Letting the Light In

After reading an article by Simone Butler on Astrological Feng Shui in August’s edition of Mountain Astrologer I took a long hard look at my home. I remember years ago I bought a book on traditional Feng Shui when it had just hit the UK as the new fad that everyone was talking about and for a while I wondered whether my dragons were happy in murky corners or whether my Chi flowed correctly down the hallway. Eventually I dropped the whole thing, irritated with the details of things and never quite knowing how the strange little flat I lived in at the time fitted into the Bagua Map.

Whilst all esoteric practices interest me, I was not drawn to this particular system, it didn’t speak to me. That isn’t a criticism of the system itself, afterall it has been successfully used for around 3000 years (!) however sometimes I think it is just as important to listen to your gut instincts. We all have our own internal mythologies, personal histories, cultural archetypes, dreams, wishes and hopes. All of us have our secrets too – sometimes wrapped up and tucked away in attics and cellars and forgotten drawers. Sometimes we just need to go with what feels right for us.

So, fascinated by Simone’s article I decided to simply walk around my house sensing the energy there and looking as if I were in a dream recording every nuance and detail. Every home has an energy, every room a feeling. After a long summer full of many hours of work and little rest I felt rather disconnected from my own four walls. Mine is an old maisonette build in the 1940’s which is soon to be dragged into the 21st Century by being fitted with a new bathroom and kitchen. Symbolically the bathroom is where we are ‘cleansed’ and ‘relieved’. The kitchen symbolises how we ‘nourish’ ourselves emotionally, spiritually and physically. It can also refer to our appetite for life and be linked to ‘preparation’. Both the bathroom and kitchen have links to cleansing. The fact that both these rooms are due to be completely re-fitted suggests that there are parts of myself now ready to be brought up to date, that psychologically I am ready for the changes that are necessary for the next phase of life. As an aside, my progressed moon is currently making her way towards my Ascendant and will leap into the first house next year corresponding nicely with my soon to be ‘new look’ home.

Everything around us is the result of our thoughts. Life is just a waking dream. Your home says much about who you were, who you are and who you are becoming. If there are changes you want to make in your life then making changes within your home that relate to the issue in question can make a significant impact. This is at the heart of Feng Shui, deliberately working with the environment to encourage positive energy to flow. Essentially Feng Shui, Spells and the Law of Attraction are all pretty much speaking the same language. Life communicates in symbols.

This morning I borrowed a squeegy on a pole and cleaned my windows. Bearing in mind I live on the second floor this was no mean feat and I still have the bruises from contorting myself into various positions whilst aiming to not slide head-first out of the window. Windows are like the eyes of a home; cleaning them opens them up, lets in the light and lets us see clearly. As the sunlight sparkled through them I could suddenly fully appreciate the beautiful colours of the autumn trees outside and I waved to a neighbour who was out picking herbs in the early morning sun. Such simplicity yet this single moment suddenly connected me again – to my home, to my surrounding environment. It was as if I too had opened my eyes after a long sleep.

The Moon is currently travelling through Cancer – sign of home and hearth. Cancer is my 12th house cusp so today I have spent entirely alone, happily cleaning and tidying, moving furniture and carefully noticing what each room says about my state of mind. I removed some pictures that were no longer part of my path and moved others into their place. I also made a very brave decision to part company with a stuffed dog I have had since I was two.

Snowy was once my favourite toy as a toddler. In the beginning he was set on wheels and I would happily push him around. When I got too big too push him comfortably, my Father took him off his wheels and I would carry Snowy everywhere with me. Snowy was so old he was stuffed with straw and when I finally let him go today he had no ears, no nose, no fur and straw poking out of his feet! I kissed my old stuffed dog goodbye – a deliberate act that said I no longer needed to hold onto things from my childhood (mentally, emotionally and physically). Cancer seeks to protect and nuture but sometimes it can get lost in memories and sentimentality. Part of me wants to rush out and rescue Snowy from the dustbin, the rest of me knows I won’t.

As ever I note the synchronicities that occur and today was no exception. As I cleaned and moved things, three ladybirds came to visit me. Generally seen as a symbol of good luck, love and protection I take this as a good omen and that energy that was trapped in my home has been released. Small changes in your surroundings can manifest as larger changes in your life – as above so below, so the microcosm is to the macrocosm. Snowy may have gone on to toy dog heaven but there’s life in this old dog yet!