Blessings & Feng Shui
THERE ARE BLESSINGS HERE...
Napa Valley was so-named because of the Indians who lived there. This property is situated on land that was inhabited by the Wappo Indians. The Spring Mountain Trail is an ancient Wappo route, and Langtry Road on Spring Mountain in St. Helena was a region of many native settlements. Old county maps describe the parcels on Boyson Lane as a “known Wappo ceremony site”. This land is special, and during the hot summer months, the Wappo Indians would take refuge around the cool creek beds along Spring Mountain Road. Historians have written of the New Moon Dances that occurred along the Trail and at the base creek, which is thought to be the Boyson Lane/Dean York areas of today.
With the knowledge of the land’s history, the owners wanted to honor the land and be mindful of how they proceeded with the development of the site. A woman from Napa who is Native American Indian, and whose ancestors lived on Spring Mountain, came to the property and performed a ritual for blessings. A frenchman who was known widely for his ability to “douse” land and determine it’s energy sources, and it’s energy architecture, was invited to the property. He came and performed his rituals, and established a stone bench on what is supposed to be the “power seat” of the property. Throughout the design process, the owners worked with Flynn McDonald, a local Feng Shui consultant, who helped the owners take into consideration the Feng Shui philosophies for both outside and inside living. Finally, on a summer night in June 2000, the Tibetan Monks of the Gyudmed Tantric Monastery came to the property by invitation of the owners to perform a New Beginnings Blessing and to chant for the success of the construction project. The Venerable Lobsang Tsering declared the land was ready for the builders.
When the land was cleared and the radiant heating tubes were placed, a network of circles emerged with the tubing. Another designer talked to the owners about a unique person who did consultations about various crystals that could be buried into the house’s foundation. While the owners were not familiar with using crystals or their unique qualities, they were open-minded. Within days they had identified the qualities of energy that they wanted the house to always express – peacefulness, protection, abundance, prosperity, healthfulness, and ease of living. The consultant chose special crystals and they were strategically located through the foundation of the house and grounds. Whether one believes in this or not, the owners report that they can feel the good will of the intentions.
An important note about the bungalow house that was torn down to make way for the new construction – there was a room in the basement of the little house where the owners created a meditation room. This room became the centerpiece of the house in many ways. When the new plans were developed, the designer, Polly Ogden, wanted to place the new meditation room as close to the footprint of the old location as possible. She painted a circle on the land where the original meditation had been, and then developed around it. The “cave” as it’s known, is designed to be a wine cellar for those future owners who do not choose to have a meditation space in their home.
Barbara Lai Allen
Pacific Union Real Estate Group, Ltd.
1508 Main Street
St. Helena, California 94574
(707) 967-1355 Phone
(707) 967-0404 Fax
(707) 337-0088 Cellular
blaiallen@sbcglobal.net
