“The ancient human-Earth relationship must be recovered in a new context, in its mystical as well as in its physical functioning…the mountains and rivers and all living things, the sky and its sun and moon and clouds all constitute a healing, sustaining sacred presence for humans which they need as much for their psychic integrity as for their physical nourishment.” Thomas Berry, Evening Song For the TKF Foundation, a sacred place is a space set aside from everyday life, which is meant to invite you into a deeper and more peaceful relationship with yourself, your neighbor, and the created world. Each person’s idea of a sacred space is unique; here are just a few peoples’ descriptions of their sacred space: “A sacred place for me is a place where I feel peace; where peace overwhelms all my other feelings. Being in a sacred place is like stepping off a treadmill into an oasis where I feel refreshed and renewed so that I am able to continue on. It's where I get a different perspective on life and the problems I am facing, and I get to see the bigger picture. It is a place where my body relaxes and my mind stops racing, a place where I can just be.”
“As a child I grew up on a lake in Minnesota with lots of acreage to explore, wildflowers to pick, tree varieties for my annual leaf collection and identification project at school, and wildlife to charm and scare me. As an adult, when I would return to visit, the first thing I always did was walk down to the dock and just stand there a little while, seeing that everything was still okay. But I know I was really standing there to see if I was still okay.”
“My sacred place is quiet, without any distractions or technology to interrupt my thoughts. I step back and look at my role in the world around me, and I feel ok with myself. I set aside the daily lists and allow myself to feel calm, warm and not rushed. Nature usually draws me into its many sacred spaces, but I also feel just as much sacredness while sitting in the comfortable corner of my bedroom, with the pillows propped up next to an open window, allowing for ‘me time’.”
What is an Open Space?For TKF, an open space has two different meanings that work together to create sacred places that are inclusive and aware of any elements that may be exclusive to any potential user of the space. On one level, an open space is open to the public, meaning anyone of any race, faith, culture or belief is able to enter the space. The space is for use by a whole community of different people rather than just one particular group. On another level, an open space is one that feels welcoming and non-threatening to those that spend time in it; it feels like a home for the soul. The design of the space and the placement of features such as portals, paths and universal symbols that have meaning across all religions, nations and ethnic groups, lend to the openness of the space by inviting those outside of the space to enter it. The combination of a space being open on both a physical and spiritual level is what makes up “Open Spaces, Sacred Places.”
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