Summer Fun

Posted in Ch'i, Energy, Feng Shui on 08/05/2010 10:32 pm by Diane Gallin

 

How is your summer going? I hope you are enjoying the long and languid days and have availed yourself of the opportunity to relax a bit.   As children, summer was the time to kick off our shoes and inhibitions and explore the world around us; often leaving the house at dawn, returning only when the last rays of sun signaled the end of day.  With free time to explore the park, beach, museum or library shelf, we slept soundly and greeted the morning with optimism for what the new day would bring.  Age and responsibility have a way of stealing those hours once spent dreaming, filling them instead with routine tasks and minutiae.   But why can’t we reclaim a portion of the day and allow time for creativity?

In Feng Shui, creativity is associated with the life area known as Children.  For obvious reasons, it equates birth, invention, whimsy and production.  It represents our offspring, our creative ideas and the child-like nature within us.  The future begins in this sector, for ideas are born of dreams.  When the Children area of a building is blocked or underutilized, we often find it difficult to daydream, laugh, relax and play.  We tend to work hard and take life seriously, often at the expense of our health and relationships.

Before summer’s end, set aside a weekend, a day or even an hour for spontaneous and joyful activity.  Ride a bike, jump in a lake, eat breakfast for dinner or lie down in the grass to watch the clouds go by.  Allow yourself to see the world through children’s eyes again.  You might just like the view.

Wishing you good ch’i,

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Share on Facebook
 

Chinese Astrology

Posted in Chinese Astrology, Feng Shui, Five Elements, Four Pillars of Destiny on 07/19/2010 02:53 am by Diane Gallin

By now you know a lot about Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement.  You’ve probably read how to create a zen-like atmosphere in your home or office, and how rearranging your furniture or strategically placing wind chimes and crystals can change your luck forever.  Sometimes, when used with intention, these symbols of change can help alter the energy in a space.  But of course, that’s an over-simplification.  Authentic Feng Shui advice is specific to each person, each building and each piece of property and quite difficult to generalize. And frankly, sometimes the more you hear, the more confusing it gets.

Perhaps I can help to clear up some of that confusion. One of the eight limbs of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five Element Chinese Astrology makes an important and relevant contribution to our understanding of Feng Shui, and I believe is an intricate part of the authentic Feng Shui consultation.

Feng Shui originated over 5,000 years ago in China with early observations about nature. The classic Chinese text known as the I Ching or Book of Changes, taught that everything in the universe can be categorized into one of five elements needed for working and living. The idea is that the properties of water, wood, fire, earth, and metal explain everything in our environment and that each element has a profound effect on the others. Not only do these elements describe everything on earth, but every combination of these elements actually provides an interpretation or prediction for naturally occurring events.

Early Taoist philosophy and yin/yang theory proved that there is order in the universe and that everything is related to each other in a meaningful way: darkness and light, inhaling/exhaling, male/female, summer/winter, birth and death. This relativity also shows that every element depends on the others to exist: For example, wood can’t survive without water to help it grow and metal relies on forces deep within the earth for creation. These elements also help to transform each other. Here’s an example: think about just how usable metal would be without fire to shape it into useful tools. How can a tree which is wood, stand its ground without drawing support and nutrients from the earth?

These same five elements are used in Chinese astrology to determine the traits a person is born with and how they influence their personality, strengths and weaknesses. Unlike Western astrology, which examines the affect of planets and stars on a person’s birth chart, Five Element Chinese Astrology (the Four Pillars of Destiny), uses the relationship of the elements represented in the hour, day, month and year of birth to map out the blueprint of each person. When you draw your first breath, the elements in play in the universe at that moment and in that particular place, imprint you for life, influencing your life path, your destiny and your luck. Once you know and understand your ‘heaven luck’ as it’s called, you can use Feng Shui to enhance your earth luck and have a real impact on your future.

I use the Four Pillars to help people make the best of their own personal element by learning to capitalize on their strengths and support their weaknesses. Knowing more about your chart is useful for choosing a place to live, seeking personal and business partners, career planning and creating your own opportunities. The calculation of a person’s luck cycles also indicates ideal time frames for making important decisions, such as buying or selling a home, expanding a business or pursuing a new objective.

Knowing which elements are supportive to you and which elements are missing in your chart even helps to determine the best building shape to live and work in, the color clothing you wear, the automobile you drive, and décor in your personal surroundings. For example, having an office on the top floor of a skyscraper might be productive for a gentle wood creative consultant, but not beneficial for the gentle earth real estate professional who benefits from being closer to the ground. When young children are found to have very strong or very gentle elements, I often recommend changing the colors in their bedrooms or introducing the element that naturally supports them. An analysis of a person’s Four Pillars also determines their four best compass directions – these are ideal directions for their front door and bed to face, and empowering directions to observe while working, studying or negotiating.

When I perform a Feng Shui consultation for clients, whether they are residential or commercial clients, I include a preliminary Four Pillars analysis for each person in the family or member of the management team. This provides essential information tailored specifically to each individual client allowing me to create a unique customized Feng Shui consultation. Many clients follow up with a more in-depth Four Pillars analysis to help them understand and improve every aspect of their lives and assist them in planning for the future.

I’m certified in Chinese Four Pillars Astrology and provide this service either with or without a Feng Shui consultation. All that’s needed is your place, date and time of birth. If you would like to learn more about your own Four Pillars of Destiny, or to order a gift for someone, please contact me at Diane@windandwaterfengshui.com or call 727-459-1459.

As always, wishing you good ch’i,

Diane Gallin

Listen now as Diane explains Five Element Chinese Astrology

Share on Facebook
 

Family Tree

Posted in Ch'i, Chinese Astrology, Energy, Feng Shui, Tree, Uncategorized, Wood on 06/18/2010 03:53 pm by Diane Gallin

Have you ever looked carefully at the trees in your surroundings? They are one of the first things I notice when I arrive at a consultation. In Feng Shui trees represent Wood energy (Chen) and are associated with springtime, morning, the East and the color green. Property with healthy tree energy is generally a harbinger of good ch’i within the building. Whether a mighty oak, flexible bamboo or stately palm, trees provide shade and shelter from the elements and habitats for other living creatures. They purify the air that we breathe (even in our indoor spaces) and prevent erosion of the earth beneath us.

Because Wood symbolizes ancestral beginnings and provides motivation for reaching into the future, tree ch’i is vital for any home or business environment. Providing the impetus for growth and development, Wood energy, like a good sturdy tree, should be upright and strong as well as yielding to the elements of change. Inside our buildings, Wood energy is essential to growing or expanding a business or family, writing a book or planning for the future. It provides both a foundation to build upon and a grasp beyond what is known and familiar.

In Four Pillars Chinese astrology, which determines the elements that imprint and define us at birth and effect us throughout our lives, Wood ch’i relates to creativity and sociability. Wood people are resourceful and handle pressure well, always with one foot in the future. Family, art and music inspire them while confinement and passivity stunt their growth.

Thomas Pakenham cautions care for tree energy, In Meetings With Remarkable Trees, “To visit these trees, to step beneath their domes and vaults, is to pay homage at a mysterious shrine. But tread lightly. Even these giants have delicate roots.” One of several hundred-year trees on my property (Max’s tree – yes I’ve named them) nurtures my children and grandchildren and is home to a wide variety of birds and magnificent red tailed hawks. A ten-year old tree I planted (Papa’s tree) to honor the passing of my father grows as straight and tall as his legacy. May you be grounded to the earth with strong roots and always have the ability to touch the future with your reach.

Happy Father’s Day!

Diane Gallin

www. windandwaterfengshui.com

Share on Facebook
 

Ch’i

Posted in Ch'i, Energy, Feng Shui on 05/07/2010 11:06 am by Diane Gallin

Perhaps you have heard the word ch’i described in Feng Shui and traditional Chinese medicine and wondered exactly what it was.  One of the first things I notice during a consultation with clients is the quality of ch’i in their surroundings.  Also known as qi, ki and prana, ch’i (pronounced chee) is considered to be the breath that flows through and around every living thing.  It is the air that conducts and transports vital energy, touching and animating everything in its path.  Although it is invisible, ch’i is thought to be the very essence of life.

In traditional Chinese medicine, ch’i enlivens the physical body through meridians or channels, and its quality affects our health, emotions and well being.  In Feng Shui, currents of ch’i flow through our surroundings, connecting us to our indoor and outdoor spaces in profound ways.  In both instances, free-flowing ch’i contributes to ease of movement and passage, while stagnation slows us down.  Think of how you feel when confined to a cluttered or chaotic room or workspace and you will get a sense of how ch’i influences our clarity of thought and productivity.  In our environment, ch’i can be tranquil and abundant, scattered, scarce or blocked.  Over time, problems arise when the quality of ch’i remains the same, limiting our opportunities for growth and movement.

Find a moment to observe the ch’i around you in a 24 hour period and see if you can recognize the subtle differences.  How navigable are the hallways and transition spaces in your home and business?  Can you walk around the exterior of your home without encountering an obstacle?  Open spaces, birdsong and breezes will likely evoke different feelings than darkened rooms, the hum of electronics and traffic.  Let me know how the quality of ch’i influences you this month.

Wishing you good ch’i,

Diane Gallin

Share on Facebook
 

Earth Day

Posted in Five Elements on 04/22/2010 11:08 am by Diane Gallin

Earth Day commemorates a movement in time not too long ago when the deterioration of our natural environment became both evident and measurable, signaling a need for collective change. Once considered the realm of students, hippies and naturalists, 40 years later environmental awareness and personal responsibility for earth’s natural resources remains at the forefront of our global attention, as we continue to explore ways to conserve and sustain ourselves on the planet.

One of the five elements (along with Wood, Water, Fire and Metal) that define the very foundation of all Feng Shui principles, Earth represents the tai ch’i or center of our environment, touching everything we do.  It is associated with the mother, the colors brown and yellow, square shapes, the stomach and digestive systems, early autumn, late afternoon, the northeast and southwest.  Earth energy grounds us while transitioning from one activity to another, providing boundaries for guidance.  It is the place where yin and yang meet – terra firma.

In Feng Shui, the center of the home influences the health and stability of the family.  In the workplace, it represents the core and foundation of the business.  Blocking walls or misaligned furniture, clutter, plumbing, hallways, elevators and uneven flooring can contribute to the erosion of Earth energy. Too much or too little activity will tip the scale of Earth energy in the center of our spaces.  An ideal place for gathering people together and sharing ideas, it is important to provide comfortable places for energy as well as people to settle in the center, and open pathways for smooth transition.

Once we learn to balance our own good health and well-being in the places we reside, Earth energy enables us to care for and nurture others.  Like Mother Earth,  these places will sustain us, providing we carry our own weight.

Happy Earth Day!

Diane Gallin

Share on Facebook