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integrating spirituality and green design to find beauty in simplicity and balance. we design harmonious living and work spaces that resonates with clients from both the inside and out.
Anjie Cho integrates beauty, spirituality and green design. She creates and enhances balance and harmony by designing spaces with an understanding of sustainability and informed by the ancient practice of feng shui. Her focus is to create a nurturing and supportive environment for each of her clients, at whatever level they feel comfortable.
Client living room in progress #repaint #interiors #inprogress
Site Visit with a lovely client! Wait til you see the befores! #architecture #interiors #inconstruction
In progress Mercury yantra mandala with Indian wash technique #harishjohari #mandala #gouache
client's picture ledge and living room redecoration in progress #lovemywork #pictureledge #livingroom #interiors
featured this week on Over the Moon
This month, I thought it appropriate to address the symbology of the moon from the feng shui perspective for our lovely Over the Moon readers. BTB feng shui draws much of its wisdom from Taoism, which looks to nature as “the Way” to achieve harmony. It also sees the universe in a constant dance and balance of opposites, which we call “Yin-Yang Theory.”
Yin and yang principle is about opposites, such as dark and light, cold and hot, passive and active, female and male, and so on. Even the moon and the sun fall into these two categories. The key is that, in our world, the two opposites are in constant flux because one cannot exist without the other. Darkness only exists in the absence of light.
And because the moon is yin, it’s also related to darkness, coolness, and indirect, subtle energy. In feng shui, we recognize the importance of the balance between the yin and yang energies and use the energy of the moon to make adjustments. Yin, or moon-focused adjustments, can be effective for taking the indirect route toward change or improvement. For instance, we call on the moon to clarify a confused mind, or to support fertility, or even ask for help.
One yin moon feng shui adjustment is chanting to Quan Yin under the moonlight. Quan Yin is the goddess of compassion and she is connected to the moon, as she represents the feminine yin principle. You can find a chant that calls to her and recite it under the moonlight. An example is,
“Namo Kuan Shi Yin Pu Sa,”
which translates to,
“Salutations to the most compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva Quan Yin.”
She has the power to cultivate compassion and understanding in your life. If Quan Yin doesn’t resonate with you, try another female deity of compassion, such as the Buddhist or Vedic Tara.
Another way to connect to the moon is with a Sun Moon Mirror. This is a BTB feng shui ritual object that has been imbued with both the yin and yang energies of the moon and the sun. There are countless ways to use this talisman, which can be prescribed by an advanced BTB feng shui practitioner. However, if you simply carry it with you at all times, it will protect as well as balance your yin yang qi.
The moon is an important expression and symbol in feng shui. I hope that you can tap into the yin energy of the moon to improve your life!
Most of you know that I have been studying Vedic yantra and mandala painting since 2008 and I just got back from a retreat at ananda ashram with my teachers, Mavis Gewant and Pieter Weltevrede. You can see some of my newest work here.
Over the years I’ve painted dozens of planet yantras, but it’s only this year that I started incorporating the wisdom of the planets in my everyday life. Did you know that each day of the week is named after one of the planets?
The names for each day of the week have slightly different meaning, depending on the culture, but the names we use in America are derived from the Roman culture. In selecting names for the days of the week, or the time it takes for the moon to move between phases, the Romans chose the names of our sun, moon and, at the time, the five known planets (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn). As a note, these planets were already named after Roman deities (in Latin, of course), so not only are the days of the week named after planets, they're name after Roman deities as well!
Sunday SUN radiant and bright orange
Monday MOON light feminine blue
Tuesday MARS fiery red
Wednesday MERCURY emerald green
Thursday JUPITER expansive yellow
Friday VENUS soft whites & pastels
Saturday SATURN introspective dark blue & black
I started wearing a piece of clothing or jewelry for each planet on their day of the week. For instance, today is Wednesday, so I often wear this green jade mala that I made with Satya Scainetti.
This is from the vedic tradition, but I also connect the colors and planets with feng shui principles. For example Mars and red can relate to the Fame and Recognition area of the feng shui bagua map. I find that it helps me to understand the feng shui colors on a deeper level to connect the planet and god/goddess associations.
Wearing the color of the day can help you invoke the power of that planet to give you a little more support on that particular day. Or if you want more of a particular energy, you can wear that color. For instance you can wear orange for more radiance. It’s interesting to see how people will start to respond to this. For instance, my ascendent is the sun, and when I wear orange on Sunday, I just get so much attention!
Try it out yourself and see what happens!
Anjie Cho Architect is an architect and feng shui expert, founder of Holistic Spaces. Creating beautiful and nourishing spaces for living.
Anjie Cho Architect PLLC | 457 FDR Dr, New York, NY, 10002, United States
