Tag: Taoism

A Romp Through the Palette of Life

A Romp Through the Palette of Life

by Freya Ray

Personally, I love color. I’m not an especially visual person, and yet I am vibrantly aware of the magical properties of color every day. Since theory fails to fascinate me, and inspiration to play around with the possibilities of this luscious world always fascinates me, let’s have a romp through the rainbow, shall we? Here are some bright ideas for expanding the palette of your life, for fun and profit, color by color. And it’s my romp, so we’re not doing equal time — some colors are more fun than others.

Luscious, Bloody, Sexy Red

Red. The root chakra. The primal invitation to life. The blood of birth and death, the red clay of the mother between our toes, that haze that comes over your vision before you do something really really stupid, fire, rage, passion, life. Red is a color that knows it’s alive, that feels the heartbeat of its own jugular, that wants and demands more. More what? More of everything, most especially more life. Red does not ask why it’s here or if these pants make its butt look big. Red is too busy sinking its teeth deep, growling and getting lost in the sensations of the juice running down its throat. By all means, if your life has gotten a bit academic or routine lately, invoke red.

Wear lipstick of that shade fondly called “Fuck-Me Red.” Paint your nails to match, especially your toenails. Dye your hair.

Char a big slab of steak, leaving the center bloody. Cut it into strips, pile them in a bowl with the blood released by your knife, and eat it with your fingers. Drain the bowl, knowing in your mind you’re drinking the blood of the beast as you do it. No, tempeh cannot be substituted. Have dark chocolate for dessert.

Paint your body with tribal designs of your own delirious inspiration. Use red finger paint, or lipstick, or menstrual blood, or catsup. Dance naked, covered in slashes and spirals, to the beat of a drum.

In feng shui, red is the color of the “fame” corner. Red always screams “pay attention to me!” Wear the color and act as though you deserve to be noticed. Call attention to yourself in outrageous ways. Laugh loudly and refuse to be cowed.

Feel your heartbeat. Feel the blood pulsing just below the surface of your flesh, and know you are beast. Know you are life. Know you are passion, awaiting expression. Know your blood, your heartbeat, is the blood and heartbeat of all your ancestors, all the ancestors, all the peoples and creatures of this planet. Know that the pulsation of all life is one, in you.

Juicy, Tasty Orange

The belly chakra. Relationships, sexuality. It’s a great color, I’m sure, but it makes me look like I have hepatitis, so I have a slightly estranged relationship with orange. Nevertheless, I can make a couple recommendations.

Bake cookies with cinnamon in them. Add saffron to your rice. Make juice from fresh oranges — it takes what, five minutes, and what a difference! Better yet, let someone you love wake up to fresh-squeezed juice and your silent smile.

Meditate on a candle flame, letting the shifting play of tones awaken your memories of warmth, family or sexuality. Let the connection of the belly and the flame lead you back through the past, before this life, to the beds of all your wonderful lovers. Let the memories of loving bliss wash over you in waves of time and space. Light all those candles scattered about and make love to someone in a glow of shifting orange reflections.

Want what you can’t have, and then answer the question, “If I could have it, or the feelings that I believe it would evoke, how would I get it?”

Let lust — primal, unreasoning attraction — lead you to a new friend. Let yourself acknowledge the little belly flutters of lust you feel sometimes, in unguarded moments, for a dear friend. Know that all of life is about connection, and that lust and love are allies.

Yellow, the Sun of Shining Self

The light of all life. The shining disk of the solar plexus, the home of the will, of personal power. The gold glitter of success. Yellow evokes happiness, confidence and power.

Get some sun. I know it’s early spring in Seattle, but on those days when Father Sun emerges, go worship him properly. Get out your shades and tip your face up to the sky. Paint your entire body with gold glitter and go dancing. Have a power dinner: warm melty brie and crusty bread, crab legs and dripping yellow butter, champagne…

Meditate on your solar plexus chakra, seeing a shining sun at home there, and feeling the strength of your will, your ability to create the world of your choosing.

Abundant, Grass-Stained Green

The color of money. The wonderful power of our nation’s choice of paper currency. This color is also associated with healing and the heart chakra, but, truth be told, I think first of big wads of cash and second of doing summersaults down an immense hill.

Play with money. Do some fun work with your abundance issues: take $200 out of the bank in one-dollar bills. Scatter them all over your bedroom. Clear wads of them out of your bed so you can sleep at night. Find them everywhere. When they gather in the corners, pick them up in handfuls and toss them into the air. Money is energy crystallized. A truly magical photosynthesis, as the energy of work is stored in flat paper. Nothing more than love in material form.

Engage with life in a basic form — the creatures that photosynthesize so that the rest of us can live. Buy some houseplants, or more of them, and make a luscious jungle inside your home. Plant a garden in a couple of months. Grow wheatgrass and feed it to your cat. Notice the moss in the sidewalk. Find trees and hug them already!

Have a healing circle with some like-minded friends. Allow the healing color of green to travel where it is needed. Meditate on ideas of love and connection, your relationship with all life. Be in love, without concern for a suitable object. “I’m in love” is a sentence without referent, and a beautiful place to be.

I Ain’t Got No Chakra But Boy Do I Rock Pink!

Blushes. Where would we be without pink for blushes? Challenge yourself: find the compliment outrageously true enough to get every one of your associates to blush.

In feng shui as in Valentine’s Day, red, pink and white are the colors of love. Live it up! Decorate the back right corner of your home as a love altar with candles, ribbons, pictures of Hindu goddesses, massage oils, photos of your true love — whatever evokes the concept of loving connection for you.

Pink is your friend. Pink has never had a self-important moment in its entire career as a color on this planet. It is impossible to stand on your dignity or take yourself too seriously when wearing pink. This is good!

Calm, Cool Blue

Blue is a money color in feng shui. Adding an aquarium to your home or business is said to bring prosperity. Create an abundance altar in the back left corner of your home, including the colors of red, blue, and purple, along with candles, plants, lights, stones and pictures that evoke abundance for you.

Meditating on the color will put one in touch with calming influences and the state of mind where creativity can be expressed.

Water — deep, flowing blue water — is one of the most profound healers on the planet. Soak in it, bubble in it, stand under a moving stream of it and ask water to take away that which no longer serves you. Offer yourself naked to the ocean. I guarantee a rebirth as you emerge.

There are some very groovy blue stones, including sodalite and lapis lazuli.

Royalty Loves Purple

If red says, “Notice me,” purple says, “Respect me.” Perhaps even, “Obey me.” Purple is a power color, and wearing it is guaranteed to help you feel on top of your game.

Violet light is a strong tool for cleansing in visualization. Amethyst is known as the “sobriety stone” and has a remarkable ability to puncture denial.

Violet is the color of the third eye, of psychic awareness. Put some lavender oil in the bath, light a bunch of purple candles and see where your insight takes you. See that violet flame between your eyes, and let the images of your deeper mind flow into your awareness.

Basic Black

Black has been the color of choice for clergy in many traditions. It gives the sense that the person wearing it has access to mystical information, mysterious secrets. I could tell you more, but as my own wardrobe is mostly composed of black clothing, I’m going to leave this color as an exercise for the reader.

Champagne

I’m mentioning this vital color for two reasons. One: I look like crap in white and so ivory, champagne, whatever, is my best option for trying to look innocent. Not like anyone buys it anyway. Two: it’s the color of vanilla-scented candles, which are on the short list of reasons why this is a cool planet to live on. Put a vanilla bean in your sugar bowl.

Oh, and girls! Buy some pearls. Your grandmother knew about pearls, even if many of us have forgotten, and have caught the delusion that somehow diamonds are more important. It’s crap. Diamonds are the junkyard of stones, collecting every stray bit of energy that comes through their life and they can’t be cleared. But pearls, well, get enough strands of them so that you can feel their weight (cheapest method: gem show, buy a hank, string them yourself). Drape them on yourself, and you will know you are woman. Guys, by all means do this when you’re wanting to access your feminine side. But beware, they will bring up fonts of estrogen you didn’t know you had!

White

They say white contains all the colors together. Visualizing white light is a tree-hugging crystal freak cliché, but you know, it works. For healing, protection, and clarity, see that clear, bright, almost bluish light of a halogen bulb or clear sunlight on a brilliant day.

It’s also a reflection of the truth that all of life is a hologram, every part contains the whole, every individual is connected to all of the cosmos. The Akashic records are always available, and in every moment it is possible for you to know everything you need to. Practice believing that there is no separation. Even if you only pull it off for a moment. We are all one, the light of each soul shines brightly if we only choose to see.

Bathe yourself in moonlight. Put a jug of water outside at the full moon, and drink the essence of lunar wisdom. Know that everything happens in its own rhythm and in its own time. Know that the only guarantee is that all life is learning love, and that we will all find that loving union in time.

White is your canvas. Draw on it what you will, and harm none.

Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Author: Ryan Hatcher

How often, as energy workers, are we told that negative energy is ‘bad’? “Cleanse it of all negative energy!” “It’s been tainted by negative energy.” “I can feel a lot of negativity here” and so on. Personally I feel this use of the word ‘negative’ to be wrong.

Let’s look at the word negative, and then you might see what I’m getting at. The word negative is the opposite of the word positive. In terms of physics, negativity is a description of a charge, such as positively charged particles and negatively charged particles (protons and electrons respectively) . The poles of a battery are labeled + and – or positive and negative. However, as energy workers we generally consider ‘negative’ to mean ‘bad’, ‘harmful’ and, in an extreme, ‘evil’.

Does this mean that half of a battery is evil? Or since electricity is a flow of electrons and so has a negative charge, does that mean electricity is inherently evil? Well…no, if we think about it, they’re not inherently bad, harmful or evil, although electricity can be harmful if it is misused, like any other energy.

If we look to the Far East, we can look at the ideas of positive and negative from a more spiritual perspective. What I refer to is the concept of Yin and Yang from Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine. Yang, roughly meaning Sun, is positive, masculine overt and open in Chinese. In the Taijitu (the typical Yin-Yang symbol) , Yang is represented by the white section. The concept of Yang energy is that of active, dynamic, masculine aspects, the sun and fire are forces associated with Yang as well as the God principle. Yang is the positive side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine the Yang part of our body is the right side of our body. There are also Yang organs in the body, associated with active and energizing attributes. Yang is the energy within us that drives us forward, is our passion, and keeps us energized. But if we have too much Yang in our lives, we can end up feeling hyperactive, aggressive, suffer insomnia and eventually burn ourselves out.

Yin is roughly translated as shade, moon, feminine, negative, lunar and hidden in Chinese. In the Taijitu, the black section represents Yin. The concept of Yin energy is that of the passive, stillness and the feminine. The moon and water are forces associated with Yin, as well as emotions, intuition and the Goddess principle. Yin is the negative side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine, the Yin part of our body is the left side of our body and, as with Yang, there are Yin organs in the body associated with passive, fluid attributes. It is the serenity within us that keeps us calm, allows us to sit and just observe the world around us, are the deep waters of our mind and keep us grounded. However, too much Yin in our lives leaves us feeling lethargic, depressed, lonely and alienated, suffering from hypersomnia and getting nowhere in life.

A balance between the two is imperative to be able to experience life to the fullest and to feel as present in the now as is possible for us as human beings at that moment. The Yin and Yang, together in the Taijitu, are inseparably linked, entwined together to form the whole, the perfect and infinite circle. One cannot exist without the other, just as a shadow cannot exist without a source of light. Also, if we look at the Taijitu we can see that the individual Yin and Yang parts contain a part of the opposite. This shows that opposites exist within everything and the importance of a balanced polarity.

There, polarity, that is the point I’m trying to aim for. Is it possible, looking at the Yin-Yang model to see negative as inherently bad as we have done for so long? If we did, it would mean that everything feminine, including the Goddess, would be bad, harmful and possibly inherently evil. I’m sure no one has any intention of doing that any time soon.

Positive and negative, light and dark. They are just opposites in the balance of polarity and have no sense of moral right or wrong, any more than do the poles of the aforementioned battery or the north and south poles of a compass, or even the earth. They’re just opposites of the same force.

So what do I propose we use instead of the word negative? Personally, I use the words ‘impure’, ‘unclean’ and ‘harmful’ when it comes to describing unwanted energy because that is really what we’re talking about isn’t it? Unwanted energy. Unwanted because it is harmful, impure and unclean. It is the energy that taints our work and our tools, whereas simply ‘negative’ energy could in fact be beneficial, providing a feminine aspect to our tools and working, and thus providing that balance of polarity which is what paganism and ‘the great work’ is supposed to be all about: unifying opposites to create a balanced whole.

Sometimes I feel that, though we understand thoughts and words have power, we still need to choose our thoughts and words more carefully when working directly with the energies of the universe. We need to make sure we know exactly what it is we are asking and that the words we use match our intention and directed will. The universe has a cruel, and sometimes ironic sense of humor (for a non-corporeal, non-specific entity anyway) , and sometimes you get what you’ve asked for, and if you’ve asked using the wrong words, then you’re likely to get a nasty surprise!

So from this moment I ask that we are all more mindful of the words we choose to use, both in our day-to-day lives as well as in our magical lives. Doing so we may just find things flow in the way we want them to and we can each live a happier, more peaceful existence.

Blessed be

Footnotes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijitu

Today’s Affirmation, Thought & Meditation for Tuesday, Feb. 21

Tuesday Pictures, Images, Comments, Graphics
Today’s Affirmation

To be a good friend to myself I will, without harshness, see the truth about myself, no matter how difficult or beautiful this truth may be.

 

Today’s Thought

“He who knows other is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”

Lao Tzu (c. 604 – 531 BCE)

 

Today’s Meditation

The House of the Self

Close your eyes and visualize the exterior of a house. In your mind enter the house and explore the interior from the basement to the attic. As you look around notice the colours, style and overall atmosphere of each room. After examining each room thoroughly, open your eyes and draw what  you have seen. Reflect on the meaning of your house as a metaphor for yourself.  What understanding of yourself can you glean from this exploratory visualization?

9 Feng Shui Ways to Enhance Your Wealth

9 Feng Shui Ways to Enhance Your Wealth

  • Erica Sofrina

By Erica Sofrina, Author of the book Small Changes, Dynamic Results! Feng Shui for the Western World.

Welcome to my series on how to locate and enhance the nine key Feng Shui energy centers of your home. In this article I will show you how to identify and activate the area that corresponds to your wealth and prosperity.

Feng Shui has many practical applications that are logical, simple and even obvious, of which I have written many articles about. The more mysterious and esoteric part of Feng Shui is the study of the Bagua. This wisdom comes from the I Ching, or The Book of Changes.

The ancient Feng Shui masters felt there were certain parts of the home that corresponded to key areas of the lives of its occupants. By working with these energy centers you could A- identify what was going on in that area of your life, and B- enhance it by putting objects there that would encourage the chi (energy) to become activated.

The I Ching is a profound and esoteric study in its self, and has been used over the centuries as a method of divining right action. It incorporates both yin and yang expressions and is used to study and contemplate the process of change and inner development.

The portion that relates to Feng Shui has to do with charting the nine energy centers of your home by using what is called the Bagua Map.

By learning how to work with and identify these energy centers in our homes, we can become conscious co-creators of our lives.

Bagua translated means eight trigrams. These trigrams refer to important areas of our lives such as wealth, health, love, career, self-cultivation, fame, creativity, helpful people, etc. In this article I will talk about how to locate and activate and enhance the wealth area of the Bagua.

Wealth and Prosperity Defined

The trigram connected to wealth and prosperity in the I Ching is called SUN. It is about the deep roots of financial stability and calm security in terms of one’s personal wealth. A key component is gratefulness; being grateful before as well as after the money comes. It is not about fast money but the slow, steady, honest accumulation of wealth, along with the things we truly value in life. It is not about making the monthly bills (this is connected to the Health and Family area) but the abundance of prosperity, such as luxury items, vacations, those seminars you have been dying to take, and anything that is a want rather than a necessity.

 

Nine Suggestions to Enhance Your Wealth Area

Once you locate the wealth area of your home (directions below), take a look at what is happening there. Is this where there is a lot of clutter, or where the junk closet resides? Perhaps it is in a dingy bathroom or missing all together from the Bagua of your home? (this is addressed in the Bagua lay-out section)

Feng Shui teaches that the outer environment will always reflect our inner environment. By cleaning it up, clearing it out, making it beautiful and adding the enhancers, you activate this area of the Bagua and thus the extra money area of your life is activated as well.

Environmental affirmations are objects we put into our space that either reflects something we want to bring into our lives, or keep there. Use these environmental affirmations to vitalize the wealth area of your home once you have taken care of the ‘splinters’ such as clutter, broken things, missing areas, etc.

Here are nine suggestions of objects you can add to your wealth area that will activate the chi:

  • Items that call in the Chi (energy)
  • Inspiring Art and other items that depict the things we want to bring into our lives in terms of wealth. An example might be a favorite picture of Tuscany if you wants to travel there, the tropical paradise picture for a much-desired Hawaiian vacation.
  • Quotes and affirmations pertaining to wealth written in present tense, as if it is true now!
  • Fountains, waterfalls and water features or pictures of flowing water. (Flowing water represents money in Feng Shui)
  • Articles you love that you might have paid a lot of money for, i.e., a favorite vase, coin collection, jewelry or artwork. (Or items that look like you paid a lot for them!)
  • Healthy plants with shiny, round coin-shaped leaves such as jade plants.
  • Personal wealth symbols reflective of your own taste and culture. (If you are not Chinese, symbols from your own culture may have a deeper meaning rather than Chinese coins, gold fish or ‘lucky bamboo’)
  • Objects in purples, reds and greens symbolizing wealth and money. Purple Amethysts and crystals are wonderful wealth chi enhancers. Add purple accessories, colors and fabrics to this area, provided you like the color purple* (Purple includes plum, lavender, lapis blues, etc.)
  • Create vision boards and collages depicting the objects you want to bring into your life in terms of wealth. * Note: never put anything into your space that you do not love just because a Feng Shui book or article told you to do so! The goal of Feng Shui is to create a living space that feeds your soul and uplifts your spirits. Objects you don’t love will have the opposite effect. The more personal the objects are to you, the more chi they will generate.

How to Put the Bagua Map onto your Home and Identify your Wealth Area

Here are step-by-step instructions for how to put the Bagua Map onto the floor plan of you home and locate your personal wealth energy center:

1. Draw a sketch of the floor plan of your space. This should be the birds-eye view as if you are looking down on it. Include all built-on decks, stairways and attached garages.

2. Draw a square or rectangle over the floor plan in the shape of the Bagua map. All of the areas of the home need to be within the square or rectangle. If your home is an irregular shape, still draw the rectangle or square around it.

3. Stand at the front door with the map perpendicular to the floor with the Entrance Quadrant touching your stomach. This will tell you the direction to overlay the Bagua map onto the floor plan of your home.

4. Now divide your home with the Bagua map overlaid on it in nine equal sections. This will identify for you where all of the key nine areas are of your home are. The wealth area will always be the far left quadrant of the home and the Love and Marriage the far right section, etc.

5. If your home is not a rectangle or square, you may be missing areas of the Bagua. If this is the case, you can do a mini-Bagua for each room of your home and enhance the wealth corner of each room. Treat the main entrance to the room like you would the front door of the home and lay the Bagua accordingly.This energetically brings back into the space the missing area.

6. If you have more than one floor of your home, what ever is below is above. You do not turn the Bagua differently for each floor. In which case you may have more than one wealth area, the same rules of enhancement apply to all areas!

Daily Feng Shui Tip for Jan. 13th

Today I want to marry two different energies in the hopes of achieving one single and loving result. It’s both ‘Rubber Ducky Day’ and ‘Make A Dream Come True Day’ and if your dream is to find the perfect partner, then a ducky or two can actually do exactly that. According to Feng Shui, Mandarin ducks have long been traditional symbols of love, specifically signifying romance, fidelity, and loyalty. These ducks mate for life and are always seen as loving and loyal pairs. Therefore, the symbols of ducks are often used to help single folks find partners and marital bliss. Positioned near their owners, these ducks are said to emit such a strong love Shi that the owner will then become more attractive, especially to potential partners. To activate more romance luck by using Mandarin ducks you should display a pair in the Romance area of the main floor or bedroom, or even put a pair in that same space in the living or dining room areas. Birds of a feather might stick together, but two ducks will bring a life-long partner to help you feather your own nest!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for January 12th

I’ve discovered that today’s energies celebrate the ‘Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day.’ Now, in the case that you’re a single gal and not experiencing your own feast of fabulously wild men, it’s time to take matters into your own hands so that one of them will soon be holding yours. First, some Feng Shui basics. Paint the walls of your bedroom a shade of pink, coral or salmon. For single women looking to partner up, using these colors in the bedroom is believed to quickly reel in those fabulous men. Wearing two rose quartz bracelets on the left arm will do the same thing. Lastly, put an image of two pink peonies immediately outside and to the left your bedroom door (as you’re looking into the room) in order to plant strong intentions for love to bring a bloom to your cheeks. Any one of these fast Feng Shui cures can shift energies over to the engaging side, but doing all of them will have them rolling in the aisles, or at very least, watching you walking down one!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for January 5

Let’s look at some fast Feng Shui facts about the lasting blessings that birds can bring on this ‘National Bird Day.’ According to Feng Shui, all birds actually represent the celestial phoenix; a bird that can crash and burn and then transform itself so it can tell the story again. The ability of the phoenix to rise from the ashes makes this bird a universal symbol of hope, optimism, and possibility. Placing images of any bird (especially the phoenix) into the Fame area of your home will open doors of opportunity that helpful people, places and things will fly right through. And if you’re looking for love, using birds in the bedroom will give that effort wings as well. Birds are excellent love energizers since they are believed to be the magical messengers sent from the ‘God of Marriage’ who lives in the moon. In this case, the phoenix is also the best bird image to use for all romantic pursuits. This philosophy maintains that pairing an image of the phoenix with the all-powerful dragon and positioning it in the Romance/Relationship area of your bedroom will activate one of the most powerful marriage symbols in the entire Feng Shui pantheon. Pairs of lovebirds, mandarin ducks, geese and magpies placed inside this same space can make your heart (and a special someone else’s) take flight. So if you’re ready for your love life to soar, feather your love nest with a pair of partridges and the next carol you’ll be singing will have you and your partner sitting in a real ‘pair’ tree!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for January 2nd

The energies of today’s ‘Run It Up the Flagpole And See if Anyone Salutes Day’ invite you to create your own Feng Shui flags that will both increase the flow of abundance in your life, and dispel chronic or temporary life problems. That’s something to raise the flag about, don’t you think? These ‘Six True Color’ flags are a powerful yet secret cure that purportedly draws its power from the potent Om Mani Padme Hum Buddhist mantra. Each of the words of that mantra relates to a specific color, the same white, red, yellow, green, blue and black that you will use when you construct your flags. Your flags can be any size but should all strive to be the same size. You can use fabric or colored paper, and your flagpoles can also be made from anything, from bamboo to popsicle sticks. Attach one color per pole and arrange the flags in the specific color sequence mentioned above. Repeat or recite the mantra aloud and over the flags to bless and activate them before arranging them on your desk (in a cupholder perhaps?) or in the Wealth area of your home or office. If you decide to use this rarely disclosed Feng Shui cure, then in keeping with the energies of the day, I salute you!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for January 1

Happy New Year! And just to make sure that this is your happiest year yet, let’s start it by employing some tried and true Feng Shui that guarantees happiness! First move 27 things around your living space today. This might be a bit harder than it sounds, but this single cure promises an easier existence once you get all that good mojo moving. On this day wear red in order to bring a bright and sunny future and don’t forget to put away the knives and the scissors to keep from cutting off your future fortunes. Don’t cry, speak of the past or cut your hair. Pay down a debt, give some money away without condition or recognition and eat some sort of round foods in order to make the most of the magical manifestations open to you on this one day! Happy New Year, indeed!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui for the New Year

Feng Shui for the New Year

  • Betsy Stang

A new year is like a new doorway. A new year offers a new chance to bring who we truly are into manifestation. Each turn of the wheel has its wisdom. What does the wisdom of the New Year hold for you? Your home? Are there obstacles in your way?

In the Northern Hemisphere the New Year follows shortly after winter solstice, the time of year with the longest night, the time of the Great Yin, the Dark Feminine, when the energy of all growing things goes deepest into the ground. We are each given this time to dream of what we might become as the light and growth return.

In the ancient Chinese traditions this is the time of K’un—The Receptive, Earth

The Receptive brings about sublime success,
Furthering through the perseverance of a mare.
If the superior man undertakes something and tries to lead,
He goes astray;
But if he follows, he finds guidance.
It is favorable to find friends in the west and south,
To forego friends in the east and north.
Quiet perseverance brings good fortune.

The elements of spring are sleeping in the dark with the bears and moles and many other animals. In Native American traditions this is a time for dreaming, storytelling, coming together as community and of contacting the spirits of the Earth.

This is not a time to reach outside for answers, but to go deep within.
As we go in, we notice.

Notice your home. What patterns are outmoded? Where are the obstacles to your realization of self? Look at piles of what is not being used. Is there a tool, a skill you have, clothing, computers, cameras that you no longer use? Are they outmoded? Will you use their gifts? If not they need to move along, so give those possessions away. If you are not willing to pass them along, then use them.

Do you have old obligations and debts you have not dealt with? It’s time to clear them too, at least begin to gather the information you will need. It is not possible to truly move into prosperity and abundance, until you are in full integrity with yourself.

All traditions celebrate this time as new birth and the return of sun from its journey to the southern hemisphere. Be gentle with your new beginnings they are infants and need to be nourished until the sap starts to flow in early February.

Make small movements. Allow yourself quiet time. Listen. Clear, clean, restage resting and work places of your life. And bring sustainable light into the time of dark.

In the new year, as you sit cozy in your home, remember there are always those who are cold and hungry or in the dark. Can you pass along something you no longer need to someone who may need it more? Not just people, the animals need your help now too. Can you find a way to share your wisdom and prosperity with those who have no voice? The ancient Chinese masters said: “Feed the Earth, feed the fish and the birds and your world will be abundant.”

May you be a steward of the earth and have a new year full of abundance and joy.

—The Rev. Betsy Stang

Daily Feng Shui Tip for December 22

On ‘National Regifting Day’ remember that anything you receive that once belonged to someone else, no matter for how long, needs to be cleansed and cleared of what Feng Shui calls ‘predecessor energy.’ This applies even if you’re the one doing the re-gifting. Just light a sage smudge stick or some sandalwood or frankincense incense. Let them burn for a few seconds and then blow them out before using the smoke to help clear away any and all other energies. Now the gift is good as new. Well, almost.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for December 21

Seeing that it’s both ‘National Flashlight Day’ and ‘Look On The Bright Side Day,’ and that Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights, started yesterday, I was sensing a theme here! Never mind that it’s also the day of the Winter Solstice, a time of increasing light while awaiting the arrival of the ‘Son/Sun.’ And speaking of good lighting, Feng Shui says that if you want to increase the odds of having excellent career opportunities come right to your door that you should change out the light bulbs in both your front hallway and outside the front door. These lights should now reflect the highest wattage that you can find and should also be kept on for a successive three hours every day for three, nine or 27 days straight when you are looking to pump up your income, or secure a new one. I illuminate a red light outside of my front door for the entire day whenever I am in my home office conducting business. I also leave the front hallway lights on and turn them off when my workday is done. Considering how much energy is devoted to brightening your day today, I hope this ages old philosophical enlightenment helps light up your life as well!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Beat Holiday Blues with Feng Shui

Beat Holiday Blues with Feng Shui

  • Erica Sofrina

One of my favorite fall rituals is to fill my trunk with an abundance of the multicolored, unusually shaped pumpkins and gourds that richly grace the Half Moon Bay, N. California coast side where I reside. I especially love the lime- green and tangerine ones with exotic curly handles. I throw in handfuls of dry, crackly autumn-colored corn and drive happily home where I arrange them artfully around a haystack on my front porch.

Inside I arrange a bountiful ‘horn of plenty’ with the smaller multicolored gourds and mini-pumpkins along with the acorns, dry corn and colorful autumn leaves I have collected.

This is my celebration into fall. I don’t really feel it has arrived until I greedily scoop up nature and feature it prominently in my home.

The Chinese art of Feng Shui emphasizes the importance of bringing nature into our living space, which is called the Five Elements Theory. This is the part of Feng Shui that I have found the most powerful when working with my clients, and the part that I most enjoy teaching to my students. I think it must be because this teaching is so intuitive and simple, yet transformational.

As human beings we are connected to 100,000 generations of ancestors who lived in the natural world. It is embedded into our DNA to feel a deep sense of balance and well being in nature. Studies have shown that people become depressed, lethargic and unproductive when deprived of it. We don’t need science to prove the joyousness we feel sinking our feet into white sands while watching a magnificent sunset. We experience it healing our soul and nurturing our spirit.

 

One powerful way to remedy winter blues is to work with balancing the elements that begin to diminish during the fall and winter seasons. In working with the Feng Shui five elements of fire, earth, metal, water and wood, we work with the controlling and the nurturing cycles. When we have too much of an element we control it by bringing in the element that is stronger. An example would be the element of earth which we would enhance in order to control the element of water. When we have too little of an element we can nurture it with the element that feeds it, such as the element of wood which will strengthen and feed the element of fire.

By bringing into our homes more of the elements of fire (red), wood (green) and earth (gold) during the colder months, we overcome the abundance of the water element and bring them back into balance. Because we are deeply affected by our physical surroundings, our physical bodies come back into balance as well. As a result depression and lethargy often naturally lifts.

It was no surprise to me to discover that our ancestors had been decorating in this same fashion for centuries. As creatures of comfort we will always try to bring our environment into alignment. In so doing they were naturally balancing these seasonal imbalances.

My favorite winter ritual is to fill my trunk with large branches from the unclaimed fir trees and berry bushes around my home. I give them their seasonal ‘haircut’ and into my trunk they go. That evening, I put on my favorite holiday music and immerse myself in the creative process of adorning my home with these bountiful earthy treasures.

Always preferring to save a Christmas tree, I create my own ‘greener’ recycled version and adorn a tall vase with pine boughs with twinkly white lights, shiny gold balls, strings of red cranberries and my collection of small unique ornaments. I cover the mantle with pungent greens, red poinsettias, strands of magical white lights and shimmering silver and gold ribbons. A cherished Angel holds the place of honor at the center Every tabletop gets a unique variation on this theme creating a sense of interest and visual surprise everywhere the eye rests.

I encourage you to play, create, feel and experience the objects, textures, smells and magic of nature. Bring it into your homes in abundance during this time and especially emphasize the more earthy, woody and fiery aspects. It will replenish your soul and create a deep sense of joy and well being within you, making the fall and winter a magical cozy and happy time to be in your home.

Your comments are always welcome. Tell me how you bring nature into your home during the holidays.

Enjoy!

Your Feng Shui Consultant in Nature

Your Feng Shui Consultant in Nature

  • Annie B. Bond

To some, the concept that everything is alive and has intelligence may be foreign, but I have learned that the wisdom of Nature itself can guide people through every aspect of aligning their homes and office spaces with the purpose of the property.

We can access our own feng shui consultant in Nature Herself. She can guide us very specifically as to how to best align with Her for harmony and balance. Read more:

Feng shui means “wind and water” — aligning with the forces of nature. Instead of trying to dominate and control Nature, we learn to come into contact with Her as a co-creative partner, and elicit and respect Her wisdom.

Feng shui has long held to the notion of what has been referred to as the “Spirit of Place.” That spirit of place is a consciousness and as such is accessible and able to lend its wisdom to help us to live in harmony with the earth at that specific location. If asked, Nature will give us instructions that are specific and tailored to each situation about how best to live in harmony with Her. Through a direct connection and communication with the spirit of Nature itself, we have access to the original “author” of the various feng shui texts. Sometimes we forget that feng shui, and the Indian counterpart, Vastu are an art of divination. If not from Nature, then from whom do they divine?

This co-creative potential with nature has been demonstrated by many such as MacHaelle Small Wright in the gardens of Perelandra who, working with the spirit of nature of the gardens, demonstrated miraculous events such as insects who left crops alone and stayed instead only in the areas designated for them. There is also the now famous example of the magical gardens of Findhorn, where 40 pound cabbages grown in the sandy soil of Scotland defied conventional wisdom; by contacting the intelligence and consciousness of Nature itself, the gardeners gained a direct wisdom of how to proceed. Similarly, we hear stories of Luther Burbank teaching cacti and roses to grow without thorns simply by communicating with the consciousness of the plants themselves.

In the larger context of the Re-emergence of the Feminine principle upon the planet, we are really talking about re-uniting with an aspect of ourselves as Creators, with the aspect of ourselves reflected in Nature. We have thought of Nature as separated from ourselves for so long that many will find it difficult to think of it as anything other than foreign. However, it is the Shakti to our divine Shiva nature. When working together, as co-creative partners, magic happens! We interact with nature spirits in everything we do all day long, known or unknown. The difference between the magician, the alchemist, the Shaman, is that they do it consciously. So, let the magic begin.

Feng Shui to Alleviate Anxiety

Feng Shui to Alleviate Anxiety

  • Jana, selected from Natural Solutions magazine

 

Anxiety escalates around the holidays as life’s frantic pace shifts into overdrive. Too much to do in too little time leaves you more susceptible to the telltale signs of anxiety such as headaches, muscle tension, insomnia, irritability, and even panic attacks. Looking for relief? You could follow the typical Western path, or you could try an option with considerably fewer side effects: The metaphor-rich design system called feng shui (pronounced fung shway).

Based on influencing the flow of qi (chi) or energy through your home and other aspects of your environment, feng shui principles align energy patterns with healing forces of nature. The result is a harmonious home that lays the foundation for emotional, spiritual, and physical health, says Brooklyn-based chakracologist (a term she’s coined) and feng shui expert Nancy SantoPietro.

“The feng shui of your home mirrors your life and health back to you in an objective, tangible way,” says SantoPietro, author of Feng Shui and Health: The Anatomy of a Home (Three Rivers Press, 2002). Survey your abode. Do clutter and chaos reign supreme? If so, your home’s feng shui may reflect the emotional, spiritual, and physical issues contributing to anxiety. But according to SantoPietro, by correcting the energy flow in your intimate living space, you can dismantle anxiety supported by unhealthy energy patterns and design layouts.

Use these feng shui tips to make your home an anxiety-free zone.

Repair all electrical systems. “Electricity runs through the wires of your home much like qi runs through the meridians of your body. When your home’s electrical system breaks down, it interferes with your energy flow and ability to stay focused, clear, and calm,” SantoPietro explains. Avoid energy clogs or leaks by repairing or replacing worn wires, blown light bulbs, and faulty outlets.

Clear away clutter. Clutter stagnates energy, both in your environment and in you. Entranceways are particularly important, SantoPietro notes, as they set the tone for the feng shui throughout your home. Keep them clear and unrestricted.

Reduce bedroom energy. “Remove electrical sources such as TVs, computers, and LED clock radios from your bedroom because they leak radiation, depress immunity, and interfere with sleep,” urges SantoPietro. The bedroom is meant for rejuvenation, renewal, and intimacy.

Just add color. “White decor deflects life force and thus neutralizes feelings,” SantoPietro says, “but decorate with color and you’ll invoke it. Any time I evaluate a home with all white decor, I know that someone in that house is not dealing with something.” And avoiding feelings often leads to anxiety.

Herbs, Yoga and Feng Shui for Sleep

Herbs, Yoga and Feng Shui for Sleep

  • Mel, selected from Natural Solutions magazine

By Jennifer Lang, Natural Solutions

Americans spend billions on prescription sleep aids each year, even though the drugs produce a number of unwanted side effects. Natural sleep remedies, on the other hand, are generally side effect-free. For the most part, they help you fall and stay in deep sleep without relying on sedatives. And because they’re muscle relaxants, they also help alleviate pain and may even improve libido. Some to consider:

L-theanine, an amino acid (protein) derived from green tea, improves deep sleep and helps people maintain a calm alertness during the day. It also plays a role in the formation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter that’s critical for sleep. Take 50 to 200 mg at bedtime; L-theanine can also be used for daytime anxiety.

Hops reduce hot flashes in menopausal women, studies show, and they also reduce anxiety and help muscles relax enough for you to fall asleep. Take 30 to 120 mg at bedtime. Often used in combination with valerian and lemon balm, hops have to be dried to have any medicinal effect–the hops in beer, however tasty, provide no sleep benefit.

Passionflower (Passiflora) is an herb commonly used as a calming agent. Take 90 to 360 mg at bedtime.

Valerian helps reduce the time it takes you to fall asleep and improves the quality of sleep you get–without next-day sedation. Take 200 to 800 mg at bedtime. (Valerian causes wakefulness in some people; if that’s the case for you, take it during the day to reduce overall anxiety.)

5HTP (hydroxytryptophan) is what your body uses to make sleep-inducing serotonin. One downside: It can take up to six weeks to start working. Take 200 to 400 mg at bedtime. If you also take serotonin-raising medications (for example, antidepressants), make sure your holistic practitioner supervises the use of the 5HTP to keep serotonin levels from going too high.

Melatonin retrains your circadian rhythm so you become sleepy when the lights dim and wake up more alert at morning light. Take 3 mg at bedtime for three nights and gradually increase to 6 mg if necessary. Melatonin is not recommended for teens, however.

How Yoga Helps Insomnia
�Most insomnia has to do with �restless mind syndrome,�� says Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, a physical therapist and author of Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times (Rodmell Press, 1995). Because the mind is always spinning, you need to do something physical to allow the central nervous system to come into balance. This quiets the mind and lets the parasympathetic nervous system dominate while you sleep�crucial for the body to restore. Three poses to help you drift off–and stay asleep:

Before bed: Savasana
This is the gold ring of relaxation poses, says Lasater, because there’s no stretching at all. Lie down on the floor with a blanket folded under your head and neck, another blanket rolled under your knees, a soft cloth over your eyes, and a blanket to cover your body. Stay in the pose for 15 to 20 minutes or longer if possible. Use a breathing practice with a long, slow inhale and a slightly elongated exhalation; the exhale helps stimulate parasympathetic nervous�system dominance, prompting your body to go into “rest and repair” mode.

Can�t fall asleep? Halasana
Also known as Plough Pose, this legs-over-head pose is especially helpful if you have trouble winding down. A modification: Lay on the floor and rest your thighs on a padded chair, so thighs and shins are parallel to the floor.

For midnight awakenings: Side-Lying Savasana
“Side-Lying Savasana is a position of emotional comfort,” says Lasater. “It’s great when you feel exhausted and overwhelmed, pulled in all directions.” Lie on your left side and put a pillow or bolster under your right knee, right arm, belly, and head so you feel completely supported.

 

Feng Shui for Fostering Sleep
The ancient art of feng shui seeks to maximize the flow of life force energy, or qi, through environments, homes, and other structures. Five guidelines to set your bedroom up for good sleep:

• Place your bed diagonally across the room from the entrance, so you can lie in it and still have a full view of anyone entering.

• Try not to position your bed so you look directly through other doorways (to the bathroom or closet, for instance). If that’s unavoidable, shut the door at night.

• Don’t set up your bed directly beneath a window, otherwise you�ll lose vital energy during the night.

• Keep clutter to a minimum; it can agitate the flow of energy in the room.

• Add objects that help stimulate the movement of qi, such as mirrors, plants, and stones or statues, and remove overstimulating items, such as the stereo, computer, and TV.

Five Elements Charm

Five Elements Charm

 
 
If you prefer, try this Feng Shui-style elemental charm for consecrating and blessing your natural magickal workspace.
 
Repeat three times; the closing line is already worked into this charm.
 
“For some, there are five elements of magickal power,
Come metal, wood, fire, water and earth, in this hour.
Positive energy will flow, and darkness does now flee.
Bless this Witch’s home, with the power of positive chi.”
 
“Cottage Witchery”

Natural Magick for Hearth and Home
Ellen Dugan

Your Daily Feng Shui Tip for December 11th

You know what I like to say: If you got ’em, go ahead and light ’em, especially since tomorrow is ‘World Candle Lighting Day.’ Candles constitute a powerful tool in the Feng Shui pantheon, especially if you use nine red ones in the Fame sector. Located in the back, middle or center back of your main floor, the Fame area is singularly aligned with the Feng Shui fire element. This arena additionally relates to your future as well as your progression through life. This energy also influences promotions that you receive, as well as any enlightenment, recognition or rewards. The gold standard for this location is to place nine (the number associated with fame) red (the color associated with this area) candles into this space and then light them whenever you feel the need to create some steady movement in your career or to propel your promotion into some serious upward mobility. There’s no need for the candles to burn all the way down, and simply allowing the wick to engage the wax while you fire up your intentions to boost your career and speed enlightenment will do the proverbial trick. So get lit on ‘World Candle Lighting Day.’ You’ll be happy that you did!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip of the Day for Decembe 8th

If you decide that right around now is the perfect time to start celebrating the holidays with a design and decor theme, then be sure to use lots of green in your celebratory color scheme. Long considered a ‘healing’ color (hence its use in hospitals and other health-related environs), this color is also called ‘cooling’ by Feng Shui while also helping to offset the heat that can be created by all the red that we see at this time of year. Other worldwide cultural traditions say that green promotes peace, while evergreen is believed to be able to absorb any sad, conflicted or negative vibes that might be hanging around the house. If you want peace, prosperity and a whole lot of harmony during days that can use a heaping helping of all, just get with the zeitgeist and Go Green. It’s really not nearly as hard as Kermit makes it out to be!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip of the Day for December 7th

While all the kids are writing theirs to Santa, you might want to take advantage of ‘Write A Letter Day’ as well. Feng Shui says that you can address this letter to a being or a powerful presence that you believe in, and that you should also ask for a gift that you would like to see come present in your life. You’re highly encouraged to clearly and plainly spell out what you want. Then put that letter away for exactly 49 days. This philosophy says that you must detach from the outcome but not before imbuing them with pink light from your heart and telling those words how much you love them and thank them for making your dreams come true. Remember that gratitude and acting ‘as if’ are both critical components for manifesting this effort. Write your letter today as your wish in the Universe’s command, especially when those words are written in letter form to a deity, god, goddess, guru, saint, Ascended Master, angel or avatar that you faithfully believe will hear and answer you. Santa Schmanta, today you’re writing a letter that your Higher Power will check twice, and that’s pretty darn nice!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com