A Winter Wreath To Bless Your Home

“When something nourishes you and brings you joy, make room for it in your life.”

A tiny bell on the front door welcoming the owner into her home; a bird bath inviting wildlife to refresh their thirst while invoking Heaven’s help.
A mirror that moves
worry from a couple’s mind who are trying to conceive a child. These are not only decorative objects that
bring beauty but enchantments that light the way
for the Ch’i to enter and expand the home into wholeness. They transform the everyday into
the extraordinary and bring the bigger gifts of peace, success and happiness. And so it is with the holiday wreath.

In nearly every culture the front entry protects us from the outside. It is the entry to our sacred space.  It invites what we want into our homes.
What we place on our front door influences what enters our homes. In
Celtic traditions fresh garlands are hung around or just instead the
threshold. A winter
wreath is one type of garland and the circle is the key feature of a wreath. A winter wreath blesses, unites and insures harmony.
A winter wreath is a circle and the circle suggests inclusion,
enclosing our home with the sacred.

Natural wreaths have the most anima of the season. Autumn leaves with hops, nuts and gourds; bittersweet or dried rose hips make beautiful fall
wreaths.
Winter Solstice and Christmas wreaths are generally made with evergreens. Conifers and evergreens lend their ongoing vitality and so
we are casting a field of
protection during the cold winter months. Evergreens like pine, spruce and firs represent eternal life and thought to
restore the sun made sick by the winter.

May the season of light lay a might blessing upon you.

A by-note: 25 -30 million real Christmas trees are sold and discarded in the United States every year. When an acre of trees are cut down, the daily
oxygen
needed for 18 people is destroyed. If you put up a live tree consider one of the following: rent a living tree that is delivered to your doorstep
in a pot. Or plant
a tree in your yard and on Christmas you can gather around the tree and celebrate with hot cider and songs.
(resource from Raeanne Rubenstein)

Do you have  a great relationship with your home, family, your job or partner but looking for something more to enhance your life? I would love
to help see your house with new eyes.  “Your House Is Talking” is a full consultation service and Feng Shui A La Carte offers a taste of
how Feng Shui can work
for you, Let’s chat.  503-232-2543 or bette@shenmenfengshui.com.

Feng Shui Design For Better Immune Health

“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control  what goes on inside.”
–Dr. Wayne Dyer

Staying healthy is a premium during this Covid-19 quarantine. Immune health isn’t necessarily a goal we connect with our homes but in reality our spaces are the barriers against illness. I have been contemplating what will be useful to you during this extraordinarily difficult time. I have curated ten adjustments and ceremonies (a qigong practice too) to help you minimize stress, strengthen your immune health and a Feng Shui tip for the front door to get clarity about what course of action to take.

Defense against stress
Over the past 20 years scientific studies have reported stress is the number one causes of illness besides inflammation. If you are working from home and if you are looking after your children, place three lush, green plants in every room where you work and also where you supervise your children. Plants enhance concentration, abate air toxicity, minimize tension, increase your immune health and lift your frame of mind.

Light the front entry (the brighter the better), both the outside and the inside of the front door. The front entrance represents your head besides your health, the light brings more clarity to your brain, helping you choose the right course of action to take.

Worried about the future? Adjust any dark small or narrow area near the front door or the door you enter often. Add sound here. Hang a bell on the door or a wind chime from the ceiling. Clean up any untidy plants at the front door.  Adjust the Helpful People area with a statue or an image of someone who is a mentor, teacher, someone you highly respect. It can also be an image of a deity. If a statue of a deity make sure it is up off the floor. Or place an image or statue of a dragon, (not red, that is a cooked dragon). They are mythical creatures who have benevolent intent to help humans. 

Lost your job during this time? Check to see if one of your doors, particularly the front door opens to a wall. This is known as a contrary door. Your shoulders may be starting to weigh upon your heart and lungs, depleting your pulmonary system, weakening your ability to ward off virus and illnesses. Adjust this feature by hanging a mirror (be sure not to cut off the top of your head nor chin) on the wall that you see as you enter. This wakes up your Ch’i .

SARS outbreak of 2003, scientists discovered the infectious disease spread like wildfire throughout an apartment complex via the sewage pipes. Clean your sewage pipes. If you live in an apartment building contact your landlord.

Harmonize Your Energy
Dried orange peels were used for centuries in ancient China. They were an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. Perform a ceremony with nine whole oranges. Cut nine circles out of each orange for a total of 81 circles. Break those down on a plate and while doing so see the light of 10,000 Buddhas being infused into the peels. Start at your front door and walk around your home (either clockwise or counter clockwise) casting the peels onto the floor. Visualize the light of 10,000 Buddhas is removing any sick Ch’i, bad luck Ch’i and bankruptcy Ch’i, instead happy Ch’i, wealth Ch’i and abundant blessings have come to nest in your home. Best to do this at 11:00 p.m.

Acrid odors have been used in China for centuries to stave off illness. Hang one of the following in your space. Be sure it is visible to everyone. You are adjusting by the sense of smell.
Cloves of garlic
Curry, dill or duren
Garlic chives
Red pepper
Raw onions
Orange peel

Besides cleansing your surfaces, take the opportunity to cleanse your lymphatic system. “This system builds immune health by making special white blood cells called lymphocytes that produce antibodies which are responsible for immune responses that defend the body against disease.” (Unity Point) Tai Chi Forest qigong shares a calming, clarifying short video on tapping the lymphatic meridians. 

According to Thich Nhat Hanh, “a mantra is a magic formula that, once it is uttered, can entirely change a situation, our mind, our body or a person. But this magic formula must be spoken in a state of concentration-that is to say, a state in which body and mind are absolutely in a state of unity.” Tara is the “Mother of all the Buddhas” and she protects the welfare of all beings. Find an image of Red Tara to help you focus. Red Tara eats up illness. Her right eye reflects the sun and kills the virus. The left eye reflects the moon. An elixir pours out of her eyes healing those afflicted. As you face her she connects to your heart and the light sends to you comes from your heart and circles the planet. As you visualize the above, chant, “Om Tara Tuttare Ture Soha” 108 times.

Kindness matches the same vibration as abundance. Perform one good deed a day for 27 days or 9 good deeds a day for nine days to improve your luck and strengthen your cures.

I wish for you good health, peace and hope.

Allow me to help you arrange your home where you feel fully supported. I am available for a full consultation Service or for an hour telephone conversation. Details are at this link Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.