“The best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing; the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
Well Teddy, I am sure that I am not the first person to say how right you are.
I am ashamed to admit that I’ve done a lot ‘nothing’ in my apartment for years. Of course I’ve done my feng shui adjustments and space clearings but I haven’t done many of the physical things necessary – like renovating the kitchen.
The apartment is small and to renovate the kitchen or even paint would mean moving out. Fortunately this spring I had an alternative place to live and the fun began. With all the crazy stuff I experienced, and heard from clients and friends I think this New Yorker cartoon sums it up nicely.
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Recently, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a house therapist. Her approach is very different than how I work with my clients, however I applaud the recognition the article gave to home as a living entity. It spoke to developing a relationship with your environment that is healing for it and you.
The term ‘intentional design’ was used in the article and that might be the best 2 word definition of feng shui. It is the intention behind any feng shui adjustment that makes the difference.
Whatever area of a room or house that needs to be enhanced or mitigated, I find design solutions that are appropriate for that client. This might be choosing the color of a room if my client wants to paint, determining the direction of their bed for wellbeing, or discerning the hidden meaning of a piece of art and how it is influencing their life.
As I wrote about in my April newsletter, a space clearing/blessing ritual has the greatest impact on healing and internationalizing an environment.
Two recent exhibits I’ve enjoyed that speak to home are:
‘Making Home’ at the Smithsonian’s Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum in NYC, featuring 25 site-specific, newly commissioned installations, explores design’s role in shaping the physical and emotional realities of home across the United States.
The new Arts of the Ancient Americas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has many examples of rituals used in daily life.
Acknowledged or not, we participate in many rituals to make our homes and work environments ones that express our inner nature. It is so important to stand back and take an objective look as I’ve done recently, and see if where we are heading is where we want to end up.
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“If you do not change direction,
you may end up
where you are heading.”
— Lao Tzu
Feng Shui and Space Clearing Rituals are sensitive and individualized collaborations with my client. Sacred Clearings include flower offerings, smoke, sound, dowsing, a traditional rice blessing – all to cleanse and consecrate an environment for where you want to be heading.
Wishing you an enjoyable summer and a
Happy Father’s Day to all the men we love.
btw, whether you celebrate or not, I think you’ll enjoy
this fun piece from the New Yorker
on the ‘ultimate’ father figure ;=)
Judith / Sacred Currents
Celebrating Love