Hello & Welcome back to “Where Feng Shui Meets Fashion”! Podcast Episode 14. A place for Home & Wardrobe Inspiration. My name is Laura and I’m a certified Feng Shui Practitioner, Curator and Stylist for you and your Space. New Episodes drop every Sunday Morning. Subscribe for weekly tips on mindful dressing and decorating! This hybrid Podcast & Newsletter originates on Substack where you can follow me for all the visuals, text and video. My stories about Feng Shui & Fashion are told in part through pictures and visuals in the body of my newsletters here on Substack. So if you’re listening on Spotify or ITunes, you can subscribe for free on Substack. For all my other content and services check out my Link-tree.

What I have learned from this Eclipse Season is that the Obstacle truly is the Path! Eclipses are an Astrological phenomenon that brings powerful shifts in often dramatic ways. They can feel non negotiable because they are! Eclipses come in pairs, about 2 weeks apart and can be felt just prior, during and for weeks and even months after. That’s why they call it Eclipse season. This season is marked by an Eclipse on September 17 and a second on October 2nd of 2024. Eclipses can be super intense. How’s it going for you? Many of my friends have been going through massive shifts! We can certainly see change is afoot on the world stage. For me personally there has been a series of highs and lows!

I’m writing this on September 27 between the eclipses and I am still reeling and processing all that has transpired so far.

This September/October eclipse season began with my decision to get new glasses at the beginning of the month. I felt like my vision was not as sharp as it could be so I decided to get glasses from Warby Parker. I was also feeling very self conscious about the way I looked in my glasses and I wanted a new signature look for myself that I felt truly suited me. A new look to tie in with my new chapter with Fashion Feng Shui. I brought my sunglasses with me as a style reference.

They have a dramatic oversized cat eye style and my salesperson Silvia at the Warby Parker Silverlake location found a perfect match with the Warby Sonia frames. Though spelled differently, Sonia is the namesake of a beautiful friend of mine. I got them in jet black and oak barrel. They have a distinct cat eye vibe. The black ones are intended for work as I ordered them with blue light filtering, and the oak barrel frames are intended for the outdoors as they are light responsive and turn into sunny’s.

The “Sonia” in Jet Black & Oak Barrel

Listen if our eye’s are truly the windows to the soul, then we should really take great care in how we frame that view. I’ve been wearing reading glasses for about nine years and I’ve never quite found a style that felt like me. I’m usually a little embarrassed and sheepish about having to wear them publicly. I started to notice people with super chic glasses and I knew it was time to figure out my personal style vision.

For context, I need glasses for reading and writing which I do all day! They are kinda like bifocals because they transition between reading and regular sight. These Precision progressives can be discombobulating if they are not properly fitted. When I received them on Thursday September 12th, I immediately loved the way they looked and fit however I was having a hard time focusing and my eyes began to hurt that first day. I felt dizzy and nauseous. I called Warby Parker and they suggested that I may need a brief adjustment period. Apparently this is very common. If I felt no improvement in a week or so they would happily replace or refund them. That evening, I decided to give my eyes a break from reading and writing and watch some tv instead. As soon as I turned on my Tv, the screen went black. It had sound but the screen was gone. I was perplexed; I can’t read or watch tv?! The next day I had a scheduled Zoom meeting with my teacher and mentor Ellen for the completion of my Fashion Feng Shui Certification. It was a big deal! I woke up and my eyes were still struggling to focus properly with the glasses. I went to turn on my computer and it wouldn’t turn on! It would not turn on or take a charge. It too was dead. I ended up having to get on the Zoom with Ellen from my phone as I struggled to focus. She joyfully told me I had successfully completed my Licensing requirements for Fashion Feng Shui and I should be receiving my official license within days!

On the one hand I was thrilled, but on the other I was freaking out. I explained to Ellen what was going on with all my tech and my vision. Ellen was lovely and calm and assured me I could get everything sorted out and repaired. After the Zoom; instead of celebrating the milestone of completing my FFS International requirements, I had to run over to Best Buy to look for a new TV and computer. I was feeling super emotional and thought I can’t see properly, and both my tv and computer have gone dark! WTF?! This is not the time for this, I have work to do and plans implement! I had all these next steps on my agenda including what would have been last week’s podcast. However, I was at a standstill without a computer. I got myself over to Best Buy Asap.

I have to say, I loved my old tv. It was my first smart tv and it had a spectacular picture quality. It was also relatively new. It was purchased during the pandemic when TV was super important. I got it with the help of an boyfriend who was very techy. He helped me find the best resolution and quality for the money. It was also on sale because it had a small flaw; a broken wonky leg or base. It still worked great and as long as you didn’t move it around, the base stayed in tact. My ex was the one who programmed it which I was grateful for as I can get intimidated by new technology.

After we stopped dating and were just friends he became rather abusive and took to incessantly rage texting me when he drank. He would also stalk me on social media and mock my posts about Feng Shui. He never did this while we were actually dating so it was jarring to have him belittle me for being myself. For these reasons, we no longer speak. When heading back to Best Buy to replace the Tv on my own, all these memories came flooding back. I remembered buying the original tv with my ex during a time when he had been kind and helpful. I also remembered all the insults and erratic behavior that came later.

Left to my own devices I essentially bought the same Tv but a new enhanced model with the latest technology. This one was in perfect condition and didn’t have a wonky leg. I proudly installed and programmed it myself. I also threw my back out carrying it up the stairs to my apartment but I did it myself! Later that evening while taking a salt bath to relieve the pain from the muscle spasms I was experiencing, I realized, it was Friday The 13th. I could not help but laugh! Is it Cursed or Lucky? It’s all perspective because it was ultimately a blessing in disguise. All of it. When I was in high school and played soccer, I chose the number 13 as my Soccer Shirt number because I thought it was badd-ass. Yes I’m superstitious, but I also think you can shift any circumstance to your benefit by your response to it.

As for my computer, the tech geeks at Best Buy got it to take a charge and explained that most likely both my TV and Computer had been damaged by a power surge. A very common occurrence during the recent LA heatwave. I was happy to hear that I would be able to access my files and content however, I still needed a new computer. The laptop could no longer keep a charge and it also had a cracked screen so it was pretty much dunzo. I called my Mom who is super techy and lo and behold, she offered to buy and program my new computer! It arrived in time for my Dad’s birthday on September 21st, so I had several reasons to come home and celebrate with my family. My mom painstakingly transferred all of my files, music and content to the new computer and installed all the programs! It took her several days. When I finally brought it home and connected it myself to my WiFi, and printer, I was thrilled. The only thing that would not work was my Yeti Microphone! No matter what I did Substack rejected it. So I ordered a Podcast Specific microphone that my mentor Ellen had recommended and uses for her podcast called FENG SHUI DECODED. Both my mentors host this show Ellen & Terah along with 2 other Feng Shui experts! So if you’re into Feng Shui, you should check them out on Spotify.

Back to the eclipses. The first one was on September 17 and the next one is next Wednesday on October 2! Can Not Wait!! Haha…. My eclipse season has been highlighted with the death and rebirth of all my systems! It’s all good, because I can see clearly now after a brief period of adjustment and the future looks bright. It’s a whole new world! I’m a newly Licensed Fashion Feng Shui Facilitator with a new TV, a new computer, a new Microphone and a whole new point of view! Also, as of today, I have a new YouTube channel called Where Feng Shui Meets Fashion! I hope this Eclipse season brings you many blessings, even if they come in disguise. Cheers everyone and Ciao for now!

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