Quarantine Feng Shui with Meghan Wallace James
Home -- for reasons that need no explanation -- is a notion we’ve all been contemplating more deeply in 2020. Consciously or not, we’ve been getting to know intimately the places that house our private lives. Perhaps you’ve felt nurtured by your space or perhaps the cracks are showing? Has this time been one of deep cocooning or a potent case of high-grade cabin fever? During this time of self-isolation and hardcore home life, it has been a blessing to be able to draw upon the musings, wisdom, and practical magic of So-Cal based Feng Shui consultant, Meghan Wallace James. If there is such a thing as your typical Feng Shui consultant, Meghan does not fit the mold. Similarly, her cures to “stuck energy” do not leave your home looking like a metaphysical bookstore with a crystal in every corner. Her unique blend of data, sensuality, space, and style has created a modern yet intuitive approach to home energetics. Perhaps this is the residual effect of her two degrees, one in Engineering Management from Miami University and the other in Fashion Design from Parsons. Meghan’s work moves beyond the superficial and superstitious elements of Feng Shui sometimes found in listicles and lifestyle blogs. Yes, she draws on Feng Shui foundations but no, she won’t be promising that by placing glass in your Life Path or a plant in your Love Corner you’ll be led to all your deepest desires. Instead, she advocates that a moving meditation within the home is far more likely to lead to intuitive hits and clearer paths forward. Meghan’s sessions begin with a walk through of your space in relation to the Western Bagua -- a Feng Shui floor plan that explains the different “guas” of your home, from wisdom to love to abundance. However, she also makes a case that the areas that need the most tender soothing can be felt without any map. They’re the places that we don’t want to deal with -- the junk drawer, garage, or awkwardly placed couch.
As Meghan explains, “Feng Shui allows us to have a high-level pattern sort. We all have areas of our home that need our attention. They’re the areas that we are actively avoiding. Feng Shui offers us a visible cue to our blocks.”
Once identified, Meghan prescribes some “heavy lifting,” a term she coined to help us evict the elephant in the room. “Before we can even declare intention, we must remove the obstacles in the home. You can’t Feng Shui a dirty house. You have to do the things you know you’ve been needing to do. When I’m in consultation and identify a pocket of discord in the home, the client will always respond, “I knew you were going to say that.” It’s why I call it “heavy lifting” because you can feel that energetic weight upon you, the sooner the weight lifts the sooner you’ve access to so much more life force.”But house “work” doesn’t need to be arduous. In fact, Meghan encourages elegance and ritual to offset any mental resistance, recommending her clients to “pour a nice glass of wine as you reorganize your pantry,” or “dress for the occasion.” Whether you partake in a biodynamic semillon or not, you can expect some deep intuitive downloads after deep cleaning your kitchen using her approach. In this time of self-isolation Meghan is offering mini and full consultations via Zoom. Understanding that not everybody currently feels the call for a one-on-one, Meghan has also created a thriving community of Feng Shui practitioners via her online portal Room 4 More. As one would expect, Meghan’s digital home is a gorgeous mandala of sage advice and visual delights. Each month Meghan shares thoughts on specific areas of the home in the form of voice memos and artistic film vignettes. First time callers and long time listeners are welcome to share their questions and are met with thoughtful and practical answers.
It’s clear that Meghan has a heartfelt intention to help her clients create safe spaces for themselves and manifest all that they are calling in -- and from the community’s testimonials, it seems to be working, with many attributing her Shui Magic to job offers, perspective shifts, and better sex.
In the spirit of all of us reaping the fruits of our individual and collective labor during these trying times, Meghan has pulled together a free list of Feng Shui salves specific to the pandemic, a careful curation of the sensible and sensual. She encourages scheduling time for sunbathing and online courtship (together and/or separately), provides playful altar ideas, and advocates dancing to groovy tunes. And there is also a call to contemplate your consumption patterns, be of service, and make peace with any estranged relations be they your neighbor’s cat or your mother-in-law. All together, this list is far more comforting to me than resting on the power of crystal grids alone. It appeals to both my right and left brain, my seeker, and my pragmatist. It reframes accountability into opportunity, gives me licensing to luxuriate in connection and relaxation, and no matter the noise outside, my home and my thoughts are definitely clearer and cleaner. Meghan Wallace James was born in a 1983 Delaware farm town and raised in a neverending Victorian renovation. She has a BS in Engineering Management from Miami University 2006, an AAS in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design 2009, and an Avon-Deloitte-AECOM from Ralph Lauren. Her biggest accomplishment? She’s a mama of 2. Visit her on her website: meghanwallacejames.com.
