What's the 'Sacred' in Sacred Spaces

Ann-marie Weekes
Feb 15
6 min read

In all that I do, whether it is a design project, a crystal healing session, or simply navigating a life experience, I begin with a single question:

What does this mean?

For me, this is the key that opens doorways of my consciousness on the journey to ‘know thyself’

It is this fundamental exploration of a subject that teaches me about the world and ultimately, about myself. Through that inquiry, I begin to form my own lived — even ontological — experience of life unfolding around me. It is through this line of questioning that my lessons reveal themselves.

One theme that has returned to me time and again is the idea of Sacred Space — and what that truly means.

There are many interpretations surrounding sacred sites: inherited beliefs, spiritual projections, romanticised narratives layered over time. Before entering that conversation, I feel it is only fair to offer clarity. To define the components that shape my reflections on what makes a space sacred.

So let's begin with the term -

SACRED

For me, the sacred refers to those aspects of existence that we consciously encounter which have the capacity to touch the deepest core of our being. They expand us beyond the limits of the self — into the subconscious, the unconscious, even the supraconscious. It is an experience with the potential to open the heart, the mind, and the soul into reverence for the unseen.

Some may call this holy — that which transcends the mundane and enters the profound.

It is the moment the heart opens in quiet reverence to the unseen, activating states of Unconditional Love, Deep Gratitude, even connection To Source.

Across traditions, we see this phenomenon articulated repeatedly.

The Numinous (Christian Mysticism)The theologian Rudolf Otto, in The Idea of the Holy, described the sacred as mysterium tremendum et fascinans — a mystery both overwhelming and magnetic. An encounter beyond language.

The Living Archive (Indigenous Wisdom)In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us that Earth is not a resource but a teacher. The sacred lives in reciprocity — in right relationship.

The Heart Sutra

The Interconnected Void (Buddhism)In the Heart Sutra, we read: “Form is emptiness; emptiness is form.” The sacred here is not an object but a quality — Sunyata — boundless potential from which all phenomena arise.

A personal story - when I first received

The Heart Sutra transmission in Japanese, I had no context or understanding of it, especially as it was not part of my cultural background , yet I felt as though something ’fizzled’ away from the energy around my body without a verbal explanation of it. Yet there was also something within me that recognised it.

Afterwards I heard the English translation and I GOT IT tears streamed down my face in this deep recognition even though I had only just consciously begun my spiritual journey - fundamentally - I KNEW IT. For me I had touched the knowing of emptiness - the quintessence of the SACRED

Across traditions, the pattern is clear:

The sacred is described as something that carries us beyond the ordinary into coherence and connection — opening heart, body, and mind simultaneously into:

'That Which Cannot Be Named''

So, Let’s Enter SPACE

The Boundless Container

2024 I spoke at the Daughters of the Earth conference in Birmingham,UK. While the focus was on the environmental care of our planet, my talk was about Space, how we use the word interchangeably yet for me all intrinsically connected. Think about how we use that word:

Space as a location: A building, a room, a physical site.
Space as the empty: The surrounding form.
Space as "Out There": The cosmos and outer reaches.
Space as the 99.9999999% volume of our universe

Wonderful, isn’t it?

Our places and spaces are informed by the void that sits in between our buildings, our parks, rivers and mountains. It helps us to distinguish where we are located not just by the things that sit within it but how the empty form surrounding our places and how they make us feel. For example open, fresh, enclosed and confined - yes the boundaries that contain the space determine its form yet the emptiness also determines the form.

Space is the boundless container of the void—it sits within the physical, upholding the positioning of the self. Then we have the cosmos the vast expanse which often evoke a sense of awe and since the ancients has inspired us to look up and ponder the great unknown the creator behind the creation. a higher state of consciousness through the unseen. Whether you are moving or standing in absolute stillness, you are a conscious participant in that space.

From a metaphysical perspective - out of all the practices I have explored over the years, one of the most significant has been working with the elements. In Western traditions and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we speak of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. In Tibetan Buddhism, we look toward Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Space.

Yet, through all these practices, Space was the element that touched me on a level entirely distinct from the others.

It reached me long before I had the spiritual vocabulary for it. This obsession started 26 years ago with my thesis, An Exploration of Space in Architecture, and my dissertation, Disembodiment in Cyberspace and its Implications on Design. It’s been the invisible thread running through my life’s work.

The Two Groundings: Physical and Existential

One of the most profound teachings I ever received was through the Space Goddess, a Tibetan Buddhist practice to evoke her from within. She gave me an embodied, visceral experience of her quality, as: The Ground of Existence. I was in awe of what she offered.

This experience came after my work with the Earth Goddess who showed me she represented The Ground of Earth. The Space Goddess revealed she was the Earth Goddess counterpart here on this planet:

I realised then that I have two groundings:

Physical (The Earth)
Existential (The Space)

She showed me that when I understand and embrace the principle of staying centered within her (within myself), I can never truly be lost - a meaning that showed me it’s importance for the future of humans (I’ll share another time).

So What Makes a Sacred Space?

What makes a piece of place "sacred" is the conscious or unconscious meaning it holds for you. Deep in our genetic and soul memories, certain spaces "ding" the strings of our internal wavelengths, singing in harmony or dissonance.

These places have a transcendent sense that takes us beyond words. They hold the capacity to activate new parts of us, nurturing remembrance, balance, and inner knowing.

Sacred Sites - Library of Esoterica Book Series

This is where the magic happens.

Sacred spaces are divinely orchestrated locations that allow us to see parts of ourselves in revelation. I experienced this recently in Kemet (Egypt), "The Black Land." In the complete "cocoon silence" of the Mountain of the Dead in Siwa, I felt a soul-deep nourishment. There were moments, I recalled parts of myself upon entering particular sites, witnessing the birth process of the Greek Pharaohs who were not natural born Egyptians, and communing with a site discovering how the priests worked with the consciousness of the gods.

Mountain of the Dead at sunset in the distance

Is Every Sacred Site for Everyone?

In short: No. I have a dear friend who, due to her unique makeup, cannot visit a popular sacred site in the UK. Yet, for me and another friend, it awakened a profound heart-opening experience. The energy swept through us so powerfully we had to ask each other, "Did you feel that?" It opened our heart chakras simultaneously and independently.

So fundamentally is every space sacred?

For me that's a yes - however there are some places that hold energies that just really are different to others and those energies can open dormant parts of self bringing you back in a truer state of who you are.

Space is personal. Frequency is specific.

This is why sacred spaces are an important part of our journey - they support hold and unfold in ways we just may not have done without them.

Can we create these spaces ourselves?

Yes. I believe that as more of us begin to create spaces dedicated to something greater than ourselves—within our homes, our workplaces, and our public spheres—a greater harmony will begin to ring through us.

When we intentionally anchor these frequencies in our physical environment, it ripples out. It brings more joy, more peace, more connection, and a deeper soul-confidence in who we truly are.

Would you like to cultivate such a sacred space within your own home?

If you feel the pull to turn your environment into a vessel for your evolution, I would love to support you. Let's discuss how you can create a space designed for your own self-growth and resonance.

[Book a consultation here] and let’s begin.