By Caroline Patrick

Feng Shui for Summer Fun

Summer vacation fever has many families on the move. Whether traveling by car, planes or trains, we are on the go to share some quality time with our loved ones, as schools and jobs are put on hold to take a holiday.

Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese system of placement, gives us nine equal qualities of life to balance and explore. When the bagua or grid containing all of these nine energies is placed over our home or business, the drawing looks similar to a pie with a circle in the middle. Each section of pie has a name. The triad, or section which is assigned the action of joy, is called children and creativity. Its home, according to the school of feng shui called Black Hat, is located to the middle right side of the house from the front door of the structure. What room holds that position in your home or business? Keeping the room uncluttered will help you find more time to play. The shape given to this qua or piece of the bagua is round. The color is white and the element assigned to this middle right side of the home is metal. Keeping this area clean also helps a person breathe better. If this is a child’s room, use round shapes in the décor in the form of balloons, balls, clocks, round tables, bowls or lamps. These objects don’t have to be metal. Example — a wooden round white table would be an enhancement. A dining area might have round vases, bowls, cups and dishes. An office in the children and creativity section of the house might use metal cabinets, round weather equipment, a world globe or a gazing ball or round lead crystal hanging or sitting on the desk. Outside of the house, a children’s garden could give color, fragrance and beauty with an old-fashioned round tire swing for summer afternoon play. A large garden gazing ball on a pedestal as a focal point would bring this playful chi into your life.

The second main qua for activating summer holidays is the Helpful People and Travel section. When standing outside your home, this area is located to the far right front of the house from the front door.

Don’t get confused if your door isn’t facing the street. In America there are many front door entries. If your floor plan design is one of these, a feng shui consultation is a great investment for now and future home sites.

Adding pictures of travel from past vacations, a world map or posters relating to favorite sports will establish your intent for enjoying holidays in this section of the house, garage, or office. If you have this space missing because of the home’s design, fill in this missing part by anchoring the yard with a tree, bush, pole, plant or a light shining back toward the house squaring off this vital area.

My summer holiday was spent seeing my grandchildren. Traveling toward the Arizona Desert would never be my intended choice for vacationing, if it weren’t for those two shining, smiling faces waiting at the end of the trail.

Arizona is a gathering spot for many of my husband’s relatives. Having lived in this fascinating country for over twenty-five years, I prefer the cool weather of the northern states. The yang energy of this sun state pulls the moisture from my skin and the tempers flare as the temperature rises past 108º. The fire element is in its glory, and swimming pools dot almost every dwelling as homeowners try to balance the fiery energy with its opposite yin cool water element.

I prepare myself for this latest adventure as I gaze out over the vast territory from the airplane for hundreds of miles. I find Feng Shui has arrived in this state as I look at the phone book listing names of consultants I have met during workshops with Professor Lin Yun, Master of Black Hat Feng Shui in the world. While writing this column, a woman in this airplane asked for a consultation during my stay in Phoenix. Wanting to keep to my play schedule with my grandsons, I ask if we could later do the feng shui consultation by phone and fax. Delighted, we set a date for the appointment after my return to California.

Now for the important stuff! Stopping by a toy store, I pick up a dinosaur video, two flashlights (always a hit) and two monsters, plus a can of play dough! Now I’m ready for fun.

Heading back toward the car, my brain begins to cook as I try to hold on to the hot door handle. "Oh, well, impossible to touch by August," I complain to myself. Heading north above Phoenix to the mountains, I notice the sun begins to set. I find myself drifting into the sky on clouds of yellows, oranges and reds shifting into blues, pinks and purples as I drive into the dusk. The magic of the desert grabs my soul once more, as the harsh mountains glow with southwest fairy dust and the blues and purples mesh and form a kind of harmony and balance only known in this wilderness. The smell of sage and mesquite fills the car as the sun drifts below the western mountains.

High above the city lights, I pull into a familiar driveway. Two muffin faces glued to the front windows of the home glow with the high desert full moon shining on their cheeks.

Running toward me I hear "Fan-ma, Fan-ma," music to my ears. The heat of the day is gone, and I find my summer evening bliss, surrounded by family and little ones bubbling over with tall tales of desert adventure, T-ball, preschool and monsters.

Caroline Patrick, owner of Caroline’s Arts & Feng Shui Shoppe, has provided over 2500 consultations. She is available for speaking engagements, classes in art (painting with chi) and feng shui-related workshops; for information, check her website, www.fengshuiartistry.com and click on moongateschool for schedules and newspaper columns. Shoppe hours are 1-5 daily, closed Monday.

Caroline’s Arts & Feng Shui Shoppe

129 1^st Street, Suite K

Benicia 94510

Call 707-748-1127 for fees and consultations.