December 12: New Moon in Sagittarius… Energize Your Knowledge Gua
December 13: Mercury Goes Retrograde through January 1st
December 21: Winter Solstice … Stability and Stable Growth
December 26: Full Moon
We begin December in the shadow of the November 27th full moon in Scorpio. The area of focus for the month was prosperity. If you didn’t check in at the full moon, pause and reflect on how you’re currently feeling about prosperity and abundance in your life. One of the fun experiences my family had leading up to the full moon was free admittance to the McCord Stewart Museum during our trip to Montreal. We went online to purchase tickets, only to discover that they would be free through January 7th! One of the highlights was seeing the Enchanted Village of Margarete Steiff and learning about her story. It brought back many childhood memories of seeing the department store windows decorated for the holidays.
New Moon in Sagittarius Links to Knowledge and Personal Development Gua
Prior to the December 12th new moon, give some attention to your Knowledge gua. This is the front left corner of your house and every room in your house, your land, and your workspace, when you overlay a grid of nine blocks, similar to a tic-tac-toe board. The energy of the Knowledge gua is about your deep inner wisdom.
Take the first ten days of the month to refresh and update your Knowledge gua. Then, do a new moon meditation on Tuesday, December 12, to plant the seeds for what you’d like to manifest. Check back with the full moon on Tuesday. December 26th to see how things are progressing. The full moon brings things to light. Look for signs that your intentions have taken hold and are beginning to bear fruit.
December 12th New Moon in Sagittarius … Let your Light Shine!
The energy of your Knowledge gua influences you at a very deep level. I encourage you to clear out clutter and to create some extra space in this area. Creating space in your living area will help you to feel more spacious about your life and all that you have underway.
Sagittarius new moons provide the opportunity to set goals as you envision your future. Imagine what’s possible and take inspired action as you move forward. Imagine expanding your horizons, branching out and learning about new topics, developing new interests, and discovering new places. Imagine doing inspiring work and having a calling you truly enjoy. Imagine joyful and beneficial relationships and friendships in your life. Imagine living a full and satisfying life every day.
The Archer, the centaur of mythology (half-human, half-horse) symbolizes Sagittarius. This sign is known for its higher intelligence, spiritual ideals, and philosophy of life. Traits include being a deep thinker, honest, sincere, independent, a free spirit, curious and having a zest for life. On the downside one might be impatient, careless, boastful, or experience explosive energy when things go awry. Ruled by Jupiter, Sagittarius energy expands boundaries, raises awareness beyond the physical world, and pushes you to reach your full potential. Thus, the connection to the Knowledge gua.
The Knowledge Gua
The Knowledge and Self Development gua holds energy for cultivating wisdom, joy, and a zest for life. The energy of this area can help you tap into your intuition, enabling you to draw on your higher self for guidance and wisdom. This is where you find peace, grace, and solace, traits that can help you navigate daily life more easily. Going inward strengthens your core and grounds your energy, providing a firm foundation to respond to daily life. Use the energy of the December new moon to reflect on your light and to bring it out into the world.
The Knowledge gua is an Earth area in the feng shui bagua. From a health perspective, it correlates with your shoulders, back, arms and hands. Back and shoulder problems can indicate that you may be carrying too much responsibility. If you have such ailments, are these due to your responsibilities or are you carrying the weight of others? What can you do to ease your burden? Be sure to create a comfortable space for yourself. Reflect on what makes you happy and spend more time doing that.
Holiday Décor Shifts Chi
Decorating for the holidays shifts the chi in your home. If you enjoy it, the shift will be positive and uplifting. Many decorations hold special memories and family stories. When we put up our Christmas tree each year, we often reflect on each ornament as we place them on our tree. Many came as gifts, and they evoke happy memories with cherished family and friends.
If the holidays feel like a chore and burden, be aware that you might instill these qualities throughout your home, if they predominate. Other people will feel the energy, even if you don’t. I encourage you to let go of décor, activities, and traditions that no longer feel good to you. You’ll feel lighter and you’ll be happier as a result.
Prior to decorating for the holidays (if you do so), pay particular attention to the front-left corners of your house and that of each room. Remove clutter and give the areas a deep clearing prior to adding decorations. Your house will feel more spacious if you temporarily store objects and décor that you display throughout the year, prior to placing your favorite holiday items. As you take out your holiday decorations, swap an item already in place for each seasonal item that you add. Less is more. Shifting the chi in your space, also shifts your chi and that of everyone there.
Emphasize Fire and Earth Elements
The Knowledge gua is an Earth area, in the Five Element system. The Center of your home and the Relationship gua in the back-right corner, are Earth areas also. Earth is strengthened by Fire and weakened by Metal, Water and Wood. Fire energy is transformative and brings joy. Earth energy is stabilizing and brings comfort. How nice that comfort and joy are also the messages of the season.
For example, Christmas trees bring in the Wood element. Adding lights activates the Fire element. Other decorations are most likely a combination of each of the elements. If your Christmas tree is placed in the Center of your home, or in the Knowledge or Relationship gua (front left corner to right back corner of your house) adjust the Earth and Fire elements. You may want more décor that represent these elements to balance the Wood energy of the tree.
Fire brings dazzling, sparkling energy to a space. It is represented by:
- Fire, flames, lights, sunlight, candles
- Stars, triangles, pyramids, diamond, and cone shapes (Christmas Trees!)
- People and animals
- Electronics and electrical items
- Red, burgundy and the red palette
Earth energy grounds and anchors your space. Earth items include:
- Natural items such as pinecone wreaths
- Pottery, earthenware, bricks, and clay
- Square shapes
- Oversized or heavy furniture that hugs the floor
- Yellow, brown and earth tones
Harmonizing your space by adjusting Metal, Water and Wood elements. Although these elements technically “weaken” the Knowledge gua, they are used to balance the energies. If your space feels out of sorts, make adjustments by playing with the elemental mix of your décor.
Metal energy helps bring clarity to a space. Metal items include:
- Shiny ornaments (stars!)
- All metal: gold, silver, brass, aluminum and more (pots, pans, lamps, picture frames…)
- Marble, granite, flagstone
- Natural crystals and rocks dug from deep in the earth.
- Circles, oval and arch shapes
- White, gray, and pastel shades.
Water energy helps to create flow. It also brings reflective and philosophical qualities. Water is represented by:
- Water features and water itself
- Mirrors, windows, glass, reflective and shiny surfaces
- Black and very dark colors
- Free form, wavy and symmetrical shapes
- Pictures of lakes, rivers, harbors, ocean views
Wood energy is about growth and expansion. Wood is represented by:
- Christmas trees, fresh flowers, and plants
- Floral fabrics and patterns
- Vertical stripes and tall columns
- Vertical rectangles
- Green and blue
Tips to Uplift your home during Holidays
- Remove what you don’t need to create more space.
- Decorate with fresh greens and natural items.
- Add a fresh poinsettia plant.
- Add a natural, seasonal scent in a diffuser and place in a safe place.
- Add seasonal candles or lights.
- Light a fire in your fireplace (or turn on a gas fire).
- Decorate a Christmas tree or a Chanukah bush.
- Place a welcoming wreath on your front door.
- Play your favorite Christmas carols or other uplifting music.
- Cook or bake some special treats. Let the aroma fill your house.
- Hang a birdfeeder outside. Enjoy the sights and sounds from your windows.
The Importance of the Relationship Gua
Pay attention to the opposite gua as well. The Relationship or Partnership gua is the area diagonally opposite Knowledge, in the back-right of your space. Cultivating a healthy relationship with yourself helps you to be in healthy relationships with others. As within, so without. Your inner self drives your relationship with others.
The two areas work hand in hand. If you’re activating your Knowledge gua, cleaning and decluttering your Relationship areas will provide an added boost. The Relationship gua is also associated with Earth energy. In the Relationship area, a nice touch is to include a picture or art that reinforces your relationship with your partner, spouse, or someone you’d love to bring into your life.
Write Your Intention and Meditate on December 12th
On December 12th, write a statement about what you’d like to manifest related to yourself, your inner knowing, and what brings you joy. Put your intention in a red envelope, activate it with a prayer or blessing and then place it in the Knowledge gua of your home, bedroom, or office. Write your intention in the present tense, using positive words, just as if it’s happening for you now. For example: “At this new moon I fully embrace my love of life as I look forward to new, exciting, and inspiring adventures during the coming year.” The more specific you are, the better your result.
Do a mediation on Tuesday, December 12th. Visualize the end result of your intention. Give it positive energy and see it unfolding for yourself. Let go of how it will happen. Your job is to set the intention and embrace the outcome. Leave the details up to the Universe. What you ask for may come to you in ways you don’t even anticipate. Be open to the unexpected in a positive way, so that you notice and express gratitude when it arrives.
Check-in at the December 26th Full Moon
The December full moon is two weeks later on Tuesday, December 26th. On this day and the following two weeks, looks for signs that the intentions you set on December 12th have taken root. As the light of the full moon shines bright, may it fill you with you and inspiration as well.
December 21st Winter Solstice
Thursday, December 21st, is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemishpere and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemishere. For us, it’s the shortest, darkest day of the year and the first day of “astronomical” winter. As we know, our meterological winter begins at least three weeks earlier! A bright spot is that the days will begin to grow longer for the next six months. Until we begin to notice this, holiday lights will fill the gap. They spark joy during our long cold nights. By February we’ll really notice the difference.
I’ve heard that this winter solstice will usher in stability and growth. The energies are ripe for this. It’s encouraging!
To learn more about the winter solstice, this article might interest you.
Contact Peg for a Consultation
If you’d like help applying these concepts to your space, contact Peg for a consultation. It can help to put you on a path to success.