What Does It Mean to Hold Sacred Space?
Oct 22, 2025What does it mean to hold a sacred space for others? Is it simply the ambiance? The art of holy listening? Deep empathy? The joy of Godly play?
Most of us know the grace of being in a group that nourished us, where we felt seen, heard, and gently held. And unfortunately, many of us have also known the ache of space that failed to protect vulnerability. I remember participating in a 12-week theological study group where a woman shared something vulnerable and beautiful. A man within the group scoffed, laughed, and made a joke at her expense. He began talking down to her. The facilitator did nothing to confront the toxicity.
I couldn’t stay in that group.
That moment taught me something essential: sacred space isn’t always neutral. It can honor or harm others. It can either invite or exclude.
Within Wisdom Tree Collective, I’ve found a place of refuge. Here, facilitators and mentors craft spaces where each person is welcomed with reverence, where vulnerability is met with compassion and not ridicule. For four seasoned spiritual directors, Amy Lyles Wilson, Robbie Pinter, Laura Huff Hileman, and Kasey Hitt, sacred space is not the backdrop to the work. It is the work itself. They each offer their unique approaches to crafting these spaces, whether in person or online. I’ve paraphrased how they feel that sacred space can be cultivated.
Amy: Hospitality as Heart Practice
Amy begins with the room itself. She arrives early, not just to set up, but to settle into letting the space breathe and speak. Her altar is circular, adorned with flowers, fabrics, and objects that evoke the creative spirit life. She curates the environment with care: table runners, books, and small takeaways that honor the group experience. For Amy, hospitality is not just decoration, it’s devotion. “I want to make sure people feel comfortable,” she says, “because writing from the heart requires a safe and welcoming space.”
Robbie: Boundary Markers for the Soul
Robbie’s wisdom lies in the invisible architecture of sacred space. She offers a set of “boundary markers,” adapted from Parker Palmer, that shape how we show up: with full presence, compassionate listening, and deep confidentiality. Silence is not awkward, it’s eloquent. Invitation replaces demand. And when things get difficult, Robbie invites us to “turn to wonder.” Her approach reminds us that sacred space is not just safe, it’s transformative. It’s where we move from knowing to wondering, from fixing to trusting the inner teacher.
These practices are not rules as much as rhythms of reverence:
- Bring your whole self.
- Presume welcome and extend welcome.
- Honor silence as eloquent.
- Listen with “soft eyes.”
- Practice deep confidentiality.
- Turn to wonder when things get difficult.
- No fixing—trust the inner teacher.
Laura: Liminal Space and Dreamwork Online
Laura’s sacred spaces begin in the ether, literally. Working exclusively on Zoom, she honors the moment between “Join Meeting” and the appearance of a face as holy ground. She anoints her computer, aligns herself prayerfully, and welcomes participants into a space that transcends screens. Her dreamwork circles avoid religious symbols, favoring plants, poetry, and silence. She opens with candlelight and closes with sacred images drawn from dreams, inviting participants to carry their wisdom into waking life. “Sacred space,” she says, “is mediated by the Angels of the Ether.”
Kasey: The Playground of Presence
Kasey’s spaces echo with childlike joy. She welcomes participants with simple words and grounding handouts, reminding them: “You don’t have to know how to do this; just be here.” Her retreats begin with Mark Yaconelli’s invitation to let go of doing and rediscover being. She sets out children’s books, bubbles, puzzles, and kites, not as distractions, but as doorways to the Divine. “When we play, we relax,” she says. “And when we relax, something in us softens and opens to the Inner Voice of Love.” Her spaces hold room for laughter, tears, mistakes, and grace.
Whether through fabric and flowers, boundary markers and silence, Zoom screens and candle prayers, or bubbles and poetry, these women remind us: sacred space is not about perfection. Ultimately, it’s about presence. It’s about creating a gracious place where the soul can show up unmasked, unhurried, and unafraid.
May we each find ways to craft such safe, sacred spaces. May we help create them in our homes, our circles, our screens, our churches, and our hearts. And may we remember: you don’t have to know how to do this. Just be here.
Reflection question:
Let me ask what might shift in your own gatherings if you treated the space as sacred? What textures, words, or rituals help you welcome the Divine?
~ Katie Rea, Writing Coach for WTC School of Spiritual Direction
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