June 20 was the summer solstice – a glorious long day filled with lots of light and sunshine. I got up at 5:30am and the sun had already risen, and then I stayed outside until past 8:00pm and it was still light. It was the most yang day of the year. And then three days later the moon was at its closest point in its orbit to Earth, and was bigger and brighter than all the other moons in 2013. This was an amazing time to enjoy life on this planet.
Inbetween these two brilliant days June 20 and June 23, I was co-chair of a wonton booth at a community spring carnival. For those of you not acquainted with Chinese cuisine, a wonton is a dumpling with origins in China. For the festival we cooked and chopped the dumpling filling, placed it in a thin dough skin, and deep-fried it. We made sweet & sour sauce to dip it in. If you eat it when its hot, it is unbelievably delicious, especially eaten outside on a warm summer night.
I learned the secret recipe, which was handed down orally, but I discovered the real secret to this amazing snack is to mix, cook and taste succinctly and precisely, for the written recipe is just a guideline.
This revelation reminds me of feng shui. The rules of feng shui were orally passed down from Divine Master to student, and it still is, to this day. But like the wonton, the secret to success is to use the written words as a guideline. It helps to know about your subject, and then to mix and try out, until it feels precisely right.
So when you think about applying feng shui, remind yourself about the wonton recipe theory. The words are a guideline…the key is to try it until it feels right.
And like the wonton, it will be a true delight when you get it right.
So, enjoy the yang season with the summer fruit and warm sunny days – but remember to put aside for the yin time of year for it will come in its time. It’s the balance that’s important.
In gratitude, Janet Mitsui Brown, www.thejoyoffengshui.com
Photo by Susan Levitt
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