Celebrating life with Feng Shui —
Mid July, this is a yang time of year here in Los Angeles – lots of sunshine, long daylight hours, and the best of all, weekend Obon festivals. The Obon festival in Southern California is a traditional gathering, almost every weekend at a different venue, usually on the grounds of a Buddhist temple, to express respect & gratitude to the spirits of our ancestors.
There is a service, honoring those who have departed – and then there are dances – we call it a gathering of joy — everyone joins together in a ring or circle, doing traditional folk dances expressing joy,being alive together, at this moment.
To fuel the dancers there is wonderful traditional street food – teriyaki chicken plates, hot corn on the cob, sushi plates, and Japanese noodles called udon. On a warm summer night, eating homemade delicacies, and then dancing at dusk, it is a memorable experience — a true gathering of joyfulness.
Appreciating this happy moment is important because life is transitory – and it will change as the yang/yin t’ai chi cycle indicates. The warm summer days will end and transition to cooler fall days, and then the days will be shorter and cooler, and winter will prevail in the yin dark cycle – (but bringing balance with holiday celebrations).
Then, as the t’ai chi circle indicates, spring will arrive, the light in each day will lengthen, and the circle will be complete – and it will be summer once again.
During this 2014 yang summer, there have already been life passings in my circle – and though we celebrate life, we experience the passing of life with sadness. Fortunately we celebrate Obon, to remember the spirit and respect the souls of those who have gone before us. Yang to yin and back again to yang…
This is what feng shui is about – remembering the cycles, enjoying both yang and yin moments.
…And then, a final thought…life is in continuous transition – so this means you and your environment are constantly changing…so your feng shui changes too. Its wise to be aware of these changes and make adjustments accordingly. If you feel an occasional imbalance, remember your personal chi (qi) or feng shui might need adjusting.
In harmony and balance, and in gratitude, Janet Mitsui Brown, www.thejoyoffengshui.com
Janet Mitsui Brown
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