Sacred
spaces connect us to the earth's healing energy. Imagine getting
home after a long day and tuning into a bird's call or a flash of
colour that draws you into the garden. The sweet fragrance and
exquisite patterns begin to soothe you. Relax and breathe. Notice
the play of sun and shade. Your mind settles gently into the
peace within.
Your
garden is a natural lure which will gently draw you into its
magical web of enchantment. You become like a child in its midst,
awed by nature's exquisite artistry.
Imagine,
if you will, meandering pathways, garden art that breathes new
life into a flower bed, filtered sunlight warming a small pond
with a tiny frog croaking out its exuberant song and a butterfly
sunning itself on a nearby rock. Imagine a chair or bench that
enfolds your body and spirit in a state of being instead of
doing.
Whatever
you can imagine, we can begin to create it.
I
specialise in this type of garden design. The creation of a
sacred space is in some ways simply a matter of intuitively
listening to your own land, honouring what is already there, and
enhancing it with other naturalistic or exotic elements to create
the effect you desire.
For
many people there just isn’t enough time to devote the
necessary energy and resources to really make their space into
the healing sanctuary it could become.
There
are many considerations.
In
creating these gardens, as well as the usual factors of colour,
fire safety, irrigation, local ecosystem (including flora, fauna
and geology), space, structures, style, and topography, you also
need to consider your healing needs and spiritual practice.
Are
you looking for a place where you can conduct rituals? Do art?
Hold family gatherings? Meditate?
Do you want a small, closed
feeling or an open space?
What about privacy?
Also consider
your relationship with the earth, rocks, plants, animals and
natural elements such as wood, stone and water.
Below
is a checklist of sacred garden features that may help you decide
what you want in your garden design:
A
special entrance that invites the visitor into a sense of
sanctuary
Effectively
using water for its psychological, spiritual, and physical
effects
Creatively
using colour to elicit emotion, comfort, and awe in the visitor
Creating
sitting areas that enfold the visitor into the sanctuary
experience by providing a place of rest for body and soul
Highlighting
natural features as anchor points, including the use of rocks,
wood, natural fences, screens, trellises, wind, and sound to
evoke emotion
Integrating
art that enhances the overall mood
Providing
habitat and features to attract a diversity of wildlife to share
your sanctuary
A
secret garden
Herb
garden or scent garden
Healing
garden
Garden
for romance
An
altar or shrine area for sacred objects
A
strong, central 'sacred symbol' such as a labyrinth, mandala or
medicine wheel
Sacred
symbols such as labyrinths, mandalas and medicine wheels are
circular patterns with a strong central focus which can be used
for meditation and spiritual practice.
These
work well in sacred spaces. They can be small or large enough to
walk through, made of plants, shrubs, wood or rocks and usually
are laid out to align precisely with the four compass directions.
They can be designed and constructed to enhance your personal
spiritual path.
If
you choose to consult a professional landscape designer to help
you design and/or create your sanctuary garden, find one who
recognises the importance of garden spaces that invite you to
just sit and be. One who shares your reverence for the Earth, for
all of Nature, and for your little piece of it in particular.
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