Black Turtle Feng Shui

Wealth in the East in December?

Maybe along with a star in the east on Christmas Day, you can enjoy increased prosperity by lighting candles in the east during the month of December. For the idea behind activating monthly wealth energy, read my previous blog, "Feng Shui Wealth Tip for November 2010", then transfer any candles-or possibly use strings of holiday lights-to the east part of your home until January 5, 2011. 

As we talked about earlier, check your feng shui chart (if you have one), and don't do this if there are 5's or 2's in the east part of your home. It is best to activate 8's and 9's with fire. If you don't have a chart and are experimenting with this, pay attention to the results and discontinue using the candles if you experience negative things rather than increased prosperity. Inadvertently activating a 2 can bring illness; activating a 5 can bring injuries, accidents, or other trouble.        

On January 6, the monthly wealth qi moves to the southeast, so do check your chart or try again in that sector of your home.

Then in early February, on Chinese New Year, we can all celebrate as the yearly wealth energy will be released from the center of all structures and become usable again. 2011 promises to be a more prosperous year for all thanks to this. That will be reason to celebrate.

 

Feng Shui Tidings of Comfort and Joy

 
 
 

With Thanksgiving behind us-maybe with the exception of the leftovers-it's time to deck the halls. The lights, gatherings, and warmth bring comfort in winter, that most yin season of dark and cold. 

From a feng shui perspective, there are a few things to keep in mind as you decorate and cozy up your winter nest. 

For many, the holidays are more stressful than joyful. The way we decorate might contribute to that. Red is prominently used in Christmas decorating, and is also a strong activator for earth qi. As two of the three earth energies present in every home are negative when activated, all the red may cause trouble, not joy.

If you have a feng shui chart for your home, limit red, candles, and strings of lights in areas with 2's and 5's. They are best used in areas with 8's. If you do not have a chart, and have traditionally decorated with red, you and your family may be inadvertently inviting depression, argumentativeness, or stress.  

A solution is to use gold, silver, yellow, and cream colors rather than red. They represent metal, the most used remedy in feng shui. If you do not have a chart, using metal colors may bring relief from negative earth qi. You may actually find your circumstances have improved when using these colors, or round shapes, in your decorating. If so, consider incorporating metal more permanently into your decor after the holidays.  

Where to put the Christmas tree? They look beautiful in windows from inside and out. They also function as virtual mountains in feng shui. They will make the health and relationship qi stronger in a window, and decrease the influence of the active qi that governs wealth. Whether a tree is good or not in a particular window depends on the energies present there. Since it will make relationship qi stronger, if that influence is good, you are on your way to making merry. If the relationship qi is a negative influence at that window, you might be inviting Scrooge for the holidays.

In a similar way, a tree might either block positive prosperity energy, or prevent negative financial influences. Without a chart, just watch what happens after the tree goes up, and consider making adjustments if you notice negative things happening.

The colors blue and green are not strong feng shui activators, so feel free to incorporate them wherever you wish in holiday decorating.

Now that I have made holiday decorating seem more fraught with hazard than ho, ho ho-God rest ye, merry gentlemen (and women)-beauty is qi. Above all, enjoy the lights and colors and warmth of the season in every way. Happy holidays!

Feng Shui Wealth Tip For November 2010

Light a candle in the southwest...maybe.

A review of my home's feng shui chart in October showed that monthly wealth energy was in my bedroom. The other energies there were compatable with it. Because fire is a qi activator, I experimented with lighting a candle in the room as often as possible, when I was able to be nearby to keep an eye on it.

By the end of the month, more wealth was flowing. Several unexpected financial opportunities came up. 

Since then, the powerful monthly wealth energy has moved to the southwest, but I am NOT lighting candles in the southwest in my home in November. The other energies in the southwest in my home are not ones I want to activate with fire. Fire might trigger accidents and trouble, not prosperity.

If you have had your home's feng shui chart done, try lighting candles for wealth in the southwest until early in December only if there are no 2's or 5's present. If you do not have a chart, try this with caution. Light candles in the southwest to increase wealth, but stop immediately if you experience negative events rather than better financial results.

Knowing your chart is important because no two homes are the same. Classical feng shui does not rely on your front door for orientation. The "southwest" is the actual direction, not a "corner" based on its relationship to your front door. 

And please, don't keep candles lit in your bedroom while sleeping. Not only is this not safe with candles in general-always monitor candles-the active qi will interfere with your sleep.

The direction for monthly wealth changes in early December. Stay tuned for an update. Monthly energies for prosperity carry greater importance until early February 2011. Then a yearly as well as a monthly prosperity direction will be posted here.    

       

 

      

On Omens

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an omen as "an occurance or phenomenon believed to portend a future event". Some related words are "forerunner, harbinger, herald, precurser".

An simple example of an omen is the folk saying "Red sky at night, sailor's delight"; a portent of good weather to come. We tend to look for omens, or towards help from less-than-rational means when circumstances bring nothing rational and useful to hand. An example is wearing your lucky shirt to a sporting event-the last time you wore it, your team won, so why not? Or maybe you'll pick up a coin you spot while walking, for good luck.

There are simple ways to seek omens. One is to just close your eyes while standing in front of a window with a question in mind, then opening your eyes and seeing what your eyes are drawn to. Or walking in a bookstore randomly until you feel drawn to a book, picking it up, and only then reading the title and learning what it's about.   

An omen is something that occurs naturally that becomes infused with significance. A bird, a bug, a tree, can become symbols with ties to one's life. The universe is delighted to share these discoveries with us. Everyone meets with omens from time to time. 

The Yijing is an omen system; the lines, diagrams, and stories are formally paired omens of the sort that occur in natural life. The oracle is packed with images of trees, plants growing, thunder, streams, lakes, and all manner of things very naturally seen along a life's path. Instead of taking a walk to see what you may see, throwing the coins is an alternative that scatters unmistakable omens in front of you.

After considering your question and tossing the coins, you receive an encounter with omens. This leads to experiencing synchronicity and seeming coincidence in a deeply personal, meaningful way. A Yijing reading can be a key to new insight.

 

 

 

   

 

Where to Put the Desk

We last talked about favorable and unfavorable bed placement. When you are arranging an office, another space one often spends much time in, the same sort of reasoning applies. These are tips for where to put your desk.

Your back should be against a solid wall when you sit at a desk. The wall gives support. There will not be support for management, even in the corner executive suite with the windows, if the manager sits with his or her back to a window. 

Sit facing the door. You will be astonished at how much more powerful it feels to face the door rather than have your back to it if you haven't tried this arrangement. Psychologically, there is some unease about not being able to see who might be entering. 

Some artists gather their muse by facing a window to see the view outside when creating, even if that means their back is to the door. If you work in a cubicle, there is often no choice. If for any reason you must have your back to the door while you work, use a mirror positioned so you can see the door in it without turning your head. Convex mirrors are really useful for this.

 
  
You can also use this knowledge at conference tables. In a meeting, the person in the command position will face the door, sit at the head of the table, and not have her back to a window. Try to sit in a power spot at your next meeting, or just notice who sits where, and how it affects the group dynamics.

Knowing your gua number, or the element that represents you based on your birth year, informs you about your best and worst directions. This is helpful for desk placement or for arranging furnituture in any room you spend a lot of time in. There is a caution. This is just one facet of classical feng shui. Sitting in a good direction in a room with negative qi will not overcome all, but good placement of desks, beds, and other furniture will always make you feel better.

 

Where To Put The Bed

Ashevillians who have visited my booth at The Downtown Market (South French Broad Avenue, next to Amazing Savings) know I was giving away free furniture placement tips until the brochures ran out. They also know I have promised to post these same tips. If you've been looking for this, or even if you haven't, it's time to keep my promise.

Generally speaking, we spend a third of our lives sleeping. How you place your bed in your bedroom is important for a good night's sleep. These are the important things to remember:

Place the head of the bed against a solid wall. You should be able to see the door from the bed without getting up and twisting to see it. The bed should not be placed on a diagonal or directly under a window. Your energtic support comes from the wall behind you.

Don't put the bed lengthwise between the door and a window, or between two windows. This is too active an energy path to sleep in. If you can help it, don't place the bed on the same wall as the door; and don't sleep under exposed beams.

 
 
Sometimes there is only one place to put a bed in a bedroom, and that place may not be favorable. Here's what to do if this is the case for you. 

If you must put the headboard on a door wall, place a mirror somewhere across from the door. The idea is that you will be able to see the door from the bed in the mirror without turning. If the door opens broadside onto the bed, put a screen of some sort between the door and the bed, then use a mirror to allow you to see the door from the bed.

For best sleep, bedrooms shoud be yin rooms. Keep colors and decor quiet and soothing. Draw the curtains or the shades at night.  

Using these tips will help you get your zzzz's. Even better, also learn your favorable and unfavorable directions, then incorporate a favorable direction into your bed placement. You can learn your directions free at my booth, or send your birthdate in an email to donna@blackturlefengshui.com. I will email information describing your directions, and the personality traits for people with your birth date, for just $5.00.     

Look for desk placement in the next post. Sweet dreams.

  

Fellowship With Men

Fellowship With Men is the title of the Yijing's Hexagram 13. The yin and yang lines are an image of fire under heaven. Heaven means strength, endurance, and The Creative, while fire means clarity, enlightenment, and human consciousness. The clarity here comes from within a group or gathering of people. Their strength is based on their common, universal goals rather than on individuals each serving their own interests. It means sharing and agreeing, not simply mingling.

"Heaven and fire combine: This is Fellowship with People."

This hexagram was my answer when I asked Yi what to write about today. The truest meaning of the hexagram is about creating harmony and peace among people, not about assuming these things will come into existence without effort. It is about discovering our commonalities among our many differences, and finding the place where all fit in.

This was an interesting answer, since I spent some time this morning turning over the thought of creating or organizing a venue for readers, healers and seekers of all kinds here in Asheville, NC. My thought was a monthly (or other timing?) group or gathering for not just Yijing readings, but for all who have gifts to share. This could be Reiki, massage, energy healing, Tarot, or other body, mind and spirit offerings. There could be information available about specific groups or places to learn or practice meditation, or Tai Chi, or yoga. There are so many resources and gifted people here.  

This thought is just a seed right now. The rest of the text of Hexagram 13 follows naturally with the concept.  

"People in harmony in the wilds: Creating success.

Harvest in crossing the great river."

The "wilds" here are open ways, beyond the usual mental and physical boundaries that limit us. Creating harmony in the wilds is about coming togther on neutral ground to expand concepts about collective human potential. Exposure to different traditions and ways of knowing can spark greater awareness of our common humanity and our shared goals.

"Crossing the great river" means having the courage to step outside of the comforting familiar and to embrace the unknown. To find something greater than the sum of its parts. To find reasons for inclusion rather than exclusion of others. To create Fellowship With Men.

Here's to this seed finding fertile ground in Asheville. I seek your comments, suggestions, and interest.   

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Numinous Black Turtle

You have seen Chinese coins. They are round, with a square hole in the center. The circular shape of the coin represents heaven. Squares represent earth. Maybe they were modeled after turtle shells, also round on the top and square on the bottom-earth under the heavens, united. A turtle is a symbol for inviting the blessings of both. 

Before the written word, Ancient Chinese diviners used turtle shells as oracles. They made cuts in the shells, heated them, then interpreted the patterns of the resulting cracks. 

The Big Dipper, twenty eight constellations, and the sun and moon are an integral part of the elegant entirety of Chinese metaphysics. A group of seven northern constellations carries the name Black Turtle.

A primary arrangement of the numbers one through nine, the qi numbers used in classical feng shui, is called the Luoshu, or Magic Square of Three. Much more than a template for feng shui, the luoshu is a cosmogram of the world order. It was central to the development of Chinese mathematical, scientific, and philosophic development. Legend says this numerical arrangement was a gift to Yu the Great, the founder of China's first dynasty. This gift came to him as markings on the back of a giant turtle.

Steven Karcher, Yijing scholar and depth psychologist, refers to "The Numinous Turtle" in his writings.  Numinous means mysterious and spiritual-full of divinity. 

Add in that a Black Turtle is the name of a protective landform in feng shui, and there you have the resonance of meaning in Black Turtle Feng Shui's name.

Chinese metaphysics aside, turtles are the world's oldest vertebrate animals. There are creation myths about the world being carried on the back of a turtle; some cultures associate it with female energies (the primal mother); and it has long been a symbol of Mother Earth, longevity, and groundedness in life.  

Celebrate the turtle! 

   

Yijing-Your Ally In Times of Change

The old saying “Change is the only constant,” has never seemed truer. It is also the very basis of ancient Chinese thought. This philosophy is very relevant in these challenging, rapidly changing times.  

Fortunately, there are two constants. For 3,000 years, the Yijing (formerly spelled I Ching) has offered sage personal  advice about moving through change with grace.

 

What The Yi Can Do For You

The Yijing is also called the Oracle. Simply put, it answers questions. A demonstration of how it works seemed like the best introduction, so I asked Yi what to say to you here. The answer? Hexagram 64, Not Yet Crossing. It is a metaphor for crossing a great stream; for the voyage of life.

Not Yet Crossing means being on the verge of an important change; about to launch a plan or overcome an obstacle. There are great possibilities ahead. Potential is simply the difference between what could be and what is. Now is the time to gather your energy and resources to successfully cross the great stream.

That described you, with your plans and obstacles. The Yi (for short) is your resource. It describes itself as a well of pure water; the wise source of advice for meeting with changes of all kinds.

 

Whatever questions you may have about changes in your life-whether about family and relationships, money, career, personal growth, or choices you're facing-you can ask Yi. Your answer will be rich in imagery, contain personal meaning about potential directions, and uncover possible new ways of seeing your situation.  

 

Not at all a parlor game or fortune-teller (in the sense that you won't be told to expect an unexpected check or something similar), the Yijing is a divination tool for thinking people. What is YOUR question?

 

Black Turtle and Yi

 

I bought my first translation, Hua-Ching Ni's "I Ching-The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth" six years ago for its explanations of energy cycles and other Chinese metaphysical theory. I have since developed my understanding of the book itself. After much work with it, and after building a library of translations, I am pleased to offer Yijing readings as a new Black Turtle service. 

The Yi and feng shui go hand in hand. Where you live and work has deep influences on a third of your life. What you DO also greatly matters. Your attitudes and actions most certainly have direct influence on the unfolding of events. The Yi connects us to a source of wisdom designed and cherished as a guide towards finding beneficial paths in all life situations. 

Read more about the Yijing on my website- http://blackturtlefengshui.com Best qi!

 

 

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Reaching Home

Some people have an uncanny knack for finding homes and spaces that suit them to a tee. It has been  fascinating as a practitioner to encounter these places. For example, healers and mothers make good use of the star combination 2-1, though it can lead to sickness for others. Now when I create a chart for a massage therapist, healer, or in one instance, for a mom who does day care in her home, I am no longer surprised to find the combination present.It seems to be there for them more often than not, yet I rarely find it in the homes or businesses of others.

I recently did audits for a gentle couple's home and business. They are massage and Reiki therapists. The 2-1 was present in both places. The charts were similar to an almost unbelievable degree, with a lot of general harmony and good health influences in their most-used spaces. 

They sought audits to help boost prosperity, and no wonder. The business did not give access to the ruling water star for wealth, and their home barely did. Rather than being attracted by money, they were drawn to places that resonated with what most matters to them-peace and healing energy.

We were able to boost the prosperity of both, with good result at last report. Healers need to pay their bills, too.

In another couple's home, the musician husband's practice room/man-cave had a combination that usually brings trouble. For most, I would have recommended metal remedies and avoiding using the room actively. For him, it was no big deal. A powerful cure for the combination is music, and he had a lot of music going on. 

There has been a trend noted that can backfire when people choose homes. People tend to fall in love with a home when the mountain star at the entrance matches their gua number. This can happen even when the home has a chart that is unsuitable for the person, or has more negative influences than usual. It is always a good idea to know the chart of a home or apartment you want to purchase or rent before you commit.

One's ming gua, by the way, is determined by birth date. It is one of the five elements. Audits take your gua into consideration, because what is personally suitable for a fire person, say, may not be as auspicious for a metal person. This will be a topic for another day.