How seeing my home as medicine helped me come back to life.
When I was about six years old, I fell in love for the first time. His name was Claude Monet. I remember so clearly one of my preschool teachers showing me the painting “Water Lilies” from an art book. My body definitely could feel what I now would describe as the frequency of beauty.
(Scroll to the bottom for practical Feng Shui tips.)
Beauty for me has always been essential for my wellbeing, but because I never could see my own beauty, it has also been a theme of struggle. I spent my teenage years hiding in baggy clothes and a “tomboy” persona, which caused a lot of pain since I would not let my feminine light blossom. If someone hinted that a boy saw me as pretty, I always thought it was a game or a bet they had to see if I was so stupid I could believe someone would find me attractive. And I would not let them have that laugh.
I very early rearranged my furniture in my bedroom and found pleasure in the beauty of decorating. Also painting and drawing was a huge part of my childhood and teenage years. I wanted to study art after high school, but I was too scared to “waste” time and money on something that could never lead to anything useful (aka: earning money). I thought a degree in social work and my need for saving people would fill the hollow void in my heart. Of course I never used that degree and ended up working in retail for 20 years. I said to myself it was a compromise where I got to make beautiful window displays and being of service to others.
As the good girl that I was I worked really hard trying to feel content in my career. But after years of pushing my body til the limit my hands were damaged, inflamed, and eventually, I couldn’t hold a pencil to write and definitely not paint or draw. I ended up sinking slowly into a depression. At the time, I thought I was depressed because of external reasons: money, relationships, life circumstances. But looking back, I can see that I was deprived of creating my soul’s language: beauty.
In Feng Shui terms, when a core expression of who you are is blocked, Qi stagnates. Stagnant Qi doesn’t just affect the energy surrounding you, it affects the body and your life force. I’m not here to tell you the full story of how I eventually found relief from the pain in my hands, because that’s not the point of this article. The point is this: I lost connection with beauty, and it almost cost me my life force. My will to live.
During the pandemic, when everything slowed down and I had no choice but to rest, I was introduced to Feng Shui. It felt like someone had finally changed the lightbulb in the room, suddenly I could see everything more clearly. After years of loving design, colours, and art, I realised something I hadn’t fully understood since first seeing Monet’s Water Lilies. Beauty isn’t just something we look at. It’s energy. And WE, yes, you and I, aren’t just creators of that energy. We ARE the essence of beauty.
Your surroundings, and especially your home, will be an amplifier or a damper on this energy. Thats why it is so important that we are aware of the different frequency of colour, textiles, images, light and furniture.
I have put together a moodboard that shows examples on how you can create more flow and movement of Chi in your home. I feel like now, more then ever, our homes are a holy sanctuary. And you decide what kind of vibration you want to create in that sanctuary.
Okay, here is the explanations of the moodboard (based on what my soul craves right now):
Singing bowls/music for more metal energy. Boost clarity, vision and structure.
Crystals. I use different ones for specific needs, but I am currently obsessed with white selenite. I feel it cleanses the air around me.
The year of the Fire Horse starts 17th of February. I love this photo and the feeling of freedom and drive! I can already see it coming in more and more the closer we get.
Candles! I burn so many candles these days. The fire elements helps balance the dark water season of winter, and boost my creativity.
Living plants is essential and are one of the few living things we can surround ourselves with in our home. Plants are wood element and perfect to place in your area of "New Begginings”.
Paintings and creative projects! Oh, I really am going to bathe in this delicious energy.
Colour codes: Teal and green: New Beginnings. Yellow: Health and stability. Grey:Clarity.
How about you? What are you craving to create or surround yourself more of nowadays ?
Warmly, Maria.
