Energy, Essence, and Ensoulment
In my last blog post, Falling in Love with Your Space, I wrote about how approaching our everyday spaces with reverence transforms them into sanctuaries. That idea was the starting point for a deeper conversation about how our environment profoundly shapes us and affects us - something we often overlook when we treat our homes simply as functional spaces, using them without thought or more careful consideration.
If we consider our homes or rooms as sanctuaries, then it’s clear that the objects within them are more than mere decorations; they hold energy, memory, and meaning. Across cultures and throughout history, people have understood that the world is not inert but alive- everything vibrates with energy. Science supports this, as physics reveals that all matter is made of small atoms that are in constant motion, even in objects we think are still. At the quantum level, things are even more active! Indigenous traditions, such as the Native American concept of the Great Spirit, remind us that every blade of grass, every stone, and every drop of water carries life within it. What a profound concept!
These understandings have sparked a deeper exploration in my own research on creating sanctuary spaces. Now, as I design and curate homes, offices, and community spaces, I find myself asking: What if we chose to furnish and appoint our spaces with objects not just for their beauty, but for their meaning and the energy that they hold?
And could we not also say then that these objects have a kind of soul? Carl Gustav Jung wrote of a concept he called interiority which aligns with this “sense of within.”
An object with a soul, or an ensouled object, is more than just its function or purpose. It might be an object handcrafted by an artisan, infused with care and skill, or an heirloom passed down through generations, rich with memory. Even a simple stone, shaped by the natural life cycle of the earth- from rock to sediment to magma and back again- can hold more weight than the most expensive store-bought décor made from plastic and environmentally harmful materials.
I was reminded of this truth during a recent trip to a design market. Walking through endless floors of mass-produced goods, I couldn’t help but think about how many of these objects would eventually end up in landfills. These items are created with little thought beyond trends and sales- items made without much soul at all. But every so often, I’d stumble across something different: a company committed to sourcing artisan textiles, shaped by real hands, or a business lovingly passed down through generations, still holding onto its original craftsmanship and grassroots purpose. These were the moments that stood out because the objects in those showrooms carried a sense of life with them.
When considering this fact of existence- the aliveness of the objects around us- we are invited to be more intentional about what we bring into our own spaces. Are we using things that carry meaning and presence, or are we just filling a void?
When we choose objects that are crafted with care, that come from the earth, and carry a story, we are not just decorating- we are creating sanctuary. What we surround ourselves with has the power to both lift us up and ground us. They can connect us to the aliveness that exists all around us and within us.
It’s a heady topic, but one that is near and dear to my heart. Ensoulment. What a beautiful word and what an even more beautiful concept.
Do you have an object in your space that carries a special story or sense of life? A piece that feels truly ensouled? I’d love to hear its story.
With love and gratitude,
Lisa