July 3: Full Moon
July 17: New Moon … Family Gua
We begin the month heading toward the July 3 Full Moon. This will be the first of four supermoons in 2023, when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit. It will be in the sign of Capricorn. Full moons are a time when more light is shining. It’s a time to notice what is happening and to release or let go of whatever no longer serves you.
The moon in Capricorn is a reminder to focus on your unique gifts, and what you bring to the world. You may feel more clarity about your vision or your purpose. Pay attention to what comes to light for you. You may see things that were previously hidden. Or you may feel a closer connection between your head and your heart … practical matters and your emotions.
This energy coincides nicely with the Knowledge gua, which was the theme for the June 18th new moon. If you adjusted your Knowledge gua (front-right corners) pay attention to what shows up for you around the three days before and after the full moon. What signs, signals, or messages do you see that your intentions are taking root?
Focus on Family … July 17th New Moon
After the full moon and holiday, shift your focus to the Family gua. This is the theme for the rest of July. The Family gua is the left-center of your house, every room in your house, your workspace and your land. The Family gua is a Wood area. The liver and gall bladder are the associated organs, and your feet are the body part. If you have any health ailments or imbalances in these areas, working with your space might help to create a better flow of chi in your body. Or you may find that the right practitioners or solutions come to you more easily.
The new moon is in Cancer on July 17th. If you would like to improve or strengthen family relationships, the Family gua is an excellent area to work with prior to the new moon. When Wood energy is in balance, you and others are likely to feel confident making decisions and taking appropriate risks. It’s easier to handle stress as well. When Wood energy is deficient, you and others in the space may express apathy, be sluggish, bored, irritable, or overly sensitive. Too much Wood energy may express itself as anger, hostility, impulsiveness, impatience, or irresponsibility.
Begin by Removing Clutter
Removing clutter in your space is always a good place to start. Check your house and land for things you no longer use or love and remove them. This releases stuck energy and can begin to get things flowing for you again. Sometimes a simple change makes a big difference.
Thunder is the I Ching trigram associated with the Family gua. Thunder is represented by three solid lines stacked on top of each other. This area is also associated with the eldest son. Symbolically, the eldest son is the one who breaks through barriers and paves the way for others to follow.
Foot Trouble? Check Your Family Gua
A tree image, sculpture, or photo or drawing, is an effective symbol in the Family gua. Just as tree roots run deep, so do family roots and bloodlines. One of my clients was scheduled to have repeat foot surgery, because the initial surgery was not successful. It turned out that she also had very deep negative feelings toward with her parents. She had not been in contact with them for many years and she did not plan to go to their funerals in the future. Basically, the relationship was cutoff. Parental relationships and feet are energetically linked via the Family gua.
I suggested to this client that forgiving her parents could help heal her foot. She could write a letter to them, expressing her feelings, and then burn it or offer it in prayer. She didn’t have to speak to them or get together to forgive. Forgiving releases the negative hold of the situation in your body, allowing your energy to flow more freely and your body to heal. She did and the second surgery was successful.
July is a great month to review your family relationships, let go of the situations that are bothering you, and reconnect with family. In recent weeks I connected with two of my sisters with whom I hadn’t spoken with for a while. Both relationships are a challenge, so it was easier to let them rest for a bit. I set an intention that my visit, in one case, and phone call in the other situation, would be well received. They were! I was delighted that both connections were very positive. I plan to stay in touch.
8 Tips to Strengthen your Family Gua
- Add fresh flowers or a beautiful plant
- Incorporate blue or green
- Hang a mirror or a crystal
- Add stripes, vertical lines, or tall rectangles
- Place a family photo taken during happy times
- Add something that remind you of vibrant health
- Include a water feature
- Add a tree or tree art or sculpture
The most important action you can take in your family gua is to create a clear path for chi or energy to easily flow and move through your space. Thus, remove clutter, put things away, tidy up, place a few reminders of healthy family relationships, and enjoy spending time there. If it’s not a space you spend time in, such as a closet or storage area, check the Family guas in each room throughout your house. I often find that the patterns repeat themselves. By this I mean that when you have a situation that you would like to change, chances are there are multiple blockages throughout your space. It could be a leaky faucet in one area, a photo that was taken during a stressful time in another, stacked paper piles that have been long forgotten or overlooked in a third area.
Check your art for messages also. In one home where the client wanted to improve family relationships, photos of a brother and sister were hung back-to-back, looking away from each other. After the photos were reversed so that the siblings faced each other, the relationship improved.
The Family gua of your yard and land is also important. You could have a beautiful garden and set the intention to nurture and cultivate family relationships. Garden art could be fun to play with. A birdbath would also be a wonderful addition to the Family gua of your yard.
New Moon Meditation, Monday, July 17th
After re-energizing your Family gua, I recommend that you reflect on your intentions and do a meditation on Monday, July 17th. New moon days are an ideal time to plant seeds of intention. Two weeks later, you can see what’s coming to light, with the full moon. This is a wonderful monthly practice to bring you into the flow and to help you benefit from cosmic energy and cycles. You may find that you experience a lot more synchronicity and a wonderful flow of blessings when you do so.
This month, integrate the energy within your head and your heart as you reflect on family. Rejuvenate your space, set your intentions, and anticipate good outcomes. The next check-in will be with the August 1st full moon.