Your home holds both versions of you

I visited an old friend this week—someone I hadn't seen in a few years. The last time we’d met I’d helped her rearrange the furniture in her apartment and she had recently updated it and invited me to see what was new. Naturally, I was curious. 

Sitting in her living room, drinking Greek mountain herb tea, we fell into that familiar ritual of excavating memories and wondering about people we used to know. A fushchia pink sari patterned with elephants lay over the armchair exactly as I’d draped it the last time I’d been there, but now it was in a different corner of the living room. I kept thinking about what changes and what stays the same. Not just in friendships, but in the spaces where we actually live.

This week's Torah portion, Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43), tells the story of Jacob wrestling through the night with a mysterious stranger and emerging with a new name: Israel. But here's what's fascinating—unlike Abraham, whose name change was absolute, Jacob keeps both names. The Torah continues calling him "Jacob" and "Israel," sometimes in the same verse.

The Sefat Emet, a 19th-century Hasidic master, comments on this dual naming, and his teachings suggest that transformation doesn't erase our history—it integrates it. Jacob doesn't become Israel through meditation or peaceful enlightenment. He becomes Israel through wrestling all night, and he walks away with a limp. Real change leaves marks.

Your home holds both versions of you—who you were and who you're becoming. Which one are you feeding?

THE PATTERN: Stagnant Chi

Stagnant chi accumulates around objects connected to identities we've outgrown. You'll sense it through:

• Objects you habitually look past without really seeing

• Items that make you feel slightly tired or heavy when you notice them

• Things you keep "just in case" but never actually use

• Spaces you consistently avoid or rush through

• Possessions that have no proper "place" anymore—homeless in your current systems

  
  

In homes, stagnant chi often clusters around items from past selves—the professional wardrobe from a career you've left, the hobby supplies for an interest you've outgrown, the décor that reflected who you were five moves ago. These aren't bad objects. They're just not your objects anymore.

THE PRACTICE

Sunday (Yang/Sun)

Walk through your home slowly. Notice which objects you look past without seeing. When you do notice them, do you feel energy—or a subtle drain?

Monday (Yin/Moon)

At night, sit in one space that feels heavy. Ask yourself: what identity does this area represent? Is it current, or have I already moved on?

Tuesday (Fire/Joy)

Choose one "just in case" item. Ask honestly: if I needed this, would I even remember I have it? If not, thank it and set it free. Your lesson learned might be someone else's treasure.

Wednesday (Water/Flow)

Notice where your body naturally flows versus where it routes around. We unconsciously avoid objects representing outdated identities. What are you walking past?

Thursday (Wood/Growth)

Find one object that represents who you're becoming. Move it somewhere more prominent. Let your home reflect your becoming, not just your been.

Friday (Metal/Structure)

Gather items that have no "place" in your current systems. One by one, decide: does this belong in my current life, or is it from a life I've already left?

Saturday (Earth/Grounding)

Rest. Notice which possessions traveled with you from "Jacob" to "Israel"—the items that belong to both versions of you. These are your monuments. Let them stay.

The vertical structures, fresh flowers, and of course wooden materials all reflect the budding energy of the wood element in feng shui.

THE STRATEGY

Family & New Beginnings (Gua 3 - Wood/Center-Left): This gua governs your relationship with your roots and your capacity to initiate what's next. It's the perfect place to honor transformation that integrates history rather than erasing it.

Enhance this area when you're initiating something new, healing a family relationship, needing strength that doesn't feel artificial, or expanding your work in any direction.

Working with this corner: Add pops of spring green or turquoise. Incorporate actual wood—furniture, bamboo, accessories. Place fresh flowers or a thriving plant here (put them in front of a mirror to double their chi!). And/or display happy, healthy images of you and loved ones in wooden frames. Most importantly: keep this area free of clutter. Piles and chaos in the Family gua can contribute to disagreements or a desire to drift away from one another.

Your family area holds the energy of where you come from and where you're going. Make sure both are represented.

CLOSING INSIGHT

Jacob walked away from his wrestling match with a new name and a limp. The Ramban teaches that this injury was prophetic—future generations would be wounded, yet emerge intact. Your home can hold both: evidence of where you've been and invitation toward who you're becoming. This week, honor both. And sometimes the most spiritual act is setting something by the curb and finally letting go.