So, this is my Tiger. Gonna try and paint her for the “year of the tiger”. Already the month seems to be very ‘busy’. Tigers are an active bunch, especially if they have a ‘purpose’. More on that later. February is a really good time to Feng Shui your environment. Expand your thinking on how to use (your) space. It’s important.
Namaste.
How aware are you of what you are feeling in your body when you walk into a house/office/building/room?
Today’s movement to declutter our homes/live has it’s roots in feng shui which is not the same thing as interior decoration or artistic design with an Asian flavor. Feng Shui is much, much more than a pleasing appearance. When properly understood feng shui is a methodology for creating harmony, balance, prosperity, health, & an elevated consciousness of environment and self.
Every culture on the planet has their own spiritual tradition of connecting buildings & man-made structures with nature and the cosmos. The idea that we are affected by our surrounding is universal. As above, so below and so it goes.
(In India, vaastu shastra was practiced. Their spatial map looks like this. (Geomancy & sacred geometry are both related fields that have their roots more in western culture. The medicine wheel might be the way native americans lined themselves up with the cosmos, which is the original intention of all of these disciplines, to align oneself with that which is greater as represented by sun, moon and all the planets in the night sky.)
These chinese characters, wind and water, are the characters used to describe Feng Shui. (Just remember, when we begin to translate from language to language, a lot of translation gets lost; just one of life’s paradoxes)
In today’s culture, feng shui is showing up as an offshoot of interior design/decoration, and it can be a great reason to give in to ‘shopping’ addictions. Awareness is a key element in knowing what is really needed. Some people regard feng shui as folk art, old wive’s tales, or magical actions time-fully performed in affect our lives, and there’s certainly an organic truth to everything you’ve heard.
Feng Shui provides the map for us to see ourselves in relationship to others and the greater whole of our communities. It’s intention is to bring peace, love, & happiness to all who enter upon the space. And, where there is peace, love & happiness, there you will also find prosperity, health, & joy.
I became interested in feng shui, per se, in the late 80’s. Previously I had studied architecture & interior design in college. At the same time I was working as a real estate agent which enabled me to see thousands of homes & businesses…although with a different focus. My right brain began to relate to my left brain in new ways and I began to understand how different surroundings impact our lives in significant ways, and that we could change our lives with some simple ‘cures’. Feng Shui became a tool for self-discovery as well as practice that kept me grounded and stable through difficult times. Another awakening occurred when I discovered the role that astrology plays in determining auspicious design & placement.
The compass school of feng shui makes specific use of astrological information.The practitioners used a luopan which was placed in the home in alignment with the birth information of the head of the family…..usually the father.
With the advent of the computer, we are now able to create personalized maps of the planetary locations for anywhere and any time on earth. When these maps are placed in your home/office/business it is easy to see the ‘lines of energy’ radiate through physical space. From here, we can then apply ‘feng shui’ to mitigate, minimize, maximize, alter and adjust our interior spaces to take advantage of the movement of chi. The results are usually pretty immediate and impressive.
This is what a local space map looks like. You place it in the center of the space and work from there. (If you live more than 50 miles from your birth place then you need to recalculate the map for the current location.)
Of course you also need to be knowledgeable of all the other correlations and correspondances that are part of the astrological/feng shui vocabulary…..none of these techniques are as simple as they appear and one needs to be quite balanced with both information and intuition to make use of the data.
I like to think of feng shui as environmental acupuncture, or perhaps astro-ecology.
How you choose to define feng shui is a personal choice since Feng Shui can be either a noun or a verb.
The Yoga of Space….June 3, 4pm on Zoom. Go here:
As Above, So Below
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Most astrologers focus on time. The questions that begin with ‘when’ are innumerable. The ability to analyze the present moment, the past and the future using a natal horoscope reveals larger patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed.
In 1986 -ish I attended a weekend workshop in CT taught by Jim Lewis, the pioneer of what is today called Astro*Carto*Graphy. (Where you were born holds equal weight with when you were born You are the intersection of time, place, and DNA) This 3 day course was an amazing intellectual exercise with stimulating and provocative material. I soaked it up. But, unlike a natal (time) chart, the calculations necessary for a ACG map were impossible. I would have to be satisfied with theory. In 1989 astrological software became available. I immediately purchased a computer and the proprietary software that had just been released.
Theory could be tested now, first hand. I calculated hundreds of maps & charts for myself, family, friends looking for the places on the planet that showed up in significant ways. All personal traveling became infused with curiosity. How would the planetary energies manifest in different locations. I’ve gathered up a few amazing stories over the years to illustrate my research. On April 9, the Astrological Society of Princeton will host a lecture on Sunday and I look forward to sharing my research there.
This May I will b
e spending 3 weeks, nearly a lunar cycle, on a ‘new’ line of my personal astromap, the paran of Saturn and Chiron . Looking around the globe I see that although I may have crossed this line a few times I ‘ve only crossed it and never spent much time there, not nearly enough to absorb/recognize the ‘energy/vibration/prana/chi’. Obviously I am in for a new experience.
Saturn lines aren’t necessarily fun places to spend time. Saturn’s influence is always serious, studious, and disciplined. Saturn doesn’t do anything easy. And, Saturn is slow. If Saturn stood alone at this Florida location I may not have chosen to visit there. But paran lines reflect a relationship between 2 planets, and in Salt Springs, FL and locales nearby, Saturn intersects with Chiron, and that combination is one I am cautiously curious to experience.
The nature of my visit there is Saturnian which bodes well for my stay at this newly established ashram with a world recognized Guru. I have volunteered for Seva there. It’s location on this particular line seems quite fortuitous and prescient. I’ll let you know more when I come back.
more to come
Chinese New Year is coming and it’s the year of the goat. I don’t practice that particular astrological system, but I do practice Chinese Feng Shui, just about everyday. It’s a gift to know where and how to make a small adjustment to tweak the movement of chi in my life. I am grateful. Feng shui has brought amazing and noticable results in my personal life and for my clients as well.
Feng Shui teaches us many things. Mostly, it teaches us how to look at the world outside of our personal selves and align with what is harmonious, peaceful, and beautiful. But, that’s probably not what’s in your mind as you gaze upon the bushels of unfolded laundry blocking the bathroom door….
In ancient times when a change appeared in the local landscape the feng shui master would be called in to interpret this *change* in the environment. Change precipitates change. It’s a universal truth. If we learn to look at our surroundings and the environment beyond our walls as a ‘story unfolding’ another perspective begins to reveal itself. The art of feng shui allows us to direct the flow of chi using intention, provided that the proper conditions for manifestation exist in the time/space location. The time element is revealed thru astrology.
Feng Shui is also about looking beyond our personal self to see things that go un-noticed. Un-noticed, not because they’re hard to see (which is possible), but un-noticed because we have probably become habituated or quite accustomed to the sight of what we’re looking at. We who live on coastlines and in cities are well aware of how important a feng shui perspective can be. But, I digress. Come to my workshop…..attract good fortune.
It’s been a while since I’ve written any feng shui posts. It’s a frequent topic for conversation in a couple of my hatha yoga classes. Go figure.
Yoga. Feng Shui. Well, yes….it does make sense.
Feng Shui is all about looking outside of us to see the things that usually go un-noticed. Un-noticed, not because they’re hard to see (which is possible), but un-noticed because we have probably become habituated or quite accustomed to the sight of what we’re looking at.
For instance, my garage roof is looking quite………………………….untidy.
It’s been that way ever since I’ve moved into the house. It doesn’t leak or create any problems…..it just looks a little messy. It has an old wooden roof, moss growing all over it, one shake at the top/center is missing and, the old white aluminum door is partially green from lack of sunlight. Last year I spent the entire spring/summer season cleaning out the inside which is now quite orderly, for me. My garage sits in the south east corner of my property, sometimes known as the “resource” gua. In terms of local space feng shui (astrology) the garage is on the line that represents the North Node. Hmm. That’s a tricky one to delineate.
Talented feng shui consultants are able to look at things like my garage and get a felt sense of where this untidiness or disorder is showing up in my life. It may or may not have a direct effect on those areas of my life symbolized by the placement of the garage. It’s possible that a different ‘polarity’ is being affected. It helps to have a clear mind when considering (con-sider: with the stars) all of the possibilities. HOW WE CHOOSE TO THINK about something we see affects the outcome. Yes? Of course.
Yoga is all about what is going on inside. What is present emotionally/mentally (especially on the unconscious level) when I look at my garage? Am I disturbed?
I kinda like it, actually. …….adds a bit of a rustic feeling to the plastic veneer of typical suburbia. Cleaning it out was a good thing, it created clear space for other things to happen…………and A LOT HAPPENED during that time of clean out. Perhaps I’ll tell the story someday.
For now, I think I’ll just go and pick up all the sticks and branches that have fallen around the yard over the past few windy days. It’s good to keep the clutter to a minimum. There’s a New Moon today at 18 degrees of Pisces. The sabian symbol is, “In a gigantic tent, villagers witness a spectacular performance”
Sun’s out!
Bye.
Woke up to the news of the large-scale earthquaking in Chile. No doubt there will be many, more events to come right up until April 22 (at the very least). as the alignment of the planets reminds us just who is Boss. Now, sit for a few moments and watch where your mind goes after reading that. Then, take a long, slow, deep breath.
Chant Om.
(Go to a yoga class and ask the teacher, “why om?”)
If I could sum up everything I’ve learned over the past few decades and reduce it down to 2 words, today those words would be:
Practice Kindness.
…more later. New Class starts today, 4:30pm. We’re gonna talk about Om.
I recently attended Gary Christian’s weekend workshop with the Astrological Society of Princeton I have a long history with this group and it was great to re-connect with other astrologers. Gary spoke as Gary speaks, I’ve heard him before, he is brilliant, and sometimes I understand him, and sometimes I don’t, and yesterday it all worked for me just fine! I am re-inspired to look at some old techniques, again, but for now in a new way.
Astrology continues to be the most reliable clock/map I’ve found. Divine guidance, as well as practical solutions are always available in the language of the cosmos. Astrology is real, it has been proven; it’s the astrologers that provoke our culture’s disrespect for the science/art. I agree with Gary on that point. Regardless, it was a wonderful feast for my hungry intellect and I am excited to feel my left brain wake up.
Anyway, ’tis true, from yet another source, that we are in-deed in-store for very, very, very, big change.
That said, it’s time to prepare for this weeks yoga classes. Jai bhagwan.
March 20 – INTERNATIONAL ASTROLOGY DAY
Can you see the nest? It’s brand new! The Feng Shui of it, is simply marvelous. I am grateful.
Whew. Well, it’s moved on now and no longer in the exact degree of eleven. Those of us who are sensitive to Pluto/Uranus can feel a slight sigh of relief.
During the mid-60’s Uranus and Pluto were about to merge, conjoin and initiate a cycle of Radical Change & Transformation. The last conjunction was in 1850 in Aries. But that was before we even knew that Pluto existed. The 1960’s conjunction occurred in middle degrees of Virgo, and other things needed to change and transform. The cycle lasts approximately 138 years and the next conjunction is: Apr.24, 2104 in early Taurus which will display a different theme of Radical Change & Transformation.
One way to think about conjunctions is that they mark the beginnings of a cycle, and cycles begin ‘in the dark’. (ie. the new moon cannot be seen) The ‘dark’ symbolizes the state of being unconscious and can sometimes express itself with spontaneous and impulsive actions. But, not always. The events of the 60’s were just the ‘seedform’ of what will ultimately be seen in 2045 at the full phase of the current cycle.
Today, 2012-2015, the cycle reaches its 90 degree/first quarter aspect, a square. This is the “crisis-in-consciousness” point. I refer you to Buz Myers, Dane Rudyhar, Alexander Ruperti, Barbara Hand Clow. They were (and are still) some of my favorite teachers. Their writings and teachings on ‘the nature of a cycle’ are brilliant and resonate still today.
In 2221, Uranus and Pluto will be conjunct again…starting another new variation of Radical Change & Transformation. And again, in 2357. Radical Change & Transformation. You can mark your calendars. It’s that certain.
On May 24, 2013 Uranus and Pluto squared each other for the first of seven squares occurring between 2012-2015. At the very least, expect major events & global headlines.
Here are the dates for the other squares:
• June 24 2012
• September 19 2012
• November 1, 2013
• April 21, 2014
• December 15, 2014
• March 17, 2015
The current incarnation of astrologers are watching and documenting, and sharing what they see. And so am I. There’s much to learn.
Anything that involves Uranus and Pluto, involves me, personally.All the time. And, that fact has manifested in the timing of significant events in my life. Uranus and Pluto create incredible havoc when they’re together for everyone, and some of us get walloped personally, at the same time. We may become agents of Radical Change & Transformation. It’s hard to know how to prioritize things sometimes.
Anyway, this month in our ongoing series of Experiential Astrology & Yoga workshops, we’ll be working this current transit of Uranus & Pluto to decipher where in our lives is Radical Change & Transformation.
Prescription. Practice More Yoga. Meditate, Often.
Om Shanti, May All Beings Live in Peace.
Have you seen this video yet? OMG. It’s a must see. Words fail.
Stay safe, dear ones. Practice metta. Often.
