From an Article Written by Nancy Canestaro, D. Arch. first published in Natural Awakenings, March, 2013, p. 16.
There is a particularly nice ceremony in the BTB (Buddhist) tradition of Feng Shui that describes how to take something you would like to change or create in your life, and in essence, set aside a place outside or inside where you can be mindful of manifesting your goal for twenty-one days.
Research indicates that it typically takes three weeks to change something or create a new habit. This practice really makes sense to me.
For Example…
Suppose you want a new romantic relationship or to improve an existing one. You could take the relationship sector of your home, garden, or patio and set up a special garden dedicated to the relationship, with two red or pink objects in it. (See the Bagua Map that follows.)
1. In this case the number for the direction SW is two and the colors are a pinkish red.
2. Select two objects that truly represent what you desire. In the garden this could be pink flowers, or a statue of a couple embracing, or even two love birds.
3. Every day for three weeks picture what you want coming into your life.
4. Pay attention to how it happens, and be grateful for all you have in your life.
The Manifestation Map (Bagua)
| SE – 4 Wealth Purple/Red |
S – 9 |
SW – 2 |
| E – 3 Family Green |
5 |
W – 7 |
| NE – 8 Knowledge Blue/Green |
N – 1 |
NW – 6 |
Entry to the Garden or space is always along this side
Try This Exercise…
Take one of the concepts above that you would like to manifest or change in your life. Plan a garden (colors from the Bagua) around the issue and create a ceremony or ritual to set it up. Be creative as to the plants and objects you select. Then spend some time each day for twenty one days in a row anticipating and journaling your dream coming true.
Use Ceremony to Set An Intention…
It’s not only the objects that are selected for the garden, but also the way you implement it. In the Buddhist tradition, Three Secrets, (Body Speech, and Mind) are the blessing for setting up the garden. This includes a hand gesture that expresses gratefulness for the ceremony, a body posture such as hands in prayer, and a personal, spoken prayer.
Download a PDF version of this article…Ceremony and Ritual in the Garden