Sacred Spaces and the Axis Mundi

    `When reading the book “The Sacred and the Profane” by Mircea Eliade, Eliade discusses how sacred and profane spaces are “two modes of being in the world, two existential situations assumed by man in the course of his history” (Eliade, 14). When talking about sacred spaces, we think of either a church or a temple, but people also find sacred spaces in the comfort of their own home, in the outdoors, in sports fields, and even a graveyard. A sacred space doesn’t have to be a place connected to a religious organization. Eliade also talks about how sacred spaces can also be an Axis Mundi. The Axis Mundi is described by Eliade as a cosmic pillar that connects the world, heaven, and the underworld. It’s sacred center represents the connection between the people and the divine. However, the Axis Mundi can be represented as more than just a pillar. It can be a mountain, such as the Meru Peak in India, or the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The Meru Peak symbolizes the Axis Mundi because its high peak is touching heaven while its base is touching the ground, therefore, it is connecting the world and heaven. The Western Wall is an example of an Axis Mundi because it is located in Jerusalem which sits between Europe, Asia, and Africa which is why it is referred to as the center of the world. Moreover, the people believe that their prayers go through the wall on their way to heaven, and even write down their prayers onto a piece of paper and then put it in a crack in the wall. Based on this concept of the Axis Mundi people can pray anywhere they find sacred, but people find churches, temples, and religious spaces as the spaces where their prayers are closest to God. 

    In the book, when Eliade talks about what makes sacred spaces sacred. He says, "A similar ritual function falls to the threshold of human habitation, and it is for this reason that the threshold is an object of great importance" (Eliade, 25). I was able to understand and connect my personal experiences with this sentence because I was raised in a Catholic household. Every Sunday when you step into the church you dip your hand or a finger into the holy water and make a sign of the cross across your body. Some people even bow towards the altar before they take a seat in the pew. Before and after Communion, you kneel in front of the body of Christ. These are all rituals that make the church a sacred space. 

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