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by
Johannes Vermeer
I have been re-reading The Power of Myth, which is essentially a transcript of conversations that the acclaimed journalist Bill Moyers had with Joseph Campbell in 1985 and 1986. Every page of the transcript is rich in thought-provoking wisdom. As I leave a rather chaotic year, however, I find myself thinking more and more about a particular colloquy concerning the importance of not only creating, but defending, a sacred place in one's home.
Bill Moyers: You write in The Mythic Image about the center of transformation, the idea of a sacred place where the temporal walls may dissolve to reveal a wonder. What does it mean to have a sacred place?
Joseph Campbell: This is an absolute necessity for anybody today. You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don't know who your friends are, you don't know what you owe anybody, you don't know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something will happen.
Happy New Year to Everyone!
Hoping that you've established a sacred spot in your new home, George. I finished reading Francoise Heritier's, The Sweetness of Life last evening. In 2014, I want to be more attuned to (and appreciative of) the small daily happenings that help to build my life story. It's snowing and blustery here in Breckenridge - a day to sit by the fire and read. Happy 2014! Stay well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comment, Barb. Have a great 2014! And, yes, I'm working on that sacred spot in my new home.
DeleteYes. I think that space can be within as well as without, even in crowds as well as in silence. And also: I think it's important to carry around with us the idea of that space (the possibility of transformation) as a well we can draw on at any time. Just the knowledge it's there and can be accessed when we want.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent point, Robert, and I agree entirely. I find, however, that there are times when a particular environment can act as a catalyst that, in Moyers' words, dissolves "the temporal walls . . . to reveal a wonder."
DeleteI've just recently set up my sacred space in a corner of the bedroom, which is nice and quiet and private. I've placed my lotus meditation cushions & a little table with a bible, candle and pretty jeweled rosary beads, and I'm looking into getting some curtains. This post is a nice affirmation of how valuable a sacred place and time can be, a wonderful thing to consider in the beginning of the new year and any time. :) Happy 2014 to you as well!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and offering your thoughts, Jade. While I try not to be too attached to material things, I do find that there is value is having a small, dedicated space in one's home where the stimulation — books, art, small things of special significance — make one feel closer to the sacred. Such places can be a refuge from the mind-boggling distractions of daily life.
DeleteAnd a Happy New Year to you!
Oh, yes, this IS important! To begin, that one even is aware of needing sacred space is critical. I like Robert's notion of the idea of the space being carry-around-able and a source of nurturing even when we're not physically present. I also find it possible to create "space" in a notebook in which I write regularly. I do, too, very much appreciate physical space, but am also leaning toward the notion that the inner and outer reflect each other.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy. Great to hear from you! As you suggest, it may be that the most important factor is the simple awareness that access to sacred places, whether within or without, is critical to spiritual health. Happy New Year to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteAs the farmer is still a working farmer George, I have my home to myself during many days and this is my sacred space. I would be bereft if I did not have this quiet time to reflect and sort out my thoughts and feelings.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Pat! I think you've aptly described one of the key attributes of a "sacred space," specifically, a place where one can reflect and sort out thoughts and feelings.
ReplyDeleteLove this, George. I like that Campbell says it can be a certain hour of the day, and not just a private space. I have mine in our family room, but early in the dark morning, the solitude creates this sanctuary. I have, however, been considering some alterations to make a space in another room that would be conducive to this sort of retreat any time.
ReplyDeleteI am struck by the negative statements Campbell uses to describe this nothingness: ". . . where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don't know who your friends are, you don't know what you owe anybody, you don't know what anybody owes to you." I want to think about this and let it arise next time I am in that space!
By the way, I love the light in the Vermeer painting, and would love that sort of light in that sacred time and space. Have you seen "Tout les Matins du Monde"? I just watched this 1991 film yesterday and was blown away by the beauty, with many sets having light like this.
Glad you liked this post, Ruth. I suppose it's a kind of new year resolution, a recognition that I should never let a day pass without some creative time in these sacred places, whether they be spaces in time or physical spaces. I, too, found Campbell's negative statements to be insightful. What we need most is to be relieved, if for only a few minutes, from the day to day baggage that distracts us from reflection and creativity.
DeleteYes, the light in the Vermeer painting is magnificent, and it takes a great painter to capture it. Haven't seen the movie, but will pull it up from Netflix ASAP. The title itself is entrancing.
Thanks, George, for the new year wishes - same to you and yours in YOUR new and made-sacred place!
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you or any of your readers are interested in other interpretations of sacred place, my husband's first documentary film, Embrace (2011) is currently available for free online viewing. It's an exploration of the intersections of Tibetan Buddhism and cultural/ecological practices related to place-making.
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/50479/Embrace
Enjoy!
Wendy
Your husband's documentary sounds terrific, Wendy. I will definitely watch it! Thanks for calling it to my attention.
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