The Keeping of a Sacred Garden II: Guide

Organizing a Sacred garden like this can be a strange pursuit for many, especially those of us who've firstly approached plants as ingredients, rather than as "people". Often, I get questions such as "how do I approach the space?" - "How to delimit?" "How can it be consecrated and to whom?"

I thought a simple guide on how to start a small sacred garden can be of help.

First, we should talk about the space. Do you have a small windowsill on your kitchen?

A balcony on your temple space/room? Maybe you're one of the lucky ones and do have a garden but not yet consecrated.

In my case I have a small (I'm talking 3 mts long to maybe 50 cm wide) balcony in my temple room.

What I did first and what I am recommending you do is, of course, clear and clean thoroughly the space physically, throw away anything that's not to be used, broken or forgotten. Keep in mind this will become part of your temple, part of your daily practice and devotion. Taking the duty of caring for the spirits that you will host is a sacred one that will be part of your temple actions from now on.

After this, clean physically while energetically. What I mean is: Get a few fists of sea salt and throw it in the space. Sweep it, while clearing energetically the space.

After that get a bucket of clean water - I use rain water collected river water is great also to remove any blockade, any impurity or harm from a place- and make an infusion with herbs: basil, rosemary, cloves, rue, pepper, rompesaragüey are common clearing and protective herbs that can help you with this. Additionally, I add some others that will attract harmony and prosperity as well such as cinnamon, oranges, coconut water, Florida water and laurel.

When this infusion has cooled down, clear the entire space with it. The floors, the walls, the windows, from top to bottom.

After this is done, the last step in cleaning would be incensing the place. Cleaning with smoke of - ETHICALLY SOURCED- Palo santo, copal, myrrh or frankincense.

Consecrate your space according to your practice, asking the place to be welcoming for it's future guests and for the spirits of the land to bless it. Pour an offering of sweet liquor and water, honey and milk and leave it for them to enjoy.

Your space is primed now to be your "outside temple". This balcony in my Sanctuary is dedicated to Hekate Pharmakeia, of course.

It is time to invite your guests in.

Please spend some time in meditation, regarding who'd you like to invite first. Some plants will be temporarily with you, while with others you will form a stronger bond with and they'll reappear, time and time again in the most unexpected ways and places.

Once you have your plant, place her in a special setting in the garden as she will be The Boss. The one that will let you know when something is wrong, the one that can take the offerings for the whole garden spirits. Talk to them and honor them, letting them know your intentions with inviting them into your space, give them their role (you're now the captain of this sacred garden, will take the offerings, etc) and give her an offering. Treat this plant (and really all of them) as if you were to treat an icon in a temple. Light them candles (careful!), talk to them about your days and plans.

My first one was a small chocolate mint. She taught me coolness of the mind and word, patience and understanding. She taught me how to swiftly sever bonds... but my experiences with these strange spirits go in the next blog.

Final considerations:

Kitchen windowsill? Start with orchids if the light is not too direct, or healing herbs like rosemary, thyme and mints if it does. If cooking is a sacred duty for you, as it is for me, getting the help from your plant allies in your food offerings is a wonderful, wonderful practice.

Leave one pot with soil and nothing else. You will be surprised of what ends up springing. This will be the "devil's garden", representing the wildness of nature beyond your delimited space.

If you end up setting this project in motion, let me know how it goes!

Gio.