Contemplative Observation – #1
Changing The Energy of a Space

This exercise is meant to allow you to experience the subtle changes that occur when you set up a space of working that has the intention of being sacred space. You will need:

• A candle and holder
• A cloth to lay on a flat surface or cover the top of a small table
• A working surface (small table or other)
• Stick incense of your choice and holder

Day 1: Find a space that is quiet, where you will not be disturbed. Sitting comfortably, take a few deep and relaxing breaths. Enter into a space of meditation with the focus of renewal and creating a space of mental clarity.

Simply sit with this intention for as long as you wish and then breathe back into the space of your physicality; opening your eyes and thus ending this session.

Journal any experiences that you had or information or guidance that was received.

Day 2: Using the same space as the previous day, begin by laying the cloth that you had selected on a surface that will hold the incense/holder and candle/holder where you can comfortably see them.

Place the candle in its holder in the center of the cloth-covered surface and place the incense in front or along side of the candle. Breathe deeply and as you light the candle offer up aloud words that speak of the intent that this act is the lighting of the sacred Fire of Will ignited by the Air of Intent. Breathe deeply and light the stick of incense from the flame of the candle offering up aloud words that speak of the intent of the purification and preparation of this space of contemplation with Fire and Air.

Sit comfortably and looking at the candle and smoking incense, offer up aloud words of intent that your working area is now sacred space, guarded and guided by the power of the Divine. Enter into a space of meditation with the focus of renewal and creating a space of mental clarity.

Simply sit with this intention for as long as you wish and then breathe back into the space of your physicality; opening your eyes and focusing one again on the candle and incense. Gently pinch the candle’s flame to extinguish it as you offer up aloud words that speak the intent of gratitude for the creation of a space of the Divine to work within. You may leave the incense burning if it has not burnt down and offer up aloud words of gratitude for its gift of purification as the breath of the Divine.

Breathe deeply and end your meditative session offering up words aloud with the intent of gratitude for the sanctity of this space for your working and its return to normal use now enhanced by positive intent and energy to be used for the good o all who pass through it.

Be sure to journal your experience and make note of any changes you felt in the space that differed from your previous day’s work. Make note of what energies flowed through you as you established this as sacred space, and how these differed with the previous day’s. Be sure to also journal the words of offering.

Note: Even if you are familiar with and routinely establish Sacred Space as part of your work, do this exercise in the way I have outlined. We often take for granted what we habitually do, and forget the power in taking our time to compare and contrast what this same action would feel like in its most simplistic form. Working in this way, we can often re-experience those cherished ah ha moments once again and deepen our work to bring more of that fresh perspective back into the humdrum of what we do on auto-pilot.

Repeat this exercise as often as you wish and feel free to add-on as we progress on the Sacred Path.

Contemplative Observation – #2
The Thinning of the Veils

This exercise is meant to make you more cognizant of the changes in energy around you at a broader level. What I wrote below is excerpted from a post last year. It speaks to the atmospheric “pressure” that often accompanies this time of the year….

“Today is November 1st- All Soul’s Day.  The veils between the worlds of the living and the dead are thinning and we have greater access to our ancestors and loved ones who have passed.  This month has been extraordinarily dense for me this year.  Not only in the amount of work expected, but in the general feeling of the pervasiveness of the atmosphere and energy surrounding.  Now this would not normally be unusual given the season of the year and the opening of the veils, but, this year seems different.  The thinning seemed to begin much earlier and the heaviness of death and whispers of those wishing to be heard by the living once again seems to be deafening at times.”

In the business of our lives we do not always take notice of how the space around us changes as we approach those sacred times of the year. Even the perception of sacred lands is more overt, primarily because of the existing designation which opens us to the possibility. The fact of the matter is that the air is different at certain times; the inroads of something sacred occurring have been laid and if we stop and open to perceiving those differences they can be felt.

I am purposefully making use of the timing of this post and the thinning of the veils between the worlds (Northern Hemisphere-Samhain and Southern Hemisphere-Beltane). But, depending on when you get to this lesson, you can also sense a difference at any point just prior to a Sabbat on the Great Wheel.  Other points include lunations, as I am sure we will all agree things get a bit crazier near a Full Moon!

All you need to do for this exercise is to take a few moments (particularly at dawn and dusk) to be outside. Take a few deep breaths with the intent of sampling the energy that surrounds you. Make note of what you experience.  For me, this time of the year feels more crowded- like, I am in the midst of a crowd, although there may be very people around.  Do this for the remainder of days leading up to the date of Samhain (Beltane).  Be sure to make note of any changes.

I know I keep stressing that Sacred Space surrounds us without need for any special conjuring on our part; this is a way to experience and come to understand that philosophy on your own.

Read the full article at:  The Magickal Pen-The Veils of Samhain

Journaling
Writing Your Own Quarter Calls

In your journal set aside several pages entitled “ My Quarter Calls”. Sitting quietly where you won’t be disturbed write the word “AIR” at the top of the page. Envision what words you would use as you stand in front of the quarter space aligned with Air. Write as though you are truly speaking to and requesting the presence of this energy. What are the element’s attributes and which of those might you wish to either use within a ritual or enliven within your self?

Write the word “Fire” at the top of the next page. Using the same process as you did for Air begin your work in writing the calls to Fire. Do this for Water and Earth, each in turn. Be creative and remember that the expression of your call should come from the heart; not what you have been told it should be from any outside source. These are the beginnings of not only creating your own quarter calls, but also a deepening of your understanding of what place each of the alchemical elements has within sacred space.