Gratitude Offering

Gratitude Offering Thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude for harvest blessings - a celebration of peace and plenty. It is a coming together to share a gratitude feast with family and friends. Setting the energy of the home, the day and your mood will do wonders to the environment and the experience that others will have while sharing this day with you. There are many simple things you can do to bring in the sacred to make this day a special one for you and your family. Here are a few suggestions. Hopefully you will find one or more of these ideas to inspire you. 1. Gift to Mother Earth: Make a gratitude gift for Mother Earth as a thanks for the countless ways She supports us. The photo above depicts such a gift. Take a 30x30 natural paper source and lay it flat on your counter. Then, creatively place various grains, seeds, herbs, berries, sweets, and any other foods that come from the earth as part of your gratitude gift. Place two incense sticks as a cross in the center to demarcate the four cardinal directions which represent the guardians of the land. Add any other biodegradable objects to your gift. Once you are finished with your design, fold in the corners to the center and tie your gift with string. As a final touch, lay a few leaves under the string bow. Take your gift outdoors and present it to Mother Earth. Then, place your gift into a fire pit as your offering. The smoke that rises represents your intention and prayers ascending to the heavenly realm. 2. Gratitude Circle: Right before eating dinner, go around the table and ask each person to share what they are grateful for. You can start the gratitude circle and then the person next to you continue the sharing. You may experience resistance, but forge ahead anyway. 3. Sacred Space: Create your environment with a sense of sacred space. Put candles everywhere, even if it is daytime. Float some fresh flowers in bowls of water. Feel free to add some feathers as part of your décor. Feathers represent the element of air, or the wind that picks up its energy this time of the year. Air corresponds to the words we choose as we communicate. Choose wisely and notice the quality of your conversations as the day unfolds. 4. Give Thanks to God: This is a powerful way to show gratitude for family, friends, the roof over your head, clothes on your back, and the food you will eat. There is nothing that can match an attitude of gratitude. 5. Gratitude Walk: Taking a walk with your family can be a wonderful experience and a perfect way to digest your food. Walk through the neighborhood and notice all the beauty that surrounds you from the colorful leaves to the wonderful smell of pumpkin pie wafting through the air. 6. Giving Thanks to Your Guest: Albeit you will be busy hosting, make a point of spending time with your guests and let them know how much you appreciate them. 7. Listen to Your Own Heart: Remember to be present and embrace mindfulness gratitude. When you do, it will lead to a direct experience of being connected to life and the realization that there is a larger context in your personal story unfolding. Cultivating thankfulness is part of life blossoms into a felling of being blessed.

"Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind." -Roy T. Bennett

2020 Home Reading The incoming year (2020), will be represented by the trigram Dui. This trigram on the loshu feng shui grid represents yin energy. In nature, it represents the cardinal direction West, the setting sun, autumnal season, smaller waterways and the element of metal. It corresponds primarily to the mouth, teeth and skin in the human body. It is also a representation of life's simple pleasures. Dui is playful at heart and acts as a reminder to discover what makes your heart sing. This trigram will move to the center of the loshu grid, and as a result the remaining 7 trigrams will rotate in a specific sequence. This has a powerful impact to the inherent energy within your home. Find out how this shift can impact your life in 2020.  Life Astrology Reading 4 Pillars of Destiny is a Chinese system of astrology that ascertains a person's strengths and weaknesses and how to navigate through life with them. The written report is based on the 4 pillars of energy determined by birth data (year, month, day and hour) as well as birth location. From this information, I will analyze how these pillars interact with one another, how they react to the present 10 year pillar and the annual pillar. The assessment is approximately a 30 page report that covers family background, society, personality traits, personal relationship, soul's mission or what you are meant to be doing in this life time, elder years, children, health assessment and what you can expect throughout your years. Refer to this newsletter and receive $50 discount on report analysis.

Vegan Thanksgiving   Here's a nice recipe that will satisfy even the non-vegans! Beets with Citrus Mint Dressing: 7 medium golden beets, scrubbed well  10 baby red beets, scrubbed well  6 tablespoons fresh orange juice  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  Course salt and freshly ground pepper  2 teaspoons freshly chopped fresh mint leaves, plus stems for garnish Instructions: Place golden beets in medium saucepan, and baby beets in small saucepan; add water to cover beets 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium low; simmer until beets are tender, 40 - 45 minutes for golden beets and 15-20 minutes for baby beets. Drain beets and let cool. Peel beets and cut golden beets cross-wise into 1/4 inch think slices, and cut baby beets half length-wise. Arrange beets in serving platter. Whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and oil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in mint. Drizzle beets with citrus mint dressing and garnish with mint sprigs. Happy Thanksgiving! Mary Jane Kasliner www.fengshuiyoganj.com