By Caroline Patrick

Family Holidays and Feng Shui

Holidays are the time of year when families get together and celebrate traditions passed down from generation to generation. It is the season of lights. The cold weather brings the knowledge of the north and the seasons of ancestors, warming our thoughts and opening our hearts toward peace, forgiveness and compassion. The energy of fire is symbolized by candles, logs burning in the fireplace, Christmas lights on trees and ovens cooking those favorite family recipes. Giving is the spirit of winter and my favorite time of year. I wish and pray for balance and harmony every day, hoping that each person see his and her responsibility for helping our world to become a better place for all the new families and babies joining these families. One way every household can help with this purpose is to use feng shui in a creative form when decorating for the holidays.

Choosing a space to enhance family communication during the next few weeks is easy. Look first to the middle left section of your home. What room is there? If it is a dinning room, family room or bedroom this side of your home brings in the energy given to the health of the family and family life. Placing an altar to celebrate your children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, living, or any of the family that has passed on, place a centerpiece of flowers, up growing plants with the glow of candles to light up pictures of your loved ones. Using a simple arrangement helps bring family unity in this wood element section of your home. Many times I have suggested a placement of this kind, to help generate a feeling of love and security to a runaway child. The encouragement of chi placed in this middle left side of the house, brings comfort to all family members estranged or those far away not able to attend the celebration. Dining rooms are wonderful areas to bring feng shui energy into the dwelling. A mirror placed on a wall reflecting the main table symbolize the abundance of food and health to your family.

What if some of the family makes you crazy? Using this idea works wonders even if the person in doubt isn’t present. Place a note on the back of aunt do-dah’s picture stating you wish her the best and the relationship is healed, without any complications. This way you don’t even need to talk to the person but you are releasing her from your thoughts, thus giving yourself and her the gift of freedom! If you spend over two minutes a day rehashing old stuff, you are poisoning your body for two full minutes. What a waste. Many of us spend a lifetime trying to please others when concentrating on our purpose will keep us on track and healthy.

Any room can serve the same purpose for altar making. Using angels, pictures, loved objects, fabric cloths, bells, candles, plants or crystals can bring special energy into tired spaces. Water fountains, wind chimes and color accent and activate chi. Using Black Hat feng shui, every room has its own bagua or direction. Entering a room from its main entry you can alter that room’s energy by choosing a special corner to set up your year round or holiday section. Have fun with this idea during family gatherings. Use green for family growth, red for action, pink to bring in a feeling of love. White for the metal element or touches of gold and silver, purple for abundance, blue for knowledge, and yellow for earth and health problems can be used in the form of plants, cloths and crystals, or hand beaded crystals. Lead crystals are the feng shui aspirin used to activate any space by using colored or clear cut faceted balls which come in various sizes to fit the square footage of the space where it is to be hung. They can also be hung from table hangers. Use aromatherapy, music and meditation to finish your creation. A last word of advice. Please clear the clutter from the room before starting your creation. This most important aspect will help those estranged relatives feel welcome in your heart. If the space is a mess, guess what? Your communication will most likely be messy.

1-DAY FENG SHUI – Sign up for an early spring workshop. Caroline will feng shui a local Benicia home while you watch. Class is limited. Time and date and cost to be announced.

• Clear the clutter · Remove 27 objects
• Magical energy of numbers
• Remove blockage · restore health & wealth
• Space clearing
• Create altars for any religion or occasion
• Attunements

Sunday, December 8^th, 10 a.m. – 12 noon, Caroline’s Arts & Feng Shui Shoppe - $89

We will be open for Open House Fri night, December 6. We offer unusual feng shui holiday gifts and gift certificates, including hand-beaded crystals for each of the 9 sections of the home.

Call 707-748-1127 for registration and consultations.

Caroline’s Arts & Feng Shui Shoppe

129 First St. Suite K

Benicia, Ca. 94510

www.moongateschool.com

Caroline is a feng shui consultant, artist, herbalist and author. She is available for speaking engagements, consultations and workshops. Her weekly newspaper column can be read on her second website, moongateschool.com for individuals out of the Benicia area.