The Inner Temenos

From the Lesson

Why study this?

Temenos is the Greek word for a sacred precinct, land "cut off" and set aside for the gods. The practitioner needs one too: a place, however small, where the everyday stops and the Work begins.

Why a physical space helps

The Principle of Correspondence teaches that outer order supports inner order. A dedicated space trains the mind: after a few weeks, simply sitting there begins to quiet you. Jung used the same word, temenos, for the protected container of inner work.

The elements of an altar

A simple, cross-traditional altar holds: - A centre: a candle, a stone, an image or an empty bowl, representing the axis and the One. - The four elements: incense or a feather (air), a candle (fire), a bowl of water (water), salt, soil or a stone (earth). Many place them by direction: air east, fire south, water west, earth north, though traditions differ. - A personal symbol: a card from a reading, an image of a teacher or ancestor, a natal chart. - Living things: a plant or fresh flowers, changed with the seasons. - Nothing extra: clutter defeats the purpose. Less is more.

Opening and closing

Ceremonial traditions mark the start and end of practice. A simple form: light the candle, name the four directions, state your intention in one sentence, practise, then thank the directions and extinguish the candle. The Golden Dawn's Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram is a more elaborate version for those who want it.

Tending the space

Clean it weekly. Refresh water daily. Change the personal symbol when a season of your life changes. Mark the solstices and equinoxes, the four hinges of the year, with a small rearrangement.

When you have no space

A shelf, a box you open and close, or even a cloth you unroll will do. The truest temenos is the attention you bring; the objects only remind you.

Practice

Build a small altar this week with a centre and the four elements. Sit before it for ten minutes a day for seven days, and note any change in how quickly you settle.

Reflection

What would you place at the centre of your life, if you could place only one thing?

Sources

- Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane - Israel Regardie, The Golden Dawn - Denise Linn, Altars: Bringing Sacred Shrines into Your Everyday Life