We certainly are going through the learning that Mother Earth is speaking. Teaching us that it does not take much to rattle us from our complacency. Jarred from routine, with a sharpened awareness to expect aftershocks. Do you have that swaying at sea feeling? Our sensitivity shows we are certainly still on high alert.

What does Feng Shui offer? For me personally, it is to go with the perceived threat of uncertainty and breathe. Draw in air and take deep long breaths right down into your stomach. This keeps the mind still and you can reason what to do next.

Feng Shui is based on the recognition that the planet operates on the Heaven/ Earth/ Man theory.  In other words what is happening in the stars and the heavens at a particular time, what is being activated by the heat of the Earth’s core, and us mortals that are being directly affected by a force out of our control.

Invisible forces are always going be there and strong in this Year of the Metal Rat. We can expect more unpredicted during 2020 and with Covid 19 still very much on our minds the need to strengthen our mental learning is important. Feng Shui uncovers your personal core strengths–knowing more how you as an individual operates, your strengths, what makes you wobble and recognising all this is learnt behaviour. Things like: are you an individual thinker or need group dynamics to resolve issues or require support when facing unpredicted events? It’s really empowering when we can plot Heaven / Earth responses in a chart and see where and when we require to focus on self-development and when favourable planetary vibrations are available for us to tap into.

But today’s Earthquake was about immediacy. What is your response when uncertainty arises? Where was your thinking?

Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash.

As from February, we are heading into the Year of the Metal Rat. Rat is the first of the 12 animal signs. It is also a Grand Duke Year. In Chinese’s metaphysics, each year has a governing Animal Sign alongside one of the Element. This relates to the star alignment. So why is this important?

It is about the vibrational energy that, like a transmitter, affects us. Some are favourable rhythms others you seem to be swimming upstream. How can we use this understanding if you align with the Rat and the Metal energy – my suggestion is to do more in this coming year and your efforts will be supported, rewarded and multiped.   

You can look up your birth chart here www.joeyyap.com/destinyx. 

If there is a clash vibrationally with your signs, do less but with more purpose. Grow stronger internally, regroup and set fresh goals while still taking advantage of the strong vitality of the Rat energy. Spiritual growth during this year is all about growing in self-confidence.

Knowing Metaphysic Biorhythms doesn’t change anything if you do nothing. You still need to plan and be decisive in your thinking and actions> Otherwise nothing will change. The strategy for this year is the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively when the opportunity arises.

The positive things to look for in 2020

About networking

The Rat is a sociable animal and works in groups. It’s very family-oriented and very, very cunning. It knows opportunities when they arise. Go out and mix this year. Target business and personal networking, and group socialising. Incorporate volunteer social work in the mix. So, if you are a Hermit get dressed up and venture out. Opportunities are not only on social media but good relationships and people connections where you are SEEN.

Leadership

In this Grand Duke Year, be committed to your goals. As I said earlier, goals may need revisiting with a fresh perspective and vitality. Change your goal setting to a different format and start with what you want in big CAPITALS. Be the General of your life and have confidence in what unfolds.

Growth Plan 

Well informed

This year is not a year to be shrinking violet. Networking, social work or family bonds and importantly have weekly /monthly steps in your diary.  You may feel you have more important things to do but being seen is key to fresh leads and knowing what’s out there. People supporting people – be part of it.

Potential

Self Confidence, we all need to polish this muscle from time to time but recognising our boundaries only comes with practice. Plan for this and know energetically when you need to say No. This year’s Metal element is perfect support for this. Embrace the properties of structure, strength and knowing who you are in order to become a successful version of yourself.

Courage

Call the shots. If you keep this clearly in your mind, then 2020 will be a piece of cake. Or perhaps a piece of cheese keeping Mr Rat happy.

Image credit: Photo by Israel Peni Unsplash.

1. Connection to that space. Look for featured items in your space and ask yourself why you have placed them where they are. Perhaps that spot has great morning sun? Or does it offer a wow factor on the path leading to the house’s front door? Is that space calling for something dynamic to compliment a naturalistic background? All of these can accomplish the same outcome – slowing down the energy and invigorating that location.

2. Directional support. What is the compass direction of the location in question? What insights can this give us? As an example – the North-East direction (in the Southern Hemisphere) supports self-knowledge and spirituality. The directional element is Earth. Each of these are positive for contemplation purposes. So if you are considering a spot for reflection, this would be an appropriate placement.

When considering placement of substantial features, refer to the Bagua Map to give you reasoning behind your positioning choices. This will personalise and strengthen what is required for this space. When implemented, that spot will come alive resonating with chi.

I am sure you have had times when you have questioned what sculpture, art work, plant or feature is perfect for a particular spot. It is often a luxury. But when the time is right, it is these touchable connective drivers that can really bring enjoyment to time spent in that space.

Energy Exchange

Placement of the items you love will have a deep resonant effect on your spaces and those who come into them. This has to do with the Feng Shui principle of Energy Exchange.⁠
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Exchange is the energetic giving and receiving. Everything gives off and receives energy. Flow. There is a constant transaction of energy flow between objects and people.⁠
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Everything in your home has been chosen by you or another family member. There is memory attached to each object. For example, a present or something you fell in love with. Or it could take you back to a negative situation and to have that around you is depleting. The same goes with nature you may hate where you live or the garden is a jungle – this again is an energetic distraction.⁠
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Moments sitting with the warmth of loved objects is pure synergy – pure Feng Shui – purely being in the moment. The more you are aware of what is around you the more mindful you are about placement.⁠
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Embracing Feng Shui supports choices you make when decorating your living spaces. This is not about materialism, it is about vibrational resonance – the exchange.⁠
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Feng Shui makes arranging items within your home fun and achievable and you get to choose vitality over mediocrity. ⁠

Get the Feng Shui Support You Need

A Feng Shui consultation with Equate’s Rosemary Nelson can create positive energized spaces that are supportive and nourishing. Please get in touch so we can discuss your needs.

Koyasan Shingon-shu Buddhism Headquarters Temple – Mount Koya, Wakayama Prefecture.

My first-hand experience of temple life – vegetarian food, futons on hard floors, attending early morning service. All part of a 2-night stay at Sekishoin Buddhist Monastery in Koyasan on my recent trip to Japan. Just being amongst these dedicated Buddhist Monks was positively joyful and from a spiritual point of view I loved their togetherness and sense of fun.  This experience wasn’t about lack – their food was delicious and their laughter contagious.

Japan is rich in so many ways, especially its culture and spirituality. Buddhism and the indigenous faith Shintoism have for centuries stood hand in hand as the major religions in Japan. The history and symbolism of this partnership is evident in the many temple complexes.  As is the Japanese people’s approach to life its always inclusive and embraces preciseness. Artisans in every detail, stylish to the core, I just loved the attention to detail as it is so insightful of who they are.

Mount Koya in Koyasan is the Sacred Centre for Shingon Buddhism. Situated deep in the mountains this Monastic complex was established by Kobo Daishi in 816. Daishi was divinely led to build this Mausoleum Teaching Centre in order to embed Shingon Buddhism in Japan – and today remains the major Buddhist school worldwide. Mount Koya is surrounded by eight peaks and said to represent the eight petals of the Lotus Flower, within the inner central Mandala the 8 deities are positioned for spiritual correctness. While in turn the Buddha is embedded as the spiritual heart of Koyasan

The surrounding Temple garden area is the largest rock garden in Japan (2349 square meters). It represents a pair of Dragons emerging from the sea of cloud to protect the Okuden Temple. The Dragons are made of 140 pieces of granite surrounded with white groomed meticulously raked sand, the timeless symbolism grounding the art form as if a prayer.

Koyasan’s picturesque environment is a major tourist destination in Spring and Autumn. The temples are a drawcard for all spiritual denominations. Countless number of Kumano Kodo Pilgrims walkers pass thru the temples sticks in hand and traditional bamboo Amigasa hats on hand. For the Japanese, a Spiritual Pilgrimage journeys is recognised as a lifetime achievement and one that they embrace with diligence and vigour.  Even more inclusive, all the Monasteries open their Temples for Pilgrim accommodation and meals, a welcome relaxing place to recovery after a long day walk. 

A career as a Landscape Designer enriched my love of working with the land. This passion developed a respect for how I approach and see my relationships with the planet we live on. I have over the years, sculptured gardens, free formed designs, followed briefs that place things on the land but blind to the fact that the planet has its own agenda and dimensional pulse. Now, waking up to this fact and recognising the multidimensional energy source of where and how we live is a design tool, has become important and relevant for my work.

Sustainability, conservation, how we recycle and conserve resources raised its head for designers to contend with, by juggling how to minimizing materials, carbon emissions, need to buy locally – all make you think ‘What is my response ‘ to the issues of Global warming.
A friend of mine encouraged me to study the art of ‘Feng Shui’, as a result adding this ancient art into my landscape planning provided the depth and impact I was looking for and ultimately how to respond to confronting environmental issues.

At first I simply applied the North / South/ East / West grid onto plans to localise and anchor my designs into the magnetic energy field of the earth. Being congruent and in tuned with the vibrational pull of the earth induced a greater sense of place and the added layer that it activates is ‘harmony’. This partnership working in cooperation with the electromagnetic synergy just works and the winner here is you.

Applying the ‘Feng Shui Bagua’ template over environments followed and again the added language that evolved between me the designer and what was energetically right for that place became an obsession. The Bagua map corresponds to areas of your home or gardens and directly relates to corresponding aspects of your life. The template originates back to the trigrams of the I Ching (Chinese book of changes). It energetically punched into that link I was seeking which was how to make designing and holistic living partners.

Recognising that your home, environment and health are all related made me see the need for offering this Feng Shui based service as a standalone package. Equate Aligned Environments is my response to this. Referencing back to your home and life situations: energy spirals out from the central core of a building or place and empowers you to be part of the energy transfer and alternately gives you back the responsibility for how to live, just seeing that if one sector is energetically out of balance and can cause a rippled distortion on other areas, can be enormously awakening.

The application for applying this method is ‘infinite’ as is this planet we live on. Putting you back into the equation once again, our charka system of our body determines our present health, interesting enough the earth also has a charka system and by aligning the correlation of the two activates a powerful fusion. To further the 5 major elements present in the earth – Earth, Wood, Fire, Metal and Water also compliments our health and by introducing them into your life, workplace and environments create balance that nourishes and enriches your energy field and just by this simple placement energy flow is activated.

Equate Aligned Environments offers planning for not only healthy efficient living spaces but for gardens that offer that sense of peace which I am often asked for. By finding identity in whatever environment you are changing, a different result will manifest and this is where I can help you. By empowering you to see your home, workplace and outer landscape has an energy field and correlating that vibration into your thinking is where magic begins…. so my journey will continue

Rosemary