Sacred Spaces Sunday – Everyday Dining Table as Heart of Home
Today’s “Sacred Spaces” is going to focus on the table where we eat; not the counter where we grab food and run, but the location where we join to “break bread” and focus our attention on the bountiful life we are blessed to live.
When I do my all-day presentation, “Balance, Order & Beauty: Feng Shui for the Woman’s Soul” – which I did again last week – I share a verse about Vesta: The Goddess of the Hearth. The “hearth” used to be the location where we cooked food; we gathered for warmth and communicated with others living in the same household.
Creating a special setting for a “Secret Anniversary of the Heart” table when there is a time you remember something wonderful happened in your life.
Now the “Great Room” serves several of those purposes. Yet the dining room or kitchen table may serve as a hub for communing when the television is off. In that case, let’s think about how we can make it more special – more “sacred” – even during the non-holiday occasions.
Setting the table with conscious awareness of the process could be one of the first areas to consider. Use a tablecloth or placemats to “decorate” the table. Find some pretty napkins instead of “everyday paper napkins” so often used for convenience. They still could be paper, but instead are a bright, beautiful color or have a pattern on them.
Next, place a small floral arrangement in a clear glass vase on the table. Or have a small object in the center of the table to add a focal point to the table. It could be a pair of unique salt-and-pepper shakers, trivet or decorative plate. Having candles is always a positive influence. Dim the lights while eating to create ambience and calm the energy to enhance digestion.
Having wooden tables is a plus in Feng Shui since the wood element represents family. In this way you are supporting family on an “elemental energy level” – reinforcing family energy instead of under-cutting it through the use of the element a metal table would create.
Setting the stage for outdoor dining is just as important as indoor dining for creating sacred spaces.
The shape of the table can also play a role. Square and rectangular tables with sharp corners can create “sharp” words. Having gently rounded corners is preferred. If you don’t have rounded corners on your table, using a tablecloth can soften those sharp corners. An oval or round table can bring family members together for enhanced communications.
Even the shapes on the table can influence the overall energy of this “heart of the home” when we desire to create balance for our “sacred spaces” energy. I’ll share more tips on this in upcoming posts. For now, consider what you want to create within your home and set your intention for love, beauty and gratefulness as you gather at the “hearth” of you sacred home – the everyday dining table.
