Feng Shui and Auspicious Planting

Indoors or outdoors, large or small, there is always somewhere in your home you can display the yang wood energy of trees, plants or flowers.  There are few things that can create such a feeling of auspicious, relaxing and uplifting energy as that of the natural world of plants.

Whether it is the gentle beauty of the magnolia tree or the plum blossom so auspicious in springtime; the pine tree and bamboo two symbols of longevity; they are all imbued with the powerful magic of nature.

If you plant a magnolia tree it is more auspicious to grow it in front of your home.  A single tree is sufficient to radiate its magnificent beauty when in full bloom. 

 

Succulents are usually associated with sharp and cutting leaves complete with spikes, such as those of the aloe plant and yet the jade plant with its round succulent leaves or the money plant with its heart-shaped leaves, are most auspicious in the practice of Feng Shui.  They are said to invite wealth and abundance and as with all succulents are so easy to care for.  The silver crown has spoon-shaped leaves with wavy edges and is the bringer of good luck and fortune to the family.

The jade plant, money plant and silver crown can be grown equally well both outdoors and indoors.

AUSPICIOUS FRUIT TREES

Together with the bamboo and the pine tree, the peach symbolises longevity in the practice of Feng Shui and its presence in the east of your garden will invite this positive energy into your home.   

During Chinese New Year celebrations the presence of the orange (Kum in Chinese-which translates as Gold), lime and lemon trees placed at the front of your home invite wealth, good fortune and prosperity to enter.

The apple signifies peace and family harmony and crystal images of the apple displayed in the centre of your home invites these feelings.

An apple tree in your garden will further enhance this for you with the added benefit of growing your own fruit.

AUSPICIOUS FLOWERS

One of the most auspicious flowers in the practice of Feng Shui is the beautiful yang peony.  It represents the essence of the female and springtime.  It is said that the peony will either grow or it will not in your garden.  If it grows it will become abundant and invite positive energy to your home.

If you have a daughter looking for love, growing this flower in the southwest of your garden is said to bring love opportunities into her life, particularly the red peony.

The chrysanthemum is a fun long-lasting pom-pom flower with vibrant colours.   The yellow chrysanthemum particularly is said to signify a life of ease.  The round-headed version is especially popular in the Far East.

The narcissus is said by the Chinese to symbolise great good fortune and they are a popular gift during Chinese New Year celebrations. 

The lily is a noble and upright bulb which has an auspicious scent and majestic appearance.  When in full bloom the lily indicates positive Feng Shui.

If you have a water feature in the east or southeast of your garden the lotus flower is a must-have addition.   It grows from the dark unseen depths and while its flower only lasts for a few days it invites an auspicious beauty to your garden. 

The lotus flower represents purity and a detachment from a specific desire or outcome.  It is associated with Buddha and its presence invites spiritual growth.

The orchid is a long-lasting flower associated with beauty, strength and refinement.    As a plant it can be difficult to maintain however if you give it plenty of care and attention it will reward you with eye-catching displays.  Their colour and flowers are varied and unique and each plant is stunningly beautiful and delicate in appearance.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

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Feng Shui and the Season of Spring

Well, Spring has sprung – at least in terms of the date on the calendar in the Northern Hemisphere!  You might be living somewhere that hasn’t quite got the memo yet.  

I have yet to see spring blossom in all its glory and beauty however I have seen daffodils in full bloom.  Definitely work in progress, I think.

All this being said this time of transition makes it a great time to do some planning, to look outside your four walls and decide how things are looking in the great outdoors.

Whether you have a garden at the front of your home with your very own ‘bright hall’ or not, there is always something you can do to welcome positive Chi into your home; to bring some vibrant natural energy into your space.

So how can you influence the quality of the energy entering your home or office?  How can you bring new, young and vibrant Chi indoors?

One important thing is to know the direction your home faces, as each direction has an influence on the type of Chi flowing. 

The North is influenced by Water first and Metal second; the Northeast and Southwest is influenced by Earth first and Fire second; the East and Southeast I influenced by Wood first and Water second; the South is influenced by Fire first and Wood second and the West and Northwest is influenced by Metal first and Earth second.

A north-facing front doors is probably one of the more challenging scenarios as it has a lack of direct sunlight reaching your door.  Having its main Chi influences in Water and Metal associates it immediately with winter, with cold and dark; and that is how it can look and feel if steps are not taken to brighten and lighten the space making it inviting and welcoming.

Despite the fact that Water and Fire are in conflict, light is essential in a north-facing garden.  The great thing is there are so many modern lighting options available.  Create a welcoming path towards your front door with metal and white lights.  A winding path slows down the movement of Chi and will convert it from fast and inauspicious Shar Chi into slow and auspicious Sheng Chi.  White, blue or purple flowers will inject positive Yang energy.  It is important to brighten your north-facing garden to inject some much needed warmth and ensure you are inviting the most auspicious Chi possible into your home.

Remember its all about harmony and balance and gardens are all about the Five Elements.  Its impossible to create an outdoor space without Earth as the starting point.  Trees, bushes and flowers all represent the element of Wood; Metal is naturally buried deep in the Earth and can be introduced in its own right with Metal lighting or Metal Water features. 

Fire and Water?  Well, even in a darker North-facing garden the brightness of the sun will have its influence.  To further brighten the area introducing lights both in the garden and on either side of your front door will invite a welcoming glow.  That’s the Fire taken care of.  Even if you don’t introduce a Water feature into your garden, early morning mist and the influence of rain will bring forth the Water element to cleanse, refresh and sparkle.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

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Feng Shui and Astrological Animals

Your personal animal sign is the animal of the year, the animal ‘in residence’ during your year of birth.  It represents only 25% of your Four Pillars of Destiny Chart; the Four Pillars signifying your Hour, Day, Month and Year of birth.  It does not immediately reveal your characteristics or how you approach life.

Each of the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals can combine or conflict with another and their relationship has little bearing on Feng Shui practice.  

The ‘conflict’ animals are directly opposite one another around the compass.  They are always both Yin or both Yang such as the Yang Rat in N2 (352.5⁰-7.5⁰) and the Yang Horse in S2 (172.5⁰-187.5⁰).  Even though it is suggested in Feng Shui that conflict animals will not get on, their relationship is based more on Four Pillars of Destiny readings than Feng Shui.  The type of relationship they will experience is therefore determined at birth and whether they appear together in a Four Pillars Chart.

The animals who have a ‘combination’ relationship are:-

Yang Animal Allies         

Dog-Horse-Tiger                              Earth-Fire-Wood

Dragon-Rat-Monkey                      Earth-Water-Metal

Yin Animal Allies            

Boar-Rabbit-Sheep                        Water-Wood-Earth

Ox-Rooster-Snake                          Earth-Metal-Fire

In your Four Pillars of Destiny the remaining three pillars; month, day and hour; have one of the 12 Astrological Animals present in what is known as the Earthly Branches.   

If you know your personal Kua number and you discover your Chinese Astrological animal is housed in a sector deemed ‘inauspicious’ for you based on the Personal Eight Mansions of Feng Shui how do you deal with this?

Without delving too deeply, your Chinese Astrological Animal sign signifies the energies prevailing at the time of your birth.  It therefore has a stronger impact on your life. 

Depending on the Feng Shui Formula you practice, it is important to ensure you know the Lo-Shu numbers in the location of your animal sign.  In Flying Star Feng Shui for example knowing the annual and the monthly numbers residing with your animal sign you can take precautions, enhance or enjoy the benefits of these numbers.

As an example:  the annual number 1 water star returns to its original home in the north during 2013 and in March it is joined by the number 6 metal star.  This is great news for those born in the Year of the Rat (N2) as ‘1’ signifies wealth from career and ‘6’ signifies help from mentors and heaven; they also combine in the productive cycle of the Five Elements  as Metal creates Water.  Definitely a month for the Rat born to benefit.

Ensure that the 15⁰ sector relating to your animal sign is kept clear, clean, bright and auspicious at all times.

Decorate it with something that reflects its element or place the image of your Astrological Animal here so you never forget where it is. 

(In the case of the Yang Wood Tiger it is better not to place an image.  The Tiger does have a protective side in Feng Shui when it is kept under control by the mighty Dragon, but when allowed to roam free and become dominant it will revert to its naturally aggressive side.  Alternatively display a large strong growing plant, something that signifies the Yang Wood of the Tiger.)

Yang Wood Tiger and its position around the compass is NE3 (52.5-67.5.)  The Tiger will be particularly strong during the first month of Spring (February) when it is the animal of the month.  It is also strong between the hours of 03.00-04.59, its hours in the Chinese calendar, but unless you work nights this will have negligible effect on you.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

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Feng Shui and 12 Chinese Astrological Animals

Is there a link between Feng Shui and the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals?  We are not talking about the Dragon, Tiger, Phoenix and Turtle known as the celestial animals of Feng Shui.  The celestial animals are associated with the external landscape and how it affects your living environment.

The Five Element Theory as well as the balance of Yin and Yang is fundamental to the effective practice of Feng Shui.  The productive, exhaustive and the destructive cycles of the Five Elements are a vital tool in determining the good, the bad and the ugly in your environment and your home.  Yin and Yang is what creates balance in an ideal situation.

On an individual level the Personal Eight Mansions from which you can calculate your personal Kua Number based on your year of birth also has Elements associated with it.  You have four good and four bad directions each with an Element.

The 12 Astrological Animals have elements associated with them together with either a Yin or a Yang aspect.

Each one of the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals resides in a 15⁰ sector around the compass.  Well that only covers 180⁰ in total so how does it work?  Do they follow consecutively around the compass?    

The Later Heaven arrangement of the Pa Kua (the eight-sided  symbol synonymous with Feng Shui) moves in a cyclical, seasonal pattern. 

The third month of each season is the transition point between seasons.  As an example; we are now in the Spring season in the Northern Hemisphere.  The Chinese solar calendar runs from 4 February each year making February the first month of Spring.  It also represents the Yang half of the Wood Element.  The Chinese Astrological Animal associated with February is Yang Tiger and its position around the compass is NE3 (52.5-67.5.) March signifies the Yin half of Wood and its animal is the Yin Rabbit.  Its home is E2 (82.5-97.5.)  April is another Yang month, the month of the Yang Dragon (112.5-127.5) but this time it is the Yang month of Earth; it is the transition month between Spring and the first month of Summer in May. 

There are four seasons and 12 Astrological Animals.  Two Wood (Yang Tiger and Yin Rabbit), two Fire (Yin Snake and Yang Horse), two Metal (Yang Monkey and Yin Rooster) and two Water (Yin Boar and Yang Rat.)  The four Earth elements sub-dividing each season are the two Yang (Dragon and Dog) and two Yin (Sheep and Ox) giving a total of 12.

To make it easier to follow, the two Yang Earth Animals are directly opposite each other on the compass (Dragon 112.5-127.5 and Dog 292.5-307.5) and the two Yin Earth Animals are directly opposite one another on the compass (Sheep 202.5-217.5 and Ox 22.5-37.5.)

So how else do the animals impact on Feng Shui?  Although termed ‘hours’ by the Chinese their hours translate as two Western hours.  Each of these 12 'hours' is identified by one of the animals, as follows:

11.00-00.59         Rat        

01.00-02.59         Ox

03.00-04.59         Tiger

05.00-06.59         Rabbit

07.00-08.59         Dragon

09.00-10.59         Snake

11.00-12.59         Horse   

13.00.14.59         Goat

15.00-16.59         Monkey

17.00-18.59         Rooster

19.00-20.59         Dog

21.00-22.59         Pig

These hours have an influence on Chinese Astrology when calculating your birth chart. 

So while the practice of Feng Shui and the study of Chinese Astrology are independent and they stand alone; just like the Five Elements and Yin/Yang they are complementary and can be used together to enhance your life in a more complete and balanced way.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

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