Leib and Associates

Friends and Helpful People

So maybe we haven’t been able to see many helpful people in person recently, but, luckily, they don’t have to be with you to be helpful.

The Helpful people area of the bagua is located in the Northwest. Metal is usually the element associated with this area.

If you find yourself lacking in the helpful people and friends area (also sometimes associated with travel) then you may be short of metal.

To bolster your metal and your helpful people army (after all, armies carry a lot of metal, right?), then you can wear metal, ride in or on metal, hang out in metal structures, and hang out in the northwest part of your home.

Be aware of those who are really being helpful at the time you need-helpful people come and go and are helpful at different times for different purposes.

Think about your goals and who might help you reach them, pick up your metal phone and connect.

It’s Our 1-Year Anniversary

It’s been exactly one year since our post-heart transplant COVID Big Sur wedding at Nepenthe Inn. Happy Anniversary, Tom❤️

So many things came together to make that day happen in under 1 month.

We met (over the phone), an amazing manager at Nepenthe, Alisha, who not only allowed us to get married on the property, but also told us about an officiant in Big Sur, Soaring. Soaring told us about an amazing photographer, Brandon Scott, who ended up being our photographer and our witness; you have to get creative in a pandemic. I found our florist, who lives 5 minutes away, Dyana Zwang, at A Bit of Earth, who has a mind-blowing garden where she grows most of her flowers. She also knew Brandon Scott.

And the dress!!! Anthropologie has a wedding gown department where my daughter and I were able to go in and try on dresses, and scored my dream gown in a week.

Where there’s a will…Our journey was and is a process, woven into something beautiful by helpful people.
There is a link there to Feng Shui-there always is.

For the rest of the story, you’ll have to read Feng Shui Friday; Stay tuned!

Boiling Over

It’s hot in the south, too hot, and with that comes irritation, impatience and anger-blood boiling.

I believe we have reached the place where our collective rage and angst from COVID and all of its ramifications have reached the boiling point.

What helps with too much heat? Earth and water… the same applies with tempers boiling over.

It’s no wonder we get into the water when it’s too hot, or why animals get on the ground when they are hot.

If you’re stressed and boiling over, try adding some water to your drinking regime and hang out in the garden.

Beams, Poison Arrows, Chi and Bamboo Flutes

In Feng Shui, it is not good to sleep under a beam, have the edge of the beam pointing at you, or have the beam dissect your body while sleeping, or lie between you and your partner.

The problem is, so many homes in Western architecture utilize beams as part of the structure and, in many cases, feature beams in the design.

Our house Floyd boasts beams in every bedroom, so what to do?

When I was living in Japan, I did see a cure being implemented involving bamboo flutes with red ribbon on one end. You were to hang 2 flutes slanting down at an angle and away from each other with the red ribbon on the bottom on the offending beam or beams. This would protect the inhabitants from any negative impact from the beams or their sharp edges. Because the flute is representative of how chi flows as the air does through the instrument, the flutes can act as a positive activation for better chi.

I will let you know how this works out in our room-stay tuned!

Floyd’s Door

Floyd Update: Everyone has a red door – Floyd is getting a green door! And look what Elmer and Ramon built to paint it with the sprayer. It looks like the beginning of a pergola!

Summer-Fire, Fame, Reputation

It’s Summer and it’s Hot! In Feng Shui, Summer is associated with the Southern direction. It’s also associated with high visibility, popularity, fame and reputation.

If you get the elemental balance right, you can elevate your popularity or reputation-you may be recognized in a public way for your achievements, or you may find your dance card full.

If you get it wrong, you may experience some negative notoriety, or scandal, and a decrease in your popularity.
So how do you get the balance right? It’s complicated…But here are some tips to get the most out of your summer:

If you’re seeking more positive visibility, spend time with your animals. Animals are the element of fire, which stokes fame and reputation.

Spend time in the Southern part of your home-this is where the sun is anyway.

The color red can boost the energy in this sector. So can triangular shapes.

Too much fire is just as bad as not enough fire. If you feel like everyone’s obsessed with you, and not in a good way, you may want to add some earth-like ceramics, to lessen the fire. If it’s out of control, bring on the water.

Flashback Feng Shui Friday-Look for Signs!

Feng Shui can be very complicated, but sometimes it’s not.

The written word is strong and influential, especially if you see it everyday.

Think about what you surround yourself with, and pay attention to messages, especially the ones in bright yellow!

Summer Lovin’

Red is the color of love, right?

But it’s also the color of Summer, and the South.

In Feng Shui, the color red is associated with fire (obvious), fame and, reputation. Fire is represented by triangular shapes, and by animals as well.

We all have times where fame and reputation are more easily accessed, but in general this is a good area of your space to work on your prominence.

Beams over Beds in Feng Shui

There are a lot of opinions on beams over beds across all schools of Feng Shui.

We all have some sense that it is not good, but why? It is said that beams cut through whatever is below. Sometimes, their edges form arrows, the corners facing directly at the sleeper.

If the beam is parallel with the sleeper, it can set up a case of sleep disturbance, illness and depression.

If it is between a couple and parallel to the sleeper, It can cause marital or relationship problems if it is between the sleepers.

If it’s perpendicular to the sleepers, it can cause illness in the area it is directly over, cutting that area of the body.
Beams are an integral part of western building and a premium feature at that.

So, what to do?

If you can’t move, and you’re suffering from any of the above, what do you do? There are a couple of “cures” that can help.

One is to sleep in a canopy bed with material over your head for protection. Or to cover the beams with some kind of material.

What if you have skylights, like we do? There is an old cure with bamboo flutes, shown below, you can hang over the offending beams in a specific arrangement. I’ve used these before myself in a previous home.

The last is to have lights pointing to the beams, essentially “burning them up.” I’m skeptical of the last as flaming wood by fire isn’t really a calming cure.

Message us with your bed and beam pics and let us know if you are sleeping well and are healthy!

Stay tuned; we have lots of beams in our soon to be bedroom!

Welcome back, Mercury Retrograde

Yes, I’m a believer…

• huge uptick in dropped calls

• mishaps

• misunderstandings

• delays

• miscommunication

• inability to communicate… sound familiar?

Welcome to the latest Mercury Retrograde: May 29-June 22.

This retrograde has the added bonus of heat, COVID fatigue, increase traffic everywhere, delays for most things that are shipped.

This is not the time to explode, or implode. Envision taking a step back, and take some time to reassess the way you manage what’s coming at you.

Avoid:

• Signing Contracts

• Buying electronics, property, vehicles-large purchases

• Time sensitive travel

• Medical procedures

• Mediation/Group Resolution/Negotiations

Good for:

• Connecting with old friends

• Revamping

• Reviving practices

• Revisiting

• Rebooting

• Decluttering

• Reorganizing

By the way, Mercury appears blue and in Bazi and Feng Shui, is associated with the element water.