Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Spirit of Life: An Adult Program on Unitarian Universalist Spirituality

Handout 2: Worksheet for Creating Sacred Space and Ritual Space

Part of Spirit of Life

As you create a sacred space or centering place for a ritual or celebration, you might like to consider these questions:

  • What's the theme of your celebration?
  • What mood do you want to evoke?
  • Does a color speak to the feeling of the celebration?
  • How about texture: smooth, rough, or... ?
  • Will you use any altar or centering table?
  • What objects, such as cloths, paintings, photographs, rocks, branches, flowers, or candles, might enhance the ritual's theme?

STRUCTURE

In The Art of Ritual (Celestial Arts, 2003), authors Sydney Barbara Metrick and Renee Beck identify three stages of effective rituals and rites of passage. Make some notes about what you might do at each of these stages.

Preparation: includes naming intentions for the ritual, planning it, choosing the objects that will be involved, and finding the space and the time.

Manifestation: includes building a sacred space, declaring intentions, invoking the Spirit of Life, enacting the ritual, offering blessing, and providing closure.

Grounding: involves integrating the results of the ritual into day-to-day life. Includes taking down the altar, evaluating the experience, and emotionally integrating the experience.