Shrines, Altars, and Sacred Space
Spaces hold meaning. Whether intentional or not, our environments shape us, and we shape them. Shrines and altars are among the most tangible ways people create sacred space, but sacredness isn’t always built—it is recognized. For many, all places are already sacred, and our work is to notice, honor, and respect that.
From elaborate temples to a candle on a windowsill, altars and shrines help us focus, remember, and connect. They hold history, longing, and devotion. But sacred space isn’t just about physical places; it can also be created within ourselves, in relationships, and even over digital connections.
This post explores how we engage with sacred spaces—whether through ritual, daily mindfulness, or by realizing we’ve already made one.
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Entrance to Ifa shrine and sacred grove of Osun, Nigeria, |
Recognizing the Sacred in Everyday Spaces
Thomas Moore, in Care of the Soul, suggests we can “read” our spaces like a book—liber mundi. What do the objects we gather say about us? What do we honor without even realizing it?
Many of us already keep altars without calling them that. A shelf of family photos. A collection of meaningful objects. My mother had such a shelf—part family archive, part childhood shrine. A well-loved storybook, a stuffed bear, and a carved wooden horse, each passed down through generations. These weren’t just keepsakes; they were a record of love and lineage, a quiet altar to continuity and care.
Recognizing sacredness in our daily lives is deeply personal, but many traditions have long-established ways of marking sacred space.
The Many Forms of Sacred Space
Sacred spaces take many forms across traditions, from formal places of worship to personal and everyday spaces imbued with meaning.
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Altars – Organized areas for worship, ritual, or devotion. Examples include Christian church altars, Hindu puja tables, and Wiccan elemental altars.
Many of us have an altar without realizing it—a shelf of cherished family photos, a well-tended corner of houseplants, or a table where we place meaningful objects. -
Shrines – Designated places honoring deities, ancestors, saints, or sacred stories. These include Shinto household shrines and Mexican ancestor altars.
If you've ever been in a Chinese restaurant, you've likely seen an ancestor shrine tucked on a shelf or mounted on the wall. -
Natural Sacred Spaces – Groves, mountains, springs, and other natural sites imbued with spiritual significance. These include pilgrimage sites like Lourdes and sacred forests in Animist traditions.
Sacred groves and fairy circles remind us that nature holds spiritual power. A photographer with a macro lens can reveal the sacred in the lichen on a city statue, just as yarn bombers transform everyday urban spaces into places of beauty and reflection. -
Personal and Community Spaces – Meditation corners, labyrinths, or locations marked by ritual, such as prayer rooms, walking labyrinths, or public shrines for social justice movements.
Churches and temples are not the only sacred communal spaces. Community centers, hospitals, and even homes reflect the sacred in their welcome of human experience.
Jean Lall, psychotherapist and co-author of The Imaginal Cosmos, speaks of “the soul of housework,” reminding us that tending our physical spaces can be a contemplative act. The way we arrange our homes, workplaces, and sacred spaces reflects not just our spiritual needs but our relationship to the wider world.
See also this post on Communal Ritual in Nature: https://abeltaine.blogspot.com/2025/02/communal-outdoor-practice-for-spiritual.html
Sacred Space in Daily Life
Beyond formal altars or shrines, our daily environments shape our spiritual lives:
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| Photo: Flickr user R, Creative Commons |
- Home as Sacred Space – How does your living space reflect and nourish your spirit? What objects hold meaning? What do you honor—intentionally or unintentionally?
- Work as Sacred Space – How can intentionality transform a workspace into a place of purpose? What objects, sounds, or rituals help you center yourself?
- Sacred Space and Social Justice – How does space impact belonging and justice? Consider community shrines, street altars, or movements reclaiming sacred land. St. Joseph’s Day altars in New Orleans, on March 19th, commemorate the relief St. Joseph provided during a famine, so they serve as acts of communal gratitude and feeding the hungry.
Sacred space is not only about what we build but how we interact with the spaces around us. What makes a space feel holy? Who defines that, and how is it maintained?
Holding Sacred Space for Others
In spiritual direction, hospitality is more than welcoming someone—it’s creating an environment where they feel safe to bring their whole selves. Whether in person or over a digital connection, holding sacred space requires intentionality.
Some ways to cultivate this:
- Physical Space: Thoughtful lighting, meaningful objects, a cup of tea.
- Digital Space: A few moments of centering before a call, a chosen background, a grounding question.
- Personal Presence: A deep breath, an open posture, an invitation to speak from the heart.
Sacred space isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence.
In-Person Hospitality – Create a reflective environment with:
- Comfortable seating, soft lighting, and meaningful sounds.
- Thoughtful attention to sensory experiences—scents, temperature, accessibility.
- Offer gentle rituals of welcome—tea, lighting a candle, a moment of shared silence.
Digital Sacred Space
We use digital spaces as sacred spaces through tools like CaringBridge or even ancestor altars online through Ancestry.com. We can hold birthday parties, therapy, memorial services, and rituals on Zoom.
Here are some tools for supporting making digital space sacred:
- Before a virtual gathering, take a moment to center yourself and your space.
- Invite participants to engage with intention: a moment of silence, a grounding exercise, or naming an object of meaning.
- Ensure visual and auditory elements support presence (clear audio, a non-distracting background).
- Acknowledge the sacredness of time and connection—closing with gratitude or a simple ritual of ending.
Whether in person or through a screen, sacred hospitality is about presence—attuning to the moment, honoring the people present, and making space for something deeper to emerge.
Sacred Presence for Grounding and Trauma Work
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| Pagan Altar, Creative Commons |
For those carrying stress or trauma, sacred space can be built within. Visualization, sensory engagement, and intentional ritual can bring stability and calm.
Creating sacred space can also be a personal practice for grounding, especially in trauma work. Some use altars, some create ritual actions, and some—like me—build inner sacred space.
When I need to recenter, I imagine my SacredPresence space: a hammock where I can hear the sea, feel the breeze and warmth, and smell coconut oil. A small physical anchor—coconut-scented lotion—helps bring that space into the present moment.
Try It: I am Sacred
- Draw a Self Portrait with the theme: I am a Sacred Space/Altar/Shrine.
Try it: A Place of Peace
What sensory cues bring you to a place of peace? How might you carry that with you?
A simple practice:
- Recall a “happy place” that feels safe and nourishing. This could be a real or imagined location.
- Engage the senses—what do you see, hear, smell, or feel there?
- Use a physical anchor (a scent, a texture, a sound) to help access that space in daily life.
Over time, these small rituals build a bridge between the inner and outer sacred space.
Rituals of Blessing: Honoring Space with Intention
Throughout history, people have marked their living spaces with blessings, recognizing the home as a place of refuge and transformation. House blessings can take many forms:
- Christian traditions: Sprinkling holy water and reciting prayers for protection and peace.
- Jewish mezuzah: Affixing a small case with sacred verses to the doorway as a reminder of presence and covenant.
- Pagan and folk traditions: Smudging with herbs like sage or sweetgrass, anointing doorways, or setting protective symbols.
- Personal rituals: Walking through a new space with a candle, music, or spoken intentions to claim it as a place of safety and renewal.
Sacred spaces shift with time. Seasons, life transitions, or grief shape our spaces. House blessings, seasonal altars, and travel shrines mark transitions and intentions. Some traditions bless a home with fire and smoke, others with water and salt, and some with simple words of welcome.
Try It: A simple blessing:
- Stand at the entrance of a space, pause, and set an intention.
- Move through each room, offering a word, a breath, or a gesture of welcome.
- Conclude by lighting a candle or placing a meaningful object as an anchor of presence.
Try It: Practices for Engaging Sacred Space
1. Mapping the Sacred in Your Life
- Identify the sacred spaces in your home, workplace, or community.
- Reflect: How do these spaces affect your energy, focus, or sense of belonging?
- Journal or sketch a “map” of these spaces, noting what makes them feel sacred.
2. Creating a Personal Altar or Shrine
- Choose a theme: gratitude, ancestors, healing, spiritual growth.
- Gather meaningful objects: photos, candles, natural items, sacred symbols.
- Arrange with intention, allowing for ongoing change and adaptation.
- Spend time with your altar—lighting a candle, meditating, or simply pausing in awareness.
3. Recognizing Sacredness in the Everyday
- As you move through your day, notice where you feel most at peace, most connected, or most aware.
- How does the arrangement of objects, light, and sound influence your experience?
- What small changes could make your spaces more reflective of your spiritual values?
Sacred space isn’t just something we build—it’s something we notice. Noticing sacredness daily fosters deeper presence. Whether through an altar, a ritual, or the quiet recognition of an unintentional shrine, we are always in relationship with the spaces around us. And in holding space for ourselves and others, we engage in a deeply human, deeply sacred act: honoring presence.
Beloved, you are whole, holy, and worthy,
Rev Amy
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Further Reading
Books & Articles
- Moore, Thomas. Care of the Soul. A reflection on the soulfulness of everyday life, including how our spaces shape our inner world.
- Lall, Jean & Safron Rossi. The Imaginal Cosmos: Astrology, Divination and the Sacred. Explores the relationship between daily tasks, space, and spiritual practice.
- Fox, Selena. “Life Journey Altar” (https://www.circlesanctuary.org/index.php/rituals/life-journey-altar) – A guide to creating an altar that reflects life’s journey and transformation.
Quotes & Insights
- “Magic is the art of changing consciousness at will.” — Dion Fortune
- “Housework is a path of contemplation.” — Jean Lall
- “When you come, come softly… Be mindful of the dreams. This is a sacred place.” — Jane Yolen
Online Resources
- Barna Group: Designing Worship Spaces with Millennials in Mind (https://www.barna.com/research/designing-worship-spaces-with-millennials-in-mind) – Insights into how spiritual spaces communicate meaning.
- Feng Shui and Bedroom Design (http://www.hgtv.com/design/rooms/bedrooms/feng-shui-your-bedroom) – Applying principles of sacred space to personal environments.
- Sacral Architecture (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacral_architecture)
