Heaven = Father but Father ≠ Heaven
If you did not feel loved and protected by your father, you may have disconnected from the love and protection that come from Heaven.
In Feng Shui, just as in Western culture, there is an association between the word Heaven and the word Father. Heaven is symbolized by the figure of the father, or patriarch of the family.
Unlike Western culture, where the Heavenly Father is associated with God, Feng Shui only associates the Father with the Perfection that comes from Heaven. Because Feng Shui is not religious, but based on the observation of nature, there is no fear of the Father or fear of Heaven. The main characteristic of Heaven is benevolence. The Heaven trigram is used or called upon when it seems there is no solution to problems, or the solution is not easily visible. Heaven has a transmuting power, and can also override the rules and the laws of nature. This is where prayer comes in.
Heaven is symbolized by the father, but this does not mean that the human parent you call your father is a representation of Heaven or a representation of God. If you were blessed with great father and grandfather figures, it is probably very easy for you to associate with the concept of a loving God. If you did not have good masculine role models growing up, the opposite may be true.
Helpful People, Spiritual Life and Travel
This image is an example of a good cure for Helpful, People, Spiritual Life and Travel, which is the life area associated with God the Father
The Heaven trigram rules the life area we call Helpful People, Spiritual Life and Travel. People who have unrealized or unresolved relationships with their father tend to have trouble with this life area:
- They may feel that there is no one to help them
- They may feel that they are all alone in the world
- They might be afraid to travel, or have hard times when they do
- They could have a really hard time finding help to hire
The element of this life area is BIG METAL, that rules the large intestine, including the colon. It also affects the skin and bodily hair.
When big metal is not working properly the person can feel hopeless or be cynical — there is a disconnection from that power larger than us, that holds and sustains us. Existentialism shows a weakness of big metal.
This Father’s Day, Heal Your Relationship with God
Many of my clients struggle with the idea of the world being a friendly place that was created by a loving God.
They cannot relate to the concept of a loving God, because in the religion of their childhood they were taught the symbolism of God the Father, and their personal experience with their father or other father figure close to them was not one of love, but of fear or abuse.
Whenever they think of “God the Father” images and experiences that were “less than love” pop up, and therefore they have a hard time trusting that there is an underlying order to all of Creation, and that this order is rooted in love.
Reconnect with Heaven
You can reconnect with the forces of Heaven, even if you did not or do not have a good relationship with your father.
Make a list of 6 men who you consider your role models, men you admire and respect. Next to the name of each of these men, write down the one characteristic of this person that you appreciate the most. Then write: Heaven (or God, the Universe, Life — choose a term that goes according to your beliefs) is _____________ (list here the six words that you wrote to describe the 6 men you value).
In the future, whenever you feel disconnected from life, hope, and spiritual sustenance, go back to this affirmation, let it become your mantra until you feel hopeful again.
Sample Affirmation
For my affirmation, I chose six men that at some time or another showed me an great example of great parenting.
- My uncle Fabian Salas, who has an amazing ability to accept people as they are, and who never reacted to his children’s accomplishments or shortcomings as if they were expressions of his own value as a person. For my uncle Fabian I chose the word accepting.
- Clovis Kelley, an artist I met when living in the Mississippi Gulf Coast, was unbelievable respectful of his daughters choices, even when he did not fully understand them. He had very clear boundaries with them, and this accounted for one of the healthiest and most loving relationships I have seen between a father and his daughters. For Clovis I chose the word respectful.
- Mr. Gary Sorg was the father of my bosses Greg and John, back in the day when I worked as a Graphic Designer in a commercial printing shop. He believed in his sons and encouraged them to become entrepreneurs, always deferring to their own wisdom, and refraining from taking the reins. For Mr. Gary Sorg I chose the word encouraging.
- Vince Thomas is a friend who lives in the Quad Cities, where my husband went to Chiropractic school. Vince assumed responsibility, not just for the well being of his own family, but for that of his neighborhood, his communities and even his city. When Vince celebrated his 70th birthday, they had an open house from 2 PM to 10 PM at their beautiful Victorian house (this is one of the houses with most ideal structural Feng Shui I have ever been in, by the way). For the eight hours there was a steady stream of people coming and going, with the house packed at all times, and his friends taking turns to provide live music and entertainment, that is how much of an impact he has had in his town. For Vince I chose the word caring.
- Dickson Petzold is married to my dear friend BarbaraRose. One time his father told him that his (Dickson’s) daughter needed a beating, because she was being rambunctious and loud. Dickson responded: “I am the protector of my daughter, not her tormentor. My mission in life is to protect her from people who would see her harmed, not to harm her.” For Dickson, I chose the word: protective.
- My husband Marco Castaneda was abandoned by his father at age 8, and never had a father figure on which to model his own parenthood. At every stage of our children’s development, he has had to figure out how to do things from scratch. Sometimes he has a hard time adapting to the children’s personalities and needs, but he is always there, always present. The love he feels for his children makes it even harder for him to understand how a father can leave his children and never be involved in their lives again. He is always willing to respond to the children’s needs. He even started a Tae Kwon Do school for them, so they would have other children with whom to train. I know he will never give up on becoming a better parent, and I know he would never give up on them. For my husband I chose two words: present and loving.
So this is how my affirmation reads:
God is accepting, respectful, encouraging, caring, protective, always present and loving.
It is easy for me to believe this affirmation because I have met and interacted with these men who held these qualities, and wouldn’t God be even more accepting than Uncle Fabian, more respectful than Clovis Kelley, more caring than Vince Thomas, more protective than Dickson Petzold, and more present and loving than Marco Castaneda?
Turn Your Affirmation Into a Powerful Cure for the Helpful People, Spiritual Life and Travel Life Area
Write your affirmation on white paper, and place it in a prominent place in your living room, or in your altar, if you have one. You can also place the affirmation in the Helpful People, Spiritual Life and Travel corner of your home. Below, you can see where this corner is located:
Share Your Results
Leave a reply below with the result of this exercise for you, your unique perception of God, based on the good fathers you have met. Your affirmation can help many others heal their relationship with God.
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