How to Bring the 5 Elements of Feng Shui to Your Door

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In Feng Shui your front door represents your life purpose and or career. It’s important to have the five elements to balance the energy that goes into your space. This doorway has four of the five:

  1. Wood – in the material of the door;
  2. Metal – in the color grey of the stone;
  3. Water – in the color black of the knockers and mat;
  4. Earth – in the plant, and in the square shape on the door but is missing the fire element.

An easy solution would be to place two red flowering plants like a geraniums on either side of the front door.

Welcome The Year of the Fire Rooster!!

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I don’t know about y’all but I am thrilled that the shenanigans of the chaotic Year of The Monkey has finally come to an end! Get ready for The Year of The Fire Rooster starting on Saturday, January 28 2017!

Before the days of alarm clocks sitting on nightstands, there were roosters. People depended on roosters to “wake them up” so they could start their chores and go to work. That is what this year will symbolize: awakenings, triumphs, and success achieved through hard work, practical solutions and patience.

The Year of the Rooster will give us a year of the symbolic meaning of the rooster – ambition, pride, desire to be admired, punctuality, and courage. We will all prove to have more passion in life, especially regarding work. The inspiriting motto of this year is: “Go Higher!” We will all be encouraged to face our difficulties and adversities because we will all be braver in this year.

What happens when we mix the rooster with the fire element? In Chinese Metaphysics fire represents happiness and passion and by its very nature, is the element associated with brilliance and warmth. It is also associated with jealousy and conflict. The Fire Rooster is a year when everyone receives what he or she deserves.

The diligent and enthusiastic Rooster combined with the sizzling characteristics of fire will bring us the inspiration to get things done! If you have been postponing a project, the Red Rooster will light a fire inside of you to get things accomplished.

As a whole, this year (the 4714 Chinese year) will be successful for people in business, athletes, and soldiers and for people of action. I encourage you to take initiatives, be industrious, practice honestly and above all be kind.

Happy Year of the Rooster!

Discovering the Goddess Vibe

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Recently I was invited to Feng Shui the stunning home of Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong fame. I knew his Los Angeles neighborhood, Pacific Palisades was full of movie stars and I expected his home to be gorgeous. But I didn’t expect to stumble upon a goddess.

tommy-chong-2013-billboard-650I never saw any Cheech and Chong movies so I had no preconceived image of Tommy Chong. I found him to be not only strikingly handsome but one of the kindest and gentle-natured men I have ever met. He seemed more like a sage than a pot-promoting comedian. His eyes reminded me of the old barn door: flecks of deep brown married with lighter hues, so much strength remaining despite the years of weathering, and they held an insurmountable depth that dared to drown anyone that met his gaze. I spent time with Tommy talking about his childhood, his career, his health and his vision for the next stage of his life. And then I was introduced to his wife of forty years, Shelby.

Shelby is a dancer, a seamstress, and an artist and her eyes look as if she used ten shades of blue paint to achieve the striking crystal clear blue color. They don’t capture light; they defy it, embellishing her petite features. Even at 68, no one could possibly outshine her. Five foot seven, flowing golden curls, flawless ivory skin with a willowy walk she had a face cut right from the pages of a men’s magazine. I thought to myself, if goddesses are real, then this woman is their masterpiece. She was all about simplicity, making things easy, helping those around her to relax and be happy. Perhaps that’s why her skin glowed, not from expensive creams or products, but from her inner beauty that lit her eyes and softened her features. When she smiled and laughed you couldn’t help but smile along with her. To be in her company was to feel that you, too, were someone. As if you had been warmed in summer rays regardless of the season. When I gathered up my things to leave Tommy and Shelby’s house, she insisted that I spend the night. Her genuine kindness was unexpected and I felt as if we had been friends for years – as if we shared some sort of history already.

As I got settled in for the night I said to myself, “Shelby is so graceful, calm and powerful and she knows exactly where she is heading with her life and future. I wish some of her goddess vibes would rub off on me.” The second I had that thought I realized that if Shelby can become so incredibly confident, empowered and sensual, then I can too. We all share the same essence, abilities, and strengths. It is simply a matter of choosing to allow the goddess vibe to emerge and connecting to my own unique spirit and that means accepting and honoring what makes me – me.
When we step further into the story we came to live, not only does the mythic territory open, but the deep self-moves and the world of imagination and meaning comes flooding towards us.

lakshmiSo, if your goddess vibe comes knocking on your spirit’s door, invite her in for cake and wine. She might look like the courageous and fierce Egyptian Isis, the outstanding Greek athlete and huntress Artemis, or the brainy politician and warrior Athena. She could be the sensual lover like Oshun from West Africa, or a promoter of prosperity like the Hindu deity Lakshmi. The goddess vibe can be sexual feeling, or a healing attitude, or even intellectual confidence.

What’s important is to cultivate a connection not necessarily to a particular female icon or ancient deity with shapely hips but to the divine feminine energy that ignites them all and, subsequently, all the material and mystical consciousness. In other words, divine feminine energy doesn’t have to take the shape of any particular goddess at all. Look around. Start becoming more aware of this universal She-She power that right now is rising up all around you- and inside you.

We are all goddesses. Or we could be with a little coaching and the right lipstick.

Balancing the Four Elements for Health and Wellbeing

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“Stay close to nature and its eternal laws will protect you.”
Max Gerson

My grandmother had four daily rituals in with which she honored the four elements. To honor water, she put her feet in running water. For earth, she made sure her feet felt grass. For fire, she made sure she saw the sun. And for air, she stood underneath the canopy of stars each night.

The Missing ElementMy grandmother, like other American Indians not only honored the four elements every day, they prayed to the Four Directions every night. Kabalistic Jews spoke of the Four Worlds. The Hawaiian Hula culture immersed itself in the Four Elements. Buddhists wrote the Four Noble Truths.  There are four ruling archangels, four cardinal directions, four earth seasons, four times of day, etc. Author Debra Silverman in her book, The Missing Element writes, “Egyptians passed onto us their version of the Four Elements, which is steeped in astrology – the oldest science on earth. These people honored the land they lived on – not because it was a good idea, but because they were dependent on it for their survival and they had to pay attention. They operated with rocks in their pockets and wisdom in their hearts.”

In many ancient civilizations, these four elements are regarded as the foundation of the whole body, part of every basic principle about healing the body, and the foundation of life.

The constant interaction of the four elements gives rise to the processes of the human body and is the impetus behind physical life, making the concept of keeping all of them balanced important. Of course during the normal course of one’s life, the elements go in and out of balance in a continuously changing state of health or disease.

Earth Element
Substances that are solid can be said to have the qualities of the Earth element. Solid qualities of the body that are of the Earth element include skin, muscle, tendon, bone, viscera, fat, and other solid organs.
Imbalance of the Earth element would manifest as symptoms of the organs associated with the Earth element. Some examples would be: skin disease, bone disease, tumors, and other “solid” disorders.

Water Element
Substances that are liquid are of the Water element. Liquid qualities of the body that are of the Water element include blood, eyes, phlegm, saliva, lymph, urine, semen, other liquids of the body.
Imbalances of the Water element would manifest as symptoms of the organs associated with the Water element such as blood disease, eye disorders, renal disease, venereal disease, bladder or urinary tract infection or stones, and any diseases manifesting in abnormal urine or other liquid discharge.

Air Element
Substances that have movement are of the Air element. Moving qualities of the body include respiration, digestion, and excretion, motion of the limbs and joints, sexuality, aging.
Imbalance of the Air element would manifest as symptoms of the organs associated with the Air element such as pneumonia, cough, mucous congestion, tuberculosis, bronchitis, other respiratory infections, fainting, dizziness, and arthritis. The Air element is considered to be the most important element in promoting mobility, strength, longevity, and vigor.

Fire Element
Substances that have heat are of the Fire element. Warm/hot qualities of the body include body temperature, circulatory system, and metabolism.
Imbalance of the Fire element primarily manifests as diseases of the Fire element organs: he heart and circulatory system.

The easiest way to balance these elements is to simply to expose yourself to the elements in their primitive forms. Put your hands into dirt, feeling the coolness, heaviness and solidity of the ancient earth element. Take a bath or visit a stream to feel the flowing wetness of water. Feel the breeze blowing on your skin and get in touch with the change and lightness of air. Turn on your stove or make a campfire and connect with the heat and power of fire. By doing this, you will get closer to an archetypal understanding of these concepts, and like my grandmother you will be on your way to balance the elements on a daily basis.

7 Feng Shui Tips to Spring Clean For Abundance

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Spring is here and it’s the perfect time to clean out our offices and homes! In the ancient practices of Feng Shui there is a reverence for remaining connected to nature and flowing with the seasons. While you do some spring-cleaning, you may want to think of ways to spend more time outside in the months to come, to really harness the energy and greatness of the seasonal switch.

Here are a seven Feng Shui inspired tips that can help you create the foundation for a season of real abundance:

  1. De-clutter: Clearing out the clutter in your home, office, car and any other space in your life is always a good idea. But in spring, focus your efforts on what you need to clear away in order to feel more active. Bring your workout gear front and center in your closet, along with brighter colors if you really want to embrace the rebirth of the season. Deep cleaning the whole kitchen–particularly the refrigerator–will somewhat strangely make you feel incredible. It’s a great prosperity Feng Shui tips too!
  2. Clean under things: We all have dust. That dust creates stagnation. Stagnation is the opposite of flow and circulation. Flow and circulation bring health and prosperity. Cleansing under things thoroughly–your sofa, your bed…even the oven and fridge–will open up any stagnant energy and get the flow going. This action will help you to open up stuck areas of your own life as well, so embrace it!
  3. Wash your windows: Another area of cleaning neglect for many. Washing the windows gives you a fresh perspective on life. While you’re at it, pop out your blinds if you have them and wash them in your tub. Toss curtains in the laundry or dry-clean them. You’ll be astonished by the difference this makes in your home, particularly if you open your windows often.
  4. Welcome new ideas: Look through the bookshelves and see if you can donate or gift some books to friends or a charity. This action will allow fresh ideas to come into your life this season.
  5. Practice cash shui: Polish the flow of your finances. Spring is the season of action, and you want to be sure that action doesn’t come at the expense of your prosperity. Beyond rooting through your files, think about a few ways to organize, invest or save money. A budget, a visit to your money manager, some accounting software or simply deciding to live using only cash to buy things (a very effective strategy for people who impulse buy with credit cards) can make this a wealthier spring.
  6. Eat lemons and greens: Spring is the season of wood energy, and in Traditional Chinese Medicine, that correlates with the element of wood, the organ of the liver and sour (like lemon) tastes. Eat lots of greens to generate more wood energy, feel cleaner inside and be more radiant in your whole life. And, of course, start the day with some hot water and lemon. These are two basic habits that are brilliant for spring, and great year-round as well!
  7. Make your life online a bit more Zen: Internet space is another “environment” in which we live, so it also deserves some spring cleansing. Most people engage in quite a bit of social media time, not to mention online banking, photo storage, work files, one or many email accounts and much more. Freshen up your online profiles pages: add some new pictures, color and personality. Go through your digital photos and organize them in a friendly fashion. Same for your emails and phone contacts.

And for every season, I like to set a seasonal intention. Whether it’s growing an herb garden, mastering Easter egg artistry or perfecting my golf swing, these personal, seasonal wishes make every season more fun to look forward to. And it’s a great way to signal the changes in your life throughout the year!

Michelle Cromer