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West Meets East© By Caroline Patrick Feng Shui in Fairy Land Feng Shui, or finding the balance of wind and water, is Spring's purpose as she rains and blows hard one day and then the next day the sun's golden glow breaks forth and stretches its growing muscles, reminding me of a young boy 's leap of strength while changes of manhood ebb and flow within his body. He and She can't seem to make up their mind as to what comes next in the sequence of the planet's change of seasons. What a miracle in action as the forces of nature come together in a dance of extremes, trying to find the proper balance of energy for creation. Two days ago I was looking for my winter uniform. Once I find an outfit that feels good, I tend to wear the same thing over and over again until I began to look like a soldier going on a Feng Shui consultation. My reasoning is I usually don't see the same person twice within several months so I might as well take advantage of the situation! But during the changing of the cold/hot, winter/spring balance struggle, it becomes hard to dress according to temperature. I add different tops, shoes and jackets to the back of the car until I must organize the mess or look as if I'm on my way to the Goodwill. I received a call from a man who had been given the task of calling the "new Feng Shui Lady" for an immediate consultation and a quick look at a home the couple was wanting to purchase. His partner announced on her way out the door to work that she would only buy the home if a Feng Shui person would okay the floor plan! His dilemma was a concern as I heard disbelief in his voice that he was actually making THE CALL. Usually guys don't give in to a request such as this, and the woman will call anyway because we know best about this stuff called intuition and décor, and love to make our nest a comfy place for the family to snuggle in at night. This is called the Yin Syndrome, Nesting 101. It soon became apparent he was drilling me in a soft, sweet manner about my qualifications, and I could tell he loved his new partner dearly or he wouldn't be taking the time to look at my website. This was a middle-age relationship that he valued and didn't want to "screw-up," (pardon my French). I liked his personality, and we all planned to meet first at the new house, then that changed to a café, and after a week it became ideal to meet at the present home. I dressed in my winter uniform as it was blowing wildly and rain was predicted in Seattle and Canada. I set the alarm early because I now live on an island and take a ferry for six minutes to the mainland of Washington State. As I waited for the ferry, the wind continued to blow strong and the shipping lane looked like a National Geographic photo of an Alaskan winter gale. The waters were green with white capped waves bursting over a giant blue ship's hull as the vessel crept within the shipping lanes guided by red tug boats through the turbulent waters. The island ferry cut right through the green waves and safely took us to the other side. I stopped briefly at my new office in the Sound Health Center and gathered up my tools, a Bagua template, paper, pencil, colored markers, a booklet, tape recorder and extra batteries. Within a few miles the sun peeked shyly through the dark Northwest clouds, and I became warmed by the spring rays. Suddenly a burst of rain pounded the windshield of the vehicle, and the traffic almost came to a halt. Just as quickly the sunlight almost blinded my view. "Wow, what a crazy day," I said to myself. "I wonder what is in store for me next." New to the area, I pulled over to the side of the road and studied my map. The couple lived near a local lake in the mountains that I had visited many years before, so things began to look familiar as I enjoyed the ride. Deer standing in the road is always a caution in the Northwest, and as I rounded a bend in the country road several big-eyed doe stood frozen in place. I stopped to let them pass. I'm sure a large buck was overlooking the situation from a hiding place nearby as they always send the "women" out first to test the waters. Now I was really in the deep woods, and the logging trails dotted the main road as I looked for a house that the client said was very unusual and was designed by her former husband along with a few other homes which resembled fairy tale-like shapes. Her comment was "people drive out here just to see the houses." Of course, that peaked my interest. The rain came and went as the road became a lane. Looking at a group of mailboxes for numbers, I spotted my first Hans and Gretel dwelling. I was instantly in a storybook land and felt eight years old again as I witnessed a munchkin village. Big three-story structures all made of wood, natural, carved, and slatted were grouped together, and smaller houses built in the same nature filled the woods. Each additional landing seemed to have a different roof type: regular, twirled, circular, slanted, up down and all around. I began talking to myself in a Dr. Seuss manner about green eggs and ham or something. I want to sing or dance around a Maypole or maybe dress like Robin Hood. It was a combination world of "make believe" right before my eyes. Stay tuned for the tree house treasure. Career profile for Caroline Patrick, author of THE POWER OF FENG SHUI ARTWORK IN THE HOME AND BUSINESS Caroline Patrick has conducted over 2500 Feng Shui consultations and has documented many of these experiences in her weekly newspaper column titled WEST MEETS EAST, which has been a highly popular addition to the Benicia Herald’s newspaper each Wednesday for the last six years. Teaching is her passion and for the last 35 years Caroline’s range of subjects has included art, herbs and Feng Shui. Her classes and workshops fill with eager students learning ancient ideas in a modern format. Her past and present teaching experiences include Cochise, Pima, Arizona Central, Solano and Skagit Valley Colleges in Arizona and California and Washington State. Santa Clara County Teachers Council Conventions, AMA Continental Congress Convention of Surgeons, and Medical Research Facilities have asked her educate their employees and spouses, and Feng Shui their facilities. She has appeared on television and radio. Business owner of Caroline’s Arts and Feng Shui Shoppe in the San Francisco Bay Area for eight years, Feng Shui Practitioner, speaker, teacher, writer and author, Caroline has recently relocated to the Northwestern U.S. and lives on an island in the San Juans. Her current consultation business is called Caroline’s Feng Shui Concepts. Caroline can be reached at: Caroline’s Feng Shui Concepts2511 Commercial Avenue Anacortes, Washington 98221 (360) 293-2268. caroline@fengshuiartistry.com www.fengshuiartistry.com www.moongateschool.com |