As I travel through my architectural world I am privileged to visit the inside of many private homes. It is necessary for me to understand and appreciate the lives and lifestyles of my clients so that the forthcoming designs fit their character.
Often I observe the row of family photos – grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, children, displayed on the mantle in the living room or scattered throughout the house. These keepsakes tell timeless and personal stories.
I see the icons of their inner lives – statuary, candles, holy books, prayer flags, feathers, stones laid out in altar-like fashion. All of these objects contain, like human memory, the energetic history of the lives around them.
Frequency
Theologians make arguments about a theoretical line between “the sacred and the profane.” Philosophers call it a dichotomy: yin and yang; black and white.
Part seeker, part realist, I have always had a penchant for the spiritual core of things. Deep inside me where the good stuff lies, I understand that there is no arbitrary dividing line between the animate and inanimate components of our biosphere. The life force of stone is no less vibrant than a leaf or an ant, just a different frequency.
I collect stones. At first, I couldn’t have told you why… I just do. Stones remind me of places I have been. In them, I hold the energy of time and moment.
Likewise, for me, seashells, anemones, and bits of coral evoke memories of family trips, the vestiges of their ocean scent remain and offer a slight lick of salt on the tongue. I prize these objects of beauty.
Life Force
Generally, we look at the world with material intent in mind. How much can I get? Will I have enough? Increasingly, we must shift our expectations to embrace the best use of limited resources.
This is the “us” versus “it” dichotomy that creates a separation where there really isn’t one. The precious and sacred lie in the connection and continuity of all things. You can be sure that the life force flows without discrimination between what appears to be “alive” and “not alive”.
When we place an object in a location of significance we make it part of our story; hence, part of ourselves.
“Home” creates an energy field that protects, nurtures, and supports our progress through life. It is a Mind Field of intimate and stimulating images, senses, and memories.
Home is Sacred Space.
