West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick

What Does Winter Have To Do With Your Career?

Feng Shui has long been known as a way of life. There are nine basic gates of life which have been studied by ancient Chinese masters and placed on a template that includes all seasons, directions, their energies such as Water, Wood, Wind, Fire, Earth, colors, and family members such as youngest son, eldest son, middle daughter, etc. Body parts are another aspect. Just imagine a pie cut into eight even pieces with a round center piece, like the spoke of a wheel, holding all of these life actions together and forming a perfect formula to create a mathematical circle of life energies.

Most Westerners have a hard time blending nature with life accomplishments. Actually, when the proper flow of environment, shelter, behavior, health and design come together in harmony, opportunities arrive on our doorstep, without complications! What a concept – how could that be? Another way to phrase this might be “Let go and let God.” Feng Shui is a way of placing things in a correct way, which invites God to participate in your life. Put “your house” in order and you will be blessed.

Winter is the season on a Bagua Map which lines up with your architectural front door of your home. This “piece of the pie” or triad is called Career and is a big aspect that affects life opportunities that greet you when the front door is secure, stable, and in good repair with a visual curb-appeal that demands and pulls you into the front yard and home. It must be clutter free and vibrant, because if not, the aspect assigned to the entry called Ancestral Foundation, will suffer. The element of the front door and the front of the house is Water; the color is blue-black, similar to the dark depths of water. Ears are the body parts related to the middle front of the dwelling, with hands to the left front and head is assigned to the right front. Each of the outer eight sections has an energy of seasons or relationship to the action of the Gua or piece. Winter is just one.

This all seems a bit complicated, but most eastern cultures grow up with the teaching that all of life is related. Westerners are now catching up to these ancient theories and learning how to blend modern technology with body-mind relationships. Health-related issues are at the top of the list, and we must take into consideration why strange illnesses could be associated with the environment. SARS, fibromyalgia, leaky gut syndromes, staph infections traveling to the heart, skin infections, e-coli and global warming effects have now become world problems.

Many years ago, I became very sick. Western medicines only masked the continuing problems as I went from doctor to doctor. After searching for answers on the outside and several thousand dollars later, I took responsibility for my own health. Synchronicity led me to many Helpful People while looking for answers to heal my body. I never imagined this search would lead me to my intertwined profession. The artist in me gave me permission and freedom to explore the unknown; combining visual images with years of herbal investigation and making my own medicines from plants and the final Feng Shui education brought together the balance and marriage of the three aspects.

(Continued next week … making medicines)

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 2007 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