Comments | elissa_carey: guaging interest.

elissa_carey

guaging interest.

Jun 09, 2011 14:30

Took the day off from work today because I had one of those mornings full of painful TMI and tired. While resting in bed, I got to thinking about an issue that's been slowly growing in my head: that area where 'home' and 'spirit' meet.

As a pagan and a burgeoning interior designer, this is something that I'm definitely interested in. My particular ( Read more... )

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elissa_carey June 9 2011, 19:22:13 UTC

Oh, absolutely. In fact, that ties in with the idea of cardinal directions, something you find in almost every system (though what is assigned where is definitely different). Examples: Tenochtitlan's Templo Mayor or Teotihuacan's Temples of the Sun and Moon; ancient Hindu temples; Buddhist stupas; Native American earth lodges, hogans, kivas and such; even (in a limited fashion) Muslim mosques. So, you can see why I said Feng Shui doesn't really clash; it, too, deals with similar ideas ( ... )

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elissa_carey June 9 2011, 19:42:19 UTC

Right. And to go further: setting your bedroom closer to a water source (like, if you have a creek in the backyard, or a beach nearby), using stone tiles and wood (vs. laminate or particle board) cabinetry in the kitchen, south- and east-facing windows (the former because it also helps you live greener) whenever possible, etc. The materials used to build or where you orient everything goes into it. It's not something everyone can do to that level when things are really tight (like me, for instance), but there's still lots along those lines that *can* be done.

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andelku June 9 2011, 19:12:36 UTC

Greece: the cult of Hestia.

elissa_carey June 9 2011, 19:23:27 UTC

Right. But even beyond just the Greeks, fantastic as they are. :)

shendoah June 9 2011, 20:08:09 UTC

Not sure how much I could contribute to point counter point, but I'm fascinated by the reading.

I love the idea. I like the concepts of Feng Shui, but it never felt comfortable to me, probably because I have no grounding in the Asian lore. Nor do I particularly care about the Asian style. I was always more interested in the Germanic/Greek and Native American spiritual lore. Which makes sense, since I am Germanic with, I found out recently, a touch of NA. (my Great-Great Grandmother was full Cherokee, never knew that!)

So personally, I'd love to see a spiritual-style combo that is more bent that direction instead of the Asian direction.

elissa_carey June 11 2011, 14:54:10 UTC

*nod* That's what I thought - there's probably others who feel the same way. I know when I've brought up the subject (on a very superficial level) with one of my professors, he immediately started talking about Feng Shui. There's folks in the industry who do incorporate it. Thing is, it just doesn't really speak to me, and I'm sure it doesn't quite speak to you or others. What we may end up with may work along the same lines, but it'll be our cultural and spiritual sensibilities instead.

reginawessells June 10 2011, 01:34:43 UTC

I'm interested. I don't follow any particular religion, so do not have an altar. However, my kitchen and bedroom *are* probably the closest things I have to one. Those rooms are important to me, and when they're in chaos, so am I.

Actually, I feel my entire house and myself are one in the same. We are connected, and have been since we first saw each other, if that makes sense. Right now, we're feeling restless simultaneously; it's wants to be improved, I want to change... If there is anything you might have to offer in the way of helping both of us be in even more harmony, I'll pay attention. :)

elissa_carey June 11 2011, 15:17:20 UTC

It makes perfect sense to me. Our homes are our sanctuaries, where we feel safe and most ourselves ( ... )

marina_wolf June 11 2011, 04:19:08 UTC

I'm interested. Frankly, my house and I could use some healing.

elissa_carey June 11 2011, 15:27:30 UTC

I hear you. I gave Gina (above) a few tips. If you remember that your home is an extension of you and your family, and a larger sacred space, some ideas may also start springing to mind. Spend some time trying to 'listen' to your house and feel its energies like you would a person: what feels blocked? What feels off-kilter? Experiment with moving a few things around and see how things feel afterward. Open or close some curtains: do you need more or less light? Does a certain *area* need more or less light, or are the wrong things in that area receiving light? Are there pieces of furniture that are taking up space that you don't need anymore, or aren't serving you in the way you need? Or perhaps you're lacking that piece that helps tie things together ( ... )