This is the first of what is a series of entries that may be of interest to others about our move to the shores of Lake Chapala near Guadalajara in Mexico-
and the building of a house called by us The House of The Ten of Cups.
___________________________________________________
The Ten of Cups is a Tarot card that symbolizes the change we had been seeking in our lives up to this point.
Happiness and abundance in a house by the water.
A psychic once told me long ago that I had a dream house which was going to be by a Lake.
_________________________________
DREAM HOME
It’s south of here because mostly
everything is; what is north is smaller
thicker, more compact to keep out
the cold. Down there, where it’s
warmer, it spreads out luxuriously
across a flattened mountain top.
There’s a lake below. More mountains
beyond. The scenery is guaranteed.
Down there, our lives would be
something to marvel at: breakfast
on the terrace every day, a swim
in the afternoon, dinner by candlelight
every night. Down there, life would be
just like it is in the old movies,
at least; elegant yet simple, in an age
that must remain unquestioned
Up here, it’s much more complicated.
Or, it’s just not so clear. Or classy.
Dinner is served in front of the television
and most of the year , you can’t
eat outside. Enter every day for your
chance to win ! cries the television promotion.
And we do, oh Lord. yes we do.
William Reichard from This Brightness:
____________________________________________________
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN ?
Did it begin when we first went to San Miguel de Allende many years ago ?
No it was before that. We only went there because it was on a list of possible places to retire to one day. Places with a comfortable climate plus cultural and geographic interest. Florida is too humid. Arizona too dam hot in the summer. California too expensive. Whats left? Many places in the world but most of them a long way away. Mexico is just over the back yard fence from the US. A direct flight from Portland Oregon to Guadalahara took three and a half hours which is the same as flying to Indianapolis.
On the map above you will see Guadalahara near the west coast midway down. Just south of it you see Lake Chapala the largest lake in Mexico. It is 75 miles long and 25 wide. We are on the north western shore where most everyone lives. There is a string of villages along the north western shore and most Gringos tend to live in Ajijic. The area is very beautiful and the Lake has it’s own micro climate due to the moderating influence of the large body of water. Most days are in high seventies to low eighties and lows in the sixties. No humidity.
The map shows lines indicating Sun and Venus on my Astrocartographic chart..
Astrocartography is a system where the planets of ones birth are laid out upon the Earth instead of the sky.Looking down onto Earth instead of up at the stars. Movement around the Earth is movement around the natal chart.
This area where the Sun and Venus are near is one the best places to live. The line for Uranus is where I came from In Portland. It is still running near here if I miss that influence.
See….http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajijic,_Jalisco
The area has one the best climates in the world. It is at 5000 feet and is rarely humid. The weather in Mexico has everything to do with altitude and latitude. The north is dry desert . The middle where most everyone lives is temperate and the south is tropical and wetter. The low lying coasts are usually more humid especially in summer months. Temperate with dry winters is this area.
It gets about the same rainfall per year as Portland BUT it all falls in deluges in the summer rather than drizzling for months on end in the winter. The rainy season is from about June to October. The winter is actually dry and settled apart from the occasional shower that blows in from the Pacific.
____________________
Above-Photo taken at end of summer rain season when all is green. Our site in white dots.
The ideal property, from a Feng Shui point of view, is like a comfortable arm chair, beautifully positioned in a sunny garden.
The best location is said to be a house built on slightly elevated ground (not at the top or at the bottom of a hill or mountain), i.e., on the high side of the road; protected by a MOUNTAIN BEHIND; protected slightly to the sides by being nestled into the landscape instead of being perched on top of it; and facing a SLOW moving body of water, like a river or a lake, with the entrance on the sunny side facing it.
The ancient Chinese noticed that a house was warmer and more protected when facing the sunny south and surrounded by rolling hills to dissipate any harsh winds. It was said that here Qi could gather and grow instead of being swept away by wind.
According to the Feng Shui wisdom, a house on the south or east side of a mountain is good as both house and vegetation will prosper under the sun’s rays. A house built near bodies of water will prosper as water is the reservoir for Qi.
According to Master Sang, the most desirable shape for house and lot are squares or slightly rectangular, and a wider sitting side is good for retaining wealth.
From THE PRINCIPLES OF FENG SHUI, p. 174.
____________________
Below-The east side front entrance. An outside staircase goes to upper guest suite and our working studios.
The exact color of the house is yet to be determined. A common walkway ends outside the front door in a pool or fountain. A place to share morning coffee or evening drinks is by the front door.
Below -the south west side. The living room has a covered terrace facing south.
Below -the north side with studio window on second floor. This view faces the mountains.
