Creating Sacredness in our Homes

In our modern age, we have more reason than ever before to find the sacred amid the mundane. Can ancient ceremonies help us to restore harmony between man and the environment?nnThe beating of a shaman's drum, the labyrinth at Chartres, stone monuments in Ireland, Feng Shui, what do they all have in common? All are attempts by different cultures to harmonize their space with their environment. Temples throughout time from Stonehenge to the Great Pyramid attest humanity's desire to create sacred space, a doorway bringing Heaven here on Earth. A kind of Yoga of the Land integrating mind-body and spirit.nnIn ancient times this knowledge of how to harmonize our living space with nature and the cosmos was passed down from the ancient Celts, Chinese, Egyptians, later the Pythagorean schools in Greece, and into West through Europe. However where can these traditions be found alive today in our modern culture? Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of harmonizing our homes with our surroundings, is inaccessible to most people and has become increasingly left in the hands of experts.nnThe earth is viewed by many indigenous cultures as a holographic reflection the human body. Ancient Chinese and Vedic medicine believed that humans have a meridian system that carries the currents of life energy throughout our bodies, when they are open, flowing and healthy, so are our body’s systems. Similarly, the earth also has these meridians as well. They have been known by cultures all over the world for thousands of year. More recently coined “ley lines” by Alfred Watkins in 1921 in England, this concept has now found its way into the common vernacular of our society. By attending to these sacred lines of energy within the body of the earth, through prayer and ceremony we help to restore a lost and ancient relationship of humanity with the Earth by creating a living bridge between Heaven and Earth.nnAnd while this may sound too simple for most to believe, case histories surprise even those who have witnessed the results, attesting to the timeless power of such practices and intentions. Cities throughout the world, Frankfurt, Bilbao, Auckland, Los Angeles, just to name a few, have experienced such results as lower crime rate, reduced drug use, lower pollution levels and revival of natural resources—all with such simple techniques that our ancestors practiced in times past.nnCan the same be done for one's home? In short, yes. A few of the most common changes which people have experienced when harmonizing their space with their environment: more energy, better sleep, enhanced learning among students, improved relationships, increased financial flow, increased plant growth, better health among animals in the area, and more.nnWhile anecdotal stories abound, scientific research has been conducted in Europe studying the connections between environmental stresses, earth energies not in a state of harmony, and A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder), cancer, and numerous other diseases. One such study was conducted in Germany. It showed out of 5,000 cancer patients, a correlation between exposure to negative electromagnetic energy lines and their patient’s cancer in 93% of the cases studied. In Austria, Kathie Bachler studied 3,000 students with A.D.D. who had negative earth energies running through their homes. When negated, the ADD behavior was reduced in over 90% of the cases. nnThese studies and many more are just some of the examples of the effects of imbalance in our Earth’s energy systems today. If we accept the belief of indigenous cultures, we could add to the list of the effect of these imbalances distortions of weather patterns globally, increased volcanic and earthquake activity, and other “natural” disasters as well. Our ancient ancestors knew that prayer, ritual and ceremony were an essential part of keeping in balance the harmony of humanity and Nature. This is a tradition lost to most of us in our modern culture.nnToday, our modern cities are testaments to a world addicted to unbridled growth at any cost. Electromagnetic stresses, pollution, and negative telluric energies plague us in a manner unprecedented in human history. In such conditions, is it possible to create sacred space in our living environments today?nnWhile times have changed, basic principles have not. Sacred sound,nsacred geometry, prayer, ceremony--all are still effective methods of raising the vibrations of the space where we live, and for our planet as well. Our modern times have created greater problems, but have also created different solutions to the same age-old quest: how to create sacred space on earth. Now is a crucial time to make our homes our temples--places where the sacred vibrations will radiate out to heal our families and communities.