love note from Anjie - oct 29. 2022

dear friends:

good morning, it's a brisk autumn day in New York City.

still dark outside. and felt compelled to share a bit more, and maybe in the future.

I was on retreat in france for over two week. It was refreshing, and nourishing. we ended each day with an evening “gatha” from Zen Mountain Monastery:

“Let me respectfully remind you,
Life and death are of supreme importance.
Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost.
Each of us should strive to awaken…
Awaken… take heed!
Do not squander your life!”
— Evening Gatha - Zen Mountain Monastery

it's helpful to remember how precious each of our humans lives really truly are. and each of you reading this newsletter is precious to me.

I've been in the final stages of completing my new book Mindful Homes! it's been an enriching experience. I'm going through the layouts now with my publisher, finalizing images, and the last few pages like acknowledgements and introductions. Yes funny how the introduction comes last, it's all a cycle.

I cannot wait to share it with all of you, it's really my heart that I'm sharing. I am in tears everytime I read through it (which is often for this whole publishing process). Working on the last bits of it this weekend!

open for enrollment five days only! Nov 4-8

includes free access to our annual Lunar New Year Workshop:

Welcome the Water Rabbit 2023 ($99 value)

check out our

9 FENG SHUI BAGUA NATURAL CRYSTAL SET

Set of nine tumbled semi-precious gemstones corresponding to each Feng Shui Bagua Area

Watch my recent instagram reel where I chat about how to use the amethyst crystal to activate the wealth area of your desk for more abundance!

And… our new 2023 lunar new year amulet charms are now available for purchase! I will also make some new reels on instagram and discuss each animal as we get closer to Lunar New Year.

I also know many of you have been following me for years, and would like to know how to ceremonially say goodbye to the year of the Tiger amulet. I will do that soon on instagram and send a link in this newsletter. Or just follow me on instagram. it's basically the only social media I use.

happy autumn to each of you. and please take care of your precious selves.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Anjie

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Cozy Up to Autumn: 6 Decorating Tips

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

The change in seasons is Mother Nature’s cue to shuffle up some of her decorating choices. As we move through autumn, the lush green and sunny colors associated with summer are replaced by the sunset hues of fall. Scarlet, gold and rich oranges transition into Mother Nature’s palette, and it’s beautiful. Follow her lead and bring some of autumn’s best decorating choices indoors with these tips. 

Bring the outside in

Gourds, small pumpkins and autumnal plants are natural outdoor decorating elements. They are great additions indoors, too. Incorporate some smaller gourds into your dining room centerpiece. Another great way to pull the outdoors in is to fill flower pots with moss, grasses and twigs. 

Rotate accessories

Swap out the set of throw pillows on your sofa for pillows that are rich, deep crimson or a spicy pumpkin. Replace the art on your walls with nature-themed pictures and pieces that incorporate autumn’s hues. 

Remember the details

Take a good look at the less noticeable components of your décor. Small changes to these pieces can make a big impact. Start with a little thing like wrapping jute or rope around a favorite candle. Swap out the flowers in that vase on your bookcase for dried, faded hydrangea. Think subtle. Think autumn. And have fun!

Savor the scents

Nothing says fall more than the tantalizing scents of apple pie and crisp fallen leaves. Both of these scents, and a host of other seasonal ones, can be found in candles or wax burners. Whether subtle or more pronounced, the scents of autumn wafting from melting wax will set you in an autumn state of mind. If candles aren’t your thing, add cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg to a pot of boiling water for the same effect.

Think cozy

The air outside is getting crisp. The indoors should complement it with a more cozy, inviting warmth. Drape soft texture blankets and quilts in fall colors over the back of your favorite seat and at the foot of your bed. Rotate out your summer friendly area rugs for something plush, warm and autumnal. Have a fireplace? Create an intimate seating area near it. Make sure this nook has a small table for steaming cups of cocoa, belly-warming spiced cider or a mug of Stiggly Holistic's fire water! 

Check the lights

The sun will be setting earlier each passing day as we march on toward winter. Now is a good time to make sure you’ve got the proper light fixture in each room. Is your favorite reading nook lit well enough to read while you’re cozied up with a warm throw? Is the light in your bedroom too bright to help you transition to sleep at the end of the day? Replace bulbs, switch around light fixtures and add dimmer switches where appropriate.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Make Room for Metal and Clarity with the Autumnal Equinox

yellow autumn leaves on tree branch

Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash

I can't believe it's already time to say goodbye to summer! In a few days, we will experience this year's Autumnal Equinox and feel the shift from long, warm summer days to shorter, crisper fall days before we head into winter. Many of our friends have shared incredible ways to adjust to the new season and welcome the equinox. Be sure to check those posts out! We've also pulled together a few tips for this year to make autumn your best season yet!

What is the Autumnal Equinox?

Let's cover the important bases, first. Just what is the equinox, and why is it so important? The September equinox, also referred to as the Autumnal Equinox, marks the point in the year when the sun crosses the celestial equator, a sort of extension of the earth's equator that "sits" above the planet, from north to south. So essentially, the sun is crossing the earth's equator.

The term "equinox" comes from Latin roots "aequus" and "nox", meaning "equal night," which corresponds to the belief that, on an equinox, night and day are equal length. As it turns out, daylight still typically lasts longer than night. The center of the sun sets 12 hours after rising on this day, but each half of the sun still has to travel through the sky, so day and night times will vary. In fact, the equinox is not an all-day event, but the specific moment when the center of the sun reaches this point. This year, in Eastern time, that will happen at 4:02 pm on September 22. 

For everyday purposes, the equinox most notably represents the change from summer to autumn. As some of our holistic experts have noted, this is the time to move from yang energy, high activity and cool foods to more inward, yin energy, self-care and a warming, nourishing diet. And, based on the feng shui bagua map and five elements, autumn is a season of Metal.

Autumn and the Metal Element

In feng shui and the five elements theory, the autumn season corresponds to the Metal element and the Completion area of the bagua, which relates to the color white, the number seven and the element of joy. Metal is also associated with clarity.

If you're looking to update your space for the new season, you might think you should add more Metal. But in fact, for the most part, because this season carries more of this element, there can be an overabundance of Metal. Metal relates to metallic colors (think gold, silver) and the colors white and grey, as well as to joy and the mouth, and governs order and beauty. It's associated with efficiency and organization, circular shapes and a general turning inward. So what does an overabundance of Metal mean? Metal out of balance can be rigid and inflexible, stuck on having everything perfect. Since Metal is related to the mouth and speech, individuals with an excess of this element often speak without precision and boundaries. If this describes you in fall, you may have too much Metal!

Some ways to adjust a Metal imbalance: add Water, which drains Metal, or Wood, which dulls and softens the Metal element. For more Water, try enjoying walks along the water, bringing wavy patterns into your space or incorporating the sound of water into your home, like with music or a fountain. If you'd rather add Wood, add blue and green tones or plants to your space! Check out our My Favorite Things series for more insight on adding Water and Wood. 

Get Clarity with Metal 

Autumn is also the time for harvest, both in agriculture and metaphorically in life. The planting season is ending, so maybe it's good to look at this in terms of your life and space. What no longer serves you in your home? It could be as literal as summer clothes you haven't worn in three years or letting go of old food in the fridge and composting it. Think about things or people in your life that are no longer serving you, as well. Metal element can also be like a sharp sword, cutting through what's unnecessary. It's time to harvest what's come to fruition, look at why some things didn't grow and think about planning for the next year. 

Take some time as we transition to fall and consider how your "harvest" has turned out. And what do kind of energies do we want invite the next time around?

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com