Grounding, Protection and Sacred Spaces Part Three: Sacred Spaces

The final part of this three part mini series on Grounding, Protection and - this week's topic -  Sacred Spaces.

 Sacred Space Creation

Why do we need a ‘Sacred Space’? The answer is we don’t necessarily need one however they are useful for helping us feel reassured and safe; to get us into a happy mood or even to help us be more focused as we work with or on our Spiritual Practice and they are fun to create.

The great thing about Sacred Spaces is that they can be both external and internal and can be anywhere we want. We get full choice over location, construction, layout, contents and even who we allow in if anyone. Don’t like what you’ve created? No problem, change it, make something new, totally different. You have total and complete control and, especially with your Internal Space, can let your imagination run riot if you so desire.

In this section I’ll take you through how to create both external and internal Sacred Spaces and share how I use mine. For many of you already working in a Spiritual environment this most likely won’t be Hot Off The Press news, however here I’ll mainly be aiming at those who haven’t as yet created a Sacred Space or are unaware there was such a thing! That doesn’t mean, however, that you can skip this bit, because you just might pick up a couple of good ideas for your existing one! First off, let’s explore what a Sacred Space is and how they are beneficial.

It's really quite simple and straightforward and totally uncomplicated, which is how I like it as you now know. Yes there are, as always, some who may say or view things differently, but that’s their story and not my show. In a nutshell a Sacred Space is where you do your Spiritual Work and can be at home, in an external office, a Wellbeing Centre or similar. It doesn’t have to be huge or extravagantly decorated, but that’s up to you. Your Clients, if you are using your Space to work with them, won’t be impressed by the size and décor as much as by what you actually do for them. Afterall that’s why they have engaged you, right?

Your Sacred Space can be a small table in a corner of a room at home, in a garden shed, under the stairs or anywhere you wish, although disturbance free would be ideal. It can be very annoying if you are Zooming with a Client, in the middle of a Mediumship or Tarot Reading and the kids come in screaming or the dogs start barking or the cats are doing zoomies and climbing the curtains, or your Partner is playing their Xbox or whatever – best to avoid that altogether!

As far as setting up your Space goes, as in how to lay your table out for example, there are many and varied opinions. Some say it should be like an Altar and treated accordingly, and you should use certain implements such as candles, incense, crystals, purple table covering, more crystals and maybe pictures of Ascended Masters such as Jesus, whilst others say a clean cloth, a few crystals, maybe some incense is good enough. In reality it’s up to you, as always, because it’s your Sacred Space and if it feels sacred to you then that’s good enough. No-one will be popping round to inspect it, to make sure you are following the Rules and Regs or Guidelines – there is no Ministry of Sacred Spaces!

My external Sacred Space is my breakfast table which I set up every morning after breakfast and pack away in the evening. I have a cloth which I got with my very first Tarot card set, plus a Tarot mat. I have an incense stick holder, a few small crystals based on the Chakras, tealight holders, a large Amethyst, a Singing Bowl and a few other personal items such as family photos. Simple, straightforward and largely clutter free. At night I pack away the cloth and mat plus any card decks I’ve used and that gives me space for my Breakfast in the morning. Next to this I have a separate table where I do my writing. There’s absolutely no need to get ‘Religious’ about it, but if you want to that’s up to you.

Now, your Internal Sacred Space, well, that’s a different kettle of fish and more fun to create!

An Inside Job

This is where you can get really creative and design your Internal Sacred Space any way or where you want. For example, it can be your favourite beach spot, in a dark wood, by a river, up a mountain, on the moon, a fantasy world, absolutely anywhere you fancy. Another brilliant aspect of having an Internal Sacred Space is that you can go there from anywhere here in this 3D Reality just by thinking about it. If you want you can use a little ritual, such as a meditation or lighting incense, to get you into the mood before you enter your Space. And if you’re not happy with it as it is then change it!

I have three or four which I use as the mood takes me. I have a tropical Island space set in a beautiful bay with turquoise water and white sandy beach where I am the only human inhabitant. Another is set in an old forest clearing where a mighty Oak tree provides me with shelter, and where I like to use for meditation. I have another one which is set in a beautiful garden next to a woodland, and I have a summer house which I use as my ‘office’. I use both my physical and internal spaces in conjunction with each other if doing Tarot Readings, when I’m writing, or if Meditating.

The benefit of creating a Sacred Space, whether external or internal, is that it helps you to be focused on what you are doing. Once you enter that space you know you are there to work, mediate or simply chill. Plus, it adds an extra layer of security in the sense that it becomes part of your Boundary Protection, you feel safer there and more relaxed. 

And that finishes this mini series on Grounding, Protection and Sacred Spaces, I hope you have been able to take away something useful from them which you can use in your own Practice. I'd be interested in learning what you do to Ground and/or Protect yourself and do you have a Sacred Space of your own where you work or meditate? Let me know!

Until next time,

Namaste.

J Sadler-Scott 

Grounding, Protection and Sacred Spaces Part Two: Protection

 

                      

This Part Two of this three part series on Grounding, Protection and Sacred Spaces.  In this section we look at if we need to protect ourselves and if so from what and also are Energy Vampires real?

Why do we need to Protect ourselves when working with Energy or any Spiritual Practice? In fact, do we need to and if so from what or whom?

 The style of Reiki I’ve been trained in didn’t include the need for Protection Exercises, although they may be used in other Eastern Practices. In Buddhism, for example, there’s a Principle taught where the ‘Buddha Nature’ manifests itself from within you and this has the effect of you activating the ‘Buddha Nature’ within others, thereby providing you with the protection you require. The Om Mani Padme Hum Mantra, amongst others, can also be used as a way to protect yourself from negativity. 

As part of my Reiki Training, I was taught a ‘Space Clearing’ technique, but it wasn’t part of the Teachings of Reiki’s Founder, Mikao Usui, it was an added extra from another discipline, possibly Feng Shui or Qigong. However, protecting yourself Energetically is not such an Off idea, because setting Boundaries is also a form of protection and we all should have strong Boundaries in place, both Physical and Energetic, irrespective of whether or not we are following a Spiritual Path.

Whereas I am not a great believer in the effects of so-called ‘Spell Casting’, there are those who are and that’s what those who make money out of this dubious industry rely upon. They only work if you truly believe in them, which is the same with everything we’ve looked at so far and also will look at moving forward. At the end of the day, it comes down to Faith. However, I much prefer having Faith in something Positive and Beneficial rather than something which is designed to cause harm or extracts payment for ‘Love Potions’ and the like. As always, it’s your choice.

Taking all that into account, there are Negative - or Shadow Energies -  here within our University, however they are not negative in a dark or evil sense, they are simply the opposite to the Positive Energy we prefer to use, just like a magnet with its Positive and Negative poles where both can be beneficial or not dependent on usage. There is talk of those among us, however, who are thought to be Vampires!

 No Wooden Stakes Required

These so-called Energy Vampires are said to suck the very Energy out of you to feed themselves, just like Dracula in the old movies or in the Twilight Saga or the Lost Boys movie. Well, despite my personal disbelief, I have to report that there is such an entity as an ‘Energy Vampire’ however, it’s not some Midnight Prowler. This is something I have learned from my Tarot and Psychic Development mentor, Richard Knight, and the way he explains it makes total sense.

Have you ever been chatting with someone, say at a party or even with a friend, and you walk away from them afterwards feeling very tired all of a sudden? Despite starting the evening in a super buoyant mood, for example, you feel totally drained after being in the company of this aforementioned person. If so, then you were in the presence of a so-called ‘Energy Vampire’. Don’t be alarmed, however, because here’s the important bit – they did not deliberately set out to feed off and drain your Energy because the chances are they don’t realise they are doing it. In fact, the term ‘Energy Vampires’ is so Hammer House of Horror and gives a more negative connotation than needed, so I prefer to call them ‘Energy Absorbers’ as that is basically what they unwittingly are rather than Blood Sucking Monsters. Oh, and they come out in Sunlight too!

The way Richard explains it is that these are people who, for whatever reason, are seemingly unable to generate any, or very little, Positive Energy themselves so they go to places where there is a high level of action and Positive Energy such as Rock Concerts, Sports Events, Music Festivals, Comedy shows and so on and absorb whatever Energy they can to restock their personal levels. They are also attracted to High Energy Individuals such as Spiritual Workers, Motivational Speakers or anyone who is in a great mood. This is why you may feel unusually low after attending a certain event or speaking with a particular person who, by the way, can even be a close friend or family member!

The one negative, if you like, is that they can also deliberately cause situations to happen, mainly negative in nature, to absorb that Energy and then, once ‘Topped Up’, disappear into the background. Perhaps you know people like that within your social circles who start an argument and when things get heated with others involved, they disappear! 

The important thing to remember is that these ‘Energy Absorbers’ won’t drain you completely, in fact on the main you usually won’t notice any difference in your mood or energy levels because the amount ‘absorbed’, is minimal. They only ‘top up their tank’, so to speak, and then leave. It’s only in infrequent cases where they absorb more than they need possibly because you are the only source available at that time. Your own Energy Reserves are quickly replaced, and you would be back to normal after a short break or nap. I know it still sounds gruesome, however it’s still better than having your blood sucked out, right? 

Is there anything you can do to protect yourself in any way? Yes, setting strong Boundaries goes a long way to strengthening your ‘defences’ against an ‘Energy Absorber’, and there are at least two ways to do that which I shall, of course, now share with you.

The first one is recognising anyone within your Social or Family Circle who potentially could be an ‘Absorber’. Is there someone you know who always seems Down and a little Grumpy when you first meet and yet soon seemingly cheers up and leaves bright as a button whilst you, and possibly your friends, feel kind of low all of a sudden? Most of us know someone in the wider family or at work or in your neighbourhood who is like that. Usually, we would say they’re a bit pessimistic, however pessimists tend to be always looking on the dark side of things so that’s a different story. ‘Energy Absorbers’ are usually pretty positive, but their ‘Batteries’ need recharging on a regular basis. Either way, my advice would be to limit your time with them if possible, especially if you are going to be with them on your own. If you are in a group then the effects will only last momentarily and will soon pass.

If it happens when you are attending an event, with or without friends, then try to distance yourself from the possible source, the person who is probably absorbing the Energy of not just you and your friends, but from several people and they will wander from one to the next. Obviously if you are attending a seated event, it’s a bit more difficult however there is a neat little tool you can use which will help. In fact, I would recommend using it in any situation where you suspect there is an ‘Energy Absorber’ – or even a Pessimist - in the vicinity.

No Wooden Stakes Required

These so-called Energy Vampires are said to suck the very Energy out of you to feed themselves, just like Dracula in the old movies or in the Twilight Saga or the Lost Boys movie. Well, despite my personal disbelief, I have to report that there is such an entity as an ‘Energy Vampire’ however, it’s not some Midnight Prowler. This is something I have learned from my Tarot and Psychic Development mentor, Richard Knight, and the way he explains it makes total sense.

Have you ever been chatting with someone, say at a party or even with a friend, and you walk away from them afterwards feeling very tired all of a sudden? Despite starting the evening in a super buoyant mood, for example, you feel totally drained after being in the company of this aforementioned person. If so, then you were in the presence of a so-called ‘Energy Vampire’. Don’t be alarmed, however, because here’s the important bit – they did not deliberately set out to feed off and drain your Energy because the chances are they don’t realise they are doing it. In fact, the term ‘Energy Vampires’ is so Hammer House of Horror and gives a more negative connotation than needed, so I prefer to call them ‘Energy Absorbers’ as that is basically what they unwittingly are rather than Blood Sucking Monsters. Oh, and they come out in Sunlight too!

The way Richard explains it is that these are people who, for whatever reason, are seemingly unable to generate any, or very little, Positive Energy themselves so they go to places where there is a high level of action and Positive Energy such as Rock Concerts, Sports Events, Music Festivals, Comedy shows and so on and absorb whatever Energy they can to restock their personal levels. They are also attracted to High Energy Individuals such as Spiritual Workers, Motivational Speakers or anyone who is in a great mood. This is why you may feel unusually low after attending a certain event or speaking with a particular person who, by the way, can even be a close friend or family member!

The one negative, if you like, is that they can also deliberately cause situations to happen, mainly negative in nature, to absorb that Energy and then, once ‘Topped Up’, disappear into the background. Perhaps you know people like that within your social circles who start an argument and when things get heated with others involved, they disappear! 

The important thing to remember is that these ‘Energy Absorbers’ won’t drain you completely, in fact on the main you usually won’t notice any difference in your mood or energy levels because the amount ‘absorbed’, is minimal. They only ‘top up their tank’, so to speak, and then leave. It’s only in infrequent cases where they absorb more than they need possibly because you are the only source available at that time. Your own Energy Reserves are quickly replaced, and you would be back to normal after a short break or nap. I know it still sounds gruesome, however it’s still better than having your blood sucked out, right? 

Is there anything you can do to protect yourself in any way? Yes, setting strong Boundaries goes a long way to strengthening your ‘defences’ against an ‘Energy Absorber’, and there are at least two ways to do that which I shall, of course, now share with you.

The first one is recognising anyone within your Social or Family Circle who potentially could be an ‘Absorber’. Is there someone you know who always seems Down and a little Grumpy when you first meet and yet soon seemingly cheers up and leaves bright as a button whilst you, and possibly your friends, feel kind of low all of a sudden? Most of us know someone in the wider family or at work or in your neighbourhood who is like that. Usually, we would say they’re a bit pessimistic, however pessimists tend to be always looking on the dark side of things so that’s a different story. ‘Energy Absorbers’ are usually pretty positive, but their ‘Batteries’ need recharging on a regular basis. Either way, my advice would be to limit your time with them if possible, especially if you are going to be with them on your own. If you are in a group then the effects will only last momentarily and will soon pass.

If it happens when you are attending an event, with or without friends, then try to distance yourself from the possible source, the person who is probably absorbing the Energy of not just you and your friends, but from several people and they will wander from one to the next. Obviously if you are attending a seated event, it’s a bit more difficult however there is a neat little tool you can use which will help. In fact, I would recommend using it in any situation where you suspect there is an ‘Energy Absorber’ – or even a Pessimist - in the vicinity.

So, hopefully you can now sleep at night knowing you are always protected so long as you focus on the more positive stuff and keep the neggy stuff at very long arms length! In Part Three we talk about creating Sacred Spaces and they are useful.

Namaste,

J Sadler-Scott

Grounding, Protection And Sacred Spaces Part One: Grounding

 Do You Need To Ground Your Energy?

If the world of Spirituality is relatively new to you, you will hear a lot about Grounding, Protection and Sacred Spaces as you get more involved with creating a Spiritual Path or Practice. Obviously it will be up to you as to which you pay attention to and which you don’t, if any. Believe you me, there are plenty to choose from! 

Over the next three Posts I'll be discussing Grounding Exercises, Protection against Energy Vampires and creating Sacred Spaces. In this Post let’s take a closer look at Grounding. 

 

The idea behind ‘Grounding your Energy’ is known and practiced to a degree in Eastern Metaphysics however it has been mainly made popular in Western style Spirituality mainly by the New Age Movement. Those who teach these techniques swear by them and they seem to work. Somebody, somewhere, at some time must have come up with the idea and as we entered into the Millennium it became a very popular teaching.

From a personal perspective, Grounding is not taught in Reiki, or at least not in the Usui Reiki System, because it wouldn’t work. The whole idea of Grounding is to clear any excess Energy stored in your body after carrying out whatever Practice you were doing, such as Deep Meditation, Chakra Balancing, Past Life Regression, Tarot and so on, and which may have left you feeling a little spaced out or overly energetic. You then ‘send’ this excess Energy into the ground, in effect earthing yourself. From a purely Reiki perspective this wouldn’t happen because you don’t ‘store’ any Energy in your body in the first place, it flows through you because you are the Conduit and not the Vessel and this is what I base my view upon.

The thing is, as I see and understand it, we are all made of Energy. We are Energy Beings in a slow moving, lower vibrational, Energy Body which we, as a result, view as being physical. Quantum Physics has proved conclusively that we are all Energy and continues, from a scientific aspect, to explore this to see what else can be uncovered and verified and add weight to what Yogis and Mystical Teachers have been teaching down through the ages.

Therefore, if we are all made of and connected already to all this Energy, and that includes everything in, on and around this ‘University of Life’, why do we need to Ground ourselves? To me it doesn’t really make sense. Perhaps it started out as a course filler, an extra bit of teaching to round off a training or exercise which involved Energy work - and I’m certainly not against that by the way - and then it became popular as those who were taught it also passed it on with a little embellishment here and there. Or perhaps a Spiritual Teacher had an unsettling experience which they believed was resolved by using a Grounding Meditation.

That’s how it usually works, right? And also, just like Reiki in the early days, bits get added on to established practices and mediations as Teachers wanted to leave their own Mark and eventually it evolves into something else. We are very good at that aren’t we? We are experts in taking something simple and overdressing it, wouldn’t you agree it? I mean, look how the Victorians decorated everything in a very ornate way with swirls of flowers and intricate designs, from mundane kitchen floor tiles to Pumping Stations for Sewage!

However, on saying that, as I’ve said there may be other Spiritual Practices which could potentially leave Energy Residues in your body, and which may require a meditative exercise to help calm you, bring you back to Earth, as they say. I’m certainly not disputing that; my perspective is based on my personal experience, and I haven’t needed to carry out any Grounding Exercises after a Meditation or Energy Exercise or even Past Life Regression sessions, but then I also haven’t taken part in an Ayahuasca Ceremony and by all accounts you certainly need Grounding after that!

So, does that mean you shouldn’t try any of the Grounding exercises offered? No, certainly not. What didn’t really work for me may work for you. To be honest it was all the Ritualistic stuff attached to it that put me off. I prefer a more straightforward approach in the main, minimalistic to an extent – basically if it’s not needed then it’s purely decorative. But don’t let my personal opinions sway you, find out for yourselves, try them out and see if they work for you or not.

For me there is only one Grounding Exercise that works without fail and that’s getting out into good old Nature. There is nothing more calming as far as I’m concerned than being in the woods, especially ancient ones, or a beautiful park or by the sea or ocean. I love mountains too, just not the climbing bit so much!

By the way, for any Grounding Exercises or Meditations you don’t need to be sitting, standing or lying in a certain position, nor is there a need to carry out certain movements and the like, so there’s no need to feel left out if you have mobility issues of any kind. And that goes for any meditative practice, they can all be done in whatever position is comfortable and best suited for you and guess what? They still work!

 Do You Need Protecting From Energy Vampires? That's what I'll be covering in Part Two, see you then.

Namaste,

J Sadler-Scott