BLOG
Epiphanies and Sacred Spaces
January 12, 2026
“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself over and over again."
~ Joseph Campbell
Winter is a favorite season of mine, and January a favorite month. To me they carry associations of sled riding, ice skating, and walking through the woods on a snowy evening. On blustery days I putter around the house, attending to indoor tasks that were forgotten when the great outdoors issued an invitation I could not resist.
One thing I love about January is its association with new beginnings, fresh starts, and clean slates. I like to imagine the year ahead; I wonder what gifts it holds for me. I daydream about things I want to accomplish, and I prioritize tasks already on my list. One that remains at the top of the list every year is organizing and appreciating the house that is my home; it makes easier every other task and intention I choose to do, and I truly enjoy the process!
My earliest metaphysical experiments as an adult focused on creating sacred space in my home using Feng Shui and similar practices from cultures around the globe. Later, during seminary, I was fortunate to learn from an internationally renowned geomancer some of the “deeper” teachings on creating sacred space.
Creating sacred space
The premise is simple, and two-fold:
- Release. Banish negative energy (old, used, dirty, tainted, limiting) that is not in alignment with your intentions.
- Request. Invite positive energy (new, fresh, clean, divine, expanding) that will support your aspirations.
For some time I have had on my list a do-it-yourself renovation project that I am eager to begin, having finally sorted through the contents of a nearby closet. And because the planets are aligning in the home sector of my astrological chart for the new moon due on January 18, I have made that my start date - to take advantage of the wonderful energies that new moons carry for beginning a project.
Now let me share the joy by giving away a few key teachings on creating sacred space. Some are simple and pleasurable. Others may initially trigger resistance but they are critical and therefore not negotiable, in my opinion. All will help make your home a sacred and supportive space for you and your loved ones.
Intention is everything
It is important to be clear about what you want for the year ahead. Take your time, and reflect also on those secret dreams and hearts desires that keep calling to your soul, even when they seem far away or you’ve had to put them on the back burner.
Then ask yourself: Is there a way that my home could better support both my everyday needs and my soul’s aspirations? Does it help me to relax, reset, and recharge after a long day? Is it a great place to enjoy the company of my favorite people? Does it inspire me to be the best version of myself?
You needn't have clarity about everything; simply craft intentions for the things that are clear (you can always add an intention to receive clarity about any unknowns).
Pave the way
It is most beneficial to start each year with a completely clean and organized home, but I have found that this is impractical for many people in modern western society!
If your home has areas of accumulated, broken, unused, and/or disordered things, then decluttering is essential. The good new is, its impact is great even if you do only one small area, or one level of cluttered-ness, at a time. It can even help you gain clarity about your intentions.
This is my premise for decluttering: Make room in your life for the things that you want, by letting go of things you no longer need. Want to learn more? I've shared several details about decluttering in a prior blogpost, titled "Contentment."
After organizing comes cleaning, which can also be done one area, or level, at a time.
Clear the space
Both organizing and cleaning your home operate primarily on the physical plane. You can enhance their effects by clearing your home energetically as well. Let me share some of my favorite ways...
I often use sound to change the energy in my home; I play a recording of monks chanting, or an inspiring song I am in the mood to hear. I also have wind chimes in key places that make lovely sounds and shift the energy without my having to do anything.
Occasionally I burn incense. I typically use sandalwood (to purify) and lavender (to calm), and I place it on the coffee table in my living room, which is centrally located in the house.
There are times when I will spontaneously throw open as many windows in my house as possible; doing so immediately gets the energy inside my home moving.
Bless the space
The ceremony I use to bless my home - that is, to infuse it with my intentions - is lengthy and steeped in eastern traditions of Feng Shui. It's too much to cover here, but I recently came across a lovely house-blessing ceremony based on western traditions of Christianity that is short and simple.
In Medieval Europe, families performed a ceremony on the twelfth day of Christmas (January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany celebrating the visit of the Magi to the Christ child). The ceremony included holy water, prayer, and a practice called “chalking the door” with the numbers of the year and the abbreviation “CMB” (for the Latin phrase Christus mansionem benedicat, meaning “May Christ bless this house”). The numbers and letters were written in a certain sequence with cross signs between them; for example, 2026 would be written as “2+0+C+M+B+2+6."
You might create an Epiphany House Blessing for yourself. Begin at the front entrance, and bless each room in turn. Lightly sprinkle the rooms with holy water, while stating (aloud or silently) your intention as a prayer. When finished with all the rooms, return to the front entrance, chalk the door, and conclude with a final prayer or song.
You can make your own holy water by blessing it with a simple prayer, such as “May God infuse this water with divine life, light, and love, that it blesses all it touches with these holy energies. Amen.” Traditionally, a branch of rosemary is used to sprinkle the water; you might use the tip of an evergreen branch, your fingers, or a spray bottle.
A turnkey solution
There is yet another way to achieve benefits like the ones I've mentioned so far, and I can't resist telling you what it is....
Throw a party! (Indoors, of course). Invite some of your favorite people for a get-together with good food, great conversation, fun music, and lively dancing; to me, this is both practical and pleasurable.
I always clean and organize my home beforehand, so I can cross off the pre-ceremony tasks. And afterwards, my mind is in naturally in a state of appreciation; I cannot help but think about other aspirations I have that will bestow blessings on me and my loved ones, so the blessing ceremony is taken care of, too.
More epiphanies and sacred spaces
If you'd like help imagining where your soul's path may lead you in 2026, Inner Compass is featuring "Year-Ahead Soul Readings" at special prices now through March 22. Organized seasonally and richly layered with symbolism, these readings inspire and motivate you to focus on certain areas of life that will benefit from your attention during the upcoming year...
If you'd like to delve a little deeper into creating sacred space, we are featuring an online session on March 2 from our workshop series, Meditation Sampler. In "Creating a Meditation Space" you'll learn how to create a sacred meditation space in your home, and how to adapt your practice to feel at home when meditating in other places, too...
And another online session on April 8 from our small-group coaching program, Every Day Light. In "Every Day Sanctuary" you'll learn ways to transform your home into a comfortable, beautiful, and sacred space that supports your aspirations and dreams in every way (this session goes into detail about decluttering too)...
You can access descriptions of all of our upcoming events from our Online Calendar anytime. I hope you find something that you feel was created just for you!