Day 5 - Happy Hearth

The French have a wonderful expression, le foyer, which means the pleasures of the hearth enjoyed with close family and friends.  The Danes call it hygge,  a term for cosy contentment.  These are invitations set to drop the formality of being guests and enjoy a generous sharing between kindred spirits, the exchange of warmth and welcome.

Oh... but the time we spend cleaning, decluttering, plumping, making order and generally hiding all evidence of our day-to-day living before a guest or kindred spirit arrives to our home, so that what they experience is our inner ideal, and not the outer real, world of our home.

But what is our inner ideal?

It is said that our home has an energetic elemental spirit that bathes the walls and floors, corners and open spaces we live in.  Is yours a passionate fire home or an emotional water home, a cool cerebral home or a practical down-to-earth home?  It is said that fire homes are bright and vivid and water homes are filled with soft flowing shades of the sea and riverbed. They are often artistic but can be cluttered. Earth homes are filled with muted browns, terracotta and brick reds.    Air homes are clean, airy and spacious with a minimalist, cool feel.  It seems that the colours you're drawn to may reflect the elemental energy you are most drawn to.

Today's restful exercise is to simply consider the vibrational energy of the space we live in.  Does it reflect our outer reality? or our inner ideal?

We're very aware of the energy of the places we visit.  On a visit to a cathedral in Florence a few years ago, I entered a small side chapel and was immediately overpowered by a terrible sorrow.  I can only describe it by saying that the chapel was alive with deep, profound sorrow and the tears sprang to my eyes.  I couldn't stop them.  Literally in floods of tears, I had to leave the chapel and once I was outside, in the body of the cathedral again, the feeling was gone.  I was totally restored.  

We've all felt this way and yet  Chinese Feng Shui, Native American Smudging, Indian Vastu Shastra are all practices in space clearing and cleansing energy.  We in the West are more likely to live with the energies built up over years and even centuries!  


Is yours a happy hearth?

If we could see negative energy as cracks in the walls or dark smudges on our furniture, we would repair and clean it quickly and feel much better in the environment.  Today you're not being asked to declutter or spring clean (heaven forbid - it's resting time!) but to simply consider the energy around you and how you would like it to feel. Today is about noticing the energy and knowing that allowing things to move away from you makes space for new things to flow into your life.  

Tuning into your space may give you surprising insights into how you want to feel in that space.  Perhaps you'll realise you want more fun, or peace, love or freedom to move, eat or entertain in a whole different way.  Again we remember that resting can mean doing things differently, a change from the usual.

Energy Cleansing Ritual.

• Firstly cleanse your own energy.  Wash and put on clean clothes but don't wear shoes or jewellery.
• Have a notebook and pen and simply stand in the room sensing the energy you experience there.  Are there any energetic cracks in the walls or dark areas on your furniture?  Is there a free flow of energy or does it feel blocked?  Cluttered corners, stuffed drawers, overfilled shelves leave no room for new things (or life) to come into your space.
• How does your space sound? Does it smell fragrant or stale? Is its lighting welcoming or dark? Does this space have a name? The den, the family room etc.  Consider naming spaces i.e.  my fragrant flower arranging table, my writing/drawing/ desk,  the adventurous cooking spice cupboard,  the peaceful reading by the window chair , the folded linen cupboard, the home spa bathroom, the laughs with friends suite. These all help set the intention of your desire for the energy in your living spaces.
• Open your windows and smudge each room with palo santo stick, dried sage clumps or incense.  You can use sound cleansing by ringing a bell or clapping.  Do this at the entrance, widows , centre and above all the corners of each room.  The sound may feel muted at first but keep clapping until the sound become clear and lighter.  Your intuition will guide you until you feel those cracks disappearing and dark smudges lifting and wafting away throughs the windows.
• Get rid of broken or chipped cups and plates.  In Feng Shui this represents cracks or troubles in you life. 
• A mirror must not face your bed (someone knows, but as I type I honestly have no idea why this is so.)
• if you can place flowers around your home, they bring wonderful energy.
• Choose chimes with a sound you like and place them where they will chime gently.
• Hang cut-lead crystals in windows, they bring the fire energy of the sun and hang mirrors where sunshine can be reflected into your home.
• Finally fire brings vibrant energy into the home and if you don't have a hearth in which to light a fire, candle magic is ancient, simple and very effective for attracting energy and intention setting. Write your wish on the candle and light it sending your intention or desire up to the heavens where it will be transformed and made manifest.

Have a super day.

Trina x

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