Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Tess Whitehurst, author of Magical Housekeeping, The Good Energy Book, and the new Art of Bliss.
My new book, The Art of Bliss, is a holistic system of activating and maintaining a positive momentum in all life areas. You might think of it as a comprehensive magical or metaphysical process in which you can see the ways that everything in your life is interconnected, and in which you can work with this interconnection to continually manifest more and more beautiful conditions. The backbone of the wisdom in The Art of Bliss is derived from feng shui and the I Ching and it may be thought of as something that looks like a tic tac toe board, with each square representing one of nine life keys. (You might remember it as the “magical floor plan” from Magical Housekeeping, or the “bagua” from feng shui books. In western magical traditions, it’s known as the “square of Saturn.”)
In this blog post, I wanted to give you a taste of the nine life keys with a quick introduction to each one, along with a simple visualization ritual you can do right away to begin to activate it in your life.
1. The Serenity Key: related to meditation, study, exercise, and all forms of self-improvement. This key plays an important role in the activation of all the other keys, as it creates the stillness and space for them to thrive.
Quick activation ritual: sit comfortably with your spine straight. Set a timer for five minutes. Hold your hands in prayer pose and close your eyes. Imagine that you are sitting near the top of a very quiet and secluded mountain. Focus at your third eye (the middle of your brow). When you inhale, think, “I am serene.” When you exhale, think, “I am clear.”
2. The Life Path Key: related to authenticity, joy, flow, depth, and your most ideal career path. This key lends a sense of purpose and direction.
Quick activation: Close your eyes and relax. Envision the ocean, and know that the ocean is your own being. Now, go deeply into it. Swim down and down as you easily breathe under water. Find the deepest, darkest depths, but don’t be afraid. When you reach them, say to yourself, “I am in alignment with my deepest and most authentic flow.” Then swim up to the surface again and open your eyes.
3. The Synchronicity Key: related to being in the right place at the right time, travel, easy/breeziness, and all forms of help from the seen and unseen worlds.
Quick activation: Stand up straight with your arms raised up in a “V.” Slightly tilt your face upward and close your eyes. Visualize the hugeness of the sky. See it as very blue and filled with a huge spiral of white sparkling light. As the spiral begins to descend, notice that these sparkles are tiny angels, or helpful divine beings. See the spiral continue to descend downward until it is swirling around you. Silently or aloud, say, “All forms of help are available to me now, and I happily accept them. Everything aligns for me in the most ideal of ways.”
4. The Creativity Key: related to playfulness, laughter, freedom, self-expression, and all your creations (including your children). The activation of this key helps infuse everything with fun and makes creative solutions to problems be more readily available.
Quick activation: close your eyes and visualize yourself at the edge of a magical, sparkling lake. Allow a mythical being or totem animal to naturally present himself or herself to you. Then ask this being what you can do to increase your sense of everyday playfulness and fun. Notice what this being does or says in your imagination. Whether or not you understand the answer with your logical mind, express heartfelt thanks to the being as you bestow some sort of imagined offering or gift upon him or her. Then open your eyes.
5. The Romance Key: related to sensuality, your senses and body, your love relationship, surrender to the beauty of the moment, and receptivity.
Quick activation: with your eyes closed, see yourself lying on a blanket in the middle of a beautiful meadow in late summer. Feel a gentle warm breeze on your skin and inhale the scent of jasmine and earth. As your senses awaken and your muscles relax, feel yourself becoming more and more receptive and magnetic. Say to yourself, “I am open and receptive to the moment. I am open and receptive to love.”
6. The Radiance Key: related to shining your light and sharing your gifts with the world. This key bestows a satisfying sense that we are appreciated in the ways we would most like to be.
Quick activation: Close your eyes and visualize a blindingly bright sun completely encompassing the center of your sternum, at your heart center. See this sun slowly expand until it fills your entire body and aura. Feel yourself shining down on the earth like the sun, for everyone to see. Say to yourself, “I am radiant like the sun. I generously share my light with the world. I am seen, known, and appreciated in the most ideal of ways.”
7. The Prosperity Key: related to all forms of blessings and resources, including finances and a capacity for enjoying luxuries of all varieties.
Quick activation: with your eyes closed, relax. See/feel yourself on a comfy beach chair, looking out at the aqua blue sea. Notice how the water continually laps at the shore and the palm trees continually move with the breeze. Realize that in the same way, luxury and resources continually flow to you, as long as you are open to noticing them. Think the words, “I am in harmony with my continual flow of abundance. I relax and enjoy the endless flow.”
8. The Resilience Key: related to physical health, family relationships, learning/healing from the past, and being able to weather the storms of life with grace.
Quick activation: with your spine straight and eyes closed, relax. See yourself as a tall tree with roots that go very deep. Notice that you are surrounded by a forest of trees like yourself, and feel your roots and branches intermingling with them. Feel rain pouring down, nourishing your leaves and your roots. Say to yourself, “I am healthy and strong, nourished and perfectly supported by life.”
9. The Synergy Key: related to balance, harmony, and all aspects of life interacting with each other in a nourishing, ideal way.
Quick activation: sit comfortably and relax all your muscles. Close your eyes and place your palms lovingly on your lower belly. Imagine that you are sitting in the middle of a wide-open field, with plenty of space all around. Say to yourself, “I am perfectly balanced. All elements of my life are in harmony.”
Our thanks to Tess for her guest post! For more from Tess Whitehurst, read her article “How Blissful Are You? Take the Quiz!.”
