Monday, June 28, 2010

feng shui tips H-Z

house of mirrors in versailles

Hallways:  Do not position a bed in line with the door in a bedroom at the end of a long hallway.  Such a hallway is a conduit of negative energy. Make sure that doors opening onto a hallway don't bang against one another.  These arguing doors can cause quarrels and fighting within a household. Do not darken your hallway with an excess of art and family pictures.  Keep a balance of empty spaces and hanging objects.   Add mirrors and light-colored artwork to hallways.  Hang a picture opposite a door that opens onto a view of a wall.

Kitchen: Do not install more than one stove.  Rather than doubling your wealth, this will divide it.  Instead, increase the number of burners on the stovetop. Do not have the stove and the sink directly across from each other if one is on an island, as water will destroy fire and this represents destruction of your family's wealth. Don't have the stove and the sink too close together on the same counter, as water destroys fire.  Do hang a metal wind chime with five hollow rods over your stove to double your money.  Do not arrange your home so that you can see the kitchen as you enter the front door of your house.  If you do, you will be preoccupied with food and may find yourself battling weight problems.  Do not leave too many things on kitchen surfaces in plain sight, as this will detract from a good flow of energy. Keep brooms, mops, garbage cans and other cleaning tools, supplies and equipment out of sight when not in use. Use colors and light to create balance and harmony in your kitchen.

Living Room: Place a large or heavy piece of furniture in the South area of the living room to anchor your family when you move into a new home.  When you want to sell the house or move away, remove the item. Do not place all of your furniture against the walls, which accentuates the straight lines of a room and creates a boxy feel.  Try arranging your furniture at 45 degree angles to the walls along with a rug for a fresh look. Place green or purple items, wooden objects or furniture, and objects in groups of four in the South East corner of the living room.  This corner is among the most important prosperity areas in a home, and these placements can activate the wealth of the home's occupants. Hang four family pictures in wooden frames in the South East area of  your living room if you consider your family the treasure of your home. If you cherish your friends, place pictures or gifts from them in the area. Group your collections and souvenirs in multiples of four in the North West corner if travel is important in your life.  The NW governs interests outside your home.

Mirrors:  Hang octagonal bagua mirros on the outside of your home, never inside. Use a flat octagonal or round mirror to deflect sha energy, from common sources, such as garbage cans, dumpsters or barking dogs. Exercise great prudence  and caution when using a convex mirror.   It takes the images it receives and sends them out again, possibly harming someone.  This strategy can also backfire, bringing you mishaps and misfortune. Don't position a mirror so that it cuts off your any part of your reflected head.  To do so is unlucky indeed! Carry a small compact with a mirror or a hand mirror for protection.  These flat mirrors work quietly and unobtrusively but can still deflect sha energy when directed at its source.

Office: Sit in the corner farthest from the entrance to the room to have a command position.  Do not sit in line with the door, as you will be in the path of negative energy. Keep your back toward a corner or a wall for support.  If a post  protrudes from the corner or wall, correct it by covering it with a hanging plant's draping foilage. Sit with a tall building behind you to provide the support of a mountain if your back is to a window. Don't face away from the door if you are conducting business from home.  Business will symbolically come to you through the door, so don't turn your back on it. Be aware of  the sharp corners of bookshelves, tables, equipment, posts or other objects directed toward you or any part of your body. Put your computer in the North or West area of your office to enhance your creativity.  Place the computer in the South East if you use it to generate income. Place an aquarium or fountain on your desk to activate business or career success. Have a good balance of yin and yang when decorating your work space. Balance light and dark colors, and smooth and rough textures in your choice of window treatments, furniture and flooring. Don't have any mirrors in your office, as they can reflect negative energy from clients to other people in the room. You should always maintain control over the energy in your office.  Treat the files in your office with respect. They represent your past, present and future business.  Don't keep the files near the bathroom or on a wall that is shared with a bathroom. Keep files off the floor, on higher shelves or bookcases, rather than under your desk. This is especially important for stocks, certificates, investments, property deals and other important documents. Keep the cords to your office equipment well hidden. This eliminates clutter and allows for the free flow of chi.

Pictures: Do not hang water scenes above your head in your bedroom, as this suggests you will be drowned or smothered. Hang a close-up photograph, illustration or painting of a mountain or forest behind you if you sit in your office with your back to the wall.  This will lend support to you and your business. Don't put pictures of water behind your desk or place a picture of a river flowing directly toward you. Place a picture of a tortoise swimming in water behind you.  This animal represents business success and long life and has been kept in Chinese gardens and monasteries for centuries. Do hang your diplomas, awards, kudos, trophies and other accolades and commendations on the South wall of your home or office.  This direction represents fame and fortune. Hang pictures of yourself with the rich and famous in the South area.  Do not hang pictures depicting war, battlefields, cemetaries, death, skulls, gloomy scenes or people with sad faces. Activate love and romance in the South West area of your bedroom by hanging pictures of happy couples holding hands, kissing or embracing. The frames should be made of porcelain, terra cotta or china. Check the balance of yin and yang energy in your artwork.

Stairs: Avoid desks, offices, beds, bedrooms and chairs that are facing stairs or under them.  Energy flows straight down the stairs, representing the killing arrow aimed directly at the people below. Do not have your stairs facing a bathroom, since they will direct you toward the most noxious part of your home. Do not have interior stairs that directly face your front door or exterior stairs that continue all the way to the curb. These represent your wealth pouring down and out of your home. Do not place an altar or a cash box under the stairs, where energy will be pushing down on it. Energy should be able to flow freely around those objects.
 

Trees: Plant trees in a row or curving around your house, similar to arms embracing your home, to symbolize wealth and good luck. Plant lots of pine trees in the South part of your property. These trees symbolize longevity because they live for many years and contribute to good health by producing oxygen.  Keep all trees properly topped and thinned out to allow the yang energy of the sun to penetrate through their branches.  Trees can create a lot of yin energy because of their shade. Plant evergreen trees with broad or rounded leaves rather than pointed leaves.  Plant two small trees to flank your entrance and act as guardians to your home. Do stand in a pine grove or forest to do your exercises. This is believed to be the most healthful location for you. Plant trees in groups of three, six or nine in your front yard as these are auspicious yang numbers. Watch the shape of your trees.  Do not have any that resemble animals or other creatures. Don't have a trunk of your tree facing your front door.  It will block your view of the world outside and obstruct  beneficial chi. Don't cut down old trees, which are considered sacred and possess strong energy.  However, if a tree is diseased or damaged by lightening, you may have to remove the dead branches or the entire tree. This is particularly critical if you have sick or elderly family members living in your home. Do cover tree stumps with creeping vines or ivy, or put large potted plants on them.  A dead stump emanates yin energy and must be balanced by the yang energy of a live plant. Don't let the leaves of trees touch the building.  The leaves represent the bones of the occupants of a house and will draw chi  away from it.

Unicorns: Put a pair of Chinese unicorns on either side of your front entrance.  They bring protection and attract fortune and good luck.

Water: Don't allow the corner of a swimming pool with straight sides to point directly toward your house, especially toward a bedroom.  The corner creates sha energy.  Do balance  water element on the left side of your front door (as you are looking out) with trees on the right. Don't place water structures in your front yard unless the face North, which represents the element of water.  Do not put a pond or fountain near the right side of the door (as you are looking out), for it will encourage infidelity in your partner. Balance water, which is yin, with the yang energy of large boulders protruding from the water. Allow sun or artifical light to reflect from the water's surface.  Surround your water structure with the yang energy of color, sound, tiles, river stones, water plants or living creatures, such as fish. Do have curving or slow-moving water in front of your house; this is considered auspicious.  However, if the flow is rushing or is located behind your house, it will carry away your family's prosperity. Don't have a pond surrounded and darkened by deep woods or dense trees.  This is overwhelmingly yin and such imbalance in not good feng shui.

These tips are a basis for positive, loving and healthy energy flow.  We cannot always have a perfect setting and location, but there are ways to diminish any negative paths, such as with wind chimes, mirrors and water fountains.  Crystals are excellent for diminishing accusing corners and mirrors deflect negativity.  Sometimes just cleaning the clutter around your area will improve your energy tremendously.  We are always able to improve.  Happy days to you. xo

my sincere gratitude to Angi Ma Wong for sharing Feng Shui Dos and Taboos