Simple recipe for attracting more love

Be Happy.

You never know when someone is falling in love with your smile.

Pamela Hanson's pic from {this is glamorous}

Unremarkable? it's beautiful here.

"... Others, after the natural expansion that comes with growing up has run
it's course, lead an outwardly unremarkable, seemingly more passive, and
relatively uneventful existence.

They would rather return home that go out. They have no desire to get
strongly involved in, or change the world. If they have any ambitions,
they usually don't go beyond finding something to do that gives them a degree of
independence. Some of them find it hard to fit into this world. Some
of them are lucky enough to find a protective niche...

There is no place for them, it seems, in our contemporary
civilisation. On the arising new earth, however, their role is just as
vital as the creators, the do-ers, the reformers. .. I call them frequency
holders. They are here to generate consciousness through the activities of
daily life, through their interactions with others as well as through "just
being".

In this way, they endow the seemingly insignificant with profound
meaning. Their task is to bring spacious stillness into this world by
being absolutely present in whatever they do. .. Their purpose is to do
everything in a sacred manner. As each human being is an integral part of
the collective human consciousness, they effect the world much more deeply than
is visible on the surface of their lives."

-Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth






Thank you for visiting, thank you for your comments and questions. Your curious energy, seeking the divine, seeking the beautiful life, is making a difference whether you want to believe it, or not.




coat rack from Touch Interiors

Happy New Moon!

... the last new moon of 2008.





Old folk law holds that a tablespoon of sunflower oil, slurped into the mouth first thing in the morning and rinsed around in there for as long as possible, de-activates negative energy in the body and takes on all the toxins we need to be rid of. Don't be surprised at it's colour when you spit the oil out; it will have turned white, and where it falls no grass will grow.





It's been a wonderful season, moon-wise, for celebrations this year. The moon was waning over Christmas, which means despite indulging, we won't have put on weight as easily as we will over the next week or so (when the moon is waxing). The commencement of 2009 will shortly occur when the moon will be waxing in Aquarius (sun sign Capricorn)- wonderful for setting career and save-the-world goals. It's a great time to form new habits that will really stick!





If you can- i usually bend- a fasting, juice or fruit-only day on new moons and full moons does the world of good for a body. On a day like today the body's ability to release toxins is at it's peak. Have a cathartic experience if you can! Set a new goal, mourn a loss- with the cure-all, salt water "tears, sweat or the sea"- surprise, or push yourself. It's time to let whatever's been in your experience these past 12 months float on by...





You won't have missed out on this great opportunity to begin afresh, moon-wise, til the next full moon on Jan 11. To plan your auspicious activities and avoid not-so-wise ones on this day, you can click on the date here.

love,
Samantha.

Something Special

Perhaps like you, I believe many of the loveliest things to do with this time of year arrive as surprises or as pleasant after thoughts...





I hope you will enjoy this link, a special (Christmas) e-card and one that would be so so perfect if it were originally sent from Feng Shui By The Sea! But instead it's from the really lovely Natio skin care company.





and because I've had such fun recently, sticky-beaking at other people's seasons pictures (like these!)... In the name of sharing, here's a few images from our special day yesterday. My beautiful Santa Claus arrived by helicopter and had been shopping at Tiffany's..





Wishing you a peaceful and magical time with those you love best!



Samantha.


xxx

Freedom

Gratitude

background card by inspirational Anahata Katkin

Pieces of the jigsaw

Today I'd like to share with you some of my recent thoughts. Have you been thinking about things like this, too?

... the amazing variety in life. How many choices we have as individuals to focus on!

... making the leap from living an ordinary life, to living a magical life. (Begins with a decision. First you must decide it's possible for you.)

... the role A Course in Miracles played in turning my own life into a magical one.

... the beliefs we each have, that we will hold onto tighter than life. (quote: "If you haven't found something worth dying for, your life's not worth living") What's your holy mission?

... the lasting power of Art.

... friendships that transcend time & distance, re-appearing to bring us joy just when we need it most.

... the intimacy that's created when we share more of ourselves with another. As we reveal ourslves, chinks and all, invisible threads of love and hope bind us more closely together..

... that circumstances indeed do not "make a person, they reveal him."

Thoughts about integrity and

making a difference and

the nature of love and connection.

Beautiful~ inspiring~ sobering~ yet powerfully hopeful thoughts for this time of year.

Sending you love- strength- light for your journey right now, wherever you are.

Samantha.

xxx

Today's Feng Shui ABC- Abundance, Bears & Celebrations

Streets all prettily lit, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Whatever festival or however you celebrate towards the end of December, would you like a more calming holiday season than ever before?

Then make sure you’re registered for our December Feng Shui Cheat Sheet. Happy, harmonious, hand-made, health-and-wealth enhancing- that's the festival we're cookin' up here at the home of Feng Shui By The Sea!


join here- and you could win a prfect stocking-filler gift ! (details in the newsletter)


A bear placed in the North West of a home helps the man of the house to most profitable business.

Let Love Shine!

a lovely subscriber sent me a question, wanting to know how to increase her chances of conceiving and also how to enjoy a more loving relationship with her husband... so here are the positive energy tricks to do just this.

Dear S,
Thank you for your question. For hints on feng shui for fertility, there's some simple remedies here- "Bringing in the baby chi".

But you've brought up two strongly linked energetic questions and I want to go deeper with you...

Your letter reminded me of the song by Jack Johnson, called "Angel". In the lyrics he sings, "You've gotta be careful when you've got good love/ cos the angels will just keep on multiplying" I'm using his special insight to share with you a very effective feng shui strategy: a wonderful way to get closer to your husband and to make a baby is to really power up the love energy in your life!

As well as all the feng shui remedies to increase devotion, passion and partnership (just google "Feng Shui for Love" and you'll find dozens!) one of the most powerful things you can do is to make some new commitments to yourself.

1. Ideally tomorrow, as it's a powerful new moon day, make a decision about your life. For even stronger results, write it down. Own your desire to have children, decide you will, decide you will do whatever it takes to get closer to your husband, or decide that he is not the man for you and you want love & children in your life from another source.

2. Make the decision that you are in charge of the love you experience in your life. Carry a rose quartz tumbled stone around with you for the next 28 days and every time you see it or touch it, think of 1. how loved you are, 2. how much love you have inside of you, and 3. those things you really love.
- How loved you are.. call to mind family and frinds that love you and the ways they show you they care. take notice of the flowers, trees, sparkling water or shimmering desert and feel how much the universe loves you to give you a share in all this
- How much love you have inside of you.. remember times when you've done something special for someone you love. watch a sad movie and feel the compassion you have for the characters- and you don't even know them! think about the way you love your husband and get excited imagining the happy family you want to create.
-Those things you really love.. make a list of your favourite things and strive to incorporate them into your life everyday

And-

3. Decide to create a life you love. As you begin enjoying more love in your life, whether it's by making adjustments in your work, or body, or house so you feel happier, getting rid of toxic people in your life, or taking up a new hobby, you will begin to shine. As you smile more and look forward to more everyday, your whole energetic body will lighten and you'll become more attractive as a being... and positively irresistible to your husband!

Lastly remember, we absolutely get what we focus on. Appreciating even the tiny things your husband does for you, (tell him :), looking at him and remembering what a wonderful person he is (or recalling a nice memory of him), talking about him favourably and keeping a diary of all the times you're affectionate together will all make these things happen more and more in your life.

Be happy and the loved-up being you are, S, and know the Universe wants to give you what you want (it's not a question of IF you'll get it, the only question is WHEN.)

love & blessings to you,

Samantha.

More of the healing power in our favourite things...

Dear Sabrina at turquoise dreams: 3 Things I love. has some very special favourite things. Are you discovering more of your own as we go on this month?



Here's a secret: I am so glad I am doing this process.

Remember when I wrote that our favourite things, especially if they are universal, can gather around and make a loving landscape no matter where in the world we find ourselves?

I was only just about to find out how true (again) this is.

Because quite suddenly a few days ago I found myself in very different territory from any I've ever been- a hospital ward here on the island. But fresh from listing my favourite things, I discovered many of them them in the unfamiliar setting around me:



.. a sunrise and sunset out the window

.. the steadfast tick-tocking of a clock

.. fluffy bedsocks

.. custard!

.. and, when there was nothing nice to look at, and only moments to "think of something that makes you feel good"; always the angels. Archangels Michael and Raphael, and Ganesh came to visit, right when they were most needed, too.

(remember, the angels need us to call on them to help us. There are many more angelic helpers than we could ever make use of, and the Archangels can be many different places at one time, so call on them whenever you feel lonely, scared, unsure or lost. They need your permission to intervene, and will be at your aid straight away.)



No end of comfort and peace was drawn from noticing and loving their presence.




There's true healing power in our favourite things.

Feng Shui your Daughter

".. Considering that, all hatred driven hence,

The soul recovers radical innocence

And learns at last that it is self-delighting,

Self-appeasing, self-affrighting,

And that its own sweet will is Heaven's will;

She can, though every face should scowl

And every windy quarter howl

Or every bellows burst, be happy still."

WB Yates, A prayer for my daughter

These pictures make me happy. Every "daughter of eve" needs a beautiful table to create at. Special tables make girls happy... don't you agree?

photo 1. from saravillefara

2. lazy afternoon chez lisen

3. perhaps martha, i hope not chez fifi (only joking darling, you're fabulous)

4. Amanwana

Real Magic: 5 Steps to a Quantum Life

Dear Friends,

as promised, here are the wonderful answers to so many questions I had regarding what I call "real" magic- quantum physics, supplied by author and expert, Natalie Reid. Enjoy our interview!

xx

Interview with Natalie Reid, Ph.D, author of "5 Steps to A Quantum Life: How to use The Astounding Secrets of Quantum Physics to Create the Life You Want"

Would you define, for the non-scientists among us, what Quantum Physics actually is?
Quantum Physics really is the study of how sub-atomic particles movie inside an atom, and how they interact. And what you find is, they don’t act the way we think they would. There’s all sort of magical activity going on in there. Sub-atomic particles even move backwards and forwards in time. And some energy operates in a certain way, until we look at it… then, it changes. Since we can, as quantum physics has proven, influence the way sub-atomic particles interact through the power of observation, this leads us to the conclusion that if you focus on what you want, then you will witness what you want to see… or, you get what you focus on

What led you to making the study of Quantum Physics your career & business?
After my sister watched “What the bleep do we know?” many years ago, I went looking for more information to feed her new fascination with Quantum Physics. I couldn’t find anything that offered the answers we were looking for in the bookstores, so I decided to write my own.

What are the usual ways you use quantum physics in your own life?
I have been using Quantum Physics in my own life for 15 or 20 years. Whenever I thought of something I wanted, I would immediately identify “Is there some reason why I wouldn’t want this?” change my subconscious beliefs around it if so, and then focus, visualize and truly feel as if I deserved it and God wanted me to have it. Because I believe that we live in a benevolent universe that wants us to be happy. This Universe doesn’t want to deny us; it wants to give us what we ask. And in doing this process, I’ve discovered that I absolutely get what I focus on. It’s that simple.
Whether it’s chatting to a friend about an expensive item I needed, for her to say, “You know, I have one of those and I never use it!” which happened recently, or attracting the solution to a problem right when I require it (and there’s lots of examples of stories like this on my website), the more I see Quantum Physics around me, the more instances occur.

What’s the relationship of the Law of Attraction to Quantum Physics?
I have strong feelings about the whole concept of the “Law of Attraction”. Part of my message is 1. It isn’t a secret, and,
2. It isn’t the law of “attraction” at all.
There’s not a huge warehouse in the sky somewhere, where all the jobs you’ve ever wanted, your perfect spouse, or financial abundance is waiting. It’s not about attracting the fulfilment of these desires. It’s about creating goodness, exactly how you want it to be, and how it fits into your own life. If there’s something you want, there is nothing stopping you from getting it, apart from your resistance to the idea and any limiting beliefs you have about yourself. That’s why “attracting” parking spaces is easy. Most of us don’t have much resistance built up towards finding a nice car space. And knowing it’s a law of creation, not of simple attraction, gives us more power instead of being disappointed when positive thoughts doesn’t work so quickly with something else in our life that we have more resistance to.

What do you think of feng shui? Do you practise it? Is feng shui linked to Quantum Physics, in your opinion?
I practise and believe in feng shui. I have a lot of respect for the deities of every religion; and have Hindu, Buddhist and crystals in my home. I believe in the flow of energy all around us, yet it can remain unseen until it becomes matter.

Do you have any words on the role Quantum Physics plays in healing?
To anyone who is considering using quantum physics to heal themselves, I would first say, continue seeing your medical professionals. When something has manifested as physical, we need to deal with it on the physical level. Telling your doctor, “No it’s okay, I’m just going to heal myself!” is just being a martyr. But ask yourself that important question, “Why would I want this pain/sickness?” A lot of people get great mileage from illness- perhaps it allows them to give up something they don’t want to do, receive flowers and sympathy, or something else. Then, once you’ve cleared these subconscious issues, use the power of visualisation, just as it effects changes at the subatomic level, to see yourself well and better than ever before.”

Thank you, Natalie, for your time in answering these questions!

Deliciously Auspicious IV

Nature's touch is just perfect to enhance prosperity & health energy...

... a lovely way to bring the outside in,

with your own elegant terrarium.

pictures from talented made by mavis on etsy,

and An Angel at my Table

Natalie Reid & Synchronicity

Dear everyone,

It's my great pleasure to introduce Natalie Reid, Ph.D, author of "5 Steps to A Quantum Life: How to use The Astounding Secrets of Quantum Physics to Create the Life You Want"

She has been kind enough to write a blog for Feng Shui By The Sea on an idea I'm fascinated in, but have never been quite au fait with explaining- the concept of Synchronicity.

You might be part of the Synchronicity group in Qatar, a gathering of individuals passionate about Mind Body & Spirit topics, or you might have your own "synchronicity" group- I used to call them my "Circle of Psychics" - people who share your love of feng shui, yoga or reiki, who may call you just as you're thinking about them, or offer you something you need before you even ask...

Natalie explains, below, how Synchronicity is a natual occurrence. I hope you enjoy her explanation. In a next post I'll share with you an interview I did with Natalie, where we reveal her ideas about the Law of Attraction, the film & book The Secret, feng shui, healing and more. But for now, here's to a new understanding, and appreciation, of Synchronicity!




Synchronicity and Non-Locality of Particles

Nearly everyone has experienced the kind of synchronicity that plays out like a coincidence – you’re thinking about someone and she calls you, or you have a uneasy sense about a friend and then hear bad news about him. In quantum physics we learn about non-locality.
Experiments in the quantum have shown that one particle seems to “know” what another is doing, even when no apparent signal has passed between them, and the scientific term for that phenomenon is non-locality. These scientific words describe synchronicity!

- Natalie Reid
www.aquantumlife.com

Oh, Santa, pretty please...

This amazing little gadget just popped into my inbox.

It's the world's first feng shui electronic compass!
With the press of a button, our personal best directions are revealed in any environment.

Imagine the possibilities....

Accessing our love & romance direction whilst sitting down to dinner in a restaurant...

Choosing the best chair in the boardroom for an important meeting...

Feng shui'ing a hotel room so much more quickly and easily...

Facing our power direction when we have to put forward an argument with our troublesome teenager...

What an amazing piece of technology! (click on the picture to watch it work in video)

xx

Are you, too, beginning to think about gift-giving as the holiday season approaches?


Here's an endorsement filled with positive energy:

"A hug is a great gift... one size fits all.
It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange."

- from www.inspireme.net

This month's full moon

Out your window, as I do, do you see a sky full of stars and a pale, perfectly round moon?

And have you noticed in the past two days, as I have, you've become clearer about the WHY behind what you're doing?

You may also have come up against some skeptics...

It's face-saving (not to mention, energy-saving) to graciously concede when we feel ourselves coming head-to-head with someone. Must you prove what you know and live, to be true?

So, when you do back off- hold on to your own power.

Smile, retire inwardly, agree to disagree- it doesn't mean you haven't won.

We are all... won.

These are a few...

I'm wiggling like an excited puppy! We will interview a very special and knowledgeable guest blogger later in the week (am keeping it a surprise who) and she will bring us a wonderful insightful post.



Have you written down a list of your 100 favourite things yet?

Here's one of mine... a puppy called Skye.



love,



Samantha

xx

The Feng Shui Power of your Favourite Things

picture: white dress with blue satin sash, via {this is glamorous}

Maybe you have your favourite perfume or a lucky stone you carry... a hairstyle, or a pair of knickers you wear when you just want things to go right.

But did you know... attracting luck is a very different energy to knowing everything's going to be alright?

This difference is the Power of our Favourite Things. We want them all around us, everywhere we look, in every situation: enough talismans, enough comfort, to make us know everything is going to be okay.

If you're daring enough to move from maybe to certainty that you live in a friendly universe in a few simple steps, the world around you will look very different this time next month. It will be your world. A world you can spin whichever direction you want.

November's Cheat Sheet will guide us through. Get yours here.

A lovely surprise waits at the bottom of your November Cheat Sheet: a voucher for a Feng Shui for the Soul Life Definition coaching session- 60 minutes via telephone and with email follow-up, worth US$90- free with the purchase of one session until Dec 31.

It's to celebrate my new registration with the British Institute of Hypnotherapy and the International Coach Federation.. Subscribe here, for your coupon and full details.

Molecules of Emotion

Have you seen the movie "What the bleep do we know?"

While I'll admit that I didn't really enjoy some parts, I am absolutely fascinated by the ideas presented. One of the most amazing is the concept/discovery of Molecules of Emotion, the findings of Dr Candace Pert (who has a book by the same name).

Molecules of Emotion go a long way towards explaining the Law of Attraction and absolutely confirm the Abraham-Hicks teachings. It explains why we attract the people we attract habitually, how we get into similar life circumstances over and over again, how we can heal and why negative life-patterns make us ill in the first place.

An intrpretation can go something like this...

Each of us are hard-wired to our preference of feel-good and feel-bad chemicals in our body. Feelings, or emotions, create powerful chemical states in our bodies. And our bodies are addicted to a certain chemical state.

So what happen is: our cells crave the chemicals, our hypothalamus needs to produce them, it is stimulated by the emotions we experience to do this; so, we seek ways to experience the emotion which makes the hypothalamus produce that chemical combination.

Or the other way around: We experience circumstances that create a strong emotion, our hypothalmus produces chemicals that help our body cope with that emotion; our body, being regularly fed this chemical combination, becomes addicted to it, so we continue to seek out the emotion to get our daily "fix".

The cells in our bodies are addicted to feeling a particular way on a regular basis. Depression, anger, fear, excitement, peace, all are a unique chemical state in our body, produced to feed our cells what they desire most. If our cells are addicted to feeling stress, and need to be fed the stress cocktail, we'll find a way to feel stress no matter what is gong on in our lives. We'll attract the people and the circumstances to feel stressful.

How do we become addicted? How is one person hard-wired to feel good, and another person hard-wired to feel rejected? How do we know what chemical cocktail we're addicted to?

Q. How do we become addicted, and how is one person hard-wired to feel good, and another person hard-wired to feel rejected?

A. Simply, by habit. Whatever we're used to feeling, becomes what our body is used to and what it craves when it's taken away. Our earliest addictions are from the regular emotions we experienced at home as a child. If it was great love, we're hard-wired to find that amount of acceptance. if it's fear or competition, the chemical mix created by these emotions will lead us to seek out experiences that give us these same emotions so we get our "fix"... until we break the habit.

Q. How do we know what chemical cocktail we're addicted to?

A. Make a list of all the positive emotions you've felt in the past 48 hours. Now make a list of all the negative emotions you've felt. Put the strongest and the most frequent emotions at the top of the lists. Your body makes a unique cocktail for each of these emotions and it's this chemical combination you're addicted to.


Wouldn't you like to break your habit of addiction to those negative emotions, and experience people and circumstances that produce more of the stuff you love?

light, bright & clever

1. Happened by this delightful wallaper on Simple Lovely's blog and had to share it with you! It's a wonderful way to power up positive energy in a small space -this one was in a laundry. Use it to create your dream board, or paste happy snaps straight to the wall...

If you can't find the paper, you could stencil frames onto a plain colour wall...

2. sleek wood floors and modern, comfortable white furniture always reminds me of Sydney's northern beaches, and happy memories... relaxing on the eye and perfect in a space for entertaining.. (the elemental combo enhances communication and creativity)

xx

Etsy Adorations

Because here the weather is getting colder,

Because gifts for the holiday season are tempting us in all the stores...

Because the prospect of accepting all those plastic bags and lugging them to the car or bus-stop then into the house in blustery, wet days is just too uncomfortable to even think about...



Or, for you on other continents...

Because the sun is too strong to go outside...

Because it's really not that safe to go outside...

Because there is nowhere around you that sells anything other than basic neccessities for survival...

Because everything around you seems to be mass-produced and soulless...

Because you're so in need of creative inspiration or a gift that embodies loving, sensitive care...

Because you wish you had the time to make something yourself for those you love...

Because you want something realy unique...

Because you want a bargain...

Because you want to make an interesting friend...

Because you love to shop online...

Because you love receiving things in the mail...

Beause you love giving (and receiving!) something very unique...

Because you have no time to leave the office...

Because you're stuck in the house...

Because you have no idea where to start looking for something as special as the person you'd like to give something to...

Because you support others who have the time and talent and nouse to make & sell...

Because you celebrate the truly original...

Because you believe in the idea of positive global communities...



you have a reason to love Etsy as much as I do.

Etsy is an online marketplace of handmade goods from all over the world, demonstrated by their own makers.

I have a little Etsy "shop" and sell four products. Yesterday I made my first sale- yippee! Out of the blue, my beautiful friend Jennie bought some Wealth Stones. She's in Australia and paid with PayPal- simple and easy as can be.



Beautiful gold-painted stones with KSA sparkle dust for prosperity will shortly be winging their way to her. It's like real, live magic to sell this way, all over the world, and to buy from such unique individuals is a delighful experience in itself.

Hope you go see for yourself!



love,

Samantha.



P.S If you handmake anything, it's easy to set up your own Etsy shop- if you can read this blog, you'll be able to put your products online! Alternatively, I would be interested in selling your handmade goods, under your name and the Feng Shui By The Sea banner... please email me if this sparks your interest.

What reasons restrict you from shopping, or what sort of things would you like more easily available to you? I'd love to know... do share by leaving a comment, below.

Monday-itis? on a... Friday?

"-itis", defininition:
(2) an addiction to, or weariness resulting from preoccupation with: used in nonce words, ie, golfitis YourDictionary.com


The only cure for Monday -itis is to wake up to the fact that one part of you has discovered you don't have to do what you're doing, anymore.



There's a better way


(and it's on the way).


Picture: Silence

More space to play- feng shui in the kitchen

I love cooking and one of my favourite rooms to feng shui is the kitchen, as it has such a impact on our life and energy. So I really enjoyed the feng shui tips on the Black & Decker website to promote their great idea- "Spacemaker". Maybe you will, too! All underline the importance of clearing clutter and having lots of room to play on our kitchen counters. It's lovely to find feng shui in such a place.

You'll notice apples in the display kitchen. Great feng shui! A display of apples in the kitchen is a wonderful family energy harmoniser. Red apples ward off negativity, whilst green increase the positive chi.

So, for instance, when you're starting a new exercise regime and need feng shui assistance, a bowl of green apples is an excellent enhancement... whilst if a meddlesome family member is coming to stay, a display of red apples will protect your happy house vibe.

love n luck to you,

Samantha.

xx

Removing Obstacles & Stretching Time

Quantum physics tells us time is an illusion. And when we check in with our own experience, this fact is believeable. Haven't you had the experience of having an "endless moment" or been so absorbed in what you're doing, that time just seems to disappear?

I invite you this week, if you've been enticed by this concept of time as flexible, before, to stretch and shrink time as it suits you. Because you may at present be in a hurry ;), here's how to do it. The possible results you can manifest come next!

You'll need: The intention to control your universe as you experience it.

Start with: Sitting there, owning that you are experiencing the manifestation of your thoughts. It's a powerful and supportive thought! Next, make an internal command; "Shrink time!" (speeds things up) or, "Stretch time!" (slows time down) -to the molecules of your body, which are made up of the same atoms that the entire universe is fabricated from. Finally, begin to notice the ways in which your command is effective- through the numbers on a clock, how much you're able to get done (or get away with not doing), and the feeling of passing time.

I invite you to do this, as I want you to be as "blown away" with the results as I was on Friday night, when I had an amazing experience by practising this kind of quantum physics, the Law of Attraction and asking other-dimensional (spiritual, I like to call it) assistance.

Here's what happened: Left Wiltshire en route to Gatwick airport with plenty of time to spare before my flight at 19.40. Hit terrible traffic close to London on the M3- turned on the radio, and each statio was broadcasting the lengthy delays on the two roads I'd have to take to arrive at the airport on time. Quickly did the math; if I could maintain an average of 40 miles an hour I'd still arrive the required 45 minutes before departure. But the standstill traffic over three lanes, and memories of long aiport security and check in queues had me all a-fluster. As one panicky memory joined another- disappointment at the meal out we'd planned later that night, worry at where I'd stay and rebooking a flight- I was activating powerfully negative energy. The Law of Attraction answered my negative thoughts- so, suddenly it was 18.30 and still 30 miles to go to Gatwick.

25 minutes to travel 30 miles in Friday night traffic out of London, drop back the car, check in, clear security and board the plane. Impossible? I needed serious help, and could only think of one entity big enough for this job. "Ganesh, remover of obstacles, help me!" In addition, I made the internal command to "Stretch time!" and focused on how fantastic it would be to actually get on that flight and be on the island tonight. Finally, I stepped on the accelerator, praying all the time.

Every distance estimation sign I'd check the dashboard clock. I'd gained one minute over the miles. Another minute. another minute. I was excited, I was doing my best. It was working! The traffic cleared in front of me. I could almost feel Ganeshs' hot breath on my neck. And now it was 18.54 and 6 miles to Gatwick.

Mobile rings. It's Husby. "You'll do it. Keep going." Into Gatwick and a lovely girl is just standing waiting to receive the car keys. Racing up the escalators, the Flybe queue is empty. "Anyone for Aberdeen?" a representative is calling. It's 19.04. No, Isle of Man, I say. Is it still open? "Yes," she replies, "and on time. On the day we wish we had delays!"

I won't bore you with the short-cut through security or scurry to the gate. But at 19.35 I was plopped down on seat 1A, staring out at the runway lights, marvelling at the last hour that stretched the distance.

And arrived home in time for dinner- a curry, in honour of Ganesh.

A thought I loved, but had forgotten..

It's the choices we make daily that determine our destiny.

photo from Kate Spade

Boo! What scares you?

In the shops, leering pumpkins and (much more frightening!) neon-coloured sweets remind us it's time to get spooky for Halloween (or Hop Tu Na, as it's called here)

But really- what scares you? I'll share with you something many of my friends and clients whisper about in horrified tones, and then am going to show you why it can't spook you in any way.

What really scares many of us is the thought that something huge and unwanted can jump into our experience. Suddenly (we've all heard the stories), so-n-so was struck with this disease, or lost their house in a credit crunch. And we quietly think to ourselves, crossing our fingers or sending a little prayer up, that "it" doesn't happen to us.

Enough of this fear. Enough of this feeling as if we're victims of what seems to happen "out there" in life, as if at any moment we might be next. This idea is old and out-dated. It's a mistruth. Real truth: We create our own reality.

And recognising we create our own reality means becoming aware that reality works like this.... Our life is a wonderful cake we're baking, and we are the chef who decides on it's flavour. All around us, the world is our perfectly well-stocked kitchen. There's every sort of ingredient we could possible imagine in the kitchen, but it's not as if the basil (for example) is going to get up and put itself in our cake. We decide what goes in, and what stays out. You might add pineapple, or banana, or vanilla essence. And you'll most certainly leave the dishwashing up liquid out of your delicious creation.

You leave ingredients out of your life by ignoring them (no more listening to stories of disaster). No more thinking about what negativity may befall you. And you put the delicious selections in by thinking more and more about them. Those good bits of life. Focusing on the love, the affection, the prosperity, the joy, the good health, the fitness and the friendship. The feng shui...

No longer will you feel a little bit spooked when you hear of bad things happening. Because you know exactly what you're spending your time thinking about, ie. what you're putting in your cake.

So now we're doing this deliberately, life doesn't even have to ask us, "Trick or Treat?" Each day we focus on the pleasant things, we subconsciously confirm our delivery of the good.

An analogy of the universe as our kitchen and us as the chef-creator is in the book "Ask and It is Given", by Esther & Jerry Hicks.

Harmony Medicine

I've always been fascinated with the link between the mind and healing- aren't you? And when we look at feng shui as a healing art, which it is, we can't ignore the fact that one single direction is traditionally responsible for two key important life areas of Health & Family.

Have you ever wondered just how important family harmony is to your state of health? No doubt you will have at times commented that you "were worried sick" when a family member was running late or maybe an argument at home gave you a splitting headache.

Would you like some special feng shui tips for your family & health link? Then feel free to sign up for the October feng shui cheat sheet. I'd love to help you on your way today to more harmony, prosperity and success.

love,

Samantha.

Bringing the Outside In

Autumn is just so delicious- the abundance of natural objects just lying around this part of the world fills me with glee! Husby thinks I'm mad dragging home branches to attach pictures of dream holiday destinations and favourite friends with pegs, powering up our Helpful Friends & Travel area. Back in Australia, as I recall tripping over a washed-up and weathered plank on the beach- a gem of a find!-, it was a real treat to uncover something natural and photogenic to bring home from my walks. Then in Qatar in some of the most curious places (a pile of sand on a building site, for instance), the most exquisite sea-shells would appear and when this happened, it made a walk there a real joy, but I do love just the number and variation of mother natures gifts that practically litter this windswept island!









Besides the branch idea above (and it does make a lovely memento-holder), here are some other decor ideas using nature to bring the elements of the outside into your home. Just add candlelight for a soothing and meditative inner space.











Twig Coasters- easy to make and a lovely activity for wet days. Patient little people are great at this and it makes them feel so grown-up to enjoy a cup of tea using their coaster upon completion. You cant see in the picture but they are twigs of the same length and hickness tied prettily together with twine. Element: Wood - the element of family & health, and it strengthens communication. Guarantees good conversation with your brew!

Gourd Lamp- something for the North American and Down-Under folk where gourds seem to be in large supply! This looks highly technical at first glance, but Martha makes it easy. Element: Earth- the element of relationships and knowledge. It's uniqueness will serve to provide creative inspiration and good-humour in the room it's placed.





Finally, an idea that often haunts me and I've yet to turn a hand to- the Feather Wreath. This makes my soul sing. Not represnting the element air, as this isn't an element of feng shui, but the element Fire, as it's made from bird feathers. Warmth and prosperity from your communications and creativity are the gifts such an object in your home will bestow on you.












These ideas and lovely others can be found on the Martha Stewart crafts website.

October fireflies

Sitting outside on possibly the last of the indian summer evenings here in the British isles, in my imagination, the midges became fireflies and I was back in New York, having a picnic in late summer on a fragrant lawn... the one and only time I saw these magical creatures.

Are you lucky enough to have fireflies in your garden? The glow of a firefly reminds us of the powerful energy within us all.

Finding and living our passions lights us up inside just like a firefly.

Heading South tomorrow, off the island and down into Wiltshire. I'll be here; a wonderful healing centre, on a three week course & retreat which will deliver one of the most powerful skills we can ever have- being able to use our minds exactly the way we like to create our realities.

I'm passionate about using our time and energy to keep inventing a life we love, so am "buzzing" like a firefly, looking forward to becoming NLP certified and sharing delicious new "Love & Life" techniques with you.

On the beach, in the raw...

I have been wanting to show you the origins of the beautiful handpainted Feng Shui by the Sea Wealth Stones.

Here they are, on the beach, in the raw- aren't they lovely?

And here's a small pic i snapped at the same time, of a persistent sail-boarder trying to capture the elusive feng on the beach there...

enchantment in the afternoon

Sunbeams shaft through the green canopy


Fall to the floor, to show us where true meaning lies.



these magic pictures were taken in Silverdale Glen a few afternoons ago. As the sun dips lower now, i can hear it's serenity calling me back.

Happy weekend, everyone.
xxx

HK for fun

Saw a cute article about a girly trip to Hong Kong and wanted to share it with you. A highlight is below!

Thinking about HK's wonderful nightlife, shopping, exciting vibration and delicious food- makes me want to hop on a plane this moment! Want to come, too?




"Looking down on the buildings and harbour below, I am struck by how attractive the city is. Could this be down to feng shui?

Vicky points out the Bank of China with its angular lines and describes how the surrounding buildings have used plants, reflective surfaces and even window-cleaning gondolas to deflect the bad feng shui that these angles cause.
Back down to earth, we climb the stairs of the traditional and atmospheric Luk Yu Teahouse, for steaming bamboo baskets of dim sum and tea.

The Lanes and Mid Level areas nearby harbour an electric mix of boutiques, wet markets and curios. Hollywood Road, is stuffed full of antique shops and galleries and you can pop your head into the incense-filled Man Mo Temple for some Chinese culture.
I round off my stay with a soothing massage at the hotel spa. It takes up an amazing two floors in a maze of treatment and therapy rooms.

Can you really “do” Hong Kong in a weekend? No chance!
But if, like me, you’re strapped for time then you can cram a huge amount into a three-night stay. Hong Kong is compact and the perfect place for a girlie pampering weekend with a twist.
It feels incredibly safe yet exotic at the same time."

by Lisa Walsh,
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/09/21/hong-kong-s-great-for-a-girlie-break-91466-21863189/

Beautiful mealtimes

Not earth shattering, but the most warm & fuzzy things in life aren't...





A simple trick I use in my home; and have wherever in the world I've lived, is to create ambience on the dinner table with the use of coloured napkins. "Don't ever say serviettes!" my chic expat aunt whispered to me as we sat down for dinner with guests at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. (I was 12; and granted the "serviettes" were linen.)





Husby thinks my love of paper napkins is a bit naff (surely, too would my chic aunt, if she were still on earth). I have some gorgeous new ones awaiting an evening meal tomorrow; splendidly blue, with a happy looking, though not comical, lobster and sea shells depicted. The ambiance, therefore, is indulgent island living.





In Qatar I didn't splash out on homewares, not through lack of choice, but because we didn't know how long we'd be there for. Instead, I loved changing the energy with paper napkins, usually bought from The One at Landmark. On my birthday, I brought home blue-and-white striped napkins with lifesavers, anchors and starfish printed on them. Their summery energy reminded me of more carefree days than those we were having. In February, pink and red heart printed napkins made every evening a Valentine's meal. I was hankering a trip to Florence in June, and olive-and-tuscany napkins accompanied the Italian style dishes made in the weeks beforehand...


It's excellent feng shui that something so small and neccessary can create such good energy on a table. After buying these new lobster print napkins today, I visited the website of the lovely company responsible for their presence- paper+design (from Germany, and don't you adore german interior decor?) Now, i'm already planning mystic October meals to accompany their Halloween range! Quorn, anyone?



Chic or not (my verdict: deliberately naff, like a velour tracksuit worn by Victoria Beckham), coloured paper napkins firmly remain one of my favourite feng shui ways to create the energy of a meal.


(though we may be turning high-brow; in Florida i couldn't resist acquiring some stunning linen napkins, with a tiny pineapple embroidered in the corner.)


When you shop next for your dinner table, ask youself- what sort of energy does your table-setting create?



"A benevolent, uncomplicated world - that is what we all long for. Playful, the lightness of being. Imaginative, colourful and honest. Let yourself be captivated. Become a child again. Wonder at the beauty of a flower, the flavour of a cherry, the smell of grass, the wealth of shapes and colours."


-from paper+design corporate website