you decide to do so, you can post them in the comments here or e-mail them to creuynni@outlook.com, or voice message me on whatsapp: 07472266952.