Mind, Body, Home: Transform Your Life One Room at a Time (22 page)

away items that no longer serve us we are clearing those emotions from

within ourselves. This is why you feel so much lighter after clearing

clutter.

Collections are a symbolic representation of emotion. There is al-

ways a tie with the theme of the collection and some sort of repressed

or unacknowledged emotions. The deeper rooted the emotions, the

harder it will be to part with the collection. There is certainly noth-

ing wrong with having collections. They may represent an important

aspect of you, your personality, or your ancestral roots. However, be

aware of what the collection represents for you and if it is still relevant to you. Is the collection still serving you or is it keeping you locked in
130 Our Energy, Our Emotions, and Our Stuff

an old pattern? For some, you may never know what drew you to a par-

ticular collection. It could even stem from a past life association.

Clutter Bug or Neat Freak?

Clutter bugs seem to get a bad rap, but what about neat freaks? Some

people clean and organize their living space just as neurotically as shop-aholics shop. In extreme cases, this can be a form of Obsessive Com-

pulsive Disorder—the flip side of the same coin as hoarding. Have you

ever been to someone’s home where everything was so eerily neat that

you felt uncomfortable just sitting on the couch? A neat-freak may be

well-organized, but to the point of needing to control life instead of allowing it to flow naturally. In cleaning and organizing, they miss out on some of the joys of life. Cleaning and organizing, if done consciously, can be a very rewarding and spiritual activity. Over-cleaning, however, can be a form of distraction.

Whether your home is spotless, a disaster zone, or somewhere in

between, it is usually a replica of your mind. If your house is cluttered, then your mind is cluttered. Clearing the clutter from your house will

instantly help clear your mind. Of course, we all have relative levels of clutter. What may be considered clutter to one person may be sparse

to another. This is an example of our own uniqueness and personal-

ity, which our homes should reflect as well. Some people are creatively inspired by having a lot of things around them, whereas others may

prefer a room that more resembles a blank canvas. The important point

is to have the number of objects in your home that you enjoy and that

create a positive environment for you.

Look around your home objectively and take inventory. Does your

house feel crowded? Are there items sitting around that you don’t par-

ticularly like, but you feel obligated to keep because they were gifts? Go around to each object sitting around your house and reacquaint yourself with it and decide whether you still like it. Better yet, do you love it? We often forget or stop noticing things in our house because we see them every day. Even items stuffed in the back of the closet affect our energy in some way.

Our Energy, Our Emotions, and Our Stuff 131

Objects of Our Expression

Each and every object in our home is a personalization of us. Even

items that seem purely functional, such as your kitchen potato peeler,

are expressions of you on some level. Is it a new, ergonomic gadget or a traditional, basic peeler that reminds you of the one your mother used?

Decorative items sitting on your mantel are expressions of your per-

sonality. Or maybe they hold a deeper meaning and emotions, such as

family photos or ashes of a loved one.

In the book,
House as a Mirror of Self
, the author conducted numerous interviews and studies of real households in order to find correlations between the owners and their space. What she found was that the

movable objects in the home were the most powerful representations

of people. It is no wonder that splitting up belongings at the end of a relationship is often the most painful part. These objects hold the energy of the couple. When the items are divvied up, an energy cord is

being cut between the couple mirroring the relationship.

The importance of our objects can also be seen when moving.

Nothing brings to the surface the importance, or lack thereof, of our

stuff more so than when we move. When it comes time to pack, we

come face-to-face with all of our stuff. This, in and of itself, prevents some people from moving at all. They are overwhelmed with the memories contained in their belongings and choose not to face it.

When we move, we consciously pick and choose what items we

want to hang onto. We pick and choose those items that are most im-

portant to us. These items also help ground us into our next home.

Think back to the last time you moved into a new space. The home

was unfamiliar, perhaps even a little scary. You then unpack your first box. You see the familiarity of your dishes or your favorite books. With each box unpacked, you start to feel at home. As we get more and more

settled over the first few weeks of living in our new home, our energy

starts to settle into the home. New patterns emerge—ranging from

where we place art and photos to where we sit to have morning cof-

fee. Conversely, we start to take on the unique energy of the space, including the floor plan, shape, numerology, and any predecessor energy.

132 Our Energy, Our Emotions, and Our Stuff

Before long, we have entered into a new relationship with the space,

which becomes a mirror of ourselves.

Speaks Your Mind

House, patch of meadow, oh evening light

Suddenly you acquire an almost human face

You are very near us, embracing and embraced.

—ranier maria rilke



Soon after moving in and settling into your new home, your energy

and that of your home begin to merge. As you unpack, arrange the

furniture, decorate, and hang your favorite picture, your energy begins to settle into the home. Simultaneously, your energy starts to meld into the energy of the home. As you become acquainted with the floor plan

and which light switch turns on which light, the newness of the space

starts to wear off. Our home starts to feel intuitive to our energy similar to a bird’s nest fitting the shape of its bird. We feel at home.

We start new habits, patterns, and routines in our new home as we

adjust to the new space. And your personal energy starts to take root

and housed in your home. Over time, the energy of your home will

begin to shape areas of your life. Your energy will manifest around your home through your subconscious mind in the form of symbols and

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134 Part Two

messages. This intimate connection can be seen throughout your home

as if it were a mirror.

When things out of the ordinary break, become damaged, or need

repairing, these are symbolic messages from our subconscious. Just as a mind-body book may guide you to understand why you are experiencing a certain illness, pain, or disease, Part II will show you why certain occurrences are happening within your home. Each aspect of the home

represents a certain aspect of ourselves. For example, when something

breaks down, it is indicative of the correlating aspect of ourself breaking down or in need of attention. Similarly, when you make repairs or

improvements, the correlating change takes place within yourself.

Part II decodes the most common messages from your home start-

ing at the foundation. Each aspect of the house symbolizes some aspect

of one’s self, including rooms, mechanicals, components, and outdoor

areas of the home from the ground up and extending to the exterior of

the home. With the variety of spaces available—from lofts to boats to

shared spaces—not every space will contain all the components, parts,

and rooms included within this section. Notwithstanding, most of these

symbolic references will show up somewhere in your life. For example,

if you don’t have a basement, your equivalent may instead be located in the garage, a closet, or even an off-site storage facility.

Just as our body sends us messages from our subconscious mind, so

does our home. What is your home saying about your physical health,

emotional and mental well-being, or spiritual growth? For example, if

you have a clogged toilet, you can pull the book off the shelf, go to the Plumbing section, and see what correlating aspect is going on within

yourself. (Then, call the plumber.) You will be able to access all of this information and bring to light your own subconscious mind. Become

the architect of your soul by building, renovating, or simply decorating your life.

C h a p t e r 7

The Language

of the Home

I built the house in sections, always following the concrete needs

of the moment … Only afterward did I see how all the parts fitted together
and that a meaningful form had resulted: a symbol of psychic wholeness.

—carl jung



Every facet of our home is a symbolic representation of our physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual Self. In understanding and recognizing these correlations, our home can provide us with a wealth of

insight about ourselves as well as opportunities to make changes in our life. These correlations come to us from the home in the form of symbols. It is not coincidental that the language of our subconscious mind is through symbols and images.

Symbols are metaphorical images that are representative of a bigger

meaning. They are, in effect, a universal language. Similar to a picture being worth a thousand words, symbols can say a lot more and give

us a deeper meaning than words. Because symbols appear to us in the

form of images or pictures, on some level we recognize them and have

an intuitive understanding of their meaning through our collective con-

sciousness.

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136 The Language of the Home

Symbols are most often associated with our dreams. Dream symbols

are usually considered archetypes because they are common among all

of us through our collective conscious. Our subconscious intuitively

taps into the collective conscious of humans in present time and those

who came before us. Most symbols therefore have the same meaning

to us as everyone else, particularly within the same cultures. Because

a symbol has endured the same meaning for thousands of years, it also

carries a certain energy, or vibration. This is also the reason we are able to interpret our dreams from common dream dictionaries.

Symbols can also appear as personal symbols, instead of archetypes.

For instance, if someone was traumatically stung by a stingray as a

child, then being chased by a stingray in their dream would most likely take on a different meaning than it does for most others. Also, certain cultures, religions, and geographical variations can account for different meanings. For example, an image of Santa Claus will not have the

meaning of a benevolent giver for everyone, given their culture, reli-

gion, or even a personal experience one may have had as a child with

Santa Claus. So, while we are all plugged in and connected to the Uni-

versal Mind or collective consciousness, we also each have our own

individualized and historical variations within making our experience

unique.

Because our subconscious mind thinks in terms of images, we

dream in pictures, which are in effect symbols. With these pictures, our dreams are reflecting back to our subconscious mind. This could be repressed thoughts or simply an unloading of garbage that our subcon-

scious mind picked up over the day. After all, our subconscious mind

is working at an infinitesimal rate compared to that of our conscious

mind.

Usually our dreams send messages to our conscious mind of which

we may not be consciously aware. For example, suppose someone hates

going to work because they feel like they don’t fit in. The subconscious mind knows the underlying truth of the situation is the pattern of playing a victim, or feeling victimized. Because the subconscious commu-

nicates through pictures, the dream may look something like being

chased by sharks in the ocean. Our dreams are rarely as direct as your

The Language of the Home 137

boss walking up to you saying, “as usual, you’re being a victim!” Instead our subconscious communicates in terms of symbols, images, and energy. The energy and imagery of the sharks is more powerful in show-

ing us the emotions we are experiencing at work in this example. It is

also helpful to our understanding of ourself if we are taken out of our daily life. Only then can we be more objective about what we are experiencing in our waking life.

When someone communicates information to us using stories or

metaphors, the meaning comes through because we can identify with it

using our frame of reference or experiences. In doing so, we recognize

the lesson or message on a more conscious level and are more likely

to act on it. This is the same reason our dreams play out as a meta-

phorical story. It is a way to “reach” us indirectly and non-aggressively.

Sometimes, it is so indirect that it seems like someone else’s story. For example, the shark is chasing your sister and you therefore think the

dream is about her. This is just another way your subconscious mind is

trying to show you your story.

Dreams can offer us powerful opportunities for healing. In addition