Sanctuary: My Own Special Recipe
“Most people have forgotten nowadays what a house can mean, though some of us have come to realize it as never before. It is a kingdom of its own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life’s storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
Sanctuary.
Derived from the Latin word sanctus, meaning “holy.”
As time goes by, I have learned a very valuable lesson about myself: my environment and surroundings are very important to my mental and emotional health. Especially when it comes to my home.
My beautiful new (very old) home!
After many years of bouncing from apartment to apartment (all beloved and made to be my own), I found myself completely consumed with the fact that I WAS GOING TO BUY A HOUSE. I knew that it couldn’t be just any house, because I’m waaay too artistic (and stubborn) to make things that easy. After months of searching (thank you to Krystyna Fennelly, my amazing realtor), after being dropped by a lender who told me he didn’t think I was up to the challenge of a fixer-upper, after praying, waiting, weeping…my beautiful forever-home found me.
This home was built in the 1880’s, nestled on a third of an acre in a small (and I mean SMALL), rural Texas town. Through a beautiful synchronicity, I met the previous owner while walking around with the home inspector. He was able to tell me so much about this house: that it was a home, that it was a very happy place, and that it was so beyond-loved by a woman. “This was her house,” he told me, referring to this late wife, who was an artist. As an artist, myself, in addition to being a maker and musician, I was able to tell him that, if I bought this home, it would be filled with creativity again.
Fast-forward to October 2021. I stood in the entryway of my new home, having moved mountains. I learned that I am tenacious. I learned that I am a Wild Woman who isn’t afraid to go against the grain. I learned that I will not take “no” for an answer when I know something is right.
I felt a special calling and purpose when it came to this home. I wanted it to be a special place, a beautiful place, a place of healing and safety. An environment of art, culture, and learning. I wanted to simply augment the beauty that already existed in its bones, the love that had been poured into every detail by the previous Woman-of-the-House.
I had a big realization when I lived in a garage apartment, right before I moved into the house:
I was living in an altar.
I looked around at my seemingly-eclectic room, all my knick-knacks and photos, colors and lights, books and magazines, and it was as if the pattern of it all snapped into crisp focus. My surroundings were not only a reflection of my inner world, but an altar of my life. My Sanctuary.
What are some aspects of my sanctuary? What rests upon my altar?
Remembrances. Photos of family and friends and beloved fur-babies that have gone on before me. Places I’ve been, accomplishments that lit me up.
Meaningful symbolism. Figurines or pictures of my totems, the Seal and the Wolf. Rainbows for the Chakras. Angels.
Crystals. Selenite, Himalayan Salt Rock lamps, Labradorite, Rose Quartz.
Light. Warm light that promotes relaxation and the parasympathetic nervous system.
Scent. Essential oil diffuser with scents that I find to be particularly calming - Lavender and Peppermint. My favorite candle.
A sacred sleeping space. One of my first real furniture purchases (not just hand-me-downs or family furniture, or a cheap alternative) was to buy a bed that I truly felt lit up by. Every time I lie down, I know that it is truly my place of safety and rest.
Pens. Black ink only.
The best thing about a Sanctuary is that it is a direct reflection of the one inhabiting it. And the reason I titled this piece “Sanctuary: My Own Special Recipe” is that, just like a recipe, you can make it your own!
What does your Sanctuary look like?
Comments are so very welcome <3
Shine on, lovelights!