By Tess Whitehurst

In many cultures and for many centuries, crossroads have been considered places of heightened magical power. From a feng shui perspective this isn’t surprising, as intersections are areas where two or more distinct streams of energy (in the form of roads) meet, mingle, synthesize, swirl and radiate. This can result in a vortex, which, in energetic terms, could be defined as “a powerful circular energy current with marked metaphysical properties, often resulting from the convergence of one or more relatively linear energy currents.” Each road, like each river, possesses a unique personality and potency, and each intersection, therefore, has energetic properties all its own.

In the seemingly infinite expanse of Los Angeles intersections, the intersection of Wilshire and Ocean is notable. This is where the sweetly serene, cream-colored concrete statue of Saint Monica stands in Palisades Park, her back to the ocean, facing the city via the long expanse of Wilshire Boulevard.

To understand the magic of this intersection, first think of Wilshire.  Think of all of Wilshire — of how long and wide it is, how intense and fast-paced it can be, and how deeply it penetrates into the heart of the city. Wilshire is a very masculine street, among the most masculine of all the streets in Los Angeles. In feng shui terms, it is “excessively yang.” And all that energy builds and builds as it moves westward toward the ocean.

Now, consider that this intersection is a “T.”  Historically, in folk and magical traditions, T-intersections are considered feminine and receptive in nature, as one street is fully receiving another street. In this case the friendly, mellow yin, or feminine, street of Ocean (known alternately along the way as Neilsen and Pacific — see how fluid it is?) receives the excessively yang Wilshire Boulevard. And at the westernmost tip of Wilshire is the statue of Saint Monica, a saint who is famous to this day for her infinite patience and gentleness with her excessively masculine husband, Patricius, a known adulterer who was prone to violent tempers; and with her wayward son, who was to become Saint Augustine. In her infinite receptivity and gentleness, she performed healing alchemy by soothing and tempering the excessive masculinity of these two important men in her life. Which is exactly what she does with the excessive masculinity of Wilshire Boulevard. The next time you find yourself at the end of Wilshire, gazing at Saint Monica’s tranquil silhouette, see if you can sense the way she lovingly disperses and transmutes the harsh energy (or sha chi as it’s known in feng shui) of Wilshire, creating a feeling of harmony and balance.

As city dwellers, we, like Wilshire Boulevard and Saint Monica’s husband, are very apt to experience yang imbalances. You know you’re experiencing a yang imbalance when you feel burned-out, overly focused on your career, constantly rushed, impatient, short tempered and/or stressed. If this describes you, whether your sex is male or female, it’s important that you take some steps to call in more yin energy (feminity/receptivity). This will help you to be not only happier and more relaxed, but also more receptive to blessings and abundance, and more effective in everything you do.

Probably the best way to balance excess yang is to go on a relaxing retreat for at least three full days. But this usually requires a little planning, so in the meantime, you might take a contemplative nature walk, preceded by a visit to the local healing vortex at Wilshire and Ocean. First, drive west on Wilshire until it ends at Ocean. Park, walk to the statue of Saint Monica, and notice the way almost everything seems to be moving:  the bikers, the joggers, the dogs, the cars, the ocean, and the trees. Saint Monica, on the other hand, has been standing there since 1934 in perfect stillness while the world moves frenetically around her. See if you can get in touch with this stillness inside yourself. If it feels right, say a silent prayer to Saint Monica asking her to help you to do so. Then get back in your car, drive down the California Incline and go north a few miles on PCH to Temescal Canyon. Go right and continue straight on Temescal until it dead ends in the Temescal Canyon parking lot. (Remember to pay the iron ranger. Think of it as a spiritual offering. And remember to make a full and complete stop at the stop sign and accompanying camera, or you’re liable to get a ticket. Think of it as a loving reminder to slow down and come into the present moment.)

Canyons, like T-intersections, possess a very feminine and receptive energy. Take a quiet and meditative walk through the canyon. Breathe deeply, feeling the conscious aliveness in your body, and listen to the silence. Even a short walk in the canyon will help you to experience stillness and come into balance. Before or during your walk, you might contemplate chapter 28 of the Tao Te Ching (as translated by Stephen Mitchell):

Know the male,
yet keep to the female:
receive the world in your arms.
If you receive the world,
the Tao will never leave you
and you will be like a little child.

Know the white,
yet keep to the black:
be a pattern for the world.
If you are a pattern for the world,
the Tao will be strong inside you
and there will be nothing you can’t do.

Know the personal,
yet keep to the impersonal:
accept the world as it is.
If you accept the world,
the Tao will be luminous inside you
and you will return to your primal self.

The world is formed from the void,
like utensils from a block of wood.
The Master knows the utensils,
yet keeps to the block:
thus she can use all things.

Tess Whitehurst (www.tesswhitehurst.com) is a local feng shui consultant.  Her first book, Magical Housekeeping:  Simple Charms and Practical Tips for Creating a Harmonious Home, will be published next year by Llewellyn Worldwide

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