Rotten Tomatoes reports an 81% approval rating, based on 16 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "The polished writing and creative direction turn "The Sacred Taking" into a more-than watchable transitional episode, speckled with touching, human moments." Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B rating, saying, ""The Sacred Taking" is just good enough to make me realize how much this season has been lacking, in ways both major and minor." Matt Fowler from IGN gave the episode a 7.6/10 rating, writing, "Coven is still wickedly watchable, but it does run in circles. Even more so than Asylum."
