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Feng Shui
Find the good Qi, tap into the Good Qi and Circulate the good Qi
The theory behind Feng Shui is so simple. Really it is. After all the explanations of what Feng Shui is, what the words mean and what we want to accomplish – it comes down to…
Find the good qi, tap into the good qi and circulate the good qi.
Of course the skill is how to read the energy map and that can be quite complex since there are more than 200 house types not to mention the unique quality that people add to the space. And it is true; the more I study Feng Shui the more complex and specific the applications, cures and enhancement formulas become. Yet I see that it all comes back down to the basic foundations of qi flow, yin yang and the Five Element theory.
And that’s what I have been thinking about. The basics.
A classically trained Feng Shui practitioner uses a compass, the age and orientation of the house and the floor plan to draw up the energy map. Simply put, this map gives us the qi flow as represented in the elemental numeric code. These codes represent relationships of the elements – they may be in a productive or clashing relationship. If they are productive we can enhance or leave alone. If they are in a conflicting relationship the occupants of the house will feel the negative effect and it is the job of the Feng Shui practitioner to advise the client on how to neutralize this negative effect.
How can these negative element relationships or qi be fixed, or in Feng Shui terms, cured? Well that’s what the reading is all about and each situation is unique so the remedies are unique, but what it comes down to is the basics. We look at what element needs to be added, subtracted, the qi flow of the room and the possibility that we should keep the room “quiet” for a certain time period.
What we don’t do is add to the clutter, the confusion and the superstition. No laughing cats, money frogs, Asian figurines, statues or popcorn in the bathroom. Just pure and natural elements to nurture the qi flow.
About Ann Covell :
Ann Covell is a Feng Shui consultant, teacher, writer and blogger. Ann is a practitioner in the classic compass style of Feng Shui and her newsletter, Feng Shui Naturally, features articles on the practical usage of Feng Shui in the modern world. She has also been known to ghost and guest blog for other qi- enhancing and healthy living websites.
When not practicing Feng Shui Ann can be found studying yoga, qi-gong and nutrition.
Ann offers personal consultations for the home, both on-site and on-line.
Feng Shui Bitch
I’m a fan of the Skinny Bitch series. I love the clean, clear, strong stance on non-toxic food, cleaning products, and concern for the environment. Whenever possible I strive to eat organically and support companies that embrace that philosophy. And I like to think that my Feng Shui is organic, too.
When looking for organic products you look for the basics: clear, fresh, clean, and natural. Simple ingredients often make the best meals; cool, clear water is the best thirst quencher and breathing fresh air is the healthiest and most invigorating. When you look at classical Feng Shui you are also looking at the basics –qi flow, yin yang and five element theory. It always comes down to this.
That means a classical Feng Shui reading makes use of the beneficial qi, finds the yin yang balance needed in the home and uses the pure elements to make any adjustments needed. And this is important to know – if you need to cure or enhance an area of your home you will need to use a natural element not just a symbol of the element. We want to get down to the pure, strong, energy emitting form.
Consider this: an area of your home would benefit from the wood element. What will be the stronger manifestation of this element – a beautiful lush plant or a picture with some green it it? I think we would all vote for the plant. It is true that green does symbolize the wood element but symbols do not emit the same energy as the real item. It is true, if you do not have a green thumb or for other reasons you cannot have a plant there are other things we can do. But the real thing will always be the more powerful remedy.
And the real thing is not superstition. Figurines, statues, and charms are not in the toolbox of the classic Feng Shi practitioner. A pair of mandarin ducks or crystal lotus flowers will not have an effect on the Feng Shui of your home. Placing water in the right sector or reducing the negative earth relationship with metal will.
Keep it simple, keep it pure, keep it natural.
About Ann Covell :
Ann Covell is a Feng Shui consultant, teacher, writer and blogger. Ann is a practitioner in the classic compass style of Feng Shui and her newsletter, Feng Shui Naturally, features articles on the practical usage of Feng Shui in the modern world. She has also been known to ghost and guest blog for other qi- enhancing and healthy living websites.
When not practicing Feng Shui Ann can be found studying yoga, qi-gong and nutrition.
Ann offers personal consultations for the home, both on-site and on-line.
GHOSTS, LIGHTNING, AND MOTHER IN LAWS
What do ghosts, mother in laws and lightning have in common? On the surface, nothing, but in Feng Shui there are energy / number combination that enhances the possibility that one will be drawn into problematic situations with one or the other. Not every house has them but if yours does it is best to get the proper remedy in place as soon as possible.
Since we are so close to Halloween let’s look at ghostly attractions first.
All societies have superstitions and agrarian cultures are rich in their stories, traditions and beliefs about ghosts, spirits and the other world. Chinese culture seemed particularly abundant in these beliefs and references to them still color our Feng Shui vernacular. Although traditional Feng Shui is able to slice through many of these superstitions we still honor the terms and phrases from the past even if they seem a bit exaggerated to us. For example, the terms “Disaster Room, Three Killings and Five Ghosts Carry Money” mean something to the Feng Shui practitioner and for the first two we neutralize the energy and for the ghosts who carry money, we use them to our benefit.
But is there such a thing as a haunted house? And are there certain things that a Feng Shui practitioner looks for in determining if the house is haunted?
What we do know is that every house is unique and its energy is determined by the year of construction and the sitting and facing directions. These combinations create an energy pattern that can be interpreted. Whether one believes in ghosts and haunting or not there are certain combinations and factors that are more likely to come up for a ‘haunted house’ than one that does not give off that vibration. Some of these are obvious and are factored in every Hollywood horror movies. Houses that are too yin, without life energy, attract ghosts. These houses are cold, damp, and dark with major maintenance issues and overgrown landscapes that often leave you with a sense of foreboding and the creep factor. Houses built on or near cemeteries or old battlefields can attract ghosts as can a property where a violent death may have occurred.
Houses that have long hallways, with doors directly facing each other, factor quite often in ghostly attractions. The incorrect use of wind chimes can also attract a ghost. Although often thought of as a panacea to all Feng Shui problems, a classically trained Feng Shui practitioner knows that wind chimes can often attract a troubled spirit and so uses them sparingly and in the correct location and under the right circumstances. The sound of the metal wind chimes can attract a ghost instead of preventing the unwelcome visitor. Perhaps this fits in with our stereotype of the ghost with the clanking metal chains.
Other factors that are not obvious to the eye but exude a powerful effect in a home’s Feng Shui is the number combination of 2-5. This combination is a double negative earth and needs to be remedied to neutralize its impact on the homeowner. Although having this combination does not guarantee the house is haunted or attracts ghosts, there is a strong correlation between haunted houses, ghosts and this energy combination. And if you have this combination and add a wind chime to the corresponding sector, ghostly mayhem may ensue!
If you enjoyed this article and are ready to see what energies are inherent in your house please contact me for a Feng Shui consultation. In this reading we can determine the energy patterns that may be sabotaging your health, relationships and finances. With the proper remedies life improves. And, enhancing the positive energies can make life go even smoother.
Traditional Feng Shui: Digging Deeper
When I look back at the hundreds of Feng Shui consultations I have been involved with in the past couple of years I notice not one involved a home was located on an old burial site, balancing over a cliff, nestled in the curve of a railroad track or built over an old industrial dumpsite. None of my clients lived in a triangular or circular house and none lived next door to a cemetery.
It’s funny. Most beginning Feng Shui lessons will teach that these are problematic cases and to be avoided if at all possible. It’s true, it’s obvious. Situations like this happen so rarely yet seem to take up so much time from the learning experience, while the thing that affects EVERY ONE of us is given such little attention. As a Feng Shui teacher, I am wondering why.
I have seen cluttered houses but I have not yet been asked to Feng Shui a house for a hoarder. The issue of clutter has become so synonymous with Feng Shui that many people think that clutter control is Feng Shui. Understandable enough when you flip through a popular Feng Shui book and see the amount of space devoted to issues of clutter. But it’s not Feng Shui. Certainly a Feng Shui practitioner can help shine the light on a clutter problem but Feng Shui goes so much deeper. And yet, it is a rare book where you find the author discussing that part of Feng Shui that affects EVERYBODY ALL THE TIME.
The flow of qi and how furniture placement affects it is important in Feng Shui. But it is only one layer and truthfully more people than not are pretty savvy about where to place their furniture. And that’s because much of it is obvious – it comes naturally – you don’t put furniture in the middle of a path where you have to walk over it or trip every time you enter the room. Most of us are comfortable with chairs that face a doorway instead of a blank wall and most people do not position furniture in doorways or hallways. Fixing qi flow problems due to furniture placement mistakes is usually pretty obvious and simplistic. But what is not obvious is the element combinations that may needs remedying because it is causing disagreements, illnesses, accidents, money drainage, insomnia and other negative issues. Why is it not obvious? Because you cannot see it. But it is there, it is mathematical, it is predictable and it is manageable.
I’m talking about the Flying Stars, the element code that determines the energy potential of your house. Based on the construction period when the house was completed and the sitting and facing direction of the house, these stars create an energy map which affects the health, wealth, creativity and relationships of the inhabitants of the house. Every house has them, they are unique to the house and their influence on you can lead to enhancing or sabotaging experiences while living there.
So important is the Flying Stars that if you have not had a Flying Star reading you have not had a Feng Shui consultation.
Contact me for a consultation to learn about the real Feng Shui. And I promise you I will not waste your time with remedies for living in a round house at the bottom of a cliff near a cemetery or the importance of not becoming a hoarder. This is real Feng Shui for real houses.
If you enjoyed this article and want more information on Feng Shui consultations visit www.FengShuiNaturally.com or email Ann at ann@fengshuinaturally.com.
Problems In Your Wealth Corner?
When I mentioned that I would dedicate this month’s blogs to Feng Shui and wealth, the emails started pouring in. Understandable of course as money, abundance, finances and money fears are of utmost concern to most of us. In Feng Shui there are many remedies, both major and minor, to bring in and enhance wealth wealth both in a holistic and a practical way.
A few people wrote to me concerned because they could not know how to find their wealth corner or they were concerned because their wealth corner was missing. Well, let me assure you that no one has a missing wealth corner unless you are a strict follower of western Feng Shui. And even if there was a missing piece, there are remedies to ‘fill it in.’
The classical tradition believes that every corner, every sector has a water star and a mountain star. The water is finances, abundance and career while the mountain star is people, health and relationships. Abundance does not exist in a vacuum; therefore we really cannot talk about wealth without talking about relationships. After all – money comes from people. In order to do a true Feng Shui reading for financial prosperity it is essential then to read the whole house and analyze the water and mountain relationship and then add the appropriate cures.
Western Feng Shui recognizes the southeast as the wealth sector and advises one to add Feng Shui remedies, cures and intentions in this area to get things moving again. This, too, can be very powerful especially if you are strong on practicing intention. But what if the southeast sector of your house is missing? Then it would be appropriate to find the southeast corner of the center sector or your home office and add any remedies or symbolic pieces that remind you of abundance.
Feng Shui Tip: No matter if you follow the classic tradition or the western, both schools will tell you the same thing: keep your entranceway, home office and southeastern areas clean, organized, clutter free, get rid of broken things (reread my blog on Broken Energy) and have good lighting. Any symbol of abundance that works for you is good – it must make you feel open, abundant and full of hope. For me, I use a bowl of fresh fruit. Some people use flowers- both are wonderful but make sure no flowers are wilting or fruit is spoiling. That is not abundant!
Feng Shui and the Belmont Horse Race
Did anybody watch the race this Sunday?
Although I don’t know anything about horse racing I found the two minute horse race at Belmont Downs to be fascinating to watch. And it was all because of these magnificent creatures. These horses were breathtakingly beautiful. They reverberated with the energy of movement, wealth, glory and the champion spirit. Of course, watching the race made me think of Feng Shui and what horses mean for career success and reputation which leads to financial abundance.
I am not advocating betting on the races but I am suggesting that you get a horse, specifically a metal or ceramic stature of a beautiful, proud horse. Symbolism is strong in Feng Shui and horses represent a powerful, proud, noble energy and victory over adversaries. Besides exhibiting natural beauty, their sleek muscles suggest efficient movement which can stimulate yang chi and energize any space you put them in. Horses are often portrayed being ridden by victorious warriors and powerful kings. They are champions.
Feng Shui Tip:
Display a horse to stimulate yang energy to bring in success and a strong reputation as a victorious goal oriented achiever. Best places are home offices, entranceways and home offices. They may be too stimulating for a bedroom but this is up to you!
Wealth Is Not Just For The Wealthy
History holds a wealth of knowledge. Even about wealth. Feng Shui has been around for at least 3,000 years or even more. But who had access to it? The wealthy, of course. So important was this knowledge to the emperor and other nobility that it was illegal – under pain of death- to share this knowledge with the common people. Feng Shui was such a closely guarded secret that it was only passed down from father to son (with a few exceptions here and there for a special daughter or apprentice), and, to insure this, it was mostly kept to an oral tradition.
But you can’t keep the truth or a good man down – and in 907 BC, Feng Shui master Jun-Sung Yang escaped from the emperor’s court and traveled the land to spread the word about Feng Shui. So important and risky an act was this that Jun-Sung became revered and honored with the name “Yang, Save the Poor.”
It is difficult for us to comprehend what this act meant to the Chinese culture and how it may have changed the history of China. We just don’t really get it- and perhaps it is because we don’t really get how powerful Feng Shui is. But it is it – Chairman Mao outlawed Feng Shui so these masters and practitioners were forced to flee or be killed. What is it that was so important about Feng Shui that the emperors and rulers did not want to share with the common man? There had to be something there. The emperors strongly believed in it; so did Mao, who had ancestors who were FS masters. He apparently wanted to keep the Feng Shui for himself. And this makes sense- because good Feng Shui can last for 180 years. The Emperors wanted their dynasties to last – and so did Chairman Mao. (This type of Feng Shui is ‘yin Feng Shui’, the burial for the ancestors. It lasts 180 years as there is a powerful 180 year trigram cycle …but I digress…)
When we talk about Feng Shui it is usually yang Feng Shui – Feng Shui for the living. After taking care of the ancestors, the emperors and dictators concerned themselves with yang Feng Shui. Yang the Poor thought it so important to share this information that he was ready to risk his life. It makes one think –
When people tell me that their house is “not good enough to be Feng Shui-ed” or “once we move,” they will get a Feng Shui consultation – I wonder what Yang Save the Poor would have to say.
Update And Renovate
It’s time to update and renovate- the bathroom attached to the master bedroom in my mother’s house has not been touched in over 30 years. I would say it has bad Feng Shui.
Feng Shui literally means wind and water and these are not static concepts. Wind and water must move to stay energized, without this movement water becomes stagnant and the air feels musty and dead. Houses need to be energized; this act can be as simple as opening a window or more complicated as in a renovation project. When the house is energized the occupants become energized. And this is good Feng Shui.
This brings me to the issue of – does it change the house energy or the house potential which is a huge fundamental of Feng Shui. The answer is, no it doesn’t. Renovating on this level does not change the natal chart of the house nor the sitting and facing direction so the energy blueprint that was established is the same as when the house was constructed.
It may sound as if I am jumping around a bit and I guess that is how my Feng Shui mind works – and that is how Feng Shui works. It is quite multi-level. So, renovating the bathroom:
- Will add positive movement and energy to the house. It already has – the bath is so drab and, well, just kind of nothing- that the thought of entering the space does not inspire positive feelings. However, even though construction has yet to begin my mom is fairly singing with possibilities over the change
- Unless you spend lots of time in a bathroom, the natal energy pattern in this sector is not going to have much of an effect on you as does the chi of your bedroom, home office, family room and front entrance (or whatever room you tend to hang out in). Do not mistake this level of Feng Shui for the feeling you get when you look at a room visually. Because remember, this energy pattern is not visible; it must be mapped out by the flying stars of the house.
So how do you know if you need to remedy these rooms (and how can you be sure what a remedy really is) – we will find out in the next installment!
Updating and renovating is wonderful – it keeps you, the house, the chi movement fresh and it may make a difference in resale value so if you have a bathroom like mom’s and the opportunity to get some work done – you and your house will thank you.
Repair Broken Energy
Fixing broken things around the home or updating and upgrading is a positive Feng Shui action. This is one of the many things (like reducing clutter) that you don’t need a Feng Shui practitioner to tell you because we all know that when a home needs repairs there is nothing else to do but do it.
Broken things do not get fixed by themselves. At the very best, they do not get worse but usually they do, and this can spiral into even more damage. A small leak that is not fixed can cause major water damage, a hole in the siding can lead to rot or become an entryway for rodents and other pests.
Broken things, things that do not work the way they should impact your wealth.
Our houses must be and are constantly being energized. It is our desire that this energy be a positive one. However, broken things are yin, dead energy and this brings the total energy level down — and that affects our prosperity.
So here is a vitally important Feng Shui tip:
Repair broken, draining energy.
Broken, draining energy comes from broken things. When your door scrapes against the threshold, door knobs do not turn properly or shutters clatter against the wall your home resonates with negative, irritating energy.
So continue to repair and upgrade around your house. Your house, its chi and your prosperity will thank you.
Feng Shui In The Garden
It’s spring so I have to write about Feng Shui and the garden. I was also spurred on by the snippet of Yahoo News I saw the other day – did you see it, too? It was about watermelons exploding in fields in China. It seems that an excess of rain coupled with an excess of growth hormones lead to a bursting of these melons. Now I call this bad Feng Shui!
Gardens and living plants are great for your Feng Shui.
The outside environment around the house was one of the original Feng Shui concerns and it remains so today. It was important to make sure the house was adequately protected from the harsh elements. This may not be as evident today when most of us live in suburbia, planned developments or urban environments but correct house placement included knowledge of wind breaks, natural barriers to flood water and an arm chair shaped landscaping to protect and hold in the positive chi energy. This was done with the natural lay of the land, the planting of trees and hedges and the building of walls. The concept of creating gardens for beauty came a bit later when people had time for more leisure activities and moved to a place when they seemingly had their environment under a bit more control.
Today there is a new school of thought on Feng Shui gardens based on the western schools interpretation of the Bagua. To create a Feng Shui one must use the Bagua as the template and follow the guidelines for colors and elements. I have seen some beautiful gardens that followed this plan and I have seen some wonderful gardens that don’t.
As a practitioner of the Classic school of Feng Shui I am not bound by the same concept. A garden must provide protection, as mentioned above and it should above all be a place where wildlife, serenity and beauty have a home.
One’s outside environment can greatly affect the Feng Shui of the house. The shape of the lot can tell us about the owner’s relation to money: does money come easily but flow out too quickly, does money come in slowly as wealth continues to build, does the perimeter of the property sustain good qi for the owner? Remedies that are placed outside can be very strong and powerful. But these remedies, as in all remedies in classical Feng Shui are specific and unique to the house trigram. For example, a water feature in the correct location can turn on the flow of wealth or release a locked house. But pacing a water feature in the wrong direction can drown the good chi making relationships and finances worse.
Feng Shui tip: The installation of a pool, pond or large fountain will affect the energy pattern of your house so do not install or build without consulting a classic Feng Shui practitioner. Instead of enhancing your life it could become a saboteur.
If this is the case, can planting a garden based on the Bagua be harmful instead of productive? No, not really because the remedies featured, usually a small fountain or metal sculpture, are usually too small to be considered true cures or remedies so they will probably not be strong enough to create a negative energy pattern. So, follow your heart and eye and create the garden you love. Seeing and experiencing beauty is one of the greatest gifts we will ever be given.
All Feng Shui schools are based on similar concepts so no matter if your Feng Shui is western based or follows the classical knowledge there are fundamental concepts followed by all. Some of these are:
Yin/yang philosophical concepts were utmost in mind when planting a garden or installing landscaping – there is sun, there is shade, there is light and dark. Too many trees shading a house can make it too dark leading to depression, not enough green makes one tired and drains the energy. Too much sun can lead to headaches and feelings of desperation.
For a Feng Shui love tip: make sure your house is not overgrown with or too tall bushes and shrubs around the house. This creates a feeling of isolation where the good chi is not invited in. For a classical practitioner, this look is stereotypical of a single, middle aged woman who is not allowing love into her life.
Energy, chi, likes to meander rather than zoom through straight lines. If you have garden paths let them curve rather than be the quickest route from one place to another. After all, gardens are contemplative places where one goes to sooth the soul. Borders also should be curved although I know this to be a personal preference and I do not believe the Feng Shui of the garden is ruined with straight borders. The plants in the border themselves have flowing lines and this softens the strict look.
Looking for a great but different book on gardening check out Why We Garden: Cultivating a Sense of Place
Thank you for reading my blog.