by llenore | Dec 28, 2015 | Uncategorized
This time of year I’m busy preparing energetically for the New Year. The traditional “goals” have been set.
Window paper-cut is one of the most popular folk arts in China. Most of the contents represent the life of the Chinese farmers. They would include textile work, fishing, shepherding, livestock feeding, tillage, etc. The people display these in their windows during the festivals as symbols of their desired outcomes in life. It is a wish for a “wonderful life!”
Now is the time to “Set the Stage for Success” throughout your office and your home.
A couple of quick tips to remove or rid your environment and energetic connections to the last year are:
- Pay off any and all debts you can before the New Year. This will clear any old energy from last year allowing you to enter the New Year unencumbered by financial indebtedness.
- Clean (vacuum, dust and organize) as much as you can BEFORE New Year’s Day. This will allow you a fresh start – again, unencumbered by this current year’s energy allowing for a clean slate on which to create a strong foundation for next year.
- Clean your bedroom by dusting everything and putting clean, fresh sheets on your bed. Be sure to clean under your bed as well to delete stagnant energy hiding beneath it.
- Clear out all leftovers from your refrigerator BEFORE the New Year. We don’t want to ingest the energies from the past year.
- Get rid of the old staples and purchase new ones for a fresh start. The four staples are flour, rice, sugar and salt. Give old unopened staples to a food bank. Any open items you can give to a friend, neighbor or relative since it will be “new-to them.”
I’ve put in CAPS the word “BEFORE” on a couple of these. The reason for this is two-fold.
- We want to have the energy be new, clean and fresh before the New Year begins.
- We also don’t want to be doing the work on New Year’s Day for it is said that whatever you do on New Year’s Day you will be DOING ALL YEAR LONG! Do you want to be cleaning all year long? I know I don’t.
I like to spend time with family, play in my garden, travel to both old favorites and new places as well as spend time on introspection through mediation and writing. I plan my New Year’s Day to accommodate these.
What kind of things do you want to be doing all year long? Please share your comments.
by llenore | Dec 21, 2015 | Uncategorized
Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, is upon us bringing with it a time to reflect on the past year, to deepen commitments to ourselves and others, to decide on the goals worthy of our attention for the coming year and to count our blessings as we connect to the natural evolution of the seasons through nature.
The centering affect of the fireplace in our home is the perfect focal point for the Winter Solstice. Today is the longest, darkest day of the year. With tomorrow returns the Light. During this time of year we often focus on the things we don’t have or that didn’t come to pass for us. There may be sadness from the loss of a loved one. Remember, tomorrow is the beginning of expanding Light, Love, Hope and Joy!
I haven’t written my blog for months, for which I deeply apologize. I have been writing, just not here.
This last year brought a multitude of exciting changes and delicious possibilities – too many for me to list here. Yet I will say you will be able to read more from me on a regular basis. I’m now a contributing author to a magazine – both print and digital – called Thriving Women in Business.
The opening topic for the first two months of the year is Make It Your Best Year Ever! I already have six articles written in a series for the digital magazine (one each week in January and the first part of February) and one to launch the print magazine. More on this in future blogs.
Mid-year a very dear friend of mine passed away, Robert Fish, PhD. He was instrumental in encouraging me with my spiritually-based presentations. One of the points about life he shared in his last podcast was, “Don’t die with your gift still inside!” Within a couple of days both before his passing and afterwards I had the title for a new book and several dozen chapter titles.
The Universe conspires with us when we are ready to take the journey and do the tasks needed to accomplish our life purpose. In this case there was a writing contest called Transformational Author’s Experience. We were to write the proposal for our book along with the first chapter and a comparative book analysis.
I entered the contest along with 3000 other people from around the world. There were 15 prizes awarded. I recently learned I was the recipient of one of those prizes. The book continues to evolve with great passion within me.
I’ve been asked to do a number of speaking engagements, some of which require written proposals. I’ve also applied to teach these same workshops as CEU classes for several industries.
Just a week ago I learned I have been selected again as a presenter to the prestigious San Francisco Flower and Garden Show 2016 in mid-March. I’m excited for the opportunity plus the book signings to follow it.
My health is improving constantly for which I am eternally grateful. With the torn ligament in my foot two years ago I was unable to do much of the work I love as well as not able to do presentations. I’m so excited to be back on track to share.
In the meantime I started creating online courses to serve the many requests I have for learning Feng Shui from my perspective. Many angels have come into my life to help fulfill this venue with ease.
The health of my love, Hilory, continues to improve. We have enjoyed several trips together, worked more on finishing our home remodel and growing deeper in love each day, if that is possible.
My grandsons live close to me and I am able to spend time with them on a regular basis. This in itself is a joy. Watching them grow, seeing them learn and making decisions about their lives are gifts. This part of my life is all the more precious when you know I had a son who died 30 years ago at the age of 13 years. I try to pay attention to life in order to not let the sacred in the everyday slip through my fingers unnoticed.
I share this photo of my fireplace as a symbol for the Winter Solstice. This fireplace was just a wall with the gas insert a year ago. Now it has a mantle from East Coast reclaimed white oak barn wood, an Ansel Adams’ black and white photo of Half Dome in Yosemite framed above the mantel and Christmas decorations.
I took this photo tonight. It represents the Light of tomorrow showing up in our lives in many ways. Even when things are darkest, there is always Light someplace. We just need to look for it. Hilory and I found the wood for the mantle about 8 years ago. Last year we traveled to Yosemite for our vacation – the first in 12 years – where we purchased the Ansel Adams photo. Several of the Christmas decorations came from Filoli, a place I enjoy and a place that holds special meaning to both Hilory and myself.
I’m truly blessed.
Where are the dark places in your life? What can you do to focus on the Light around you? Today is the longest, darkest 24-hour period of the year. Tomorrow brings with it more Light, Hope and Love!
Bless you!
by llenore | Aug 31, 2015 | Uncategorized
Peace Lily
Many years ago I learned about a study performed by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) pertaining to the plants ability to reduce toxins in our built environments. I was so fascinated by this study, I’ve used this information in my presentations for over 20 years. I even did a special program for San Mateo County at their EXPO Center for 5 years with great reviews.
Here is the list of plants:
Pothos Ivy
NASA – 10 Toxin Absorbing Plants
- Bamboo Palm – Chamaedorea Seifritzii
- Chinese Evergreen – Aglaonema Modestum
- English Ivy – Hedera Helix
- Gerbera Daisy – Gerbera Jamesonii
- Janet Craig (Heart Leaf Philodendron) – Dracaena “Janet Craig”
- Mass cane/Corn Plant – Dracaena Massangeana
- Mother-in-Law’s Tongue – Sansevieria Laurentii
- Pot Mum – Chrysantheium morifolium
- Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum “Mauna Loa”
- Warneckii – Dracaena “Warneckii”
Other “Good Feng Shui” House Plants
Ficus
- Boston Fern
- Dragon Tree (Dwarf Banana)
- Dracaena Marginata
- Dumb Cane
- Marble Queen Pothos
- Lady Palm
- Rubber Plant – Ficus Robusta
- Ficus Tree
If you are concerned with toxic elements in your home, you might just want to go purchase a few of these house plants to improve the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Plus they will bring serenity to your home according to Biophilia studies.
by llenore | Aug 30, 2015 | Uncategorized
I never imagined Feng Shui would take me to homes to clear up negative energy caused by renters, but that’s what I did yesterday.
Water was left running in the bathroom when the renters left. Major repairs were needed. Now it looks lovely.
I guess in this crazy housing market, people don’t want to have to find another place in which to live – at least that is what I’m telling myself. I don’t understand why someone would be malicious, yet from my understanding, that’s what happened.
The house where I did the Home Blessing is a lovely home. The owner has been renting it out for about 10 years. She has found a home in Hawaii where she wants to move. She made an offer on it, contingent on selling this home in order to pay for the home in Hawaii.
Not only were the renters messy, they didn’t let the realtor show the home when there was an interested buyer. Then when they finally moved, they left the water running inside causing major damage that needed to be repaired. Several months later, the home has been on the market all this time. Of course, no one has wanted to purchase it under these circumstances.
The process to creating a sacred space starts with the altar. The first thing I do is place my altar cloths on a flat surface using the many different colors in their corresponding directions, then the different elements are brought in through metal bells, earthen fossils, water, wood and fire. Intention is also a powerful part of the mix.
That’s where the Home Blessing comes in. This negative energy had infused the home making everyone who entered it feel angry, disgruntled and uncomfortable. These are exactly the opposite feelings we want in a home; we want to be happy, harmonious, at ease and loving the space.
When I’m doing a Home Blessing, I’m working with the energy of the building. In this case I was clearing the old “renters’ revenge” energy and filling it with love, happiness and joy of ownership for this beautiful home. The process creates a sacred space as the anchoring center that radiates outward to encompass the whole home and yard.
Our homes are the sacred haven for our body – the temple of our spirit. Making a home a sacred space for our daily lives to be lived and our dreams to be fulfilled is a blessing.
May I come bless your home?
by llenore | Aug 20, 2015 | Uncategorized
One of my readers and Feng Shui clients requested I give more detail about the process I use to create sacred spaces. She has experienced my work first hand and how it changed the energy of her home dramatically for the positive.
According to Feng Shui, the kitchen is usually the hearth & heart of home.
Even people who visited her home after I did the work remarked about the “Brightness” and “Lightness” even the “Joy” they felt in the home following my work. Mind you, her home already was beautiful and displayed several spiritual icons increasing the vibration; yet there was more that could be done to really make the home support her dreams.
In the next few weeks I will share different parts of the process I perform.
Today we’ll start with the base foundation in the creation of an altar to sanctify the heart of the home. It is usually the kitchen or greatroom. I say “usually” because we are looking for the “heart” or “hearth” of the home. We’re looking for the centering location where the family gathers. That used to be the central hearth or fireplace where food was cooked and where bodies were warmed.
Once we locate the center, we clear an area to make an altar. In the kitchen it could be a counter or table. If it is a family room, you might use a table. If there isn’t anything flat, you can always use the floor.
Using a special cloth, lay it out to create a base and focal point for the altar. I have gold-threaded cloths from Bali I use, but a table cloth, dish or hand towel, scarf or small rug can be used.
In preparing the altar for the ceremony, I place my main altar cloth down with a secondary cloth, known as an Angel Cloth, on top of it. Then, to honor the Four Directions I place a narrow cloth the color of the corresponding direction.
The next step is to honor the Four Directions – north, south, east and west. If you have a cultural background with particular elements or objects associated with the directions, use them as part of the display placing them in the correct locations. I use the colors from a couple different cultures.
I set them up following this formula: North is water and blue; South is fire and red; East is wood and green; and, West is metal and white (or metal colors like silver, gold and bronze).
Start looking for the energetic center of your home and, within that area, a place to create your altar. Gather items to honor the Four Directions.
In my next post I’ll share more steps you can follow.
Please share what items you have found to represent the Four Directions and any successes you have had with me in the comments area below.
