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Feng Shui: Wind & Water |
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And the Chi Goes On:
Generational Feng Shui
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by Carole J. Hyder |
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Feng Shui has been such a part of my life for so many years that it’s hard for me to remember what it was like when I didn’t know about it. I have clients I’ve followed from one home to another, from one job to another, from one husband to another. Some of my clients and I have been together so long that I have observed a phenomena I call "generational Feng Shui." This has nothing to do with passing Feng Shui information from one generation in the family to the next. Instead, what I’ve termed generational Feng Shui refers to levels or layers of intentions that develop as a person activates their space.
For example, I worked with a couple, Jean and Pete, who were going to remodel their home, adding onto the kitchen. Because this add-on would be occurring in their Wealth area, they were holding the intention: "adding onto our kitchen, therefore, adding onto our Wealth." That all went fine. The add-on took place----in both areas, I might add. Due to their increase in money, Pete decided to semi-retire. With extra time on his hands, he took up photography, where he found a passion he didn’t even know he had. They put a darkroom in the basement and Pete began exhibiting in local art fairs, quickly reaching notoriety for his sensitive and exquisite animal photos. Did they start out with that intention? Did Pete say he wanted to be a photographer when we were talking about adding onto the kitchen? No. This phase unfolded later, generated after the original intention was in place.
I worked with a single man named Ned who reclaimed his life after a sad divorce. Readers who have read my column will remember the story last month about Ned. He de-cluttered his life, organized his space and began to see some order again. That was the original intention. The space felt so good, so clean, so wholesome, that Ned quit smoking! He never mentioned giving up cigarettes when we were working on his space. It came about later, as the result of his prior adjustments.
Usually these generational Feng Shui outcomes are unexpected. I have a student who incorporated Feng Shui to alleviate some family issues and to assist in her decision about a career. After the ch’i got moving around those intentions, she changed her name, realizing her birth name had nothing to do with who she really was. That certainly hadn’t occurred to her when we first met, but felt very "right" when she decided to do so.
A client wanted some clarity about going back to school. To outline the generations of Feng Shui: Kay was a nurse and was having some problems in the clinic where she was working. Opportunities were scarce there, so we met to discuss her space in relation to the Career area. It wasn’t long before Kay realized that to get the job she wanted, she would have to go back to school for further education. Kay did that, enrolling in a certification program that she could attend during the evenings. Over time, she became friends with one of her class-mates who began telling Kay about her sister who had just adopted a child from Korea. As their friendship developed, Kay was introduced to this sister and met the beautiful little boy they had adopted. The possibilities of adopting a child as a single parent had never occurred to Kay until she began spending time with her new friend and her friend’s sister. With a little investigation, Kay began the process of adoption. By the time she finished schooling, she had been accepted as a potential parent. Oh, and right before she left for Korea, she did get a better nursing position as well. Little did she know what would unfold for her as she incorporated the principles of Feng Shui for what she thought was just a job issue.
Finally, to further exemplify the meander of Feng Shui in people’s lives, I got a call from an elderly retired gentleman I had consulted with a couple years back. Since my last visit, he had become a widower and was moving to a condominium near one of his daughters. When I had originally met with Lee and his late wife, he hadn’t seemed too interested in Feng Shui. But now I see I was wrong. Evidently he was more interested than I thought. We set up a time to meet.
Since Lee couldn’t get into the condo for another month, I went to the house he had shared with his wife. Lee had obviously cleared out a considerable amount of clutter after his wife’s death. I hardly recognized the place. I remembered only too well her requests for help with all the stuff she had acquired. Ellie was a collector and a pack-rat; she kept everything and their home showed it. She realized things were out of control and she hoped Feng Shui could help.
As the afternoon progressed and my comfort level with Lee settled in, I shared with him my surprise and delight that he had actually called me. Lee told me how things had changed after my first visit when Ellie began implementing some Feng Shui into their lives.
Lee reminded me that I had encouraged her to start de-cluttering in their bedroom----she took this advice to heart. Lee recounted how she began in small ways----taking out a few books, selling a useless sewing machine, cleaning out a few dresser drawers. He encouraged her every step of the way. Eventually she managed to down-size her belongings so one of the dressers could be removed, freeing up some space in their bedroom. Lee smiled as he remembered how Ellie sheepishly hauled out eight bags of shoes she didn’t wear anymore. Lee said she took on new life and he hoped she could continue this intensity throughout the rest of their home.
Ellie did continue. She became fearless, in Lee’s words. She gave away items, threw things out, recycled when possible. Lee was right by her side, encouraging her, helping her whenever he could, feeling proud of her change. He shared there were moments, although not many, when she second-guessed her actions, but Lee talked her through it. The next day Ellie would forge ahead.
Lee said there were times when he wondered if she’d know when to stop. The neighbors thought they must be moving out. Lee was beginning to wonder himself. Even now as we sat at his kitchen table he told me how unbelievable the changes were in his wife. Each day brought new enthusiasm to clearing out some part of the house.
Ellie worked tireless for nearly a year. Lee said she often talked about calling me to give an update of her progress. But she never got around to it. Lee was becoming a firm believer in the power of Feng Shui. I began to see that this new look in the house wasn’t Lee’s doing at all but actually was hers. He confirmed my thoughts. Because of all of her efforts, their home took on new energy and interest for both of them. They got around to a couple small remodeling projects once all the clutter was gone.
Lee looks upon Ellie’s de-cluttering as her final gift to him. For, one day, she left to run a few errands and, in the process, had a fatal encounter with someone who didn’t see his stop sign. Lee has been alone in the house for a year. He knows for sure he wouldn’t be in any position to make a move to a small place if not for Ellie’s de-cluttering activities. He can only attribute her dramatic shift to her knowledge of Feng Shui. I reminded him she was ready for a change, making her open and receptive to new ideas.
We spent some time looking at the floor plan of his new place and took stock of what pieces of furniture he would take with him. Lee was looking forward to a new beginning; he knew it was time. Thanks to Ellie, he was able to move forward more easily and freely.
The beauty of my job is being witness to the incredible journey that people take when they ask for change. One shift leads to another and to another. One door opens, then another and another. As clarity develops, new ideas blossom. What was the original intention expands into more. And the ch’i keeps going and going and going and.......
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Carole J. Hyder,
Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author and trainer.
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Carole J. Hyder has accomplished success as a Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author and trainer.
She has been a Feng Shui consultant since 1992, having studied with Professor Thomas Lin Yun and Roger Green, both master teachers in their respective philosophies of Feng Shui.
She has facilitated hundreds of private residential and commercial consultations in both traditions. She is co-founder and president of the Feng Shui Institute of the Midwest, an organization dedicated to creating standards for practitioners, providing continuing education and community outreach.
Besides being published in countless publications and writing a monthly column for "The Edge," Carole has published two books. Wind and Water: Your Personal Feng Shui Journey is in its fifth edition, has world-wide distribution and has been translated into Spanish and German. Her second book Living Feng Shui: Personal Stories was released in September 2001.
Carole currently spends her time presenting seminars and keynotes. She has developed a six-part training program, Wind and Water School of Feng Shui, which is now licensed by the State of MN.
www.carolehyder.com
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