Home is more than an abode or financial investment, it’s your refuge and sanctuary, where you’re blessed by sweetness, beauty, and love. Its emotional and psychological benefits are essential to health and happiness. Home is Sacred Space!
Home as Sacred Space
Home as Sacred Space!
Once upon a time, not so long ago, people could go home and leave the cares and woes of the world behind. Relieved of those fears, they could enjoy the delights and pleasures of their personal and family life, a cornucopia of joys on earth. Alas, no longer. The seeming threats and dangerous aspects of world are now thrust upon us all day, every day, robbing us of the peace and tranquility we need to be happy, and also healthy.
Being concerned about safety is only natural, but primal instincts take it to another level. Originating with our hunter-gatherer ancestors, bred in the bone, we’re especially alert to possible threats and danger in our surroundings. The problem is we’re taking it too far. We’re letting them overwhelm the joys and pleasures of life.
Modern man is especially susceptible to this temptation. Technology and telecommunication (T&T) delivers “news” about these threats and danger, replete with its tragedies and travesties into our living rooms 24/7. Beguiled by the importance of staying “informed,” the atmosphere in our homes has become polluted with fear, clouding our hearts and minds, such that home is no longer a refuge from the dark aspects of the world. Nor a sanctuary for celebrating the joys and pleasures of earthly life.
Simply put, we aren’t getting away from the worries, doubts, and fears of the world, no longer enjoying the peace and tranquility we need to be happy. Nor the mental rest to restore our zest and vigor.
The conclusion is clear: It’s time to put the fearsome world back in its proper place! We need to create a new balance or equilibrium that limits how much of the fear-full “world” can penetrate our refuge and sanctuary, and occupy our hearts and minds. In other words, it’s time to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto ourselves the things that will make us healthy and happy.
Not everyone will agree, some will embrace even more technology and telecommunications (T&T) with the idea of mastering it better so they can control it better. That might work for a few, but not for most. The real solution is to bring T&T into balance with the virtues of a home refuge and sanctuary, enough to complement it but not so much that it overwhelms it.
Since every family is different, the aim of this web site is not to prescribe a formula that will fit everyone. Rather, it’s to provide considerations that families can use to tailor protocols that’ll work for their personal situation.
This Opening Page contains summaries of four such considerations. (A larger exploration of each topic can be found in the tabs above.) It starts with clarifying the mutual but different roles of “refuge” and “sanctuary.” It notes how we already know that home is sacred space as evidenced by the signs and symbols we place all over the house. It also provides insights on taming the “fearsome” world. Finally, it outlines the vital role played by a Champion of Refuge and Sanctuary, a responsibility that goes back to ancient Greece and Rome.
You can embrace as many or few of these considerations as you wish, using them to develop protocols and tailor an equilibrium that’ll work for your situation.
Dedications:
Pierre Delattre, 1930 – 2022,
“Countless hours spent helping others pursue their vision.”
Alphonse and Dorothea Cunningham,
“Whose quiet lives and fierce devotion made all the difference.”
Sanctuary
Home is far more than a dwelling, a financial investment, it’s our refuge and sanctuary. A “refuge” keeps the dark aspects of the world out. A “sanctuary” lets the best of earthly delights in. Keeping the worst of worldly life out protects our peace and tranquility. Letting the best of earthly life in invites joy and pleasure into your home.
“Home” is indeed where life is celebrated with family and friends, blessed by sweetness, beauty, and love. It’s where children enjoy love so deep their hopes shall remain forever unbounded! Since reverence is the key for something to be sacred: “Home is indeed Sacred Space!”
The joys and pleasures of life include love, family, children, pets, affection, intimacy, food, drink, celebrations, hobbies, sports, music, art, literature, pets, and a wide range of other recreations, i.e. the sweet, beautiful, and lovely things about life.
Home is also where we engage in pastimes, activities, and recreations that Mother Nature uses to release natural chemicals that keep the body hale and hearty.
The wider world may offer wonder and awe, along with enthralling entertainment and recreation, as well as cultural and educational opportunities, but it can’t provide the gifts and blessings of “Home Sweet Home.”
Human Nature goes too far, however. Inherited from our hunter-gatherer ancestors, we’re always on the look-out for potential threats and dangers, acutely attuned to what might have changed in our surroundings. We don’t have to look very far because Media delivers them 24/7. Even if it’s a world away, they make it sound like it might befall us at any moment.
Trying to enjoy the joys and pleasures of “earthly” life at the same time as entertaining the fears of the world doesn’t work! Where there is worry, doubt, and fear, life cannot also be sweet, beautiful, and lovely. Simply put, fear and love cannot occupy the same place at the same time. Where there is one, the other must depart.
That’s why the fearsome aspects of the outside world must be kept to a minimum, not allowed to pollute the entire atmosphere. Peace and tranquility are more important than being informed, health and happiness is more important than possible threats a world away, and there’s no place in the outside world that can provide the joys and pleasures of a home sanctuary.
(See at tab on top of page or link for a full elaboration on Sanctuary.) Link
None of this is new, we know it all by-heart. Which is why we instinctively place signs and symbols all over the house. Masquerading as decorations, the subliminal message is this is a refuge and sanctuary, sacred space, and those who live here are to be “venerated.”
Signs and Symbols
The reason people love to decorate their homes, spending years and a good deal of money, is not just to make them attractive but to honor them with signs and symbols, a form of consecrating their homes.
Of course, “decorations” should always be attractive but the real reason for the perennial search is to find pieces with the subliminal message about the sweetness, beauty, and love that binds this family together. Such a message makes them signs and symbols, not just decorations.
(Interior designers make beautiful hotel rooms but they’re cold, precisely because the decorations aren’t signs and symbols. Alternatively, not everyone’s home may be beautiful, but they’re usually warm, a “lovely” home.)
Indeed, signs and symbols consecrate a home and venerate the people who live there. There’s no manual or instruction book for what makes a sign and symbol, people recognize them when their heart tingles.
And they vary according to family traditions, region of the country, national heritage, spiritual beliefs, season of year, martial statue, children, and any number of other psychological, emotional, and spiritual values.
Ironically, we have seen these signs and symbols so many times in so many homes that we seldom give them a second “thought” (except if they’re absent, as in the case of a “mean house.)
Should you pay attention, though, you’ll notice these signs and symbols actually start outside. They start at the front gate, continue up the path to the stepping stone, front porch, threshold, front door, and finally into the foyer. Each area having signs and symbols that reflects its role in announcing that this home is a refuge and sanctuary, sacred space.
For instance, those at the threshold and door aim to prevent evil forces passing into the inner sanctum. Examples include Christian Fish, Jewish mezuzah, faux-fireplace, a horseshoe, a Dream-Catcher, antlers, skulls, a rifle over the doorway, and others.
Another set of signs and symbols in the foyer indicate that love reins supreme in this home. They include flowers, signs of the season, duck motifs (because they mate for life), paintings, objects de art, rugs, candles, incense (“smudge”), photos of family, and other lovely “decorations.”
And so it goes throughout the entire house; The “living” room, dining room, breakfast room and bedrooms, especially the children’s rooms, each have their special signs and symbols. One that holds a special place, but usually overlooked, is the fireplace mantle. Crowded with mementos, remembrances to the family, living and deceased; photographs, awards, trophies, wedding invitations, holiday cards, mementos, newspaper headlines, religious images and relics, souvenirs, seasonal decorations, and other celebrations makes it the family altar!
A family altar is the furthest thing from the mind of most people, but their intuitive wisdom wouldn’t dream being without one. If not a mantle, a special table will do.
Indeed, signs and symbols serve to remind us that home is far more than a dwelling and financial investment. Home is our refuge and sanctuary, sacred space. Accordingly, it’s important to keep the fearsome aspects of the world away from our door. Peace and tranquility is too important to our health and happiness to make that mis-take.
(See Signs and Symbols tab on top of page for complete elaboration.) Link
Related book of interest: “The Temple and the House,” by Lord Ragland, Norton Press, England, 1964.) It’s a deep dive into home as sacred space though time and history, across continents and cultures featuring the signs and symbols used far and wide.
Taming the Fearsome World
We may not think about it, yet we’re actually engaged in several “lives” simultaneously. There is earthly life, worldly life, family life, financial life, romantic life, spiritual life, career or school life, and civic life, among others. The challenge is to create a complementary balance between them. The most difficult is not let “worldly” life overwhelm all the others.
Worldly life has two components: There is the “practical world,” and a “fear-some world.” The practical world may be full drudgery but it’s not frightening. In contrast, the fearsome world seems to be full of real or perceived threats, which demand constant monitoring.
Examples of the practical world includes earning credentials, the workplace, commuting, grocery shopping, errands, car repair, managing finances, paying taxes, voting, attending community affairs, and the other nuts and bolts of ordinary life, which could be boring but seldom frightening.
The fearsome world is anything but boring. Human Beings are acutely attuned to danger, and potential threats. Built into our DNA, originating with our hunter-gather ancestors, we’re always on the look-out for threats. Once upon a time it was wild beasts, venomous snakes, violent storms, dangerous terrain, other tribes, rebels and renegades in their own tribe, foreigners who look different, along with anything that was strange and unfamiliar. We were obviously good at it because we survived and prospered.
Concern for safety is a good thing. The problem is we’ve gone too far. We’re now constantly monitoring potential threats across the entire globe via technology and telecommunications, whether they present a real threat or not. These potential threats, along with actual tragedies and travesties happening to other people, now occupy so much of our attention that it overwhelms our peace and tranquility, denying the mental rest we need to be healthy and happy.
It’s time to put the fearsome world back into proper place, create a new equilibrium so we can enjoy the delights of earthly life.
“Earthly life,” i.e. one’s personal and physical life on this beautiful planet, is the exact opposite of worldly life. It revolves around love, family, intimacy, Nature, food, drink, celebrations, hobbies, sports, music, art, literature, pets, and a wide range of other joys and pleasures. No matter the difficult aspects of life, disappointments and sorrows, earthly life is nonetheless sweet, beautiful, and lovely.
In contrast, the fearsome world centers on worry, doubt, and fear, It’s hard to enjoy the delights of earthly life when preoccupied with the concerns of worldly life. Constantly being on guard, vigilant, and suspicious doesn’t leave much room for love and laughter. The challenge is we’re being constantly bombarded with the “fearsome” aspects of the world.
Commercial enterprises are keenly aware of our inclination and deliver a constant stream of these threats via the “News.” Villains and culprits are featured in their Talk Shows. They think the more fear they create, the more people will be hooked into their services. And, they’re not wrong
These commercial interests now have unprecedented access to our homes, our private lives, via Technology and Telecommunications (T&T).
Even though T&T has given them unprecedented access to our homes, it’s not to be blamed. It brought more help than harm. It delivered entertainment, information resources, and productivity tools that helped people be more effective in their careers and personal pursuits. Importantly, it allowed advances in science, medicine, and technology that weren’t possible previously.
Like medicine, unfortunately, it comes with side effects. In addition to the fearsome aspects of the world, it’s also used to diminish our “privacy.”
True privacy is more than secrecy, protecting personal information. It’s respecting a boundary between one’s outer public life and their inner private one, a boundary so well established that Authorities need a Writ from the Court in order to cross it.
That’s no such obstacle for T&T. It can go through walls with the speed of electricity. It may be initiated at our own behest, but it has a mind of its own after that.
It’s no wonder why worldly life presents such a challenge to maintaining a complementary balance between our various lives, especially our earthly life.
The fearsome aspects of the world have overwhelmed our other lives so gradually that people hardly noticed, not connecting their constant fatigue with the relentless drumbeat of outside world.
Adding to their fatigue is many people are never truly off-work, the boss now coming home with them via T&T. He or she is giving new assignments after hours and on weekends, causing a cascading effect with co-workers, virtual meetings, memos and the like. As a result, people aren’t getting the mental rest needed to restore their zest and vigor.
There’s no going back to a time before the internet age. If anything, it’s only going to get worse. A.I. threatens to let the world intrude into our personal and private lives like never before.
The only alternative is a conscious decision to put the fearsome world back in its proper place, create a new balance or equilibrium between earthly delights and these seeming threats and danger.
Happily, this doesn’t require a complete reordering of one’s life. It might be as simple as relegating the travesties and tragedies of life to a separate room, not discussed in the rest of the house, which is what the Victorians did. Not constantly monitoring the seeming threats and dangers to one’s safety around the world would make a big difference too. Likewise for not picking sides, and not blaming villains and culprits designed by Talk Shows. Each family must decide what’s best according their lifestyle, age of children, career, and a host of other considerations, all of which will evolve over time.
Putting the world back in its proper place is the test of our times. It may be a simple idea, but it won’t be easy. Nor will it happen by itself. It needs a champion to lead the way.
Champion of Refuge and Sanctuary
Now is the time to resurrect the Champion of Refuge and Sanctuary, a responsibility that goes back to ancient Greece and Rome.
A champion is needed to establish “protocols” that balance the outside world, especially its fearsome aspects, with the ancient need to protect their family’s “privacy,” peace of mind. In other words, protocols that establish a proper equilibrium between earthly and worldly life, between “advantages” of the modern world and the ancient need for peace and tranquility.
Once upon a time, the wedding ceremony was staged like a royal coronation to indicate the bride was now “queen,” with dominion over her realm. Although the bride is still the center of this ceremony, the role of Champion now goes back and forth between bride and groom, depending on who is in the best position to oversee it at the present time.
It’s up to the champion to “keep the home fires burning,” not let the travesties of world, its seeming threats and danger, overwhelm their refuge and sanctuary, dampening the sweetness, beauty, and love among family members.
Unfortunately, the role of Champion of Refuge and Sanctuary has gotten lost in the hub-rub of modern life, falling behind the tasks and errands of keeping up with the times. Fortunately, it’ll fall right back into its natural place soon as the bride and groom decide to assume the responsibility once again.
(See tab at top of page for more information on role of Champion.) Link
About Us
Several years ago, while sitting under a tree at Cafe Taza in Taos, N.M., John Cunningham was surprised when a clear message popped into his head – “Home as Sacred Space.”
He concluded the Muse must have put it there, because he hadn’t thought about it before. John didn’t have any idea of what it meant or what to do about it, though. After years of learning more and contemplating it further, he whittled this huge subject down to three subjects: Sanctuary, Champion, and Signs and Symbols.
Instead of a printed book, John decided a web site could reach more people, faster, and be easier for friends to pass it on to family and other friends.
Naturally, a web site is only touching the surface, not able to plumb the depths of such a far reaching subject. The aim therefore was to include enough material, and connect enough dots, that readers could imagine other connections. Indeed, just as a flower can be revealed but not fully explained, the idea was to provide a reflection of a bigger panorama.
Ultimately, the idea was to provide Champions of Refuge and Sanctuary with a “guide to the galaxy,” one they could use to navigate their personal situation, and establish protocols that would work for his or her family.
Toot Your Horn
Pass the word to friends and family who might like a fresh insight into increasing their peace and tranquility, as well as zest and vigor. Although not for everyone, many will welcome this reminder about the importance of a true refuge and sanctuary in their everyday lives.
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A Last Word
The overarching aim is to limit the fear and anxiety associated with worldly life and maximize the joys and pleasures of our life on earth. That simple!
It can’t be done without the good judgement and discernment of a Champion, balancing the “conveniences” of the modern world with the ancient need for refuge and sanctuary.
He or she has already been “decorating” the house for many years with signs and symbols about the joys and pleasures of earthly life with loved ones, and how this home is but a reflection of the nation’s palace and cathedral. In addition, he or she is helping the family get the mental rest needed to restore their zest and vigor, improve their health and happiness.
Now, it’s time to redouble efforts in striking a new balance between earthly and worldly life, putting the world back in it’s proper place. After all, home is more than a mere abode or financial investment. It’s your refuge and sanctuary. It’s where the dark aspects of the world are kept out and the best of earthly delights are let in, key to one’s health and happiness.
It’s where life is celebrated with family and friends, where you’re blessed by sweetness, beauty, and love! It’s where you get rest and recreation essential to health and happiness. It’s where you enjoy peace beyond measure! And where your children enjoy love so deep their hopes shall remain forever unbounded!
Home is indeed Sacred Space!
END
© Copyright, John J. Cunningham, 2024
Disclaimer: This website is used with the understanding that it does not constitute professional advice, not psychological, spiritual, financial, legal, accounting, or any other kind of advice. Although the information should prove useful, neither we or any party assumes liability for the accuracy, merchantability, or fitness of this data. All warranties, expressed or implied, are excluded