love note from Anjie - nov 12, 2022

hi!

I was on retreat in France for two weeks just a couple months ago and collected some Juniper from Dechen Choling. It's been quietly drying in the sun near my office window, next to my desk shrine.

Juniper is an evergreen conifer, wood element, and a reminder that even in the coldest and darkest times – there is life. We have the opportunity to create transformation, inspiration, and warmth as the wood feeds fire. The green is everlasting, a constant, and points to the presence of spring, new beginnings and growth.

When we offer a smoke blessing, the botanical is burned and transmuted. The fire and wood creates smoke that rises, lifting our offerings to the heavens. The ashes are earth element, re-connecting our wishes back down to our presence in the earth realm.

 

from instagram

smoke offering with juniper

wood | fire | earth

what do you want to let go and offer gratitude for?

what wishes and blessings can you offer today?

Next week, I'll offer instruction on how to perform a smoke blessing ceremony for your home!

Save the Date

I'll be teaching in Los Angeles on Sun Dec 11th at RA MA Institute. I hope that I can see some of you there IRL!

Special Offer Coming from Mindful Design

there's a special offer coming soon from Mindful Design. I'll share a bit about it here, but if you join the Mindful Design mailing list you will be better notified of all the things we offer there, including special events!

click here to join the mailing list

Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Anjie

p.s. would you like to receive these love notes directly to your inbox right when they’re written? Join our newsletter and you’ll also get special perks only for subscribers!

love note from Anjie - nov 4, 2022

hello dear friends

It's an unseasonably warm day in new york city. But I'm okay with that! the warm autumn colors are still brilliant. Greens, golds, oranges, fiery reds. It really is breathtaking. I'm typically drawn to water, but the beauty of the autumn leaves in the temperate zones are something special.

We were also fortunate to make some space to travel upstate to the Catskills a few days ago and visited the Mountain Top Arboretum. My favorite part was the14,900-year-old “Emerald Bog”.

chihuahua walking on wooden path through the woods
 
“In Latin the word for green is viridis, which is related to a large group of words that suggest growth and even life itself: vivere”
— The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair

I've been thinking about green, especially the deep tones. In feng shui, green is wood element. But when it's darker, more robust it can offer the strength and life energy of an ancient evergreen tree. Forests can teach us so much about life, growth, and death. They are constantly regenerating. Always look to nature, she is the greatest teacher.

I also wanted to remind you:

Mindful Design Feng Shui School invites you to join our Inner Circle Membership.

Enrollment closes November 8th at midnight Eastern Time. If you miss the deadline, be sure to get on our waitlist to find out when it opens again!

ps: if you join the Mindful Design mailing list you will be better notified of all the things we offer there, including special events like free classes.

click here to join the mailing list

Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Anjie

p.s. would you like to receive these love notes directly to your inbox right when they’re written? Join our newsletter and you’ll also get special perks only for subscribers!

Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui for a Sloping Property

I just found your website, and I looked over the beautiful images. I love the way you explain Feng Shui and talk about why it is helpful to us.

I bought a lot in Maine last year that is quite small, about 1/3 of an acre. It has a huge American elm tree in the front, and a small asphalt pad where there was previously a modular home (which I got hauled off). Then the lot drops off at a downward angle into a wetland kind of area with lots of pretty wetland growth. I have read that a sloping back yard (according to Feng Shui) is really bad...that all your prosperity goes out of your house. 

Can you suggest anything that I can do about the drastic slope? Would stone steps, or stone terracing behind the house going down to a cleared area in the back be helpful? I have read such negative things about a sloping back yard, I am a little dismayed. 

Sarah G., Maine

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for your email and your kind words! I love Maine! It’s so beautiful there!

Yes, a property that slopes down in the back indicates that prosperity and qi also fall down and away. In your case, you also have a wet area. If it’s at all river-like, it may also be a little more severe, as the qi continues to flow away from you. 

But, please don’t be dismayed! There is hope! The simplest feng shui solution is to install flag poles or tall lighting at the back corners of the lot to lift the qi. Note, in a full consultation with a practitioner, you may find there’s a more ideal adjustment that’s tailored to you. 

Also, the elm tree in front of the lot is great, but be sure it’s in good health. A dying tree in the front of a property can affect the well-being of the inhabitants. And, unless you are retired and seek to “hide” from the work, be sure it’s not blocking your doorway or the entry to the lot.

But I do love the symbology of the Elm tree:

One website says "The Elm tree is the Tree of Intuition. It gives you strength in listening to your own inner voice and trusting your intuition. It serves as a catalyst to sending, feeling and possibly seeing that which is not always visible. The Elm is a favorite tree of wood elves and dryads. If you sleep beneath an Elm, they will appear in your dreams. Elms are connected to each other unlike any other trees species. They sense the death of a fellow Elm and will mourn it, often becoming sick themselves. A staff or wand made from an Elm branch assists in meditation and magic. The Elm tree lends strength to whoever comes near it, and will help in overcoming exhaustion. It helps you access universal energy rather than depleting your own.”

I hope this helps! Thanks for this question. Let us know how it turns out and send along some photos!

by Anjie Cho

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our a unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish. Visit us at mindfuldesignschool.com.

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!