Virtual Worship Space 3/3

Dear Reader,

I have multiple virtual worship spaces. Some of them are tied to physical locations and others are not. Multiple virtual worship spaces are useful for polytheists because it gives you individual locations for interaction with individual deities. It's really helpful if you are working with deities that canonically don't get along very well. (Heimdall and Loki comes to mind, the kinda loathe each other for various reasons that have been lost to history.)

I am going to share with you one of my virtual worship spaces. This is for Déa. It is patterned after Gothic era cathedrals. It is one that I have worked with in dreamscapes and in meditation/prayer. It is a relatively solid construct and one that I am making open to others to participate in.

The Chapel

A modest sized gothic styled chapel stands before you in a large expanse of grass surrounded by a forest. As you approach the chapel, you note that the exterior is unusually plain for this style of building. There are no statues or gargoyles. In its place, there are floral designs and the exterior supports of the stone walls look like stone trees reaching to the walls. As you draw close to the doorway, you see that it is engraved with a peaceful forest scene. Where the trees of the scene end is a meadow. The doors split at the center of this meadow in the scene.

You push one of the doors inward and it opens. You are standing at one end of a aisle down the center of two rows of pews. At the opposite end of the aisle is an altar. On the left side of the altar is a row of candles in various states of size. It is clear that these candles are offerings or prayers. On the right side of the altar is another set of candles, waiting to be lit for this purpose. Behind the altar is a statue of a veiled young woman. A crown of stars is about her that glow with light. You realize that they are tiny gemstone windows set into the stone of the alcove that the statue sits within. The young woman has a peaceful expression on her face and holds her arms open, as if ready to embrace you. A blue cloak is upon the statue and the gown is painted to be white. A silver girdle is about the gown and looks to have tassels on the ends that hang down. One foot is hidden beneath the gown, the other is positioned as though the young woman is stepping forward and it has a humble sandal upon it.

In the space between the altar and the statue, there is a place where one might approach the icon and lay offerings. You see a bouquet of flowers there from some other soul that has come to this holy place. On the altar is a silver bowl sitting upon a silver platter. It is clearly another place for offerings to be laid. The altar itself is covered with a white cloth with no design upon it. The stone beneath the white cloth is plain except for a seven rayed star in the center facing towards where the pews are. As you turn your attention to the pews, you see that they are padded and look to be a comfortable place where one might sit for a time. Where the pews meet the exterior walls, there are narrow arched windows. These windows are pieced stained glass that make up a rainbow on both sides of the building.

You walk to a pew that looks particularly comfortable and sit down. From outside, you can hear the birds singing and the hushed noises of wildlife in the meadow. As you sit, a sense of peace and serenity fills you. You know that this is a holy place where you are safe from all things. You are comforted by the cozy quality of the building and the faint scent incense that comes from somewhere near by. When you feel ready, you rise and walk out of the chapel. You cross the meadow and find your path back to waking consciousness, still carrying that sense of peace and safety with you.