Sanctuary of Your Own

November 4, 2019
Herbalist Dow (The Healing Power of Tea) guides readers in designing spaces for reflection in this charming work. Dow’s blend of spiritual practice and interior design urges readers to look closely at the mood and goals of rooms, as well as how one can engage the five senses in one’s home, car, office, or elsewhere. The senses and their interplay with psychology, which create a “symphony of delight” and “reach deep into our subconscious,” inspire Dow’s suggestions for wall paint (she breaks down each color’s psychological effects) and her advice for utilizing different light sources. While there are tips for each room of the home (including how to make a home office feel removed and how to turn a bathroom into a personal sanctuary), Dow’s main focus is on creating a personal sanctuary that “reveals what is harmonious or out of balance.” Many of the concepts are low cost and pragmatic, such as threshold protections, altar areas, talismans, and the basics of feng shui. A lengthy appendix provides metaphysical and medicinal knowledge about plants, crystals, wood, colors, and numbers. Dow’s thorough text will appeal to domestic spiritualists of any tradition.