Feng Shui Santa Cruz Notes: Celebrating Light & the Mystery of Darkness
I have been fascinated with light for a very long time. As a small child, I recall the beauty of light falling on garden ponds in my neighborhood (strangely, I felt free to walk into whomever’s back yard I wanted to, whether I knew the people or not, but that is another blog). I was always aware of the pleasing aesthetic of the effect of light and was also interested in color, which I explored with my mother’s beautiful silk scarves (transformed into “rooms” for my dolls).
As an adult, I became fascinated with crystals and collected many, most of which were stolen in a home break-in (I figured the thief must have been kind of stupid about Karma, stealing crystals, a Reiki massage table, and a Buddha of good fortune . . . )
I celebrate Christmas with my family, mostly to honor familial tradition. I am attracted to the seasonal celebrations, particularly the Winter Solstice. During the winter season, I am in touch with the need to withdraw and hibernate to rejuvenate.
I enjoy the shorter, darker days, and especially love lighting up the darkness with little sparkly white lights.
That image reminds me of a favorite childhood memory. The church of my childhood was a small, old, beautiful medieval chapel. I can still recall the midnight mass and the absolute feeling of awe it inspired. I will be eternally grateful for the mysteries the Catholic Church imbued in my consciousness. I carry those images deep within my psyche and they are activated every winter. I can never reproduce the magic of the first imagery, but I do so appreciate the components (the darkness, the light, the mystery).
How does this relate to Feng Shui you might ask? Taoist I-Ching Cornerstone concepts of Yin (feminine, darkness) and Yang (masculine, light) are integral to Feng Shui, as are honoring the elements (water, wood, fire, earth, metal), and all of nature, of course, including the particular gifts of the seasons.
