The weather was feeling very Irish with rainbows abound, so I told a family story of Ireland and rainbows. We were on our Zoom Feng Shui Bagua Class focused on the Family area of the Bagua and the Wood Element. We each shared a family story.
The Family area of the Bagua represents our family relationships. This can be our blood relatives, our ancestors, or our chosen family-close friends and community. It also represents new beginnings and the ability to initiate things.
The story I shared was one from a family visit to Ireland many years ago.
We were having lunch with our Irish cousin, John O’Donohue-the well known poet and philosopher. John was my third cousin on my moms side. While we were eating lunch, a rainbow out the window caught my eye. I yelped with joy, a rainbow! That caught John’s attention and we were bonded as kindred spirits at once. He was a passionate observer of the beauty of Nature.
A few days after that Feng Shui Family Bagua class, one of my students shared a gem she found decluttering her papers that weekend. It was this poem, ‘For Courage’ written by John O’Donohue from his book To Bless The Space Between Us, A Book of Blessings.
I thought some of you may need to hear the wisdom in this poem. We all need this message from time to time.
For Courage by John O’Donohue
When the light around you lessens
And your thoughts darken until
Your body feels fear turn
Cold as a stone inside,
When you find yourself bereft
Of any belief in yourself
And all you unknowingly
Leaned on has fallen,
When one voice commands
Your whole heart,
And it is raven dark,
Steady yourself and see
That it is your own thinking
That darkens your world,
Search and you will find
A diamond-thought of light,
Know that you are not alone
And that this darkness has purpose;
Gradually it will school your eyes
To find the one gift your life requires
Hidden within this night-corner.
Invoke the learning
Of every suffering
You have suffered.
Close your eyes.
Gather all the kindling
About your heart
To create one spark.
That is all you need
To nourish the flame
That will cleanse the dark
Of its weight of festered fear.
A new confidence will come alive
To urge you toward higher ground
Where your imagination
Will learn to engage difficulty
As its most rewarding threshold!
Another synchronicity in this thread is that on the day my student share the poem with me, my Aunt Patty (my mom’s sister) and my uncle Livy came to visit me.
Patty was the closest in our family to John. My aunt and uncle live on the east coast so it was a rare treat to have them here for a visit and to have them all to myself! Growing up our families shared all holidays and birthdays together, and when I visit the east coast, we always have a big family gathering.
Cultivating strong family relationships creates a solid foundation for growth and expansion in our lives.
Solid, healthy relationships give us the strength and support we need to weather the storms of life. The Family area of the Bagua is a good place to portray appreciation for our family, honor our ancestors, our spiritual mentors, or the people indigenous to the land where we live. To do this, you can add photos or something meaningful that they have given to you.
