The thing about an auspicious front porch is that you can’t let all the plants die so it turns into the opposite of auspicious.
I took a great Feng Shui workshop about a year ago and was inspired to paint my front door red, sweep off all those dead leaves, bring in some planters, stuff them with growing things, and invite a lovely vibe into the front entrance of the house. It was great right up until I went out of town and the plants died and now we’re in a holding pattern of inauspicious dead things not to mention the need for new deck stain.
But I never walk through my front door. I’m a garage door or die, kinda revolving box of energy, I also never sit on my couch or hang out in the living room or find that stone statue that will make all the difference in my backyard view (see Feng Shui).
I took a group of high school kids to the Kansas City Renaissance Fair on Friday. My boys had to stay to play in the marching band at half time, so we didn’t leave until 8:45pm at night. We overnighted at a trusty Comfort Inn before making our way to the Shire.
It was the best. I can’t wait to go back next year- this time with all of us in costume. We learned that the costume is key. So is time. It takes time to vibe into the Shire and leave the gross modern world behind. It takes time to look around, be in the place, watch a show, wait in line for a beer, get a henna tattoo, find the best Ranger’s Apprentice-esque cloack you will ever find. inyour whole life, play a flute, see the details of the realm as they come at you. It’s a wonder to observe a gathering filled with wonder and beauty and make believe that, as it turns out, has us arriving at something much closer to the truth than any given Monday can ever offer.
My Enneagram 4-ness is a truth hunter, a realness seeker, and it seemed to me the RenFest’s fantasy was the truest thing I’ve been around in a long time.
They must have painted their front doors red, switched out dying ferns for chrysanthemums, made sure the light was working and put a stone statue in their backyard.
They must have learned early on the place for magic is deep and wide and the call to clarity must be balanced by the muse of mystery if we’ve any shot at beauty for the sojourn of this one earthly minute.
Wear the wings, play the harp and lyre, leave Monday until Monday and adorn your head with a flower crown that never withers away..