A Bathroom as a Sanctuary

In one of the bathrooms at work, there’s a stall by an opaque, southern facing window.  I go there sometimes when I’m feeling stressed or tired.  The sun shines through it and turns it into a warm paradise.  I like to go there, close my eyes, and breathe.  Life has been busy recently thanks to work and grad classes.  I’m often exhausted.  I did a little cleaning this week, mostly in the kitchen as part of my flame keeping ritual, but there’s still laundry on the table that needs putting away.  A lot of people complain about the “mundane” aspects of life getting in the way of their magical studies.  I encourage them to find magic in the everyday, but it is hard – especially when you’re tired.  When you’re thinking about all you have to do while feeling annoyed that the dishes have yet to be put away, turing it into a ritual is not always at the fore of one’s mind.  So it’s not just about seeing the sacred in the everyday, it’s also about having the clarity of mind to perceive it as such.  Our modern lives keep us so busy.  There are so many distractions from what is truly important.  That’s why I love that bathroom at work.  I can go there to obtain that moment of clarity and refocus.  I plan to do that more at home – only not in a bathroom.  When I get stressed, I need to approach my altar as a sanctuary.  So often I go there because of my dedication, a sense of obligation, or for elaborate ritual.  An altar should not just be for the grandiose – it should also be for the every day.  I don’t go there as often just to commune – to be.  I must change that.