Elixir's
Third Feng Shui Window

7/7/09 (15/05/4707)

There are two lunar months of May this year, just in case you're wondering how this month's window and last month's window can both be in the month of May.

This timing issue is even more confusing when you see that this month's display has different elements than last month's. This is because we create Elixir's feng shui window displays according to the current solar month of the feng shui calendar. This month's beginning day is in two different months because of overlapping structure of the solar and lunar calendars...

Ji/Yin Earth
Cho/Yin Earth (Ox) Year

Xin/Yin Metal
Wei/Yin Earth (Sheep) Month

Gui/Yin Water
Cho/Yin Earth (Ox) Day

Ding/Yin Fire Si/Yang Fire (Snake) Hour

This is the beginning of the Sixth Chinese Solar Month of Xiao Xu- Small Heat.

This month's basic feng shui framework

The energy of Xin is Celestial Yin Metal. This is cosmic Inspiration with a capital I.

The energy of Wei is Earthly Yin Earth. It is the energy of the home and of the home garden.

When we deconstruct Wei into its Celestial components, we get:

Yi Celestial Yin Wood. This is the birth and youth of stars and other Celestial motivators. It's also gentle breezes.

Ji Celestial Yin Earth. This is the cosmic matrix of what can be done and what cannot be done.

Ding Celestial Yang Fire. This is the Fire of stars and of Celestial motivators.

Discussion about this month's window

This month's energy comes through Xin in the Celestial aspect, and Wei in the Earthly aspect.

Xin carries the energy of Celestial Yin Metal. Terry chose two 19th Century Brass Jelly Pots with two different forms of Echeveria inside them to conduct this energy. Echeveria are semi-desert succulents and exemplify the energy of Xiao XuSmall Heat.

Wei carries the energy of Yin Earth. In its expanded form, Wei carries the Celestial energies of Yi, Ji and Ding, or Celestial Yin Wood, Yin Earth and Yin Fire respectively. It therefore has a very Yin quality with some motion, albeit small, due to the Yin Fire.

Terry chose a magnificent 18th Century French Pottery Urn with seven Echeveria plants inside to conduct these energies. I thought his choice reflected the qualities of Heavenly Yin Wood, Yin Earth and Yin Fire brilliantly.

The seven plants correspond to the beginning day of the month, which was 7/7/09 in the Gregorian calendar.

The diad of Earth and Metal corresponds to a Sheng relationship. It is generative. In this month both stem and branch are Yin, so we would expect the textures of this time to be somewhat contractive but productive.

Take home lesson

Sometimes the elegance and power of a display come from its simplicity. This window really brought this dimension home.

A good part of the power of this display came from Terry's container choices. Antiques carry history with them. These histories can work for you or against you depending on what those histories are and what your intention for using them is.

In this case, the power of the craftsmanship is what came through. The French urn left people gaping at this window all month and grasping for its return when it left us.

Antiques can have a lot of Kung Fu. Some of them can have so much of this power that it's best to bring them out only for special occasions. That way we can appreciate their power for what it is, use it for that purpose and allow it to do its thing. This way it can complete its intended function before we go unconscious of its existence in the space and thus lose control of its power.


Back to Elixir's Feng Shui Window Displays Gallery

John Mini, M.S.C.M./ L.Ac.