When Sharon and I began our Feng Shui journey together it was provoked by empty-nesting and down-sizing Feng Shui.
Their two boys had begun to leave home and the couple were already well underway rebuilding their restaurant in Padstow. With an end in sight, Sharon wanted to returned her attention to the family home in Guildford, which had been neglected during the years of effort to create the restaurant.
The initial Feng Shui task was to prepare Sharon and her husband to downsize easily while empowering the two sons to flee the nest. She’d allowed 9 months to make this transition to a rental property and a further 12 months to shop around to secure their dream farm.
The before and after photographs illustrate the scale of the task.
Before – focusing on the ‘mouth of Chi setting the bar for the energy entering the home.
After – the mouth of Chi full of vibrancy and strength
Decluttering & reorganising
Systematic and mindful attention to space clearing was the place to start. Letting go of what no longer serves clears the mind, the body and the home of physical and mental debris. This would allow them to live fully in the present moment while releasing their heirs of the responsibility of inheriting the full impact of the footprint they were in danger of leaving behind.
Decluttering lifts the spirits and helps you feel on top of your game. Self-esteem and self-belief increase. New possibilities slip into focus that were previously obscured from view by the remains of the past.
The before and after pictures of the various rooms illustrate the difference decluttering and reorganising can make.
Before in the lounge
After in the lounge
Restoring balance
I advised the family on the best order in which to proceed and broke the tasks down into manageable chunks. When there was space in their outer landscape (the home) and their inner landscape (their psyche), they were in a much stronger position to explore intuitively what needed to be uncovered and included in moving forward. In other words they were each ready to make an intuitive vision board with me. Sharon recalls:
“When I compared the before and after pictures I was shocked to see how bad it was before. Then I reminded myself that it was on the back of a 2-year intense building project to rebuild a restaurant in Padstow in which Mary had already made a significant Feng Shui contribution.”
“My intention in focusing on the home was to reclaim our life back having devoted ourselves to the public/business side. I’d literally had to store restaurant stuff in our house during the demolition and spend one week every month in Padstow on my own directing the builders, groundsmen, architects and recruiting/training staff.”
Before in the office
After in the office
Time to sell
Having released blocks to the increased flow of chi (lifeforce energy) by decluttering, we were ready to make Feng Shui enhancements to the home. As the process got underway Sharon realised what she really wanted was to move house so to the objective then became to attract both a buyer and a suitable new home.
“Finding the energy to rebuild the home after the exhausting job of rebuilding Green’s, was really where Mary came in with her magic wand. I recall how energised I felt after her initial visit – feeling very empowered to have a plan to work to, knowing how and why I could make the changes. As the clutter and the crap left the building, I discovered treasured pieces long forgotten and the shift towards our personal/private relationship came back to light.”
“I didn’t know we were going to move house until after the changes to the original family home had been made. But by sifting, sorting and rearranging that realisation became clear and we then got the house ready to be released for sale and the new life beyond.”
Before on the landing
After on the landing
The Guildford home sold easily as a consequence and the whole family moved together into a lovely rental since they were unable to secure their next home right away. This put them in a strong position as a cash buyer. It also gave them un-pressured time to look around for the home they wanted next and to explore in which county that might be.
Before in the kitchen
After in the kitchen
Feng Shui on Zoom
Over the last 20 months, Sharon and her husband found and lost four properties with the pandemic slowing the search down by a good few months. Meanwhile the family were very happy in their rental – the husband preparing for his retirement and the sons preparing for their next independent move. As lockdown lifted and with retirement imminent, Sharon wanted to go all out to take off from the rental launch pad. That’s where we focused Feng Shui next – to attract the new home for purchase.
We paid particular attention to the entrance – the open gate, the driveway, the front porch, the front door and the hallway itself. Energy (chi) enters the property here and we needed to enliven it, control it and direct it to the front door with purposeful Feng Shui adjustments.
“I’m so thrilled with it all – the rental feels so different already. I don’t know how Mary does it – once again, at a distance via zoom, doesn’t detract from her magic. In the few days following the Feng Shui session was a whirlwind of activity – not all ‘doing’ but also I noticed internally the shifting of energy as each move and adjustment was made.”
“The first thing I did was find a white scarf with a metallic print and tie it around the stair post and remove the navy scarves I had draped in the entrance before. Wow! An incredible shift in that one adjustment. This was in response to Mary’s request that we step up the METAL element to support WATER in the entrance.”
“Mary had recommended a rug with movement in it to be placed in the hallway. I got the gist of her ‘galloping horses idea’ but thankfully they were nowhere to be found! I found a silver-grey quick fix alternative from Argos instead that does the job brilliantly and with the same day delivery.”
“I removed the book shelves that had been restricting the entrance to the study and swopped it for the flimsy folding table with a tray for car keys that had sat at the front door. Also at Mary’s suggestion we beefed up the WATER element in the entrance hall with the addition of a mirror. The book shelf is now in the perfect spot for a house plant, and contains silver and gold candle holders too. I’ve purposely placed books on travel, farming and rewilding in here, which feels intentional with regards to the new home.”
Before – entrance hall in the rental
Helpful People when moving house
I set Sharon to work in her husband’s office, which had become a collection point for bee-keeping boxes as well as unruly files. Located in the Helpful People sector of the property, this room was exactly the space that needs to be whipped into shape to aid moving house. Only after the room was clear, were crystals positioned on the window ledges to attract the new home – an excellent placement for this sector of the Bagua.
“A quick sort in the study and clearing of the windowsills was advised. I found a pewter jar, and a round, white (ceramic) pot, both gifts from my husband. Plus I knew Ian would be happy to have them in his space since he chose them! I added a couple of crystals. The study feels so MUCH clearer and presentable now.”
Before – office in the rental
Adjustments to the ‘mouth of chi’
Next, Sharon worked on the front gate and the front door where chi (energy) arrived at the rental property. We made sure the cars were parked so as not to obstruct the flow of chi, the entrance was well delineated and not overgrown, and the front door and the gate itself had vibrancy.
Before – front entrance bland and boring
“I placed cheap, cheerful and colourful bunting on the gate and porch to create the movement and attract attention Mary had advised. This transformation feels HUGE – like a celebration of this moment in time – a summer festival vibe and somehow really appropriate with the boys 30th birthday next month and Ian retiring too. It feels like we’re all celebrating this transitional time together and the work we’ve done to date to get to this point. It’s amazing how very right this feels and not just a superficial action.
“Mary called for blue at the front porch. I was able to relocate two blue agapanthus in pots – a happy coincidence again that I just happened to have them. Such a simple move yet they look grand in this placement. The addition of some more bunting just finished it off.”
The results
“Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I’m so glad we applied the Feng Shui to the rental too. Mary encouraged me to do everything over the course of the next 3 days and just before our departure for a new viewing in the west country. It all felt very focussed and intentional. And we got our dream home!“
Well done, Sharon, for rising to the challenge and translating each of my recommendations into outcomes that would suit the home and the culture of your family. There are many ways to achieve the desired effect with Feng Shui. It’s finding the solution that works best for the home and the people living in it.
They made an offer on the next home they viewed three days after completing the Feng Shui. With Covid-19 the process was much slower than usual and required them to leave their rental, move their furniture into storage, and relocate to their holiday home in Padstow next to their restaurant.
5 months later and their dream farm is theirs. Congratulations to them both for their tenacity and commitment. By keeping their frequency clear in each home they were living in, throughout the stages of transition, the Feng Shui process brought them exactly what they needed.
Mary Nondé
Mary is an Intuitive Feng Shui practitioner and passionate about ensuring we create our living and working environments mindfully. She has trained in the Western School of Feng Shui and with Denise Linn, USA and has been working in homes and offices since 1995.
Get in touch with a question – https://marynonde.as.me/introcall
Arrange an online consultation – https://marynonde.as.me/FengShui60
For more information visit – www.marynonde.com/feng-shui
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