Sacred Circles

Repost from 2018:  

"Creating Sacred Space is central to Wisdom Tradition spirituality and wisdom schools. It holds that in the act of dedicating or claiming sacred space we do indeed create an actual context for contact with the Numinous and its aspects. In that vane, our Wheels are not a " gimmick" -- they have a life and power all their own that is supported by centuries of many traditions. The elemental "beings" that we invite are "real" in their ability to interact (to be in relationship) with us. If it is what we want, they will help us to reshape our lives to the highest good we are capable of perceiving at that point in time. There are natural and actual correspondences between shapes (i.e. the angles of the planets, or squares, circles and triangles, etc.) and energies, things and concepts, but, the mysteries are not static or frozen in time: they change and grow with the changes that occur in humankind. Every space that we create has its own natural energy or underlying principle and teaching to offer. For instance, in a sweat space dedicated to the sacred, the "real" heat of the ceremony is a different kind of hotness which can burn away many of the things which separate us from the sacred. The ritual circle as sacred space is thus not a place arbitrarily set apart from the realities of the world, but on the contrary, it is truly aligned with the essence of creation through the coordinates of North, South, East and West. Because of that alignment and the power inherent in such space, we are actually aligning with and participating in the primal act of Creation. And, through each sacred space we create, the mystery grows and evolves by our commitment."
- Sacred Circles Institute

Sacred Circles and Spheres  Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Lore, History, Symbolism, Meditation, Notes, Charts, Photos.  By Mike Garofalo.

Sacred Circle Garden in Red Bluff California. This hypertext document includes many photographs of Mike and Karen Garofalo during the construction process of this medicine wheel, starting in 2006. Detailed information about the symbolism and associations in this sacred circle garden are provided in chart formats. A bibliography and links to related information about sacred circles, medicine wheels, stone circles, ritual circles, Magickal Circles, etc., is also provided. 

We lived in a rural area, 7 miles south of Red Bluff, California, from 1998-2017, on a five acre parcel of land. The fireplace at the center of the sacred circle garden was a good area for Ba Gua Zhang walking, Taijiquan, or Qigong; reading and writing; outdoor campfires in the Winter; meditation; resting in the shade on a hot Red Bluff summer day; for family marsh-mellow roasts; for sipping a whiskey/coffee and other indulgences; for nighttime star viewing; for daydreaming and spell casting; for a place to get out of the house; for a place to garden; etc. 

By 2009, the sacred circle was completely enclosed by vines, shrubs, and trees; you were hidden in a circle of green, [can't see out/cant' see in]. I provided electrical outlets in the design, and used them for lights, winter Yuletide lights, music, appliances, etc. We watered with both drip lines and hoses using our pond water south of the sacred circle garden. We added many rocks to the inner circle of this sacred circle garden from our travels in the Northwest USA. 10 Years of Treasured Memories!