Happy New Year of the Wooden Horse 2014

2014

Gong Hei Fat Choy from Feng Shui Design

two_horses

The I.M Chait Gallery and Art Auction has some great Chinese art and objects like the horses above.

The Year of the Wooden Horse 2014

The horse is a very energetic animal so be prepared for a very active, eventful year. Horses have a very strong sense of the yin and the yang so be prepared for gender issues and a focus on relationships in 2014. This horse is not the wooden decoy of ancient Troy. No men will be jumping out of it, but it will be a very interesting year with surprises.

This is a year good for scholarly and creative pursuits. The entertainment industry will have many highlights and low lights. Real estate and property investments can go one step forward and two steps back. Be wise, be informed. Political leaders can be vulnerable and transportation disasters could happen so, as always, caution is advised. Overall,it looks like a good year. It also looks good for the animal signs:

“Ram and mare – an auspicious pair”
Good year for Ram – any animal sign that wishes to improve her/his luck this year should carry a charm of a ram/goat.

Ox, Rats, Hares/Rabbits and Roosters should be cautious in forming major alliances this year unless they take precautions .Do your homework and it wouldn’t hurt to carry a Ram charm.
Dogs and Tigers will have an auspicious year. They are especially compatible and god friends with the horse.

Dragons Snakes, Monkey and Pigs will have a moderately successful year. It is said that if you keep a monkey in a horse barn, the horses will be well and not get sick.

“The white horse fears the Blue Ox” so Oxen should make friends with the Ram (carry a Ram charm) because the green horse seems to feel the same way.

The Rat opposes (six years away in the 12 animal signs) the Horse so either a Ram or both a dog and a tiger charm will help.

The Horse, of course, is sitting in the catbird seat and will have a significant or potentially life changing year.

ram charm    dog  tiger     horse_charms
ram charm, dog and tiger together, horse charms

Lunar Calendar for February

January 30 / 31st – New Moon and Chinese New Year
February 2nd – Ground Hog’s Day
February 6th – Mercury goes retrograde until February 28th
February 14th – Full Moon and Valentines Day – finish a project
March 1st – New Moon, start a new project

The Bedroom – a great place to be in February, the time of Hibernation and Valentine Romance

bedroom_monochrome
This Japanese Zen bedroom is uncluttered, calm and relaxing. The water (black) and the metal (white) are in harmony.

Having survived the cold harsh month of January we can look to Nature – feng shui’s role model – for guidance. We see that some smart animals have a great way of dealing with their cold, unbearable environment- they hibernate, bears hibernate, plants go dormant. While we humans don’t have that option, sleep can be a pleasant way to pass the time, restore our bodies, tune into our feelings and our “higher self” through dreams and meditation.

Winter hibernation = “Sleep is the highest form of happiness” *

Did you know that sleeping eight hours in a row is a relatively recent lifestyle? In history and literature there are many references to a “second sleep”. Perhaps age may play a factor but it is refreshing to know that others are sharing our insomnia and it may be more natural than we are lead to believe. If we embrace this notion and work with it, instead of against it (as we do in feng shui), we would definitely skip any unnatural foreign substances (sleeping pills) and make good use of the time we are awake during the night. We may be more in tune with the natural way than the more recent eight hour way.

thai_bedroom
This Thai bedroom would be cozy and warm and a place to restore our energy.- wood fuel (green/plants ) and fire energy (red)

* Here is a link to an excellent article from the BBC News Magazine February 22, 2012 that explores “The Myth of the Eight Hour Sleep” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783

Feng Shui Tips for a Better Bedroom Life

1. Bed Placement:

  • Place your bed so you can see the main entrance to your room (commanding position). You don’t want your chi (energy) to be interrupted or startled.
  • Keep your bed out of the direct line of the door. Too much energy is flowing directly toward you in this position. If you can’t avoid it, be sure to keep your door closed when you are in bed. Also — you can slow down the chi by putting a crystal or a barrier between your bed and the door.(The Chinese consider a bed with your feet in line with the door as bad luck because they carry the dead out the door feet first.
  • To gain more peace and power, put your bed towards the rear of the room — catty corner from the door, is best.
  • IF possible, put the bed in the direction that is best for you. (This is determined by your gender and the year you were born.)

2. Mirrors in the bedroom can confuse our spirits or subconscious energies when we sleep. You won’t sleep as well if you can see yourself in bed. Especially avoid having a mirror at the end of the bed.

3. Make the bedroom a relaxing place. Leave job or work related items such as computers and desks out of sight — preferably in another room or closed off by a screen. Bring only pleasurable items or recreational reading into the bedroom.

4. Reduce visual clutter and blockages. Make sure the energy flows easily and smoothly around the room and in the closets.

5. Remove “ghosts” of relationships past. Old love letters, ex’s slippers in the closet still have his/her energy and will inhibit bringing in a new relationship. For a fresh start or new beginnings invest in new linens and maybe even a new bed.

6. Colors – Use the relationship color pink to enhance the =
ch’i of bedroom walls, bedding or other accessories. You can “get lucky” with peach. Blues or greens are good colors for growing children’s rooms. White blankets are like Chinese shrouds. White sheets are okay.

7. For a healthier bedroom — keep electrical usage to a minimum. Make sure LED clocks are at least a foot away from your pillow. In your mind – take out the walls behind your bed. What is on the other side? The toilet? Do the power lines attach to the house behind the head of your bed? Electricity goes right through brick and dry wall. This could be hazardous to your health. Why risk it? You need to sleep in an electromagnet stress free zone. Don’t use electric blankets.

8. Green plants give off oxygen, use carbon dioxide and remove formaldehyde. Use them or bring in any element that is missing from your own energy field — as explained in your 4 pillars chart done by your feng shui consultant.

9. Don’t let wooden beams or soffits come between you and your bed partner. You don’t want beams to cut across your bodies either. If you can’t remove the beams, bamboo flutes can lift the oppressive energy off the beams.

Activate your Bedroom Energy with Feng Shui Energy Movers

The bedroom is the room where you are most receptive to feng shui enhancements

  • Multi -faceted crystal balls and hearts can energize dead space in your relationship corner.
  • Round mirrors put under your pillows promote understanding between partners and give insight.
  • A brass bell or wind chime (hung near the bedroom door so it will ring) will elevate your mood and will let you know when someone enters the room.
  • Stones, amethyst geodes, statues and pottery add stability to an unsettling situation in a relationship and can help you hold on to a spouse.
  • Small square silver box in the SW corner – put your description of the ideal partner for you inside the box.
  • Representations of couples – pairs of things, two items, pictures of couples.
  • Fragrances, incense, soft music, fabrics that feel good complete setting up a feeling for romance by appealing to all our senses.
  • For a more powerful result for your feng shui adjustments use the Three Secrets Reinforcements. (body, mind, speech ritual)

crystal heart

Good luck and Best Wishes for February. Spring begins next month.