In U.S.News & World Report, the week of November 28th, several writers wrote wonderful articles on Sacred Places. The entire feature is so well done. My delight is that in the amazing review of so many powerful sites they did not fail to mention personal sacred spaces and how they may just be in the home.
The final article of the feature is written by Winifred Gallagher. She writes:
"Over years of thinking and writing about how our external worlds affect our inner ones, I've visited Europe's cathedrals, India's temples, and Morocco's mosques. Nevertheless, when I hear "sacred place," I think first of my modest home, a one-room schoolhouse in the woods, where I'm wriitng these words.
Like many American homes, the schoolhouse combines natural and architectural ingredients in its recipe for ordinary sacredness. On this chily morning, sunlight floods the white, high-ceilinged room. The only sounds come from the brook, the wind rustling in the autumn leaves, and the fire crackling in the wood stove. When I woke up, the first thing I saw was a small herd of deer grazing on the lawn. The schoolhouse has precious little plumbing and no central heating, cell service, or high-speed Internet. Given a hard enough rain storm, it has no electricity.
Despite the inconveniences-or perhaps because of them-this is where I come to be cut off from the staatus quo, glimpse the big picture, and remember the deep truths that are so easy to forget elsewhere."
As you, my readers, know, I get ecstatic over all exclamations of home, its impact, its power, and its possibility of joy. Through her words one clearly sees that Winifred knows what she wants and loves and has been successful in creating it for herself. I would call it her medicine, her way of getting what she needs in particular times in her life.
An individual cannot expect those gifts from any environment if they are not aware of what brings them an intimnate connection with that wonderful center within - the Self. And knowing the desires, there is also the work of creating the space so it can give it back when needed. Knowing what places bring you to your sacred, and then either going there or creating it for yourself guarantees that it will be there for you when you need it.
Thank you, Winifred. Your book the power of Place, how our Surroudings Shape Our Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions (Harper Perennial, 1994 )was a meaningful resource as I wrote my book. You get the message out there so well. Blessings and Thanksgiving to you!
Denny Daikeler
About Me
- Denny Daikeler
- My passion for integrating Interior Design, Spirituality, and Environmental Psychology began when I was 12. My best friend and I painted my bedroom closet green because my gut wanted it deep hunters green. I knew then there was more to life than beige, but little did I know that the powerful healing spirit of the home that comes from within would become the cornerstone of my life’s work. I received my degree in Interior Design from Drexel University and started designing filled with confidence. My perceptions changed as I worked with clients and taught classes. I discovered the huge gap between trends and what a person loves. My focus turned to exploring the Spirit of the home. I developed questionnaires and exercises to examine client's lives, preferences, and needs, and came up with the Inner Blueprint and Beloved Object. These methods brought so much transformation to people’s lives that I decided to share them in a book, "What Color is Your Slipcover?" published by Rodale. My life now is rich with all of this as I travel from place to place focusing on this process and experiencing the awareness, discovery and joy that comes with this new way of being with Home and Design.