Happy Chinese New Year!!!

This is the beginning of the new lunar calendar. In celebration of the Chinese New Year, I will be discussing the many wonderful contributions the Asian cultures have given the world in relation to alternative medicine.

Celebrating Chinese New Year: The Year of the Dragon

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. http://www.peacefulmind.com/moonsigns.htm

Prior to New Year's Day, Chinese families decorate their living rooms with vases of pretty blossoms, platters of oranges and tangerines and a candy tray with eight varieties of dried sweet fruit. On walls and doors are poetic couplets, happy wishes written on red paper. These messages sound better than the typical fortune cookie messages.

The Year of the Dragon - begins on January. 23, 2012

The lunar calendar has a sixty year cycle. In Chinese Astrology, the five basic elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth, which make up all matter, are combined with the twelve animal signs of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Lamb, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig to form the sixty year cycle. One's Chinese horoscope is based on which lunar year in this sixty year cycle one was born.

The Dragon

Dragons tend to be popular individuals who are always full of life and enthusiasm, with a reputation for being fun-loving. They make good priests, artists and politicians. Usually very healthy and energetic. Full of vitality and enthusiasm, the Dragon is a popular individual even with the reputation of being foolhardy and a "big mouth" at times. They are intelligent, gifted, and a perfectionist but these qualities make them unduly demanding on others. However, their nature pushes them to be short tempered and stubborn from time to time.
Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 21, 34, 35, 36 and 45

Crystals In Feng Shui

Crystals symbolize the notion of looking beyond the material world.
They can work in ANY area of the Bagua based on their colors and energetic properties. Put the natural energy of earth's treasures to work for you. Make changes in your life with these precious stones.
Crystals work especially well in areas, which require the metal element such as the West and Northwest sections of your bagua map.

Here are just a few of my favorites:

Quartz is most often utilized in Feng Shui. Probably the most versatile multipurpose healing stone. Easy to cleanse, store info/energy in, program or amplify energy and healing with. Can both draw and send energy. Powerful clear ones open Brow, Crown, and Transpersonal Chakra for meditation, sending/receiving guidance.
Stimulates natural crystals in body tissues and fluids to resonate at new healing frequency. See also many other stone forms of quartz.

(Amethyst, Tiger's Eye...) Yin or Androgynous. Works with all meridian points and master gland for balancing, cleansing and healing. Used to amplify both body energy and thought. Natural tendency for Quartz is for harmony and is considered the "stone of power". Quartz can be used to facilitate both speaking and receiving information from the spiritual world, masters, teachers and healers.
Stimulates positive thought and healing.

Clear Quartz is thought to amplify both body energy and thoughts. It can assist in the creation of power, clarity of thinking, meditation, cleansing, clearing the aura, spiritual development and healing.
Quartz Points are considered the "stone of power"

Swarovski Crystal is magnificent faceted crystal which will fill your any room with rainbows! Austrian crystals are one of the principal objects used to clear energy blockages in the ancient Chinese art of placement. Place in window or an area where light will hit and refract into beautiful rainbows!