I am certainly not the only witch to use Feng Shui in my spiritual practice. After all, well known author Scott Cunningham discusses it in 'The Magical Household' and Raymond Buckland in 'Wicca for Life.' Even Donna Stellhorn is the author of several books and a world renowned astrologer and Feng Shui consultant. Much of the information I reference in my articles are what I was taught or read in certain books from way back when-over three decades ago. A good book, if you are interested in Feng Shui would be Donna's book - Feng Shui Form.
Why does Feng Shui seem to meld so well with witchcraft and Wicca? At its core, magick is about using energy to manifest our desires. Feng Shui is about creating the environment for that same energy to flow unencumbered in the proper direction to manifest those desires more quickly and easily. It can be compared to the difference between driving on the open highway and driving through a construction zone. On the highway, it is easy to speed along at 65mph, bopping along to the radio, enjoying scenery, and arriving at your destination quickly and easily all while being on time. In a construction zone, you are constantly stopping, slowing down to get around obstacles or doubling back to get around a detour. Energy, according to Feng Shui principles, works the same way. Creating a free flow of energy by moving and arranging objects in a certain manner keeps that positive energy from being blocked, slowed down or detoured, therefore allowing us to see and experience the positive results....sooner.
Gardening, including indoor and outdoor plants and their placement, is an important part of Feng Shui. Often there are immobile objects - meaning buildings, walls or large furniture - in the way of qi, objects called 'cures' are used to redirect the energy around the object. Plants, along with mirrors, crystals, statues, and other objects are often used as cures.
For instance, when houses or other buildings are set at angles to each other, it creates what is called a 'poison arrow' in Feng Shui. This is especially common in coves, cul-de-sac neighborhoods, trailer parks, high rise apts/condo's, etc. If the people who live in the home at right angles to yours are particularly nasty or troublesome, the 'poison arrow' is directing all of that residual negative energy directly at YOU. To 'cure' this problem, plant a tree or shrub between the arrow and your home. This effectively blocks the arrow, and therefore, the negative energy being directed your way. Alternately, if there is any sort of large foliage, such as shrubs or trees blocking the exterior doors or walkways of your home (even if it is one you do not use), then trim them back or relocate them to a different spot in the yard. Positive qi must have open access to the entrances of your home or business to insure good luck and prosperity. The same principle goes for front and back porches......if they are covered in broken furniture and dead plants, what sort of energy do you think they attract? Remove or replace broken pots and dead plants with live ones that represent the sort of energy you want to attract.
For instance, an example would be that brightly colored flowering plants are used in Feng Shui to attract joy and positive energy. There is no better place for this cure than on your front porch. A low maintenance easy care plant that I recommend for porches is the dragon begonia, impatiens or snapdragons. They have beautiful coloring, coming in white, pink or red, grow well in the shade (indirect light), and require almost no maintenance. These type of flowers will shed its olds flowers as new ones are produced, which eliminates the need for pruning or dead-heading (removing wilted blooms by hand), is inexpensive and is readily available at most nurseries. These are excellent plants for apartment balconies, window boxes, and any size pot in front of your home or business. In cold climates, they can be brought indoors to a sunny window during the winter, and will continue to bloom.
Some other popular plants for outdoors used in Feng Shui:
•Aloe Vera - along with the amazing healing qualities of this plant come an added benefit....because it has long spiky leaves, it also provides protection from evil. It is perfect for people who live in dry desert environments, such as the American Southwest, and requires an outdoor growing environment similar to a cactus. In places that have freezing temperatures, it should only be grown indoors.
•Azaleas - this flowering shrub is a member of the rhododendron family, and comes in a riot of different colors. It will thrive in a variety of growing conditions. They attract energy for beauty and sexual potency. There are too many varieties to mention - check with your local nursery to see what grows best in your area.
•Chrysanthemum - Mums are always the showstoppers in my fall garden. I plant them side by side with pansies at Samhain, and they will bloom here in West Tennessee almost all winter long. Mums symbolize a life pleasure leading to a happy retirement.
•Ivy - Ivy, commonly used to camouflage ugly walls and stop erosion, is an easy care plant that comes in many varieties. Ivy has a mind of its own, and left to its own devices, will climb up pillars and walls, and spread out over the ground. There are dozens of varieties, and it will grow in a variety of climates. Ivy encourages fidelity in relationships, and is a guardian plant. (It can grow rapidly and really spread out so be cautious).
•Jasmine - One of my favorite plants, sacred to Diana (Artemis), Rhiannon (Epona), Devi, Kama, Shiva, Vishnu, and others, blooms at night and is representative of our relationship with the moon and all of its magic. Jasmine attracts strong love energy, both sexual and emotional. Dry the little white flowers for tea and charm bags. Jasmine will tolerate a variety of soil conditions, but requires a great deal of sun. Jasmine gets quite large, so a few plants will eventually cover a large area.
•Lavender - Used in magic for peace, tranquility, and restful sleep, lavender is another plant that provides a wonderful aromatic outdoor plant. It is a natural insect repellent, and grows in a wide variety of conditions. Left alone it will cover a hillside in no time, helping to prevent erosion. Dry the flowers for use in potpourri, charm bags, and oils.
•Mint - Many varieties of mint, including catnip, are beautifully suited for growing outdoors in beds, planters, or pots. Mint attracts money and prosperity. Mint can be grown in the same way as basil, explained in last week's newsletter. Dry the leaves for use in charm bags, teas or tonics, or use fresh in beverages or food. (Mint tends to spread out quickly. You may plant it in one area and the next year, it will be in other areas as well. Be cautious with this plant. I tend to put it in a container).
•Roses - Roses are by far my favorite thing to grow - I have a gorgeous rose collection and yes, roses can be finicky, and are not for the faint of heart. They require pruning, dead-heading, fertilization, and watering to thrive. Roses are subject to a number of different pests (beetles) and diseases (black spot). There are many types of roses and there are now horticultural societies that provide education on which grow best in your area. You can also visit local nurseries to find out what they recommend for your garden. A friend of mine has used Emerald Goddess Gardens and loves them, plus recommends them for the heirloom and old stock varieties that are hardy and resistant to many types of diseases. Roses attract love and friendship, but should not ever be placed next to the entrance of the home, as the thorny bushes create disharmony for those who enter. Dry the petals for use in oils, charm bags and potpourri.
•Trees - Trees are our connection to Mother Earth and they provide oxygen for us to breathe, as well as creates beauty and balance wherever they are planted. All cultures have tree lore - the ancient Celts named their months after trees. For more on trees, their meanings and magical purposes, I recommend the chapter entitled "Living Cures" in Feng Shui Form by Donna Stellhorn. Here is just a few:
Apple - peace
Beech - learning and wisdom
Cherry - beauty, abundance and joy
Elm - attracts positive energy
Holly - protects from evil spirits
Oak - strength and masculine energy, personal power
Peach - long life, and symbolic of the divine
Pine - longevity, protection from evil spirits
Willow - protection from evil and gentle, peaceful energy
These are just a few of the plants commonly used outdoors for magical and Feng Shui purposes. I hope this helps to give you some idea's and sparks your creativity. Happy gardening and blessed be.
Why does Feng Shui seem to meld so well with witchcraft and Wicca? At its core, magick is about using energy to manifest our desires. Feng Shui is about creating the environment for that same energy to flow unencumbered in the proper direction to manifest those desires more quickly and easily. It can be compared to the difference between driving on the open highway and driving through a construction zone. On the highway, it is easy to speed along at 65mph, bopping along to the radio, enjoying scenery, and arriving at your destination quickly and easily all while being on time. In a construction zone, you are constantly stopping, slowing down to get around obstacles or doubling back to get around a detour. Energy, according to Feng Shui principles, works the same way. Creating a free flow of energy by moving and arranging objects in a certain manner keeps that positive energy from being blocked, slowed down or detoured, therefore allowing us to see and experience the positive results....sooner.
Gardening, including indoor and outdoor plants and their placement, is an important part of Feng Shui. Often there are immobile objects - meaning buildings, walls or large furniture - in the way of qi, objects called 'cures' are used to redirect the energy around the object. Plants, along with mirrors, crystals, statues, and other objects are often used as cures.
For instance, when houses or other buildings are set at angles to each other, it creates what is called a 'poison arrow' in Feng Shui. This is especially common in coves, cul-de-sac neighborhoods, trailer parks, high rise apts/condo's, etc. If the people who live in the home at right angles to yours are particularly nasty or troublesome, the 'poison arrow' is directing all of that residual negative energy directly at YOU. To 'cure' this problem, plant a tree or shrub between the arrow and your home. This effectively blocks the arrow, and therefore, the negative energy being directed your way. Alternately, if there is any sort of large foliage, such as shrubs or trees blocking the exterior doors or walkways of your home (even if it is one you do not use), then trim them back or relocate them to a different spot in the yard. Positive qi must have open access to the entrances of your home or business to insure good luck and prosperity. The same principle goes for front and back porches......if they are covered in broken furniture and dead plants, what sort of energy do you think they attract? Remove or replace broken pots and dead plants with live ones that represent the sort of energy you want to attract.
For instance, an example would be that brightly colored flowering plants are used in Feng Shui to attract joy and positive energy. There is no better place for this cure than on your front porch. A low maintenance easy care plant that I recommend for porches is the dragon begonia, impatiens or snapdragons. They have beautiful coloring, coming in white, pink or red, grow well in the shade (indirect light), and require almost no maintenance. These type of flowers will shed its olds flowers as new ones are produced, which eliminates the need for pruning or dead-heading (removing wilted blooms by hand), is inexpensive and is readily available at most nurseries. These are excellent plants for apartment balconies, window boxes, and any size pot in front of your home or business. In cold climates, they can be brought indoors to a sunny window during the winter, and will continue to bloom.
Some other popular plants for outdoors used in Feng Shui:
•Aloe Vera - along with the amazing healing qualities of this plant come an added benefit....because it has long spiky leaves, it also provides protection from evil. It is perfect for people who live in dry desert environments, such as the American Southwest, and requires an outdoor growing environment similar to a cactus. In places that have freezing temperatures, it should only be grown indoors.
•Azaleas - this flowering shrub is a member of the rhododendron family, and comes in a riot of different colors. It will thrive in a variety of growing conditions. They attract energy for beauty and sexual potency. There are too many varieties to mention - check with your local nursery to see what grows best in your area.
•Chrysanthemum - Mums are always the showstoppers in my fall garden. I plant them side by side with pansies at Samhain, and they will bloom here in West Tennessee almost all winter long. Mums symbolize a life pleasure leading to a happy retirement.
•Ivy - Ivy, commonly used to camouflage ugly walls and stop erosion, is an easy care plant that comes in many varieties. Ivy has a mind of its own, and left to its own devices, will climb up pillars and walls, and spread out over the ground. There are dozens of varieties, and it will grow in a variety of climates. Ivy encourages fidelity in relationships, and is a guardian plant. (It can grow rapidly and really spread out so be cautious).
•Jasmine - One of my favorite plants, sacred to Diana (Artemis), Rhiannon (Epona), Devi, Kama, Shiva, Vishnu, and others, blooms at night and is representative of our relationship with the moon and all of its magic. Jasmine attracts strong love energy, both sexual and emotional. Dry the little white flowers for tea and charm bags. Jasmine will tolerate a variety of soil conditions, but requires a great deal of sun. Jasmine gets quite large, so a few plants will eventually cover a large area.
•Lavender - Used in magic for peace, tranquility, and restful sleep, lavender is another plant that provides a wonderful aromatic outdoor plant. It is a natural insect repellent, and grows in a wide variety of conditions. Left alone it will cover a hillside in no time, helping to prevent erosion. Dry the flowers for use in potpourri, charm bags, and oils.
•Mint - Many varieties of mint, including catnip, are beautifully suited for growing outdoors in beds, planters, or pots. Mint attracts money and prosperity. Mint can be grown in the same way as basil, explained in last week's newsletter. Dry the leaves for use in charm bags, teas or tonics, or use fresh in beverages or food. (Mint tends to spread out quickly. You may plant it in one area and the next year, it will be in other areas as well. Be cautious with this plant. I tend to put it in a container).
•Roses - Roses are by far my favorite thing to grow - I have a gorgeous rose collection and yes, roses can be finicky, and are not for the faint of heart. They require pruning, dead-heading, fertilization, and watering to thrive. Roses are subject to a number of different pests (beetles) and diseases (black spot). There are many types of roses and there are now horticultural societies that provide education on which grow best in your area. You can also visit local nurseries to find out what they recommend for your garden. A friend of mine has used Emerald Goddess Gardens and loves them, plus recommends them for the heirloom and old stock varieties that are hardy and resistant to many types of diseases. Roses attract love and friendship, but should not ever be placed next to the entrance of the home, as the thorny bushes create disharmony for those who enter. Dry the petals for use in oils, charm bags and potpourri.
•Trees - Trees are our connection to Mother Earth and they provide oxygen for us to breathe, as well as creates beauty and balance wherever they are planted. All cultures have tree lore - the ancient Celts named their months after trees. For more on trees, their meanings and magical purposes, I recommend the chapter entitled "Living Cures" in Feng Shui Form by Donna Stellhorn. Here is just a few:
Apple - peace
Beech - learning and wisdom
Cherry - beauty, abundance and joy
Elm - attracts positive energy
Holly - protects from evil spirits
Oak - strength and masculine energy, personal power
Peach - long life, and symbolic of the divine
Pine - longevity, protection from evil spirits
Willow - protection from evil and gentle, peaceful energy
These are just a few of the plants commonly used outdoors for magical and Feng Shui purposes. I hope this helps to give you some idea's and sparks your creativity. Happy gardening and blessed be.
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