Sacred as a verb, a process, something that can be enacted. As opposed to an adjective describing something.
If sacred is something enacted, this leaves space for us as individuals to create sacred practices on our own — we need not rely only on texts, rituals, experiences deemed sacred. We have the ability to decide for ourselves what is sacred, or important, to us.
I view sacred as something that exists beyond the major religions for this reason. A more democratized, personalized experience. Create your own sacred practices, alongside those who matter most to you.
Indeed, it is through sacred practices where we get to know ourselves better, find ourselves, discover something new about how we see and live in this world. What works for me, may not work for you - and how delightful is that?
The term sacred reading is new to me, while the underlying concept is not - summarizing from “The Power of Ritual” by Casper Ter Kuile, sacred reading is done 4 stages, by asking 4 sets of questions. Based in large part on work done by Guigo II in the 12th century - where he describes reading a text like climbing a ladder: reading, meditating, praying, and contemplating.
ter Kuile asks the following questions:
“1. What’s literally happening in the narrative? Where are we in the story?
2. What allegorical images, stories, songs, or metaphors show up for you?
3. What experiences have you had in your own life that come to mind?
4. What action are you being called to take?”
Group reading and discussion is something that can bring about insights not only for individuals but for groups of people, communities, as well.
I’m excited to enact a version of this in my personal life - my partner Dave and I have been reading philosophy texts together with a similar albeit more flexible approach. Perhaps we can be more intentional, form a stronger routine around this.
And I recently joined a philosophy course focusing on technology and Heidegger and Deleuze. If ever there was sacred reading, it’s reading and re-reading philosophical texts with a group and discussing along the way, finding new meanings and understandings as we go.