Happy Thanksgiving, with gratitude and best wishes from Feng Shui Design

Japanese Maple fall foliage
Japanese Maple 10-18

Some wise attitudes on gratitude

I wake up at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day.
Kahlil Gibran

Gratitude can take a negative and turn it into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.
Unknown

If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize that nothing is lacking, the world belongs to you.
Lao Tzu

IF we thanked God for the good things, there wouldn’t be time to weep over the bad.
Yiddish proverb

Feng Shui is Placement that extends to our Placement in Time

Some last words on the Earth Dog year, 2018.
Fire spreading over the mountain

As the year of the Dog winds down and we look forward to the Pig starting February 4th, the key words for this 2018 year jump out — Fire over the Mountain. Literally this phrase is unfortunately true and still blazing in our hearts and minds. California and other western areas are experiencing record forest fires and the dreadful aftermath — losing their homes, some even losing their lives. Master Sang predicted this combination for the year 2018 as a dangerous sign for fire-related disasters such as earthquakes, forest fires or terrorist bombings. Exactly how the energy manifests and its intensity is the variable factor. It was dramatic this year.

In Feng Shui and Chinese astrology there are the five elements – water, wood, fire, earth, metal. There are certain aspects and interactions that take place at certain times. We can predict in general what might happen, but the details, the individual results can vary in how they manifest. Professor Lin talked about the multi-factors that enter into every decision. In Feng Shui, we take into account all information available and weigh each possibility and prioritize their importance before we come up with a recommendation. We are looking for the best possible solution in our space. In retrospect we can best see how certain aspects and timing affects us.

Our place in time, the phases of the Sun and Moon are important, not only for the crops (Farmers’ Almanac) but also for our activities. For example, when the Moon is new, that is a good time to start new projects. Your ideas and momentum will grow more quickly under a new Moon. A full Moon is an important time to finish up projects. It’s a time to complete activities so they don’t linger in our minds or houses unfinished causing minor chaos or stress.

Western astrology can add another dimension to timing. We’ve been looking at that in our lunar calendar for decades now. When the planet Mercury goes retrograde, it is a time for reflection, not action, in communication and technology. Eclipses have a longer lasting effect than do regular full and new moons. Here’s the upcoming calendar.

LUNAR CALENDAR

November

16 – Mercury goes retrograde
22nd – Thanksgiving
23rd – Full Moon

December

3rd – Hanukkah
6th – Mercury goes direct
7th – New Moon
22nd – Full Moon
25th – Christmas

January 2019

1st – Happy New Year
5th – Solar Eclipse/New Moon
21st – Lunar Eclipse/ Full Moon

February

4th – New Moon
5th – Happy Chinese New Year of the Earth Pig
18th – Presidents’ day
19th – Full Moon


New Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

The twelve Year Cycle of the twelve Chinese Animals

The year of the Earth Pig begins February 5th, and ends January 25th, 2020.
Nothing stays the same. Change happens. So it is with the earth’s energies. The earth moves and energy shifts with it. We want to take advantage of the positive energy locations, correct imbalances and cure negative areas so our luck will be strong. In Asia feng shui masters change the location of elements in a building or room to balance the shift. Unlucky areas may be sealed off and others reopened with the area is desirable again. Weeks before the next year, furniture, plants and accessories are rearranged to accommodate the new energies for the year.

In this country, feng shui is not generally done to this extent. However, many of you have finished all of your permanent adjustments that were recommended at your initial consultation and are ready to include temporary cures to take advantage of new opportunities. The new 2019 cures will be available for the asking after Thanksgiving.


Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin

Wishing you a houseful of joy and blessings this holiday season.

Sincerely, Pam