Are you scared by the Sha Qi of Halloween?

Feeling safe is one of the most basic human needs. We seek refuge and shelter, and we usually find it on the threshold of our home. We learn from feng shui that our entryway should be welcoming and welcoming as the place where we find support as we transition from the toils of the outdoor world to the enveloping comfort of the indoor life.

In October, this safe haven suddenly feels haunted. Halloween unleashes a wide range of sensory experiences and intensifies the dance of opposites. In spectacular displays of hidden symbols and meanings, our front yards turn into eerie paths of sha qi where skeletons rattle, ghoulish skulls hollow-eyed, ghosts flit in the breeze, witches straddle their brooms and spiders spread their webs over windows and bushes. .

What happened to the generally friendly and welcoming environment that feng shui recommends for the front entrance? It is a season of opposites, the yin and yang of contrasts in bright orange and black, connection and communication versus something hidden and sinister, the mysterious knock on the door for trick or treating yin and yang. The various costumes have textures that are tempting to touch and feel. The sweet smells of chocolate and caramel run through the disguised troops. What happened to security? We wonder. The open door and the treat are again symbols of shelter and shelter, as well as the replenishment of the stash for the long winter season to come.

Halloween, our annual feast of ghosts and goblins, has a long history of celebrations and connotations dating back to early Celtic, pagan and Christian traditions. It marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the darkest half of the year.

It was seen as a time when the door to the Otherworld was opened enough for the souls of the dead and other beings like fairies to enter our world. The souls of the dead were said to return to visit their homes on Halloween. Feasts were held in which the souls of the dead were invited to attend and a place was prepared for them at the table.

The first Christians believed that just before the “Day of the Dead” the dead would appear once more to take revenge for the injustices committed during their stay on earth. People took steps to protect themselves from harmful spirits, therefore our symbols and traditions are designed to drive them away. The costumes are meant to be a disguise for the spirits seeking revenge. Spiders are among the many haunting symbols and images that are meant to be scary and distasteful.

If Halloween is destroying our expectations of good feng shui, perhaps we can also turn to feng shui to make Halloween a more meaningful and valuable experience by pressing the reset button in our brain with five tips for a happy Halloween and using all the basic principles. . .

1. Support your children’s excitement and help them create their own fantastic costumes. Help them develop an idea and then apply your own skills in the execution of your project. (Wood = growth, decision making, motivation; Water = mystery, disguise)

2. Try to offer securely wrapped and sealed treats that have healthy ingredients. (Earth = nurturing, feeding, support)

3. Distribute measured portions and discourage greedy hoarding and handyman grabbing. (Metal = control, protocol)

4. Understand the yin and yang of the extremes and add lights to disperse the darkness. (Fire = lighting)

5. Turn sha qi into mindfulness and celebrate Halloween as a feast of the senses.