A Feng Shui Thought - Could 'Recomposition" Shift the Energy of Cemeteries for the Better?
Laura Cerrano
photo by Laura Cerrano
A base principle in the Feng Shui Community is to avoid living near a cemetery due to the large volume of Yin (death) energy. Cemeteries in Feng Shui are seen as portals, so to speak, that make it easier for wandering spirits and lost souls to become entangled within the homes and properties of the living.
What could be done if you don’t have the option to avoid living by a cemetery?
Some common Feng Shui recommendations to help offset excess yin energy is to invite more Yang (living) energy into the home and throughout the surrounding property. This could be done by welcoming wildlife onto the property with bird feeders, planting pollinating trees and flowers, and utilizing elements that express yang qualities, such as with a fire pit or even a pond with moving water that is home to aquatic life. As for the cemeteries, they too can participate in enhancing the overall presentation of more yang energy additions. There are other factors to keep in mind, but above are some quick ideas to consider.
On a practical level, if you think about the time it takes for human remains to fully decompose, it can be a bit off-putting and this can also be a more logical way of understanding why living near a cemetery is not so appealing. For example, an un-embalmed body could take about 8-12 years to decompose into a skeleton and 100 years to be reintegrated back into the earth (minus some teeth and durable body parts). Through the lens of Feng Shui, that is a long time for strong Yin energy to permeate the land and overall surroundings.
Having these observations in mind, I recently came across a TED talk presented by Katrina Spade, who is the founder and CEO of Recompose. The reason I bring up Ms. Spade is she created a system called "recomposition", which transforms the remains of deceased human bodies into nutrient-rich soil.
Say what?! Yes, that’s right, deceased human bodies are literally being transformed into nutrient-rich soil that can be utilized to grow plants and trees once again. The estimated time with recomposition for a body to turn into nutrient-rich soil is six to eight weeks, which according to Ms. Spade is more eco-friendly for the environment. Each family also experiences a “laying-in” ceremony that represents a moment of transition.
photo by Laura Cerrano
From a modern-day Feng Shui perspective, you would think reducing the amount of decomposing bodies inside a cemetery could lighten the energy and be a good change. However, it’s understood in traditional Yin Feng Shui practices, the corpse is usually preferred to remain intact and protected from the natural elements. Cremation is an option but is not the preferred approach.
The system of ‘recomposition’ could spark interesting possibilities in how to mitigate excess yin energies felt throughout cemeteries. However, you can see there are variables to be aware of due to religious practices and cultural beliefs. Time will tell if this new death care approach could provide notable differences in the perspectives and conversations about death, burials, and cemeteries.
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Please know, what I’m providing in this post is a quick snippet about ‘recomposition’. I strongly recommend you watch Katrina’s TED talk and visit the official website of Recompose for more information. As updated information about ‘recomposition’ arises I’ll be sure to share.