Temple/Sanctuary Meditation
Hi friends. I wanted to share with you a thing I have been doing lately to alleviate my anxiety and also to help me feel closer to the gods. I'm sure that this is in no way something I invented but maybe I can offer a unique perspective or method.
So basically what you do is get into a comfortable position, whether that be sitting up, reclining, or laying down. Just however you feel most comfortable. It helps to have as few distractions as possible if you are an easily distracted person, like me. Make sure you are wearing comfy clothes and have went to the restroom, eaten and had something to drink ahead of time, and taken care of any responsibilities because this may take awhile and you could possibly fall asleep. (If you do fall asleep, it's okay! Maybe you will receive a message in your dreams from your deity.) It may help you to dim the lights, put on relaxing music or some sort of ambiance, but that is optional.
Once you're settled in a good position, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. If you have any experience with meditation or relaxation techniques you already know where I'm going with this. Try to take nice natural deep breaths. Release all the tension in your body. If it helps, do this one body part at a time. If you become uncomfortable at any point, it's okay to make adjustments. The point is to be relaxed, after all.
At this point I like to picture numbers counting down from 10 in my minds eye. I invision the number 10 forming slowly, then changing into the number 9, then 8, and so on. This is just my preferred method, but there are many different variations.
If thoughts come to you, and interrupt the process a bit, don't get frustrated. This will happen. Just accept that this will happen and let them pass by as if viewing them from afar. Try not to engage with them. If you're using the above method, by the time you get to 0 you should be well relaxed and removed from the outside world. If not, start over (maybe from a higher number) or try a different method that may work better for you.
Once you feel like you're ready, start to imagine a landscape. The goal is to create your own little sanctuary in your head. Eventually you will put a temple to your preferred deity on this land. So try to imagine a landscape you could picture your temple on. Is it a wild and lush forest? A beautiful seascape? A bustling city/town? A desert oasis? Create it however you wish, or whatever you think your deity would like. You can draw inspiration from historical places of worship if you like.
Next you will start to work on your deity's temple. You can imagine it just appearing as you walk through the landscape or you can watch it being built by imaginary figures. You could even visualize building it yourself! If you are an artist (or architect) you could draw it out beforehand to give you an idea.
If you have trouble conjuring up such things, you could look up pictures online ahead of time and try to use those as references. It doesn't even have to be a classic temple, if you'd rather it could be more like a home for your god/goddess. Like a sweet little cottage or an opulent palace. The best part about this, is that it's all taking place in your mind. The options are limitless!
If you're still having trouble coming up with something, ask your deity what they would like! If you don't get a response, you can always do research on what their actual places of worship were/are like and their symbols and associations and go from there.
Once you have created your beautiful sanctuary, it's really up to you what to do next. You can invite your god/goddess to join you there, take a seat in the temple or house and have a chat with them about your day. You could imagine they are already there, and you are paying them a visit, with an offering. If you feel uncomfortable with this idea** (like you are pretending to be your deity) then they don't have to be present at all. You could simply imagine going to the temple to give thanks and say prayers.
**sidenote: Personally I'm not uncomfortable with this idea. I think as long as you are respectful, this can be a great tool to hone your Godphone and possibly receive actual messages from your deities. I think you should be able to discern between what is your voice, what is theirs, and what is you/your insecurities masquerading as them. Remember that the gods love us, and if the deity in your mind's eye in unkind to you, be suspicious and question where that voice is actually coming from. This is supposed to be a fun and relaxing devotional tool, so please do not continue with this if it causes any kind of unease.**
For those who may feel ritually impure, or for Hellenics who feel covered in miasma (or actually lyma), I know we generally do not approach our Theoi when in this state. If you feel that your mental state is too ritually impure (you aren't able to concentrate on the task at hand or stop intrusive/unwanted thoughts from happening) to meet with your gods even in this way then that is okay and you can always try again another day. But I think that if you are able to reasonably clear your mind, the entire process can help us to achieve katharmos because we are actively trying to free ourselves from those thoughts of worldly things that bother us and incur lyma. We are clearing our mind and trying to approach our gods from an honest, and loving space. And if you're still unsure, you can physically bathe or wash your hands with lustral water before the meditation. If you are unable to do this physically for any reason, but still want to, then just imagine you are taking a purifying bath or washing your hands and face before you enter the temple or sanctuary. I think the theoi will understand and this is a great option for those of us who can't always make physical offerings due to many different respective reasons.
I have temples for each of my deities in my head. I visit them whenever I feel I can't make a physical offering, I want to pray for something, I want to escape for awhile, or I simply want to communicate. My temple for Aphrodite is in a wild forest by the sea. It's flourishing with plant life. There are roses growing everywhere, all different types that probably have no business growing together. They're on the ground, in the trees, climbing up on vines. Her temple is in the classic Grecian style. With beautiful ornamental columns in marble that provide plenty of space for the rose vines to grow. Sometimes you can catch sight of the Erotes flitting about between the columns or out into the forest. When you walk inside, it's all white marble walls and gold decor with pink accents. The walls are lined with gold torches and huge pink candles. There is somehow a waterfall that comes from the ceiling and falls into a pool in the middle of the main entrance with a stone bench around it. Sand and sea shells and pearls litter the bottom of the pool, and the waterfall foams up at the bottom in allusion to Her birth. I like to imagine sitting there by the waterfall, and spilling all my worries and doubts to Aphrodite. I imagine her holding my hand and comforting me, and sometimes I get actual advice from her this way. This scene from my imagination is what gave me the inspiration to write some of my devotional poems, including "An Offering".
I know this was long, so if you made it all the way to the end, thanks for reading! I hope anyone who tries this out enjoys it and hopefully it helps in some way!
