Save the Date: Our October FREE spotlight gathering will be on Saturday 17th October 9am to 10am Live via zoom. If you have already signed up for these gatherings, no need to do anything, you will be sent the link the day before. If you havent signed up yet, you can do so by filling in your details and clicking the box to opt in here.

Autumn

The second month of Autumn is upon us and Mother nature is painting her canvas with a riot of colour. The winds have picked up and the colours of the landscape are changing. 

Autumn is a time of transformation, of dying back of flowers and gathering in of autumn fruits. Preparing for the darker months ahead. 

Metal phase of the year

In feng shui we associate Autumn with the metal element. The element of contraction and gathering together. 

In Summer (fire energy) we expand our chi, moving our energy outward. In Late Summer (Earth) we settle, stabilise, the movement slows down. Now in Autumn the movement of metal is inward, gathering together, reaping the rewards of the year gone past. It is generally a time of enjoyment, relaxation and gratitude – like the end of the day, the evening, when we get to relax and enjoy being with our loved ones. 

We associate the metal element with round shapes “gathering ‘round”, metallic colours (associated with the tools of harvest and the silver and gold of our “reward” for work done.) Round bowls and containers are considered representative of this energy as they hold together or gather the chi that we have harvested. 

Letting go

Just at mother nature lets go of her leaves and fruits, releasing what has ripened and pulls her energy into her roots, she invites us to do the same. 

This is an invitation to look around us and ask ourselves “what do I need to let go of?”

Where can I cut back in order to make space to rest and renew. It is in the darkness that we sow the seeds of new beginnings for next year. But first we have to make space, both physically and also emotionally and metaphorically. 

Breathing in Balance

Over the past three weeks, I have led a 3 part workshop called “Breathing in balance” in which we explored the wonderful benefits of diffusing pure aromatherapy oils into our living spaces. Scent is our first sense to develop. We are primally hardwired to respond and react to it. 

We can pro-actively modify the chi of our spaces (and therefore our own chi) by mindfully working with fragrant chi. 

Whether we want to invite in peace and positivity (as we did in module 1) steady our energy with grounding balancing oils (as we did in module 2) or awaken insight and inner strength (as we did in module 3). 

This class is now available as an “on demand” course online to view/review in your own time. 

In truly connecting to the plant world in this way, we can honour mother nature, inviting her healing energy to work with us, balancing and supporting us in every area of our lives. I invite you to explore the synergy between fragrant chi and feng shui in activating the energy of your home to support your intentions for every area of your life. 

We shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us

In feng shui we acknowledge that we are shaped/influenced/impacted on every level by our surroundings. This is not a one-way conversation. We can change or modify our surroundings to influence the flow of chi in our environment, positively impacting our lives with feng shui placements. Reflecting our hopes, dreams and aspirations in our surroundings, so that we are reminded of them as we work, rest and play. 

I listened to a very interesting episode of Brene Browns podcast “the curiosity shop” this week. There was an interview with an author (psychologist, college professor and researcher into motivation and achievement) Angela Duckworth discussing her book “Situated” which really resonated with the “why” of feng shui practise.

Changing our “situation”

In her book Angela explores the direct impact of our surroundings (people and environment) on our level of success in achieving our goals. What we do to change our “situation” can bring out the best in us. 

We can look around our surroundings  and notice what is within reach, what is at eye-level in our line of sight? Our situations are multi-faceted which gives us opportunities to make changes. We can surround ourselves with like minded people who share the same goals and dreams. We can also change how we decorate our spaces so that we are reminded of our goals and what is important to us at our core.

First we have to notice our surroundings, paying conscious attention to who/what is around us. Asking ourselves – have we made space for what inspires us, for what reminds us of what we love? As humans-being, we are reactive, we respond to our surroundings both consciously and unconsciously. 

Inspiring ourselves

We’ve all been in situations where we did our best work, where creativity just seemed to flow. We have also been in spaces where we just couldn’t concentrate or where we struggle to be creative. 

We can make conscious changes, creating new habits, setting the stage for success. 

We need to grab our own attention in order to “snap ourselves out of our thoughts” our monkey-mind, with its to-do lists and its litany of thoughts constantly running on a loop. We can place decorative items, inspiring quotes/books/art which reminds us of what is important to us. 

Angela called it “putting up our own billboards” to catch our own attention. In this way we can change our “situations” by setting up our spaces and by gathering with our “tribe” of like-minded people. In so doing, we can set ourselves up for success. 

In feng shui we utilise the Bagua (life-map) so that we can focus on each life area individually for this purpose. Making changes, clearing out and making intentional placements, inspiring change for the better. 

To learn more about how to make these changes read my book or take a workshop for inspiration.  

In my guidebook I have a whole chapter entitled “the scent of home” which explores fragrant chi and how we can add the dimension of healing scents to balance the energy of our homes. Along with all of the fundementals of feng shui design and a step by step guide showing you how to apply feng shui to your own home.