Seasonal Décor and Holiday Magic with Feng Shui
How is 2024 nearly over? 😮 It feels like we just began this amazing Year of the Dragon and Period 9. And yet, around the corner is 2025. There is so much potential magic this time of year - even in times of struggles. And we, at the IFSG, aim to give each of you a little glimmer of hope, joy, beauty amid the distractions and excitement that can happen during December.
Keep scrolling for a unique, curated collection of articles and resources to bookmark and revisit throughout the holiday season. Including energizing chi, holiday survival, and even tablescapes; we think you will find something just for you. And if the holidays bring a sense of gloom and blue-ness, you might enjoy Angela Kazarian's take on decorating. Keep reading.
Thank you for being with us - we are celebrating more than 27 years of Feng Shui professionalism - and we absolutely love having you on this ride!
🗓️ see you next year, the International Feng Shui Guild
"Happy Holidays!! Have you ever wondered why these holidays – the season of Christmas and Hanukkah – feel so special?
"Here is one reason. Whichever holiday(s) you celebrate, the décor that you add to your homes is a Feng Shui enhancement. Impossible you say – I don’t have any of that in my house. Well, yes you do. Feng Shui is about energy and from this perspective the lights, trees, decorations, symbols and color are additional energy, or chi, that we add to our lives. This additional energy increases our enjoyment of our homes and enhances our lives during a celebratory time of year.
"Holidays and our homes are full of myriad symbols. Seen through Feng Shui eyes, with gratitude, these symbols, colors, and décor all present a creative flow of joy and blessings in our lives."
The Power of Light and Pine
by LuAnn Cibik of Inner Harmony Feng Shui School
If you needed another reason to decorate for the holidays, let’s add “creates good chi” to the list! In this delightful piece from LuAnn Cibik, Inner Harmony Feng Shui, the author shares insightful symbolism about how light, fire, pine and nature combine to spark our energy through magical ritual.
"Many cultures and spiritual traditions celebrate the power of light during this season. Whether lighting candles in menorahs or illuminating Christmas trees, these acts symbolize the deepening of the night, the shortening of days, and the hope for the return of the light. They also balance the lack of sunlight we experience this time of year."
Click here to read the full article and enjoy the traditions, history, and the gift of using light and pine in your holiday décor.
P.S. Have you watched our interview with LuAnn yet? Click here now
12 Feng Shui Tips for Christmas - for anyone
by Jan Cisek, Feng Shui London
We love this article for Jan's unique and diverse suggestions that go beyond the traditional ideas. No matter your preferred holiday.
How about using fish for prosperity? Using family photos as a way of creating more harmony and boosting self-esteem. And even fasting, space clearing and the importance of the front door. In this piece, the author explores 12 tips in detail allowing you to dive in and explore your own traditions and set new ones to make the most of this holiday season and into the new year.
6. Remember your ancestors
"Feng shui was originally invented for the design of an auspicious location for burial places to ensure the happiness of the ancestors. Later, people discovered that feng shui could be used for homes, workplaces and businesses. A few moments spent remembering and honouring your parents, grandparents, and all your ancestors will create positive energy around your past. After all, they gave us our life. Light some candles on their graves or just by their photos (see the feng shui tip number 3 about the family photos). If possible, you can energise the family aspect on the bagua of your home or living room (see the feng shui tip number 1). It’s no surprise that the family area of your home is also representative of your health (genetically, environmentally, emotionally, spiritually, etc)."
Click here to read all 12 tips...and let us know which tip is your favorite!
From the mainstream...Avoid over stimulation
During the holidays, "...decor is naturally over the top, however, Feng shui experts recommend avoiding creating a space that's too over-stimulating, particularly rooms intended for rest. 'While going all out is tempting, avoid excessive flashing lights or loud decorations that could overwhelm the senses,' says Certified Feng Shui Consultant, Kerstin Tracy.
"With all this extra decor, it's also important to maintain a tidy, clutter-free space. One of the most important principles is to remove clutter as it can stagnate energy. To reduce the chances of this, have an effective declutter before you decorate and keep a tidy space throughout the Christmas period. Consider trying some more minimalist Christmas décor, too, for a more subtle festive scheme."
Read the full article from Living Etc, 5 Feng Shui Rules You Might Be Breaking ~ tricks to keep you in the festive spirit
Decorating for the Holidays with Feng Shui
by Angela Kazarian, Loving Karma
So.......what about when the holidays don't make you feel warm and fuzzy? Decorating for the holidays is for sure nostalgic for most of us; but for others, the pain of the memories and the process of taking everything out itself is unbearable.
This. Article. Is. For. You.
"I used to work with a woman, who in her sixties and nearly retired, had given up on decorating for Christmas in her own home. She was divorced, her kids were grown, and she lived alone. Her life was mostly work and not much time for anything else. She worked long hours at her job and was too tired and exhausted by the time she got home to even think about anything other than sleep. 'It’s too much work,' she said, 'to go into the attic, and drag out the tree, and pull all the ornaments out, and make space for everything, and rearrange furniture, and my kids are all grown and why bother, and and and..…'
"It wasn’t even my home, but it literally hurt my heart to hear her go on and on about how she 'just wasn’t going to do it.' As a Feng Shui Consultant, part of me wondered though, if it was too painful for her to pull out all the memories of the past."
⭐And here is the good part... "Feng Shui isn’t just about moving a piece of furniture and feeling better, or setting up the Christmas tree and feeling the magic in the air. (Although it can be!). It’s about looking at things differently through the eyes of energy, and EVERYTHING is energy. The things we own are energy, the thoughts we think are energy, and the emotions we feel are all energy."
Watch/listen to Tablescaping for the Holidays Using Feng Shui from Lydia Nitya Griffith, Feng Shui and Bazi Chinese Astrology
Final Thoughts...3 Feng Shui Holiday Survival Tips
Tip #1: Be like water.
No, not the stormy kind. The calming, babbling brook meandering down a mountainside and just goin’ with the flow. This month's Feng Shui meaning is "Li Dong" or start of winter which means the element of water is linked to the winter season.
Tip #2: Wear green.
Green is the color of family. Boost positive ch’i by incorporating this color in your outfit and holiday décor. As you’re getting ready, imagine all the laughter and fun as you commune around the table.
Tip #3: Practice gratitude.
When I first began practicing gratitude, I felt like a total cheeseball. I was a cynical extremist who believed there wasn’t a thing on the entire planet that could turn my ch’i around. But, I stuck to it. Each day, I’d write down 9 things I was grateful for. And you know what? Eventually, that cynicism began melting away. And my Grinch-like small heart grew three sizes that day.
That morphed into using a daily gratitude journal entitled Start with Gratitude. I highly suggest grabbing a copy here if you’re interested in starting your own practice. Using gratitude as an effective tool for increased happiness and curbing cases of the holiday blues is science-backed by studies from Berkeley, Harvard and more.
Energy shifts depending on how you meet it.
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