Purple Door & Feng Shui

Welcome 2011!

I've been following my dear, inspiring friend Gwynne's Feng Shui 18 day program to nutrure business success for the coming year, & the task for day 3 was to clear & bless your entrance or 'Mouth of Chi' by clearing clutter by your front door, sweeping the steps & porch, making sure the street numbers are visible, & washing the door - or painting it! Gwynne's suggestions were: glossy red for good luck, black for career & money, or green for growth & new beginnings.

I've done some things at the office, & some at home, so my front porch got some needed attention! I swept, cleared, washed the door, took the mailbox down & repainted it (gold with red), took the shutter by the window off (to the L, facing the door), so I could move the house numbers to a 'visible' position, & thought about choosing a new colour for the door!

My home has vinyl siding, & the door & vinyl shutters on several windows have been teal blue. I considered painting it red ... my friend Leonard mentioned having looked up possibilities on-line - which colours are harmonious for the direction your door faces.
Mine faces East, some possibilities include: green, blue, & turquoise. One author commented: "in feng shui, purple is the only colour that you can place in any direction." Hmm, purple ...

Reno Berkeley writes: "a purple door signifies royalty and wealth, but not necessarily monetary wealth. Purple is a spiritual color, and in Feng Shui is connected with psychic activities such as spirituality & meditation. ... painting your front door purple can show the world that you are open-minded and willing to think outside the box. Purple is universally known as the most spiritual and versatile color in the spectrum."

So I headed out to find some paint - & chose a glossy purple for the door, & pale lavender for trim. Painting is so satisfying, very quickly you have a whole new look!! I washed & painted the porch window trim as well - still have to do more clean up, & find a nice new doormat!

The Chinese New Year - year of the Rabbit - begins on Feb 4. On Saturday, I went with my friends Donna & Marvin to the Lan Su Gardens in downtown Portland, had tea, enjoyed the gardens, & got a few goodies from the gift shop. My feng shui packet from Gwynne & 10,000 Blessings contains a lovely selection of cures for enhancing the fortune of the year, Chinese coins on red ribbon, loose coins, ingots, incense ...

The Rabbit year is an especially favorable & mild one, following the more exciting year of the Tiger! I'm a Tiger, & my Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes says: "A happier year for the Tiger. Some good news is forthcoming, love & business affairs look rosy. There are still some obstacles, but (s)he will surmount them with little difficulty, & will be quite content with (her) achievements." That sounds good!
In general, a Rabbit year brings "A congenial time in which diplomacy, international relations & politics fare well. We will act with discretion & make reasonable concessions without too much difficulty. Money can be made without too much labor, our life style will be more languid & leisurely. A temperate year with an unhurried pace."

Remember last year's preparations - my grandkids especially loved rolling oranges across the doorstep! This Saturday my LAc co-worker Lisa & I are hosting an open house at our business, & rolling those oranges!!

Blessings on your year! May it indeed be congenial, prosperous & leisurely!