2004 - FENG SHUI, KNOWLEDGE, & THE YEAR OF THE MONKEY
Although we are still in the seasonal period assigned by
the I Ching to the Knowledge area of our homes and other properties we
occupy, we entered the year of the Wood Monkey on January 22nd, according
to Chinese astrology.
Therefore, it can be helpful to add “Monkey energy” to the mix between now and March 1st (see Feng Shui Notes – January 2004 for more on the Knowledge area). One way of doing this is to add fun and playfulness (if you haven’t already) to your daily routines, personal growth projects, self-cultivation, and anything else related to the Knowledge area of your home.
The monkey is mischievous, fast moving, and usually quite charming. His quick mind easily flows from one topic of interest to another, he tends to chatter, and he can be scattered both in his thoughts and activities. He’s quite creative and life is generally a playful game for him. In Western astrology he’s closely related to the sign of Gemini.
Relating all of this to Feng Shui, this is a good time to review your short term goals—particularly those which are related to getting something tangible complete and that require focus, high intention, and in most cases no direct participation from others.
Some possible areas of life where you can benefit from applying this kind of attention to the Knowledge area and from the observation of Year of the Monkey are committing yourself to a specific a course of study for the next four weeks, reading a book in an area of interest that is outside your normal reading genre, catching up with paperwork or tax preparation, establishing housekeeping or other routines--such as meal planning, health practices, and clutter clearing.
So, how do
we turn working on these goals into a game?
To begin to form a habit in an area where you’ve been procrastinating
or to start a new project that you’ve never been able to make time
for, start to incorporate a little of the desired activity each day. For
instance, if you wish to clear clutter or maintain a cleaner space, pick
a time, stick with it. and honor it as an appointment with yourself. Then
set a timer for 15, 20, or 30 minutes and throw yourself fully into the
activity. Treat this like a game and do as much as you can until your
timer goes off. Then quit. Don’t worry about what you didn’t
complete. And, by all means, don’t pull everything out of a messy
closet and expect to be complete in 20 minutes. Instead, work on one shelf
or one small area at a time. The key here is consistency. (For support,
clearing processes, and more information on clearing clutter, consider
registering for the next Feng Shui for Clutterbugs class which will be
offered next May. Phone me for more info.)
If you wish to begin an area of study or establish a daily meditation practice, you can use the same process. However, it usually works better to if your timer is in another room or in a drawer where you can hardly hear it so as to not disturb your concentration.
For catching up on paperwork or working on your taxes, you may want to set your timer for 45 minutes or an hour. It’s important though to honor your time commitment by stopping for at least 15 minutes after the bell goes off.
FENGSHUIWISE, it can be helpful to place an object in your Knowledge area related to your goal. It can be as simple as a written affirmation or it can be an appropriate symbol representing your desired result. For instance, if your goal is to complete your taxes by March 1st, your symbol might be a stamped envelope addressed to the IRS or your accountant.
Be playful, enjoy the Monkey energy, & allow your wisdom to expand!
Gung Hay
Fat Choy.
Suzanne