Tag: Feng shui

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 14th

On ‘Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day’ I want to share an ancient Russian ritual that will help to lighten up the vibrations of your aura while also allowing you to shake off energetic impurities! First, lie on your back and lift your arms and legs so that they are both at a 45-degree angle to your body. Simultaneously shake all your extremities, almost as if you were trying to shake water from them. Shake like crazy. Continue laying on your back with your arms at your sides and your legs loosely on the ground. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale forcefully clench your fists. In fact, clench so tightly that your hands vibrate from the tension. Hold this until you are done exhaling. Do this nine times in succession and then do the shaking exercise again. The emotional charge will have dissipated, as will any other residual physical tension hiding within your body. The result? Why you’ll loosen and lighten up, of course!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 12th

We are coming off the energies of ‘Saint Martin’s Day,’ a day dedicated to a saint who was known as an unselfish and generous giver of fortune and luck. He’s also been called a magical patron saint of all those who may depend on fortunes and luck coming from the kindness of strangers. One sure way to get the full attention and lucky intercession of this saint is to draw a green horseshoe on a piece of plain cardboard and then decorate it with glitter, feathers, sequins or any other eye catching decorations. Be sure that while you’re making this very effective talisman that you concentrate on increasing your opportunities to embrace Health, Happiness and Prosperity, especially through intervention of particularly Helpful People. Place this lucky little piece in that same space of your main floor and wait for a proverbial streetcar full of your own desires to quickly come true!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 11th

Today is the eleventh day of the eleventh month during the two thousand and eleventh year. Is there magic and mystery in the air? Feng Shui says that there’s always something extraordinary and exceedingly special about the number one. When that number is doubled, anyone associated with it will attract ‘winner’s luck,’ as these numbers now confer the energies to emerge a winner in any competitive situation. In order to activate these numbers, add or create the presence of 11 in your living space, even by simply scribbling the number 11 on scrap paper throughout the day. Since the number eleven resonates with being a winner, don’t forget to concentrate or meditate upon those same digits in order to give yourself a leg up before being practically guaranteed to get a big hand!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 10th

I almost didn’t remember that today is ‘Forget Me Not Day.’ If you want to meet someone who will forget you not (especially when it comes time to tie the knot), then you might want to wear a special oil blend that promises that whoever gets a whiff will immediately be smitten by your ‘scentual’ magnetism. Blend two drops each of rose essential oil, jasmine essential oil, bergamot essential oil and damiana essential oil to a base of a quarter cup of almond oil and then wear this mix as a perfume or aftershave. You’re sure to be remembered very fondly, long after the initial introductions have worn off. Believed to be stimulating and highly effective love attractants, these oils, when mixed together with loving intention, have been used as charms to help draw in new partners or even to help to strengthen existing relationships. Applied to the pulse points, or even used in the bath as massage oil, this preparation will give new meaning to the warning ‘slippery when wet.’ Go ahead and forget I ever said that!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Daily Tip of the Day for Nov. 9th

Even though November is the eleventh month of the year, according to our Gregorian calendar, it takes its name from ‘novem’ or the Latin word for the number nine. November was once the ninth month of the year until the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, whereupon Julius Caesar introduced an additional few months. The number nine is considered the single most auspicious and powerful number in Feng Shui. This philosophy says that you should consider each proceeding number as being part of a pathway into increasing knowledge and awareness until you end at the apex of nine, where all celestial forces meet and complete. Therefore, in Feng Shui the number nine means completion to fulfillment and satisfaction. On this ninth day of what was once the ninth month, go ahead and put nine crisp and brand new one dollar bills into a red envelope and place this package under the welcome mat at your home’s front entrance. This will invite many opportunities for Fortune and Luck, as well as completion and satisfaction, to pay you a nice, long visit!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 8th

I recently released a report called ‘Shape Shifting; Shifting your Thoughts, Changing your Shape.’ I researched this report for well over two years, trying to find both cutting edge medical information as well as ancient medicinal knowledge that will allow people to ‘age backward’ and find a renewed sense of health, happiness and longevity simply by making some lifestyle shifts. One of those involves using different medicinal spices to achieve better health and long life. On ‘Cook Something Bold Day’ I’d like to offer a recipe for ageless living that involves a spice called tumeric. Ayurvedic practitioners have long held that tumeric takes away old age, and if a very little bit is rubbed on the skin, it can take away wrinkles. More philosophical theorists and herbal practitioners once called tumeric ‘the spice of love and luck.’ Hawaiians use tumeric in purification ceremonies, and in India this spice is burned for protection, as it’s believed that demons and other malevolent creatures detest its smell. Today, try to be bold and ageless and cook something tasty by adding no more than an eighth of a teaspoon of tumeric to any traditional savory recipe. Now you won’t be growing old, you’ll be growing bold!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for Nov. 7th

Let’s head to the workplace on ‘Job Action Day.’ First, one or two small bells hung on your office door will encourage great fortunes to enter that same space. Just be sure to hang them on the outside of the doorknob with red ribbon, yarn or thread. Feng Shui says that symbolically the sound of the bell brings prosperity while predicating the prospect that you will hear some good news. Remember to only use small bells, but if your office faces either east or southeast, then you can use wooden or ceramic bells for highest benefit. Simply put, this cure invites good fortune to the workplace. Now, once you’ve put this energetic adjustment into place and get that well deserved promotion or raise, don’t ask for whom the bell tolls. As we know by now, it tolls for thee!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for November 6th

Today’s ‘Marooned Without a Compass Day’ might be worrisome to those who embrace the Eastern or Traditional Schools of Feng Shui, since those schools figure out the Feng Shui of your home by using the compass and by locating the cardinal directions in your living space. However, we ascribe to the Western School whose teachings don’t require a compass, but instead employ a fixed map to outline the energies in your interior. One of the ideals that both schools agree upon is the importance of the formal front entryway and how having that space properly ‘Shui’ed’ can bring fortune and luck right to your door! First, clean up any clutter that might be keeping that front door from opening fully. Clean the actual front door itself and, if possible, paint the door red (for luck and fortune) or green (for positive and profitable growth). Replace the bulbs that are immediately inside and outside the front door with the highest wattage that you can find. If you are unemployed and looking for work, you should turn those two lights on everyday for nine straight days for at least three consecutive hours a day. Then send out energies and resumes. That cure works like a charm, as does putting a red flowering plant outside and to the left (as you look from the street) of the front door. Hanging a nine-rod metal wind chime in that same place will garner increased income opportunities, as will a clean and colorful welcome mat. Lastly, under that welcome mat should be a red envelope that holds nine crisp, brand new one dollar bills, as well as 49 shiny new pennies. Keep it there as long as it’ll last with the knowing that this ‘secret’ Entryway Shui cure brings coin and cash to the household, as well as happiness and joy. So screw the compass, do any of these adjustments or cures and opportunity will be sure to find its own way to you without stopping to ask directions.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 5th

Now integrated into American society as a yearly cultural folk event, ‘Sadie Hawkins Day’ is a faux holiday that sprung from the mind of cartoonist Al Capp and his classic ‘Lil Abner’ comic strip. This strip then inspired real world ‘Sadie Hawkins’ dances, where the girls ask the boys to be their partners or dates. Since we’re celebrating some Sadie style chutzpah today, let me share some secret Shui that promises to engage that one special boy who might just decide to do the same to you. Today we’re talking peonies. According to this philosophy, the peony is considered the king of flowers while holding energies that can make you the queen of anyone’s heart. This bloom is said to be an excellent energizer when used for creating true and lasting romance. The peony is also often referred to as the Mou Tan flower and is the principal floral symbol for love and marriage in many Eastern cultures. Feng Shui says that you should display an image (or the real deal) of two pink peonies outside and to the left of the bedroom door of anyone interested in bringing marriage luck to their lives. Younger and unmarried women can display this image in the actual bedroom itself and should position the peonies anywhere inside the Relationships/Romance area for the biggest benefit and blessings. Older women or couples should only display peonies in the Romance area of the main floor, as it is said that putting the peony in the bedroom could result in the husband or partner finding fulfillment with a younger paramour. Put a peony in the proper place today and then go ahead and ask away. The next time you hear the word Sadie it might be like this: ‘Sadie, Sadie, married lady!’ Just sayin’!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for October 31st

BOO! Did I scare you? Do bats? I thought this would be a perfect day to share some secret Shui about what bats can do for you! In this philosophy bats play a legendary role. They are considered auspicious symbols of happiness and longevity. This last part is because of a bat’s ability to swallow its own breath so that they then live a very long life. They are also said to symbolize wealth, prosperity, the ability to deflect illness or any causes of unnatural death. Positioned in groups of five they symbolize the five Feng Shui blessings for abundance and fulfillment and will bring opportunities for fortune, recognition and rewards. Forget about that proverbial belfry, a family of bats taking up residence in your home is considered an exceptionally auspicious omen that heralds immense good fortune and huge success for all the members of the household. Happy Halloween!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for Oct. 29

Feng Shui says that the elemental energy associated with the month of October comes from the energies accorded the element of Earth. This same energy or element is what we might call on to create a sense of stability, security and a strong sense of belonging. The earth grounds and roots you. It can balance and center you and keep you connected to the forces that feed you on so many different levels. Earth energies can be located directly in the center of your own space. Any time during this or any other month, whenever you feel a need to slow down and to feel more stability and support, position a yellow flowering plant in the middle of the main floor and immediately feel your feet on firmer terra firma. You also can use fresh yellow flowers to activate the energy of this cure, but a plant that you can nurture and love will breathe those same energies right back to you. Find your center, plant yourself there and get some super supportive stability growing just for you. After all, who deserves stability and support more than you?

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Meditation Thought for Saturday, October 29

Be A Rock Meditation

Sit quietly with closed eyes. Bring to mind a life form or other aspects of nature, such as a bird, tree, waterfall or rock. Become this thing in your imagination. Feel its presence, sense what its like to be in its body, to live its life. How is it being treated by humans? What does it require to thrive? What wisdom –and warning — does it have for us? Jot down the answers for reflection later on.

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for October 28

It’s ‘Lung Health Day’ so I immediately thought of the Feng Shui gold standard as far as intentional breathing and expanding lung capacity is concerned. The Chinese have long used meditation in partnership with Feng Shui to enhance their Chi, improve their lung health and to garner opportunities for a fortunate future. The Great Sunshine Buddha meditation promises to do all that and more. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart with palms and arms lifted in the air, turn your head upwards to face the sun. Imagine the sun emitting a ‘hum’ sound, one of the most sacred sounds known to man. Now imagine that same humming sun coming closer and getting hotter before it enters your body through the third eye or forehead area. The sun now rushes quickly through your body, filling and bathing it with heat and sound until it exits out of the bottom of your feet. Relax and then raise your arms and palms again. This time the sun and sound enter through both the third eye and the palms of each hand. It rushes to the feet where it quickly rebounds and returns to the head where it then exits. Relax your arms again. With arms and palms up, the sun and sound reenter the body through the three points and rushes down to the feet. Then it slowly rises, circling and heating and humming around all the vital organs as well as any problematic spots. Use the sound and the bright sunlight to cure health problems, push bad or negative Chi up and out and increase health and happiness. Repeat nine times each day for 27 days for maximum effect and opportunity.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for October 27th

Today’s ‘Cranky Co-workers Day’ could put a crimp in anyone’s office etiquette. After all, it’s hard to stay positive when your work colleagues are all kinds of negative. If you want to steer clear of drama then perhaps you need to know about a little co-worker cock-a-doodle do! Feng Shui says that placing an image or a statue of a rooster in the Fame area of your office space or on your desk will overcome office politics and bring backbiting to a halt. Taoist Feng Shui masters consider the red comb on the rooster’s head to be all-powerful. They also believe that the claws symbolize the ability to wipe out colleague crankiness and partisan politicking in favor of a more favorable work environment. An image of a rooster will work equally as well, but I like the idea of the rooster giving crankiness a little wake-up call.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for October 25th

Once upon a time a Feng Shui master taught me some ‘secret’ Shui that promised health, happiness and prosperity, as well as increased exposure, recognition and reward! Of course, many of the Feng Shui cures that I know promise to activate those same blessings and boons, but this particular adjustment is applicable only in the month of October. This somewhat secret Shui promises to potentially rocket your reputation to the stars and bring you as many personally and professionally rewards as there are bright and shiny orbs in the sky. The key is to place a yellow chrysanthemum in the Fame area during any day this month. I have since learned that the mum can be put into especially prime positioning anytime between the ninth and the fifteenth, and it has special powerful application on the latter date. I have always ascribed that putting those pale petals into the Fame arena at any time will bring recognition and rewards, but October energies support that intention in a big way. Just remember, this is considered to be ‘secret’ Shui, so mum’s the word!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for Oct. 22nd

According to the early Roman calendar, the name of the month of October translates to ‘eight,’ as October was the eighth month of the year. Embedded inside Eastern cultures and philosophies there is a symbol called the ‘Mystic Knot’ that is also closely associated with the number eight. This symbol, by pattern and design, resembles a series of interlocking eights all woven together into a seemingly eternal and never-ending pattern. This powerful Mystic Knot symbol can be used to activate or trigger energies that will manifest long lasting success, prosperity and riches, or even an everlasting and undying love. If you’re looking to increase your income, then place an image or picture of the Mystic Knot inside your ‘Wealth’ area. If, however, you’re looking to enhance an existing relationship, or even find your perfect partner, then place this loving symbol in the ‘Romance/Relationship’ area. Either way, you’re sure to see this symbol untangle any current complications that you might be experiencing with love or money while putting yourself behind the — what else? — eight ball!

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for July 24 – Parents’ Day Today

Honor thy father and they mother, especially on today’s ‘Parent’s Day.’ In fact, there is actually a particular place inside your living space that allows you to energetically do exactly that. Often referred to as the Ancestors area in Feng Shui, this arena of your home additionally relates to other members of your family, past and present. Putting an image of something called ‘The Hundred Birds’ in this same space will ensure that riches and honor follow your parents, siblings and other family members, until the close of life. This image also promises parents a vast variety of opportunities, flexibility, good health, easy-going days and harmonious nights. Strong and hardy evergreen plants put here will help the health of Dad and a well placed peace lily will aid all efforts at healing Mom. Three healthy plants kept in this arena will represent balance and blooming love between you and your parents and give your roots and family tree excellent energies of mutual support!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

How to Make a Magical Focus Board

How to Make a Magical Focus Board

Author: Deborah

A focus board has been called a lot of different things in a lot of different places. The (in) famous Secret calls it a Vision board. A lot has been made of The Secret‘s many flaws and issues. As Kathy Griffin said when her assistants made focus boards and then attributed her recent uprising in success to said boards, “I’m so sure it was the two of you and your Secret boards that did this, not, like, my many years of constant work.” So besides taking away that you should never get into a sweat lodge with these people*, as my friend and fellow blogger Gordon said, visualization is not enough.

On his blog RuneSoup.com, he calls it a success map. A focus board is not a replacement for solid magical spell work, which should include consistent mundane work, consistent magical work, divination, reachable goals and regular progress check-ins to ensure that what you’re doing is working and you’re not inadvertently missing the forest for the trees. But what a focus board will do is keep your eye on the prize and in my opinion, that’s the real purpose in having one.

You might be easily distracted like myself and get sidetracked from all the important things you’re actually supposed to be doing and instead watch back to back episodes of Bridezillas in your pajamas and/or drinking too many French Greyhounds and getting sucked into Facebook for nine million hours. It’s easy to get completely and utterly off track.

True confession time, I call mine a “serial killer” board. This is not due to aspiring to become a serial killer or advocating for others to become serial killers but because I watch a lot of crime dramas and inevitably if a fictional serial killer is involved on one of my shows, they tend to have a board that resembles a focus board, even on GossipGirl when it was just a run-of-the-mill single white female stalking problem. Juliet still had the Miss Martha level of organization and where-with-all to be sure to have a board neatly outlining all her plotting against poor Serena VanderWoodsen.

For some reason on television or in a movie, a serial killer always has an extremely high level of organizational skills even though they are also completely unhinged. Personally, I attribute that to word count issues for writers and a team of television writers who would like to hold onto their jobs as long as possible by making the main ‘big bad’ hang around for as long as possible, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. But yeah, while my board is a very benign corkboard with pictures with scrapbook cut edges, pink yarn and a font with hearts in it, I can’t help but think about the crime procedural shows I watch, which gives merit to the argument that television does rot your brain though admittedly no real desire to do anything about it.

Anyway. For an example as to how to make sure you’re approaching your goals holistically, I’m working to bring more money in my life by mundanely working on my freelance writing career as well as a small Internet crafting business. Magically, I have a honey jar that I work with in the hoodoo tradition as well as some Feng-Shui work I do. I constantly make sure I’m working with my honey jar by inscribing words and symbols into candles I burn on it weekly and I make sure to keep my eyes open for new writing opportunities in various places. But, as I’ve said, I get distracted. So when I find myself getting into a massive Twittering frenzy, talking about things that have nothing to do with work, a quick glance to my focus board in my office reminds me when I see a picture of a typewriter and the word “Create” to get back to making sure I’m following through on my work mundanely.

Magically speaking, it gives your subconscious something to focus on to bring about things you would like in your life. I wanted more serenity and a yoga practice, randomly a few days after making my board I noticed a local yoga studio and got up the courage to email the owner to ask about a “work/trade” agreement where I would trade her administrative work for yoga classes. After a very successful interview (and I made sure to do a charm so I was charming) , we’re hammering out the details for the work/trade.

How to Make a Focus Board of Your Very Own

1. First, think about what you’re trying to accomplish in your life. For me I started by thinking of words because my brain sees words before pictures. My words are: Aspire, Create, Live, Serenity, Serve and Want.

2. Now find pictures that you feel are good representations of what you’re trying to accomplish. Some examples of my pictures include candles, a bank vault and the Eiffel Tower.

3. Get a smallish corkboard and push pins. Pick a font if you want to print words. I also used good quality heavy paper for my pictures and scrapbooking scissors to cut out my pictures so they had pretty edges.

4. Arrange. This is an awesome meditative stage where you get to play god of your own life and arrange all the pictures in a way that makes sense to you. I grouped my pictures according to each word.

5. Using yarn or string, carefully weave the thread between your pushpins. Magically speaking, it’s useful, as weaving the yarn through the push pins and connecting them together can be a magical act that’s as simple or elaborate as you’d like to make it. Spinning has long since been thought to be a magical act in many cultures. Grandmother Spider does it, The Fates do it and now you can weave together your goals for yourself. You should also think carefully about which pin to connect to which pin. For me, it was even more magical because I got to use the (pink) yarn that I had handspun myself for this.

6. Place the board in the right position. If you’re constantly glancing at it for a quick second at a time, it gives your subconscious food for thought. Mine is in my office, just out of direct eyesight but I can see it just out of the corner of my eye. When I get bored working, I tend to look around a lot so that adds to the occasionally seeing it but not seeing it too often aspect.


Footnotes:
*Sweat Lodge Deaths Investigated as Homocides http://articles.cnn.com/2009-10-15/us/arizona.sweat.lodge_1_james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-spiritual-warrior?_s=PM:USIn