Abundance, blessings and the winds of change
Here in our little corner of the world, we are now in early summer. All around us nature is blossoming and we have been enjoying a prolonged spell of beautiful sunny weather which is a very welcome surprise.
We had gotten used to the wet and windy chilly Spring weather with March of many weathers and April showers and then as we celebrated Bealtaine (the festival of expectation of the arrival summer) the wheel of the year cycled around and almost overnight we tipped into the warmth of Summer.
This month I am exploring the trigram SUN/XUN “the gentle” which is associated with the energy of abundance in feng shui. On the bagua the area related to this is the SE if you are applying the bagua using compass directions or the rear left hand side as you stand at the door looking in using the western BTB approach.
This energy was referred to as “fortunate blessings” by William Spear in his book Feng Shui Made Easy, the first book I bought on this subject in 1996. I love this description, it feels so expansive and supportive.
SUN/XUN “the gentle”
The I Ching symbol or trigram associated with this energy is SUN a broken (yin) line at its base topped with two unbroken (yang) lines. Associated with the element of wind as the symbol suggests, it has strength but is not rooted to the earth. This reminds us that there is a need to continuously replenish our physical or material vitality and support. Like a mild warm breeze, moving away any sense of stagnation, the energy of SUN/abundance invigorates us, bringing many blessings to our homes and our lives.
Dynamic Balance – An Invitation to Change
The wind brings with it the opportunity for change. Change is the only constant in life. In feng shui we talk about seeking balance. But this is not a destination, we do not mean creating a sense of static balance. Instead we seek dynamic balance, which is constantly changing, growing, flowing, gathering, releasing and letting go and then beginning again. Like the cycle of the seasons everything, including us, is constantly in a state of “becoming”.
When we are “out of balance” we can feel impatient, unmotivated and even angry or frustrated. If we find ourselves in an uncomfortable position; this asks us to move/change to become more comfortable.
The objective here is that we get curious about this- asking ourselves what is the underlying change that needs to be made now?
Blessings and support; two sides of the same coin
On the bagua (feng shui energy template which we apply to the floor plan of our living and working spaces) this area of abundance has a polarity with the area of Heaven/Helpful Friends and Travel – “the creative” (the NW in classical feng shui or the front right hand sector of our space in BTB approach to feng shui).
“Heaven” is represented by the Trigram Chien which has three unbroken (yang) lines and represents the archetypal “father” or mentor energy and philanthropy. These areas have a natural affinity: the more we have, the more we can share. When we feel off kilter the best advice is to lean towards what feels supportive for us.
In the West we tend to connect who we are with what we have/do/have achieved outwardly. The real question here is how do we feel inside? How connected do we feel with ourselves and with others?
In his book The I Ching workbook, Roger Green explains that when the energy of SUN/XUN abundance is in balance in our lives “it generates humour and our ability to laugh at the human predicament and the paradoxes of life”.
Roger shares that when we feel out of balance in the area of abundance and blessings in our lives often the best way to move or change this energy is to “share something useful with others. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, there are no winners or losers – only experience.”
As the saying goes, a rising tide raises all boats!
