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SEASONAL QI – THE NATURE OF AUTUMN
Feng Shui affects everyone – it can be very specific as in a home, office and a personal Feng Shui reading. And it is also universal, touching everybody in much the same way. Perhaps the most universal of the Feng Shui affects is what we call “seasonal qi”, being in tune with nature and how the changing seasons affect us.
We all live in the natural world and are ruled by nature. After all, we are a part of nature – every culture stems from people that were heavily affected by what was happening in the natural world – temperature, winds, rains, times for planting, harvesting and resting. Despite our technical, industrial societies that seem to be separate from the elements we are still profoundly tuned into nature. Nature has her cycles and since we are part of nature, we, too, have our cycles.
We are deep into autumn now. In most of the United States we celebrate with the pumpkins, gourds, outings to see the changing leaves and enjoying the coolness in the air. But we also have the internal cycles that we recognize as seasonal qi. It has a powerful effect on our lives even if we are not consciously aware of it.
Feng Shui consultants often make a big deal of the seasonal changes but seldom explain the why of it. It is not to decorate your home, although that is the fun part of it. It is to acknowledge and honor our connection to nature. To understand the seasonal qi helps us to live a life in tune with the natural cycles.
Autumn represents the turning inwards – a more yin season that follows the high energy, yang summer. We tend to slow down our activities and busy thoughts; we begin to start nesting for the winter. We begin to nurture more, catch up on our sleep (as shown in “fall back”), think more about taking care of our health, eat heartier fare, and prepare the gardens and home for winter. We are more reflective. It is natural, cyclical and part of our internal calendar. This effect is not only personal; in the business world you will find that many companies are finishing up their budgets – not planning new expansions until after the turn of the year (winter seasonal retail exempted) while planning on completing projects that have already been implemented.
We are in the autumn phase. Its “home” is in the west and northwest. It is represented by the metal element. Beyond the psychological influences mentioned above, the organs and parts of the body that are represented by the metal element – the lungs, the head, and chest – are dominant. This is the start of allergy, cold and flu season so extra care should be taken to strengthen the metal parts of the body in order to protect oneself from these illnesses. Teeth and jaws are also taxed so make sure you follow up with that dental appointment you tend to put off. It is only natural that we tend to go inwards and become more aware of our physical needs; it is nature’s way of strengthening us.
As is common in Feng Shui there are myths associated with seasonal qi. Some of them may be cultural, superstitious, fun and harmless. And some can have a negative effect on your Feng Shui. Enjoy autumn – it is a beautiful season. And be aware of these Feng Shui myths.
MYTH : Since metal is the element representing autumn, it is wise to add metal elements to the west and northwest.
FACT: Although metal makes its home in the west and northwest, this usually has a shadow effect on the Feng Shui of your home and office. The element that needs to be represented in these areas is determined by the construction date, orientation and Flying Stars of the house. Do not arbitrarily add metal in these areas. It will not bring business or financial success or enhance your creativity UNLESS all the requirements are met. And, if it is not an area that needs a metal remedy and metal is added it can cause quite a disruption.
Feng Shui, Home Purchasing and Foreclosure
If you are thinking about buying a house now think of this – your best friend may be your Feng Shui consultant. A Feng Shui reading can give you a heads up on the permanent and upcoming energies of that house you have your eye on.
We know that every house is unique; and based on the age of the home, the direction it is sitting and facing and internal and external architectural details; the experiences and potentials of what will happen in the house can be predicted. And that’s a good thing. A Feng Shui practitioner can tell you what house type the home is: is it a wang shui – wang shui, reversed, double sitting or double facing? Is it going into a money lock or a people lock phase? What are the effects that any missing piece or extension going to have on the new homeowners?
And more important than the questions are the answers. A classically trained compass based practitioner can point out the possibilities and advise you how to cure, remedy or enhance the qi flow and pattern as necessary.
This may be the best time in decades for people wanting to get into the real estate market. Interest rates are low, prices of houses are the lowest in decades and there is an abundant supply of houses on the market. For those who quality, it may not get better than this. There are deals to be had out there – but, are they all real deals?
The question I get most frequently from people looking to buy a home is about some of these deals – the money may sound right but is there a consequence to buying a foreclosure or a house from owners needing to do a short sale.
Great question – And to answer that we have a few things to consider. Perhaps the biggest issue here is why the house went into foreclosure. Was it the individual circumstances of the owner or was it a neighborhood trend? If it is the case of individual owners falling upon hard times another family will not necessarily have the same experiences IF any of the negative, unbalanced Feng Shui elements of the house are remedied. However, if the neighborhood itself is experiencing a negative cycle it may be advisable to avoid this purchase and look for another house. Please make sure you do the following:
- CHECK OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD-
Although the house itself may have good Feng Shui or may easily be remedied, the neighborhood around it will have a powerful influence. Do your research and check with your realtor: Are there jobs available in the area, can the industry support the population of the neighborhood, are the schools satisfactory, is the water supply clean the air quality good, is there an electric grid in your backyard? What are the crime statistics and neighborhood amenities?
- GET A FENG SHUI READING ON THE HOUSE
A Feng Shui reading can give you a lot of information about the home’s potential as well as giving you insight on how to tailor the house to your specific needs – and to make sure they match up. Some energy combinations work well for the more active lifestyle, the social individual while there are element combinations that will guarantee a more mellow energy for a person wanting a quieter environment. People and house types are unique. It’s best when they flow in the same direction.
So when you are thinking of buying a new home check with your two best friends – your Feng Shui expert and a knowledgeable real estate agent and happy house hunting.
Find the good Qi, tap into the Good Qi and Circulate the good Qi
The theory behind Feng Shui is so simple. Really it is. After all the explanations of what Feng Shui is, what the words mean and what we want to accomplish – it comes down to…
Find the good qi, tap into the good qi and circulate the good qi.
Of course the skill is how to read the energy map and that can be quite complex since there are more than 200 house types not to mention the unique quality that people add to the space. And it is true; the more I study Feng Shui the more complex and specific the applications, cures and enhancement formulas become. Yet I see that it all comes back down to the basic foundations of qi flow, yin yang and the Five Element theory.
And that’s what I have been thinking about. The basics.
A classically trained Feng Shui practitioner uses a compass, the age and orientation of the house and the floor plan to draw up the energy map. Simply put, this map gives us the qi flow as represented in the elemental numeric code. These codes represent relationships of the elements – they may be in a productive or clashing relationship. If they are productive we can enhance or leave alone. If they are in a conflicting relationship the occupants of the house will feel the negative effect and it is the job of the Feng Shui practitioner to advise the client on how to neutralize this negative effect.
How can these negative element relationships or qi be fixed, or in Feng Shui terms, cured? Well that’s what the reading is all about and each situation is unique so the remedies are unique, but what it comes down to is the basics. We look at what element needs to be added, subtracted, the qi flow of the room and the possibility that we should keep the room “quiet” for a certain time period.
What we don’t do is add to the clutter, the confusion and the superstition. No laughing cats, money frogs, Asian figurines, statues or popcorn in the bathroom. Just pure and natural elements to nurture the qi flow.
About Ann Covell :
Ann Covell is a Feng Shui consultant, teacher, writer and blogger. Ann is a practitioner in the classic compass style of Feng Shui and her newsletter, Feng Shui Naturally, features articles on the practical usage of Feng Shui in the modern world. She has also been known to ghost and guest blog for other qi- enhancing and healthy living websites.
When not practicing Feng Shui Ann can be found studying yoga, qi-gong and nutrition.
Ann offers personal consultations for the home, both on-site and on-line.
Feng Shui Bitch
I’m a fan of the Skinny Bitch series. I love the clean, clear, strong stance on non-toxic food, cleaning products, and concern for the environment. Whenever possible I strive to eat organically and support companies that embrace that philosophy. And I like to think that my Feng Shui is organic, too.
When looking for organic products you look for the basics: clear, fresh, clean, and natural. Simple ingredients often make the best meals; cool, clear water is the best thirst quencher and breathing fresh air is the healthiest and most invigorating. When you look at classical Feng Shui you are also looking at the basics –qi flow, yin yang and five element theory. It always comes down to this.
That means a classical Feng Shui reading makes use of the beneficial qi, finds the yin yang balance needed in the home and uses the pure elements to make any adjustments needed. And this is important to know – if you need to cure or enhance an area of your home you will need to use a natural element not just a symbol of the element. We want to get down to the pure, strong, energy emitting form.
Consider this: an area of your home would benefit from the wood element. What will be the stronger manifestation of this element – a beautiful lush plant or a picture with some green it it? I think we would all vote for the plant. It is true that green does symbolize the wood element but symbols do not emit the same energy as the real item. It is true, if you do not have a green thumb or for other reasons you cannot have a plant there are other things we can do. But the real thing will always be the more powerful remedy.
And the real thing is not superstition. Figurines, statues, and charms are not in the toolbox of the classic Feng Shi practitioner. A pair of mandarin ducks or crystal lotus flowers will not have an effect on the Feng Shui of your home. Placing water in the right sector or reducing the negative earth relationship with metal will.
Keep it simple, keep it pure, keep it natural.
About Ann Covell :
Ann Covell is a Feng Shui consultant, teacher, writer and blogger. Ann is a practitioner in the classic compass style of Feng Shui and her newsletter, Feng Shui Naturally, features articles on the practical usage of Feng Shui in the modern world. She has also been known to ghost and guest blog for other qi- enhancing and healthy living websites.
When not practicing Feng Shui Ann can be found studying yoga, qi-gong and nutrition.
Ann offers personal consultations for the home, both on-site and on-line.
Thank you for reading my blog.