Death Can Make You Great

“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”  

                                                                   – Mahatma Gandhi

Feng Shui is all about cycles.

Elemental cycles, seasonal cycles, energetic cycles.

Now, as we are moving into the Winter season, we are transitioning into the part of the cycle related to death and darkness.

Hold on! Not to fear.

So many people are scared to even hear the word death (Asians can be very sensitive around this topic), but in reality, death has many positive aspects.

Where there is death, there is inevitable birth.

You will be surprised that death is not what you typically think it is.

Here are 3 surprising ways you can celebrate death, the end of a cycle, or letting go, in your life and home:

1) Self Awareness/Spirituality – Sometimes it’s necessary for a behavior or thought pattern to die, in order to have a rebirth. There is no mistake that people, who have had near death experiences, completely transform their lives.

Thankfully, there is no need to have a near death experience to have positive results in your life. Activate the Knowledge/Spirituality area of your home or bedroom with objects that symbolize this section – books that enhance your knowledge, blue objects, or crystals such as Lapis Lazuli, that have specific healing properties. Empower this area with the intention to dissolve negative thinking that has not been serving you. Replace it with the intention of a healthier attitude, allowing you to access your deepest gifts and desires. This is where your Greatness lies.

2) Completion – You can celebrate one of two things in this area – the natural ending of a cycle or bringing something to completion that is no longer serving you. The former can be the death of a loved one and the latter may be the ending of a relationship or a project that was oh-so-painful. Take time to celebrate the person who is no longer in your life, and relish the wisdom the difficulties have taught you.

To honor this process, make sure that this Completion area of your home or bedroom is clean and clutter free. We want to allow this energy to easily pass on to the other side. Once clean, place your favorite flowers in this area, empowering it with the intention that what has been completed will allow bigger, greater things to come into your life. 

Mexicans have a wonderful perspective about death and even celebrate it on Nov 1st, or Dia de Muertos or literally, Day of the Dead. They dedicate this holiday by gathering with family and friends, to pray and remember those who have died, presenting offerings for their spiritual journey. 

3- New Beginnings – Once you have accepted the ending of the cycle and are ready to let go, it’s time to activate your New Beginnings section of your home or bedroom.

Place things in this area that symbolize new beginnings, such as green or wood objects. A great option is a green plant since plants represent all the elements of this section. Empower this area of your space to invite new energy to come into your life and home.

Life is a cycle. Seasons are a cycle. You also have your own cycle, your own rhythm. Pay attention to your own cycle and rhythm – what is going on around you and WITHIN you.

Ask yourself, what needs to “die” or be “done with” in order for you to birth something new? The most important thing is that you notice and honor your own personal cycle and rhythm. Perhaps you are in the thick of the “dying” process and it feels dark and icky. Sit with it. Perhaps you are just coming out of the dying cycle and are ready for something new. Sit with it.

I would love to hear how this all “sits” with you in these coming days. Move at your own rhythm with ease and awareness and share what you discover.