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West Meets East© By Caroline Patrick Family Reunion Continues
Each year I receive a happily worded invitation from a much loved and devoted cousin in the Midwest to join all of the families belonging to the "Sheppard clan" for a family reunion. The gathering for such an event is taken seriously as there are many questions to be asked such as births, deaths, weddings, to be recorded. Handouts with the latest news, genealogy findings and just plain family gossip and tone of talking is to be expected at these yearly get-togethers. I have missed the last five reunions. After my mother passed away six years ago, it began to be harder to find the motivation to travel back to the Midwest. Mom’s five living brothers and sisters are now in their eighties and nineties. I was more determined to set aside time to "make memories." Although my grown children weren’t ale to come this year, I planned the trip just the same because I needed some extra TLC. The first stop was Phoenix to see the grandchildren, my son and his wife. After a few days I departed for Kansas City. Feng Shui can be used as a tool for many things such as placing the bagua, or eight-sided grid, over the United States, your home, your business or your body. On this particular journey, I mentally placed the eight-sided octagon template over the United States. Over the last few hundred years, the main entryway to the U.S. has been New York harbor. Aligning the bagua with the gateway, or entry into this vast nation, we find the Career section of this country across the East Coast, according to Black Hat Feng School, with Quebec, Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York being our Helpful People and Travel section. These are the countries and states which provide the energy of helping the U.S. in its productivity. Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Virginia and the Carolina’s join together to bond the strength of the nation, while the knowledge area rests with Georgia, Alabama and Florida. These three Eastern quas contain the states which formed the union and freedom necessary laws to sustain our beliefs, so we have equal opportunities in the careers of our people. Traveling left from the U.S. entry, we find Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico and New Mexico aligned to the Family sector. Arizona, San Diego, Mexico and Los Angeles are our Wealth or money and prosperity traits, while California Pacific Coast continues the Money and Fame section of this country. Don’t forget the Hawaiian Islands are an extension of our Fame. Fame contains the action for California’s unique fire energy as it spreads across the top of the bagua, opposite from the entry of New York. Southern Oregon shares this unusual fire zone, while northern Oregon, Washington State and Canada borders our Partnership location of the U.S. Alaska provides an added extension of the Partnership of the nation with 1,000’s of resources. Following clockwise and continuing back towards the Atlantic Ocean, we first find Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan as the Children and Creativity section, which holds the energy for hobbies, fun and joy. Many people move to these locations, creating jobs from something they love to do. Not ignoring the other states which are mathematically involved with the equal equation of nine energy aspects becoming one, I zero into the middle of the United States with Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa, which mainly provide food for the nation. This Health zone ruled by the earth element brings together all of the energies into the center or Ti Chi of the U.S. Family health, tried and true values, moral standards, and religion hold this Midwestern section together with basic balanced love. Sometimes wonderful or sometimes stifling, the chi or energy in this earth zone can become heavy, trying to hold the center of the United States firm. Driving toward the acreage my cousin owns, I feel grounded and happy to know security and family roots await me. Seeing the multi-colored balloons tied to a country mailbox reassures me I am home. Relatives wave hello and smiles and laughing give me a warmth I haven’t felt for a long time. Children run and play up and down the Ozark Hills with a perfect pond in the distance providing crawdads, blue gill fish, turtles, frogs and tadpoles. Chiggers and summer critters hide under rocks, and ticks crawl up little necks and under trouser legs. Checks for these pests come later in the afternoon as the kids slow down in the humid sun-baked day. Cars keep up a steady pace as they line up in a field under the summer trees. New arrivals are noticed as a cloud of dust from the chat covered road surround the latest vehicle tires and stir the dirt once more. After the crowds have arrived, I count approximately 70 people, more or less, as the relatives move from one group to the next. Mother’s people never yelled at one another to communicate. During my childhood, I overheard the seven brothers and sisters greet each other with love, hugs and respect. Honey this and sweetheart that were common phrases that gave comfort to my soul. This was a complete contrast to my father’s loving but very vocal background. Loud communication was an art with the other side of my family. Learning his techniques didn’t always provide me with the correct approach to problems, as I’ve learned over the years, but has given me the skills to stand up to injustices when needed. The feast was nearly ready. Smelling the aromas from the kitchen, I join the WOMEN to help with "women’s work," but find there are more than enough bodies, jamming the spaces around the stove and sink. Laughing filled the air and the food became energized with love. Delicious-looking platters of barbecue, mounds of salads, beans and desserts filled the large tables set up for the event as we began to celebrate.
Come and sign up for fall classes now! We have wind chimes in colors, rainbow mobiles. Call for feng shui consultations and speaking engagements. Caroline’s Arts & Feng Shui Shoppe 129 1st Street, Suite K Benicia 94510 Open 1-5 daily, closed Monday Offering feng shui supplies and classes in many areas. Please call or email for interest in the following class subjects: 707-748-1127 or caroline@fengshuiartistry.com Log onto her websites: www.fengshuiartistry.com and moongateschool.com for schedules, bio and weekly feng shui column. You can email her at caroline@fengshuiartistry.com with questions. Fall Workshops 2002 Feng Shui Classes
(Times and locations to be announced)
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