Every minute of every day on Earth there is vibration, shifting and flowing of energy. These subtle changes layer upon each other to create an “onion-like” influence which we begin to notice on a more gross level once they are several layers deep. This is where date selection is so important in Feng Shui to ensure that events such as surgery, contract signing, business proposals, elections, marriages, moving, and funerals are conducted on the most auspicious days and times. In looking at the layers the influence becomes grosser and more noticeable as you move from minutes, to hours, to days, to months, to years. So when a New Year energy shifts this is something most people will feel and be affected by. Obviously the more aware and in tune you are the more affected you’ll be. And so this is why it is so important to be informed of the areas of your home that pose risks and misfortune as well as the areas that foretell great fortune each year.
2009 is a year of all Yin Earth elements under the influence of the Ox or Cow. When you think of Yin Earth, as opposed to the Earth Rat of 2008 which was more like a mountain, you have something like a beach or a desert. Under the surface there is a little bit of Metal and a little bit of Water. So, eventhough there is no real growth, there is promise of growth under the surface. 2009 will be a year with severe droughts, sand storms and water shortages in various places around the world. With droughts come forest fires, also avalanches and earthquakes.
This year is all about Earth; nurturing our planet, returning to our roots, laying down terra firma and finding a sense of earthiness in our lives that is back to basics. Earth implies calm from the storm, peacefulness like when you look down a sandy coastline.
When you think of Yin Earth think of Meditation – Make this the theme of your year. Meditate on problems before reacting. Meditate on what is working in your life and put your focus there. Meditate on the Planet Earth, Our Mother, and look for ways to be a part of the solution. Meditate on how to adjust your life to a more peaceful setting. Meditate in nature; under a park tree, by a lake, biking a wooded trail, hiking up a mountain, collecting autumn leaves, making snow angels on your front yard, watching the night sky, pushing a child on a swing, running down a hill with your arms outstretched – Meditate. It means to simply be present in this now perfect moment.
Earth is chanting, it is the month of January, it is the colors of Brown and Yellow, it is slow paced, it is a garden or a healing hand, it is pottery, it is how you nourish your body with the fruits of the land, it is the shape of a square, it is foods like chocolate, granola, fruit, and honey, it is the direction of the North East, it is the scent of musky pine, it is the Feng Shui home of Fathers and Wisdom, it is home, and it is our Earth.
Lydia Griffith is a certified Feng Shui consultant, Chinese Astrologer and Integral Yoga Instructor. You can request via e-mail her expanded Feng Shui for the New Year newsletter with detailed information on each direction of the Ba-Gua with tips on ways to deflect negative influences while activating the positive energies of 2009. Visit Lydia's website http://www.kharmakhameleon.com for Feng Shui cures and to learn more about her services.