Fall Clearance

Fall Clearances are everywhere. If you’re a big fan of retail therapy, as am I, this is great news. But there’s another kind of Fall Clearance that offers big rewards with an even smaller price tag. This is the energy-busting kind. Autumn is the time of year when energy becomes denser and less mobile. In other words, it’s the time of year when things begin to get stuck.

Time for a space clearing.

There are a number of ways to do this. Sea salt (not table salt) is like a magnet for the yucky vibe. A bowl of sea salt in the middle of a room, and/or in the four corners of a bigger room, will absorb any negative energy. Leave in place for twenty-four hours, upon which time the salt must be collected and disposed of. Never pour the salt down a drain or toilet, however. The unwanted energy will be released into your plumbing - and your plumbing reflects your prosperity. It’s best to throw the “used” salt into the ocean where it will be instantly restored to its former self. Of course this is not possible for the majority of us, so the next best thing is to secure the salt in a biodegradable bag (like paper) and dispose of it in the trash.

Another widely used technique for space clearing is with burning sage. This is a dried herb, usually in a small branch, that when lit, draws out the denser energies and disintegrates them within the smoke. The scent it potent, however, so if you don’t want your space to smell like a Grateful Dead concert, this technique may not be for you. I had to warn my neighbors that I was not a delinquent mother of three, just into space clearing. I still don’t think they believe me.

A third way to clear space is with rubbing alcohol, sea salt and fire. This is as dangerous as it sounds. And should not be attempted with small children, pets, or loose hair in the room. With a Pyrex bowl on top of a trivet or metal cookie sheet, fill container with one to two inches of sea salt. Pour rubbing alcohol over the salt until it is saturated. Then with great caution - and curtains and hair out of the way – light a match (do not use a lighter) and drop it into the bowl. A small puff of flame will ignite, drawing in and burning up the negative energy of the room. If possible, close the windows and doors as well. It may take 2-5 minutes for the flame to die out – never leave the fire unattended – after which time the Pyrex bowl will be very hot, as will the burned-out salt. Wait until everything has cooled before disposing of the salt mixture as mentioned above (in a biodegradable bag, straight out to your trash.)

All three of these space-clearing techniques will work to shift and lighten the energy of a room. So if you’re looking for a Fall Clearance, without clearing your wallet, try one of them. Then we can get ready to hunker down for the Winter ahead.

The B Spot

The B spot.

Women have one. Men have one. Anyone who sleeps in a bed has one.
The B spot is the wall space above and behind your bed. And it speaks volumes about you.
My friend, Heather, a fellow Feng Shui junkie, received a frantic call from a wealthy, charming, successful, gorgeous guy. Said Hot Guy was having a dry spell. Women had stopped calling, and falling for him.
“Tell me. What’s in your B Spot?” Heather asked.
“My what?”
“Look. I’m not going to kid you. It’s a brutal way to find out you’ve been sabotaging yourself. But you need to tell me what kind of artwork, if any, is hanging above your bed. And you need to do it now.”
It was a picture of a landscape. A peaceful, soothing field of grass. Squared nicely on the wall above his bed.
“Perfect. You’re attracting a peaceful, soothing energy, devoid of all human contact for as far as the eye can see. And you're wondering how powerful the B Spot can be?”

Time for a Remedy.

What Hot Guy needed was a Geisha Girl in his B spot. And fewer than a few outings later, Hot Guy was once again, hot. He wasn’t looking for a committed relationship any more than he was looking for an empty landscape in between his sheets. He was looking for women to heat up his Hotness. Lots of women. Lots of women whose goal was to please. Say what you will, but that’s what he wanted.
A Geisha Girl, or any other female representing consensual co-heated mingling, placed above your bed, will draw to you just that. This works equally as well for women looking to co-heat with another woman. Men interested in men can follow the same protocol here. You get the drift.
A few months later, Hot Guy called Heather again. He’d met the woman of his dreams and wanted to settle down with her. “Geisha Girl’s gotta’ go,” my friend advised. Because what Geisha Girl represented no longer reflected Hot Guy’s desires. Instead, he now needed something that represented partnership above his bed. Two naked people would work, but so would two birds, or two turtles - whatever it is that represents monogamous coupling. Two dollars might work, but if your goal is to draw in more money, you might want to make it two billions dollars, or any other auspicious money sign (like the number Eight or Eight Chinese coins), instead. Likewise, if your teenage brother’s picture of Marisa Miller in a bikini above his bed speaks to you, by all means take that out for a spin and see what gets activated.

Remember, your house reflects you. Your artwork reflects you. And your B spot reflects you, the most.

It’s brutal. We're not going to kid you. But you need to address your B spot. And if you’re yearning for something that is missing in your life, you need to do it now.

Above my bed is a frame with eleven muscles glued inside it. Not the kind you use to do push-ups with, but the kind that come from the sea, and without the slimy things inside. I had it made by an artist I know and admire, because my own Hot Guy liked what he saw in the artist's gallery. There are eleven shells, for what was our eleventh anniversary. In my own B spot awakening, I admit that at first, I had no idea what this piece of artwork said about us. The shells are glued on nice and tight, have weathered a few tides, and are still hanging together after all this time. Which, on second thought...

Go on. Find your B spot. Then activate it.

08.08.08

08.08.08

Most of us probably don’t reflect much on the meaning of numbers. I’m not talking about the amount, the sum or even their line-up; I am talking about the personality behind each number.

Yes, personality.

The Chinese have chosen the date 08.08.08 as the opening day of the Olympics in Beijing next summer. Random? Coincidence? Come on, people. This is the same civilization that won’t use knives or scissors on New Year's Day (cuts off fortune), or clip toenails or fingernails at night (the person will be visited by a ghost). Nothing is random. Not even numbers.

Deriving from the same I Ching that Feng Shui principles are based upon, the Chinese believe each number carries with it a specific energy. Similar to how the five elements (Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Metal) can be used to balance a space, numbers can also be used to improve an environment. In this system, called Numerology, numbers are not only for calculating and counting, they explain and predict as well.

In other words, some numbers are “lucky” while others, sadly, are not.

Numerology was originally formed by the pronunciation of the numbers themselves. For example, the Chinese word for “one” sounds much like the word “honor” and carries the attributes of stillness and strength. The word “two” is similar in pronunciation to the word “sure” meaning steadfast and symmetry. And the word “three” sounds like “growth” which translates into abundance.

Unfortunately, the Chinese word for “four” sounds like the word “death”. So unless you own a funeral home with the number 4 in the address, or you stand to inherit great sums of money from the contents of a safe deposit box numbered 4, death pretty much implies “unlucky.” 13’s unfortunate reputation has the 4 to thank. In Numerology, all single digits are added together to determine their base meaning, which when done with 13 becomes a 4. (1+3 = 4). Had the Chinese word for “four” translated into “great sex” instead, it might be standard for every hotel to have an entire elevator board full of 13th floors. As it stands now, many hotels skip this “unlucky” étage all together.

The word “Five” represents balance as it is associated with the Five Elements. “Six” sounds like “wealth” and carries abundance. “Seven” sounds like the Cantonese word for “sure” and is associated with easy happiness. The pronunciation of the number “eight” resembles the word “multiply” and is considered to bring prosperity and fertility. Which means if your husband/boyfriend/significant other’s roomy backseat has a license plate with the number eight in it, you might want to get a room instead (making sure, of course, to avoid the 13th floor). Finally, “Nine” sounds like the words “long life” which to most of us implies happiness and fulfillment. Hopefully yours does.

Sometimes things are confusing in Feng Shui, and sometimes they are just plain synchronistic. When I started this entry, I hadn’t thought much about the address of the house I am living in. It is my parent’s house where we are lucky enough to spend the summer. And it is 4 house. 4 Something Lane, to be exact. (Had the address been 22 Something Lane, it would be very auspicious. 11, 22, and 33 can never be reduced and are all fortunate numbers). This house, however, represents death.

Time for a remedy.

If your house/apartment/dorm room is the number 4 don’t panic. (I threw up, but that’s because really, what were the chances of this?) Instead, take a red pen and circle the number 4 on your house/apartment/dorm room door. Alternatively, you can use the pen to make a red dot on either side of the number (I did both). Either remedy works to burn off the unluckiness of the number 4. If your address includes a 4 - 147 Something Street for example, its overall effect is much less harmful and doesn’t need a remedy at all.

Human personalities can be studied with Numerology as well. In fact, according to this system our characters were set before our last limb left the womb. The only information required is your birthday. I was born June 30th 19.., on second thought I can’t remember my birthday so I will use my friend’s, that is to say, yours. You might have been born 10/26/1979: 1+0=1 +2 =3 +6=9 +1=10 which =1 +9=10 which =1 (again) +7= 8 +9 =17, which when added together = 8. This means if your birthday is October 26, 1979, you are an 8 and should play the lotto often and buy things for your friends, even those you have never met before.

So what does this mean for those of us whose birthday adds up to a 4? Tattoo red dots on either side of our nose? No. Fortunately, a kinder set of rules apply to birthdates. Once you have reduced your birthday to the lowest denominator find your number below:

One - Correlates to independence, but can lead to isolation.
Two - Represents double possibilities and partnership, but can lead to co-dependence.
Three - Attracts enthusiasm, which can lead to impatience if not careful.
Four - Stability, but can turn into stubbornness.
Five - Carries excitement, which can result in restlessness.
Six - Affiliated with nurturing. Be mindful not to turn into martyrdom.
Seven - Associated with spirituality, but can lead to pessimism if too materialistic.
Eight - Prosperity comes easily, but can turn into selfishness if not careful.
Nine - Hopeful and idealistic, but can become self-centered.

Unlike an environmental space, there are no physical remedies to thwart the negative side of each number (you could go ahead and try the red dots on either side of your nose though, and let me know what transpires). Insight, however, can go a long way into identifying and repairing negative personality traits, whether this is your own or your mother-in-law’s. Think of Numerology as a new prescription for reading glasses. Begin to take note of the people in your life and their personality numbers. It might just give you 20/20. (Don’t mind the fact that this adds up to 4).