West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick

Organizing Life on the Road II

It is nice to revisit familiar places where life was good and new beginnings occurred. Especially places where friends offer their homes, food and good fun. Benicia continues to be that place in my heart. Caroline's Arts and Feng Shui Shoppe was a popular hangout for those who craved more information on art, herbs, Feng Shui, thought-provoking classes and a lot of fun. I am blessed by good fortune to have come to your city and found loyal friends, lots of work and people open to new ways of using ancient ideas. I thank everyone for their continued support, even though I moved to another state. It has been five years, and five being the number of change, I will soon be moving again soon. My family is doing well. The grandchildren are winning awards and looking pretty cute. They are now called "Tweens." This is an abby-normal time between ages 8 to 11 years. Children still want to please their elders on Mondays, but by Tuesday, talking back seems a better choice. The smartest Grandma on the block (me) is now taking a back seat to friends and sports. I see the current Tween Phase as a great time to pull back, take two, rest, explore my inner child, and give myself a Chi infusion!

The number five is an important time in life, a time to take a look at where you are and see if you need to make a change in location, physically or mentally. Staying stuck can be a death of sorts. Look around your house for evidence of your situation. Check each room, inside and outside of the house. What is cluttered, broken or neglected? Or maybe the neighbor is a source of irritation. Is the "moving or changing fairy" speaking to you?

Even though phone consultations can be very effective, seeing homes and businesses on site reveals clues to the problem immediately, such as a leaky pipe or faucet reflecting a bladder condition or a broken window, which could cause eye problems, as windows are related to children and eyes, and which could have gone "unseen" by a phone conversation. Just turning a desk in a commanding position or facing the "mouth of Chi" can bring new opportunities quickly. Those who "fix" the problem are rewarded and continue to use my service.

The recent trip to Benicia was a great success. My friends had done the ground work. Every hour seemed to be booked with consultations, classes and teaching, and I began taking names for the next visit. Two copies were made of the ten-day schedule in case I misplaced the original. They included flight schedules, shuttle schedules, classes, maps, and each consultation of private and corporate offices were listed in order, the time of day, phone numbers and city location. Many times I asked the client for birthdates so I could see where there were conflicts between family members or why employees were clashing.

I give private Customized Mentoring to a few students each year. They come from all types of backgrounds and want to study with someone who has been on-site for a few years. I choose four or five people who really want to do more than Feng Shui décor. I invited two of these students to join me on the consultations in and around Benicia. No two consultations are alike, and this was apparent early on. One student remarked that I rarely gave the same cure to any household. This is very true. Reading the Chi of a person is as important as the structure itself. Even cities and nations have different energy. Hopefully each person or city has a good combination of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water; but true to our bodies and our environment, everyone and every environment is different. This is why a married couple will have problems living in the same house or same climate. Using the 5 Elements to bring back into balance a nation, city or body is the best way to help the situation. So reading the Chi of the land, house and family living in a place is the detective work of an experienced consultant.

The month was very auspicious for me. The state of Washington had put together a program called "The Seeds of Compassion." Seattle's Qwest Stadium was chosen for the location. The speaker was the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Teachers in the state were asked to register if interested. When a friend sent me the form, I immediately looked down at the lower right-hand corner of my computer screen called Helpful People or Heaven Gua. There I had placed a sticky-note on which I had written only a few weeks ago "I want to see the Dalai Lama!" Heaven had granted my wish. My grandsons and son attended the event with me. As His Holiness walked into the vast arena, people gasped in silence as the earthly man in plain robes waved vigorously in four directions. A single roar of happiness filled the air as thousand of children and teachers paid homage to this one person. The stadium's energy changed and the same loud audience fell silent as the Master spoke to the mothers of the world on how teach compassion to world one child at a time. "Get your child a pet. He or she alone is responsible for its care and raising. This way the child will see and feel the responsibility and love needed to raise a living thing." This simple idea was so compelling. His suggestion brought guilt to my mind. Yes, we had gotten our children pets, but did we enforce these simple but profound rules? No, we gave in and took over. The only thing my daughter learned was how to hold out the longest when her kittens turned into cats!

You could feel his presence fill the huge space. The governor and many dignitaries, Indian heads of Nations from the Northwest, also spoke, but I only remember his words and his wisdom. In the same month the Pope visited the United States to give us more insight on compassion. Are we paying attention as a nation?

To top things off, I attended my Master teacher's workshop. His Holiness Grandmaster Lin Yun, most knowledgeable Feng Shui advisor in the world, spoke at Berkeley, California for two days. What more could I ask for? I would say it was a good month. What is your desire? It can be a simple or complex desire. Using Feng Shui techniques can help you understand the process of change and opportunity. I look forward to my next Benicia visit and am taking names for appointments. There will be a special workshop for those interested in learning more about The Art of Placement. Please email if you are interested. caroline@fengshuiartistry.com

WHAT IS CUSTOMIZED FENG SHUI MENTORING?

· It is for those wishing to study with me privately, with the experience of over 4500 consultations. ONE ON ONE, starting where you need to start.

· A six-month commitment is necessary.

· A monthly mentoring date is set for at least one to two hours of phone conversation, at different intervals.

· Packets are sent for you to study each month. Emailing and faxes will be part of the course as we go over floor plans.

NEW CLASSES COMING IN 2008……… THE YEAR OF THE EARTH RAT!

Please visit www.fengshuiartistry.com and click on www.moongateschool.com for current local and out-of-state class schedules in Feng Shui, Art and Medicine making with Herbs. Caroline is available for teaching and speaking engagements.

Caroline lives in the Northwest Region of the US, called The Puget Sound in Washington State. She is a Feng Shui Practitioner, writer, author and artist. She gives workshops in Feng Shui, Elements of Art; private mentoring for serious students lectures and writes for newspapers. She combines teaching and traveling to other locations, here and abroad. Her 2008 schedule includes workshop and classes in the Northwest, Southwest, Midwest and Alaska. She is available speaking, teaching and consultations.

Please consult your physician for physical problems as this article only gives ideas and suggestions. Caroline is not responsible for anyone using these suggested plants or advice for cures or healing any problem either medical or Feng Shui claims. This column and article is for entertainment only. Please seek help from a qualified physician, naturopath, herbalist or other certified person for treatment.

Caroline Patrick Caroline's Feng Shui Concepts Mt. Vernon, WA 360-424-1501

caroline@fengshuiartistry.com www.fengshuiartistry.com www.moongateschool.com