Fast Feng Shui Blog

A new look at combining western astrology and feng shui

2009-10-16T13:03:00.011-10:00

Those of you who have been following my feng shui writing for a while will know that I am a big fan of western astrology. I mean no disrespect to the Chinese system, it's just that I've been using western astrology in my personal life for about thirty years now and it works for me and I'm sticking with it.

I've often wondered how western astrology could be more deeply coordinated with the western style of feng shui that I practice and write about. But, although I'm a highly experienced consultee, I am not a professional astrologer and simply don't have the depth or breadth of expert knowledge to have explored that question on my own.

Which is why I was so thrilled to read this excellent article today that matches up the Houses of a person's natal astrological chart with the ba gua, and discusses how to use this information along with new moon cycles for very powerful and effective feng shui rituals and/or remedy placement.

This is exciting new information, and I'm thrilled to have found it just in time to do some feng shui empowerment on the New Moon happening tomorrow, Oct. 17. (It's a bit last-minute to be sharing this info with you here, but if you miss the October new moon, just start planning ahead for next month.)

The Oct. '09 new moon lands in the 9th house of my chart, which correlates to the "Knowledge/Wisdom" area -- which in my home is to be where my office is located. As soon as I've finished this post I'm going to start preparing for the new moon by cleaning up my desk!

Do be aware that to use this method you will need:
1) a basic familiarity with western astrology and its symbols.
2) a copy of your "birth" or "natal" chart that defines the exact location (in degrees and minutes within a sign) of each house cusp.

Then, keep an eye on upcoming new moons. Look up the date and time (adjusted for your local time zone), and where that moon will be in what astrolocial sign. Here's an example of an ephemeris (astrological calendar) page for November '09. I've enlarged the box that shows the lunar phases:

(most of the info on this page can be ignored if all you want to know is when/where the new moon is happening)

The Nov. '09 new moon (marked in red) happens on the 16th at 24 degrees 34 minutes Scorpio. What house is that in in your chart? Remember to adjust the time of the new moon for your local time zone.

If you don't know enough about western astrology to work this out on your own, Simone Butler (author of the article) can prepare personalized info for you ... or you can invest some time in reading up on the basics of western astrology. There's a TON of information available on the web to get you started, including this overview. (Please do NOT email me with astrology questions, BTW: I will just send you back to this page to read this paragraph again.)

Stephanie R.

Fast Feng Shui is now on Facebook

2009-10-06T13:18:00.002-10:00

"Fast Feng Shui" is now on Facebook!
I invite you all to join our page there:
http://tiny.cc/FFSonFB

(find us from within Facebook by searching "pages" for Fast Feng Shui)

House Divided Into Duplex

2009-09-14T12:28:00.003-10:00

Q: I am looking at apartments, and saw one recently that I liked. The building was originally a one-family home, but has been converted into a duplex with two separate living spaces and two different addresses. What does this do to the ba gua for the house? If I take this apartment, will I be living in just one half of the ba gua? Or are there now two ba guas, one for each unit?

A: There are now two ba guas, one for each unit of the duplex. Conversion of older, larger homes into apartments is quite common. When this happens each individual unit has a new ba gua that applies just to that space. Placement of each apartment ba gua is now determined by the main entry to each apartment, not by the building entry (as it would have been for the original single-family home).

Predecessor Chi of a Desk

2009-09-11T09:04:00.004-10:00

Q: I am in the midst of starting a home-based life coaching practice and purchased a used desk from an office supply store with great intentions of being eco-friendly and economical. Then I panicked when I read on your site not to buy used furniture unless you know it has “good predecessor chi.” I don't know the history of the desk, so I don’t know whether predecessor chi will be a problem. I'd like to keep it -- I don't have funds for a new one and it is a lovely desk -- so is there a way to clean it of old energy?

A: Since you don’t know the provenance of your desk it would be a good idea to “smudge” it with some sage (sage bundles are often available at natural food stores, as well as new age-type bookstores/retailers).

I’d also place a nice chunk of amethyst crystal in the FAME area of the desktop (i.e., center of the far side from where you sit) with the intention that it help you build a reputation with clients for your insight, clarity, and compassion.

Although it’s good feng shui to avoid anything with negative/difficult predecessor chi, you just don’t know whether or not that’s a factor here. I’m sure some would say “err on the side of caution!,” get rid of the desk, and stick with new office furniture only. But I believe that assuming the worst in any situation is a terrible life strategy, as it goes against everything we know about deliberate creation and the law of attraction. Why not assume that you were guided to that desk because it is the perfect solution for you at this time?

I am confident that you have wonderful intentions for your new coaching practice, and feel called to become an exceptionally positive and effective counselor for others. Why not assume, then, given those intentions, that any used desk you feel drawn to will have wonderful predecessor chi?

Assume the best, smudge the desk anyway just to be sure, thank the powers that be for guiding you to finding such a useful and economical feature for your new home office, and then pat yourself on the back for being eco-friendly as well.

Wishing you all the best with your life coaching practice,

Stephanie R.

How We Manifested Our Dream House

2009-09-01T12:49:00.003-10:00

At this past New Year (Jan. ’09), as my husband and I discussed what we hoped to accomplish this year, we also discussed whether or not to renew our lease when that rolled around in late spring. Our current rental wasn’t where we wanted to spend many more years, but it was spacious, comfortable, in a decent neighborhood, and our landlord was happy to rent to us for as long as we wanted to stay. Moving, we decided, would be too much hassle, too much of an interruption to our ambitious project plans, and with the economy barely limping along it seemed a good idea to postpone the expense as well.

But when the Universe grants an important wish like “help us find our dream house” it’s a good idea to jump on it and worry about catching up with your original plans later.

One afternoon in February (after we’d decided not to move) I was relaxing for a few minutes after lunch when my Inner Voice (intuition, or higher self, or whatever you want to call it) said, “Go see what’s on Craig’s List.” I’ll admit I received this advice somewhat skeptically. Our lease didn’t expire for another 3-1/2 months, so even if we’d wanted to find a new place, it was way too soon to start looking. Nevertheless, when my “gut voice” speaks up like that, I’ve learned to pay attention. So I went to check the Big Island rental listings on Craig’s List.

And there was our house. I knew as soon as I saw the photos that this was the house for us.

“Honey,” I called out, “come look at this house I found on Craig’s List!”

“What are you looking at Craig’s List for?” he complained. “We decided we aren’t going to move this year.”

“Just come and see these pictures,” I insisted, so he did.

“Oh, wow,” he said. “That’s our dream house.”

My husband and I have been “dreaming out loud” about our dream house for a few years now, and we’ve developed a very clear shared vision of what that house will look like, what area we hope it would be in, and a list of specific details that ran to several pages. Yes, we did write it down. We’ve eagerly anticipated how great it would be when the day came that this dream home was ours. And last fall, for about a month, I spent a few minutes every morning visualizing and expressing gratitude for our future home.

I didn’t expected it to manifest quickly. After all, one part of our dream is owning the house, and until the economy picks back up (at the least) that hasn’t seemed likely. But we’re happy with how things turned out, because although we’re renting for now the owner says he’s open to selling at some future point, whenever we’re ready.

For those who might be curious about my morning visualization method, here’s what I did “first thing in the morning,” meaning after I’ve had my first mug of coffee but before I’ve turned the computer on and shifted into work mode:
· I sat outside on our deck (i.e., in a comfortable chair, in a peaceful spot)
· I enjoyed the early morning for a few minutes, listen to birds chirping, admiring the sunlight on green leaves (i.e., mindful appreciation of the moment with a quiet mind)
· When I felt ready, I picked up my mala (a strand of 108 beads). Using a mala is not necessary, it’s simply a focusing tool.

· As I held each bead, I made a short statement of appreciation about some aspect of our future home. Some mornings I’d cover a lot of different things, other days only a few. Sometimes I’d repeat a certain feature or statement several times over, other days I would run through a lengthy list before repeating it. I didn’t have a set “do it this way every day” plan, and just followed what felt most comfortable each day.

The statements I used went something like this (each line represents what I might say for one bead on the mala):

“Thank you God for our beautiful home…”
“…which we love so much and can so easily afford.”
“Our home is on the north side of town…
“between the Wailuku River and Honomu.”
“It’s a spacious house on the side of a hill…”
“… with great big decks…”
“… and an ocean view.”
“We love the fruit trees in the yard…”
“… and our quiet, safe neighborhood.”
“Our house has lots of interior room…”
“… including space for our home offices.”
“The master bath has a nice big tub…”
“… and the kitchen is a delight to cook in.”

… and so on, you get the idea.

As I went through this features list, I imagined myself in that house, and focused on feeling how happy and grateful we would be to be living in there. This emotional focus on appreciation and gratitude (rather than on wanting) is every bit as important as the list of features, and is what makes the method work. It also put me in a happy, relaxed mood every morning, which is a nice way to start the day.

I repeated this daily for about a month. When it felt done, I stopped focusing on the house and used that time for either general meditation, reading, or to focus on some other issue.

I also didn’t push for a time-frame, choosing to trust that our house would be ready for us at some future point with perfect timing. Given that we’d decided, at the time we found this place, that we weren’t going to move this year, the timing felt a bit rushed at first but in the end it did work out with perfect timing. In spite of the interruption to our summer plans, we’re so happy to be in our new home that the sooner-than-expected expense and inconvenience were well worth it.

As for that wish list, we got everything but the swimming pool. Maybe when we buy this place we can find a way to put one in…

Feng Shui Tips for Finding Your Next House

2009-09-01T12:44:00.006-10:00

Moving is the theme of the day, so here's a reprint of a newsletter article I wrote in 2003. I’m posting it as a companion piece to my article about how we “manifested” the house we moved into this summer.

Anyone who’s familiar with my writing knows that I view intention as a key ingredient in the successful practice of feng shui. If you are planning a move, first spend some time in quiet reflection on what qualities and features you are looking for in your "perfect" home.

Be very specific about this. Make a written list of the top 10 things that are important to you, and prioritize it. This could be anything from a specific location or price to "lots of closet space" or "a sunny master bathroom" or "central air conditioning" or "a magnolia tree in the front yard." Whatever is important to you. Make sure you have a very clear idea in your mind exactly what you are looking for, and which items on your Wish List you are willing to give up in order to have something higher on the list.

Clean and activate Chien Gua (Helpful Friends) in your current home to make sure you have the support and assistance of the sellers and real estate agents or rental agents who will be involved in connecting you with your perfect home. Focus on the benefits that your purchase /lease will provide to them, so there is a good flow of positive intention in all directions. In your meditation, feel the pleasure of knowing that your home purchase/rental has helped another family to prosper. Picture everyone involved benefiting and being enriched by the transaction -- physically and emotionally as well as financially.

Another helpful exercise is to make a list of all the things you like and appreciate about where you are living now. Thank your current home for sheltering and supporting you as you prepare for the transition to your perfect home. Visualize someone else moving in after you have moved out, and being supported and enriched by the space.

When you are clear about what you are looking for, ask for it. Literally ask God, the Universe, Spirit, whomever or whatever you commune with, to connect you with your perfect new home. You can write your request on a small piece of paper, and place it on your home altar or in Li (Fame) or Hsun (Fortunate Blessings) guas, both of which have the aspect of being connected with future experiences.

Now relax, knowing that it is all being taken care of for your greatest good. Let go of feeling you have to control the process yourself, and start saying "thank you, thank you, thank you" for the perfect home that you will soon receive.

The more time you can spend in meditation during this looking period, the better. For one thing, it will help you weather the stress of moving more easily. More importantly, it will help you be open to the energy of each home you see while you are looking. Eat a healthy diet, and get enough exercise and sleep. Stress, fatigue, and poor eating habits will block your energy just like clutter in the home blocks the energy of the house. Keep your energy light and open, so you can more easily connect with your perfect space.

As you are house-hunting, compare each possible home to your Wish List, being sure also to pay attention to your body sense of whether or not this is the right home for you. Try not to feel pressured into taking something that is okay but doesn't feel special. We looked at two similar cottages in the same neighborhood recently. One was a little larger, and had a nicer view, but as soon as we drove up my body tensed up, letting me know it didn't want to live there. The other cottage, although smaller, just felt right. If you pay attention to your body sense, you will walk into a certain house one day and know, "This is it!"

Sometimes when we anticipate a move, it's easy to get lazy about keeping the current space clean and well-maintained. Remember that clutter and dirt are both symptoms and causes of stuck energy, and you want to be free to move on to another home. Don't neglect your current home just because you plan to move soon.

I have used this process the last few times I've moved -- three with finding a great rental, and once with purchasing a home. It has worked beautifully for me, and I found the whole transition to be smooth and empowering.

May your perfect new home be filled with love and light,

Stephanie R.

Energy/mood level and feng shui

2009-05-08T09:21:00.003-10:00

Q: Since a big part of feng shui is raising the energy levels of your living space, and since women's energy levels regularly rise and fall with their monthly cycles, are there certain times of the month that are better or worse for practicing feng shui? I'm guessing that since hormones can have such a powerful affect on women's moods, that must affect the power of their intentions too?

A: The best time for anyone, male or female, to do feng shui (i.e., move things around, place remedies/imagery, etc.) is when your energy is high, your mind is clear and undistracted, and your outlook is optimistic and enthusiastic. If your hormonal cycles, or a poor night's sleep, or family/work stress, or whatever, put you physically or emotionally or mentally in a frazzled, low-energy state, it's a good idea to wait until you feel "up to it" to implement feng shui changes.

Ba Gua Mirrors and Your Neighbors

2009-04-10T11:53:00.004-10:00

Two questions have come in asking if a ba gua mirror can be used inside an apartment or in an apartment house hallway, to deflect noise and/or "negative energy" coming from a neighbor's unit.

The short answer is no: hoping that it will help with a bad-neighbor situation doesn't negate the rule that a ba gua mirror should never be used in an interior space. That includes an apartment building hallway. The hallway is outside your apartment, but it's inside the building, and it's a space that you use on a daily basis. Be careful what you put there.

I believe that a ba gua mirror is only used appropriately as protection against inanimate sources of sha chi -- such as a road aimed at your house, or the sharp corner of a neighboring building. Bouncing "behavioral sha chi" (noise, or other inconsiderate behavior) back at your neighbors with any kind of mirror may feel empowering, but I think it's a bad idea. You want to defuse the situation, not add fuel to the fire.

A better solution is to find a way to send positive intentions to those troublesome folks next door -- no matter how irritated or exasperated you may feel. Hang an image that conveys blessings of some kind (whatever religious or spiritual heritage feels right to you) either within your home or above your front door so it faces the neighbors and showers them with good vibes.

If your neighbors often play loud music at night, visualize them making lots of new friends and socializing with those friends at a bar or club... so they make noise in a more appropriate place than next door to you. Feel happy for them that they're having such a good time, and happy for yourself that you now can enjoy some peace and quiet, even before it happens.

Truly aggravating neighbors may prompt you to wish the problem would be solved when they get hit by a bus. If you're tempted to imagine that kind of fate for anyone, try to rise above it. Imagine instead that these irksome pests encounter great good fortune, such as getting a fabulous job offer in another city so their luck literally moves them out of the building to somewhere far away from you.

This will be much better for both of you than focusing on annoyances and frustrations, which is unlikely to result in a pleasant outcome for anyone.

I've had nothing but fabulous neighbors for many years now, and wish the same for all of you.

Stephanie

PS: If it turns out you're the one who gets that irresistible offer to move, be sure to include "wonderful, quiet, considerate neighbors" on your list of what you're looking for in your new home.

Ba Gua or Ba Gua MIrror?

2009-03-21T10:32:00.010-10:00

I've received several questions recently asking about use of the ba gua and/or ba gua mirror, and whether or not it's "bad luck" to have one in the home.

No wonder people are confused. There are many styles of feng shui (some much more superstitious than others) and a lot of conflicting or even misleading information out there. I'm wondering if this tip, which recently appeared in someone else's newsletter, may be why I've been getting ba gua-related questions lately:

"The Bagua is an all-powerful tool to ward off bad energies and poison arrows from your home, and they are expressly created to be hung at the exterior of one's home. Do not under any circumstances hang one inside your house as a form or decoration!"

This tip was accompanied by photos of various ba guas and ba gua mirrors as though they are the same thing. But according to the contemporary style of feng shui that I practice, the advice quoted above applies to ba gua MIRRORS only, not to the ba gua itself.

A ba gua mirror is a round mirror in an octagonal frame. The frame is usually yellow or red, with black and/or green accents, marked with the eight I Ching "trigrams" arranged like this:

The ba gua MIRROR is a powerful tool for deflecting negative energy, and yes, it should only be used outside the home.

BTW: I have occasionally seen octagonal mirrors marketed as "ba gua" mirrors, but they're not. It's the octagonal frame and trigrams that make it a "ba gua mirror." An octagonal mirror is just an eight-sided mirror. While the octagon itself is considered an auspicious shape because it references the ba gua, an octagonal mirror has no special qualities in and of itself.

However, the BA GUA is not the same as a ba gua MIRROR. The ba gua is a representation of the univeral energy qualities of a space, and as such is a HIGHLY AUSPICIOUS object that can be used anywhere in the home. It is particularly good to place in the center of the home as a symbol of good chi and good fortune. This includes a feng shui compass, because the compass includes the trigrams on one of the innermost rings.

The trigrams on the ba gua symbol or compass are in a different arrangement than they appear on the mirror. The ba gua map/symbol/compass shows the trigrams in the later heaven sequence (on the left, below), while a ba gua mirror should have the trigrams in the early heaven sequence (on the right, below).

So, to summarize:

Ba gua MIRROR: a protective remedy used only to deflect NEGATIVE chi, and only outside the home.

Ba gua (no mirror): a positive symbol that can be used INSIDE the home to add POSITIVE energy to your space.

As always, that's my opinion, coming from the contemporary style of feng shui practice. Practitioners from other traditions may disagree.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-26T10:02:00.008-10:00

The Lunar Chinese New Year has arrived, ushering in the Year of the Ox. (Sorry this post was delayed; we had some technical difficulties with the FTP feed.)

If you would like to learn more about Chinese New Year, and how it is celebrated, Wikipedia's page is a good place to start.

Those who want to know what the Year of the Ox might hold in store, will find detailed Chinese Astrological forecasts here. Note that understanding/using this page requires knowledge of Chinese astrological 5-element theory and your personal element strength/weakness.

For a beginner-friendly annual forecast based only on birth year, Suzanne White (author of The New Chinese Astrology) offers 2009 overviews here.

If you are looking for a daily Chinese Almanac for the 2009 Ox year, you will find a
good one (and lots of other info) here.

And there's good 2009 Flying Stars information here. Note that the Flying Stars annual forecasts kick in on the SOLAR New Year (February 4th), not on the Lunar New Year (today).

Please keep in mind that these are all links to other sites' pages. I am not an expert in Chinese Astrology and do not specialize in the traditional Chinese Flying Stars style of feng shui. Should you have questions/concerns about the Flying Stars or other Chinese astrology forecasts for 2009 please consult with the authors of these sites or other experts in these areas of study.

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2009,

Stephanie R.

2008-12-31T12:12:00.002-10:00

As you move forward with New Year goals and action plans, keep in mind that Chinese New Year is arrives with the new moon on January 26th, 2009. These next few weeks are a wonderful opportunity for getting your physical space in order. Here's a reprinted article from a past FFS newsletter with tips on preparing your home for the Lunar New Year.

One of the things I like best about Chinese New Year is that it provides a second chance to catch up on all those things we meant to get done before the Jan. 1 New Year, but didn't quite get to. And, for those who have slipped a little on their New Year's Resolutions, it's an opportunity to refocus.

Traditional Chinese New Year celebrations focus on home and family, and on ensuring that the New Year will bring lots of good luck. Much of this activity centers on thorough house cleaning to clear out old energy and make way for the new. In the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the New Year marks the start of Spring, so it's a good time for "spring cleaning" even if the weather is still wintry in your part of the world.

If you don't have time to clean and de-clutter your entire home before the lunar New Year, concentrate on your kitchen. A clean, food-filled kitchen is the center of family life and a symbol of health and prosperity, so it is especially auspicious for the New Year. Here are some key things you can do:

- Clean out your refrigerator and freezer. Toss anything ancient, mysterious, or "iffy," and refill or replace anything that's less than half-full (such as condiment bottles and jars). Defrost the freezer and get the inside of the fridge sparkling clean.

- Clean off the outside of the refrigerator, too. If your fridge is covered with magnets, photos, take-out menus and grocery lists, clear them all off to create a clean slate (you can put any necessary ones back after the New Year).

- Declutter your pantry shelves, and use or toss anything that's been in there for months. Wipe down the shelves and clean the cabinet doors.

- Clean your oven and stovetop, and replace burner pan liners if they're no longer shiny and new-looking.

- Replace worn and/or grubby oven mitts and dish towels with new ones.

- Get out a broom and thoroughly sweep the kitchen, and then from the kitchen out the nearest door. This symbolically sweeps out the old energy and any lingering not-so-good luck, to make room for better luck to come in with the New Year. On January 26th, make sure your broom is hidden away in a closet out of sight, and don't do any sweeping on that day. This will ensure that all the new luck (especially money luck!) that comes into your home with the New Year stays in the home and is not swept back out.

- Do a big grocery shop a day or two before the New Year, so your fridge and pantry will be filled with bounty when the New Year arrives. Make sure any canisters (flour, sugar, rice, etc.) are full.

- Buy nine of the biggest, most perfect oranges you can find, and place them in a bowl on the kitchen counter or in the center of the kitchen table. Or, on New Year's day, roll the oranges one by one through your front door to symbolize luck coming in to fill your house. Then gather up the oranges and place them in a bowl in your kitchen or living room.

- Prepare some of your family's favorite foods the day before, to serve on New Year's Day. Plan ahead, because using sharp knives on New Year's Day is thought to bring bad luck, instead of good! (This is more superstitious than symbolic, but it does mean you can enjoy a good meal with the prep-work already done.)

If welcoming in greater prosperity is high on your wish list, add these steps to your New Year preparations:

- Pay all your current bills before January 26th this year, and pay off as much as possible of any debts you may have. Even a small additional payment on a credit card bill symbolizes your strong intention to prosper and become debt-free in the New Year.

- A day or so before New Year, stop by the bank or ATM and withdraw an amount of cash that's more than you usually carry around, so you enter the New Year with a fat wallet. If money's tight, fill your wallet with one-dollar bills and your change purse with pennies. Having many pieces of money around for the New Year is more important than how much it adds up to.

- In addition to the nine oranges mentioned above, place more bowls of fruit and nuts around your home and in your office, as symbols of abundance.

- Buy a new red garment and wear it on New Year's Day. You don't have to dress from head to toe in red, so long as you wear something red and new - even a small accessory will do, if that's all you can afford.

Remember that Chinese New Year is a time to celebrate family. Even if you don't bother with any of these preparations, it's a good time to pick up the phone and call your friends and loved ones to let them know they are important to you.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and joyous 2009,
Stephanie R.

Stove-Dishwasher kitchen layout

2008-10-31T11:01:00.002-10:00

Q: In my present home the stove is facing the dishwasher, which I only use a few times a year. It this the same as the sink facing the stove?

A: A dishwasher that you rarely use is much less of an issue than the kitchen sink, even if it is directly across from the stove. Yes, there’s water involved, but when in use that water is not only fully contained (vs. an open sink), but is swirling and swishing around quite vigorously during the wash cycle so there’s an active quality to the energy compared to the more draining effect of a sink.

Stephanie

Should I Move to a Place with Some Feng Shui Challenges?

2008-10-31T10:51:00.003-10:00

Q: I am considering moving into a new place that has some Feng Shui challenges. First, the position of the bathroom is in the Family/Health bagua location. I worry that this would be a problem because I have some minor health problems and a very old sick doggie. I don't want to make things worse. [here a list of other minor issues was edited out--SR]

Do you think there are too many challenges for me to tackle if I decide to move here? I am pretty happy at my present place except for my annoying neighbors upstairs. I would really appreciate your response. I have written to you before and your answers have always been very helpful.

A: If you stay put until you can find a place with fantastic feng shui you will probably never get out of where you are now. Some feng shui issues are more difficult than others, but all of our homes have bathrooms somewhere (hooray for indoor plumbing!), plus all kinds of other stuff going on like poorly placed stairs, inconvenient doors and windows, beams of one kind or another, missing corners where you'd rather have an extension: the list goes on and on and on. EVERY place has feng shui issues of some kind: that's why there are so many different ways to correct, deflect, diffuse, or remedy them all.

If you love the new place in spite of a few feng shui challenges, and feel that you will be happy and comfortable there, go for it and plan to remedy/correct what you can.

Hopes this helps you make a decision you’ll feel comfortable with.

Stephanie R.

Drain in front of Condo

2008-10-31T10:29:00.003-10:00

Q: I have a question about drains. I live in a condo complex and all along the pathway to my apartment there are drains and one of those drain sits in front of my front door. Does this affect the chi coming into my home? And if it does how do I remedy it? Thank you!

A: The drains won’t affect the chi that comes into your home, but they could be “draining off” some energy before it gets to your door. But that doesn't mean it's something that you can or should fix: the drains are not part of your individual unit or under your control, and are providing the very valuable service of keeping the walkway in front of your unit from flooding.

Pooling water in front of your unit would be just as bad (or worse) than a drain that's there for good reason. My advise is to not to worry so much about factors that are beyond your control, and to focus instead on making the feng shui within your unit as good as possible.

Stephanie

Bathroom Across from Entry

2008-10-31T10:18:00.004-10:00

Q: When you enter my flat, there's a center hallway that leads to a bathroom. The bathroom door faces the main door. I do have a feeling this might be causing the financial problems we are facing. Nothing seems to be working out to better our finances or help me find a new job. We'll be really grateful for any cure you can suggest.

A: If your bathroom is directly opposite the door, at the end of a hallway in the center of your home, it is in the Fame/Reputation gua, not your Weatlh or Career areas. That could affect how others perceive you, which would be a factor when applying for a job, for example. While you might wish to address that (suggestions follow), I doubt it's the underlying cause of work/wealth problems. See this post for why I think feng shui bathroom phobia is often an overreaction.

Decorating your bathroom with greens, purples, reds, and some living plants, if possible, will help create a space more “friendly” to the Fire element associated with Fame and reputation.

Keep in mind that chi goes where your attention goes. If you are concerned about the bathroom placement, the first and easiest solution is to keep the door closed or just a little ajar so you don't see into the bathroom when you enter your home. Look for opportunities to place something to attract your attention away from the bathroom as you enter the apartment. For example, if space allows, you might place a console table and attractive floral arrangement (artificial flowers okay) or lamp (on a timer, so it's lit when you come home in the evening) in the foyer, or hang a beautiful tapestry or fabric panel, or an art poster, somewhere along the hallway or even on the bathroom door to catch your eye.

A faceted crystal ball halfway down the hall, or chandelier-style light fixture in the foyer or hall will also help to divert chi from the bathroom.

Although a large mirror is often recommended for the outside of the bathroom door, I would not recommend it in your case because it will visually double the length of the hallway, which will encourage chi to move too quickly in that direction.

Don't forget to examine your wealth and career areas as well: any feng shui problems in those areas will have a more direct impact on your job/money issues than the bathroom.

Hope this helps clarify things for you,
Stephanie R.

Q+A POLICY
The purpose of this Q+A service is to clarify modern feng shui principles and remedies, and to help you make sense of contradictory teachings you’re likely to come across. If you are new to this blog, please read the Q+A Guidelines (see sidebar on left) before sending me a question. Do expect that I will edit your message for clarity and focus, and that it will be several days (often longer) before I post a reply. Keep in mind, too, that you’re getting my personal opinion on the topic. If you ask someone else, you might get a different answer.

Office at the end of the Hallway

2008-10-30T09:31:00.003-10:00

Q: My new office is brightly lit and a corner lcoation, at the end of a long hallway. The office is small and the only way to place the desk is facing the door with my back to a wall that is all window. The location is great for me because I can see all of the comings and goings of the general office, but I understand that such direct chi flow can be overwhelming. I read that a crystal ball is helpful in adjusting this energy. Are there other adjustments that can be made to make this energy positive for my business?

A: What you want to do in a situation such as this is interrupt or deflect some of the incoming chi, so it isn’t such a strong influence. Some chi flow into your office is a good thing, and, as you’ve noticed. there may be advantages to the location (awareness of what’s going on in the larger space). It’s the too much, too fast aspect of the chi that can be overwhelming.

Also, because there’s that large window behind you, all the chi coming in may be moving right on through unless you keep blinds drawn most of the time, and that could drain your energy.

Faceted crystals are an excellent remedy for both aspects of the problem. They diffuse the chi coming down that hallway and scatter it in a multitude of directions. You still benefit from the incoming chi, but it’s now spread out more around the office in a softer way.

Although faceted crystal balls are most often recommended as the feng shui remedy for this type of situation, a Swarovski crystal figurine can be just as effective, and is the more subtle choice for an office location. Place it on your desk between you and the door. If anyone comments on it, you don’t have to get into the feng shui significance: just say “it was a gift,” and leave it at that.

You might also see if you can put a large potted plant (“lifelike” artificial is okay) in front of that large window. I think every office can benefit from the introduction of some 'natural' energy (even if the plant is a silk one), and by creating an interior focal point it will help keep your energy and attention from going out the window.

Wishing you great success in your new office,
Stephanie R.

Watch My Prosperity Mind Movie!

2008-10-06T11:13:00.007-10:00

The Mind Movies Creation Kit is a software package and tutorials that guide you through creating a completely customized slideshow of words (your personal affirmations) and images to illustrate your goals and desires.

In other words, it’s an animated collage of words and images that you create to specifically reflect your wishes and dreams. Those of you who’ve been reading my books and blog for a while know what a huge fan I am of creating a collage to reflect your feng shui goals. Mind Movies are even better, because by including movement and sound (use any song you like for your soundtrack!) it works on even more levels than a paper collage. And, because it’s in video-clip format on your computer, you can watch it anytime you want.

Is that awesome, or what!?

You have total freedom to create whatever word slides you want, and to include any images you want. Then, you set it to the music of your choice and define how you want each slide to look. You have total control over the transition style between slides, as well as pan, zoom, and rotate functions.

The tutorials are extremely detailed and easy to follow and creating a Mind Movie of your own is incredibly quick and easy (so easy, in fact, that I skipped most of the tutorials and didn't have any problems). You can easily spend several happy hours doing your photo research online and tweaking your pan/zoom/rotate settings for each image; that's the only part that takes any time at all and it’s loads of fun. Putting the pieces together into your customized video-clip is a snap!

Once your Mind Movie is done, watch it several times a day and watch how your overall mood and attitude stay bright and positive.

OUR PROSPERITY MIND MOVIE

Although I highly recommend making a “Feng Shui Mind Movie” that covers your hopes and objectives for all the areas of the ba gua (I’m creating one for myself), you can do whatever you want with the program.

With all the economic doom-and-gloom in the media the past few weeks, my husband and I have found it a little challenging lately to keep our thoughts, attitudes, and expectations about money matters and future income as optimistic as we like them to be. So, we decided to make a short Prosperity Mind Movie that we can watch any time we feel a need to boost our “money vibe.”

We had a blast putting it together, and every time we get another “oh no, the country's heading for a recession” email, or see scary financial headlines in the papers, we click on our Prosperity Mind Movie and in less than two minutes are smiling and feeling great about our financial future.

In fact, ever since we made a first rough-cut of this Mind Movie last week, our online sales -- which had taken a bit of a hit when all the financial “bad news” started dominating the headlines -- bounced right back up and have stayed strong. How great is that!

We’ve posted our Prosperity Mind Movie on our AllAboutProsperity website, so you can watch it here:

To find out more about making a Mind Movie of your own click here, to watch a video interview with program creator Ryan Higgins.

TIP #1: Your Mind Movie will be even more powerful if you include pictures of yourself in it. (Ours does, but not in the version you’re seeing. My husband is a very private person, and wanted to keep the version with our pictures in just for ourselves.)

TIP #2: Pick peppy, happy, upbeat music for your Mind Movie soundtrack. We’ve used one of Jason Castro’s goofier performances from last year’s American Idol competition for our Prosperity Mind Movie, because it makes us smile and feel good every time we hear it. What’s your favorite feel-good song?

And remember that you can make a Mind Movie on any theme you want. Next, we’re going to make one for the house we’d like to buy next year...

Watch my Prosperity Mind Move here:
… then make one of your own!

I hope you have as much fun -- and as much success with -- your Mind Movies as we've had creating ours.

Unpleasant Co-Worker

2008-10-02T15:02:00.007-10:00

Q: I just started a new job. The lady at the desk across from me and I don’t get along, don’t speak and the energy from her is horrible. What do I put on my desk between us to deflect her negative vibes from me?

A: Sorry to hear you're having to deal with a difficult colleague in your new job. Once again, we're looking at the issue of deflecting negative chi of some kind, and once again the remedy is a faceted crystal. These crystals act like a prism to refract light (and therefore chi) from a specific source, thus diffusing the influence. Most often, a faceted crystal ball is suspended from the ceiling: to put one on your desk you can either use a stand for the crystal or use a crystal figurine instead.

That’s the “by the book” approach, but there’s something important I want to add. I truly believe that there’s a risk, in taking any steps of this kind, that your intention to “protect myself from her negative vibe” only reinforces the adversarial energy. I don’t mean you shouldn’t use a crystal if you’d like to, but do make an effort as well to shift your expectations of the relationship. If you place a crystal on your desk for protection, that’s a pretty powerful way of saying “I don’t expect things to get better, and they might get worse, I’d better put this here so I’m safe from all that awful chi over there.”

A more enlightened approach is to counteract an unpleasant vibe with a more powerful positive influence from your side of the room. I’m particularly fond of a smiling and compassionate Buddha image for this. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I’ve used a postcard in a cheap plastic frame over the inside of my front door (in several different homes) for over 15 years now, with the intention that it beam down blessings on all who enter: it looks nice and I feel happy whenever I see it.

Which is what you really want, right? You’re asking for help because you want to feel happy at work. Very probably your unpleasant co-worker is prickly because she’s not happy either. So wishing her happiness will improve things for both of you.

BTW: although I’m a big fan of smiling Buddhas, it’s possible that religious imagery of any kind might be a no-no in your workplace. If that’s the case use a more neutral image such as an angel or smiling sun face. Whatever you choose, I do suggest that you find some way to beam a lot of good vibes in your coworker's direction. If it’s not easy to do that yet yourself, then find a happy, smiling image to shower her with blessings on your behalf.

Be especially vigilant in your attempts to notice and appreciate even tiny improvements in her behavior, so you can have a moment of gratitude for the shift for the better.

You may also find this post helpful.

Wishing you success in your new job,
Stephanie R.

Q+A POLICY
The purpose of this Q+A service is to clarify modern feng shui principles and remedies, and to help you make sense of contradictory teachings you’re likely to come across. If you are new to this blog, please read the Q+A Guidelines (see sidebar on left) before sending me a question. Do expect that I will edit your message for clarity and focus, and that it will be several days (often longer) before I post a reply. Keep in mind, too, that you’re getting my personal opinion on the topic. If you ask someone else, you might get a different answer.

Workspace near the bathroom

2008-10-02T14:53:00.003-10:00

Q: I work at home, and the door to the room my workspace is in is directly across from the bathroom door. Lately my finances are suffering, so I want to do something to correct this. My plan is to:
1) put red/earth carpet at the entrance to the bathroom
2) place a bowl of pebbles on the top of the toilet
3) install Japanese half-curtains on my doors, like the ones in Japanese restaurants, that you bend down to duck under when you enter
4) hang a large mirror on the bathroom door (as is often suggested) to deflect any good chi from going into the bathroom.

I’m concerned, though, that the mirror will also reflect my work area. Will this do more harm than good?

A: Sorry to stick a pin in the balloon of your feng shui plans, but I think most of these ideas are misguided. It’s important to keep in mind that most common “bathroom cures” are designed to counteract a poorly located bathroom, such as a bathroom in the wealth or marriage area. But that’s not the issue here. You’re concerned because the door to your workspace faces the bathroom door.

If you are concerned that “money chi” is somehow flowing from your work area out the door and across the hall and down the bathroom drains (as alarmist bathroom-phobes might say will happen), adding earth chi to the bathroom isn’t going to fix that.

Same is true if you are worried that nasty chi from the bathroom is seeping out across the hall and polluting your work area (another theory that I don’t buy into). A bowl of pebbles on top of the toilet isn’t going to affect that, either. Yes, according to the cycles of the elements, earth “controls” water… but the strong water chi of the bathroom is not the problem here, so you don’t need to fix it.

Where proximity is the concern the remedy is to interrupt whatever funky influence you suspect may be coming (or going) from across the hall. The best way to do this is to hang a faceted crystal ball either outside the bathroom door or midway between your desk and the bathroom. You might also place a large houseplant beside your desk on the side that’s nearest the door.

The Japanese half-curtain does create a barrier between the two spaces, which is a fine concept: but the bathroom already has a door you can keep closed, right? So the curtain goes where, on the door to your workspace? Think about this for a minute: what kind of situation are you setting up for yourself if you have to bend over and duck under an obstacle each time you enter your work area? Is that kind of movement pattern likely to make your work life or financial situation any easier? I doubt it.

As for the mirror, yes these are frequently recommended for the outside of the bathroom door, if the bathroom location is a problem. It’s not quite accurate, though, to say that the mirror is there to “delfect good chi” from getting into the bathroom area. (BTW, I disagree with the entire concept that “good chi” from your room across the hall is going to wander over to the bathroom and get flushed away.) What the mirror does is symbolically “erase” the bathroom space: when you look at the mirror you see in the reflection a space that is not the bathroom. The mirror is there to disguise the bathroom, not to deflect good chi.

If the mirror reflects your desk, then yes, it could be “moving” your desk into the bathroom, and that’s the opposite of what you want to do. Something else to keep in mind is that if the mirror reflects your desk it could symbolically be doubling your workload. Whether or not that’s a good thing or a bad thing is for you to decide. Perhaps twice the client load or twice the billable hours will be a dream come true for you. Or maybe you already feel overextended and any more work will overwhelm you.

What this all boils down to is that it appears you have collected a hodgepodge of generic bathroom cures from a variety of sources and traditions without really focusing in on what exactly the issue is in your situation, so you can choose strategies that are appropriate for the underlying problem.

Personally, I suspect the situation is a “no big deal” at best. The idea that bathrooms are sinkholes of pestilence dates from pre-industrial times long before the introduction of indoor plumbing, flush toilets and, more to the point, Lysol. Our modern bathrooms—if we keep them clean—are just not that nasty an influence. (Yes, the draining influence of the plumbing can be a concern, but again, that's not the issue here.)

I think it’s far more likely that you are being affected by a poor desk position within your work room and that the location of the bathroom across the hall has little to do with it.

Hope this helps you re-think your plans toward a more targeted solution,

Stephanie R.

Q+A POLICY
The purpose of this Q+A service is to clarify modern feng shui principles and remedies, and to help you make sense of contradictory teachings you’re likely to come across. If you are new to this blog, please read the Q+A Guidelines (see sidebar on left) before sending me a question. Do expect that I will edit your message for clarity and focus, and that it will be several days (often longer) before I post a reply. Keep in mind, too, that you’re getting my personal opinion on the topic. If you ask someone else, you might get a different answer.

Office bookcase location

2008-10-02T14:46:00.001-10:00

Q: I am moving to a new office and my bookcase will go with me. My desk will face the door. Should the bookcase be on the wall beside the door where it will face me, or should it be behind me where I won't see it while working? These are the only available locations for the bookcase. I do have constant reference to the bookcase.

A: If you need to access the bookcase frequently throughout the day then surely it would be more convenient to have it behind you, where those items are within reach. Inconvenient furniture arrangements are not good feng shui.

However, it's also not good feng shui to have anything but a solid wall behind you at your desk, so it would be a good idea to sit in a cushy "executive" style chair with a high back, so the padded back of the chair is a buffer between you and the shelves.

You'll want to take the overall size of your office into account. Top priority should be given to placing your desk so you have ample room to move around behind it and to sit there without feeling hampered or cramped. You may have to try it out to be sure: if your chair bumps into the bookcase every time you get up or pull the chair out to sit down, the space there is too small and the bookcase should go beside the door.

Wishing you success in your new office,

Stephanie

Q+A POLICY
The purpose of this Q+A service is to clarify modern feng shui principles and remedies, and to help you make sense of contradictory teachings you’re likely to come across. If you are new to this blog, please read the Q+A Guidelines (see sidebar on left) before sending me a question. Do expect that I will edit your message for clarity and focus, and that it will be several days (often longer) before I post a reply. Keep in mind, too, that you’re getting my personal opinion on the topic. If you ask someone else, you might get a different answer.

Closing off space for bathroom remodel

2008-10-02T14:41:00.002-10:00

Q: We are currently remodeling the bathroom of our Victorian house. My husband wants to close off a door to a closet with drywall in order to create new wall space in our too small bathroom. This would mean that there would be an empty space in the center of our home that is completely walled off. Imagine We do have plans to eventually open up that space into another room, but that could be a year or more in the future. In the meantime I am worried that closing off this space this could have some negative effects. I would be so thankful to have your input on this. I have not been able to find an answer for this after many months of searching.

A: In feng shui terms, closing off an area in the center of your home is a truly terrible idea. My advice: don’t do it.

Surely you can put up with the minor inconvenience of not enough wall space in the bathroom until you are ready to do more complete renovations? Closing off the bathroom access to that space at the same time as you open it on another side isn’t going to cause any problems.

Hope this helps you and your husband reach agreement on an approach,
Stephanie R.

C-Shaped Apartment Layout

2008-09-29T12:50:00.005-10:00

Q: Dear Stephanie, I came across your site and was delighted to find a simple yet easy to use Feng Shui. I then bought your ebook and find it very down to earth and useful for me. However since we've moved to a new flat, with an irregular C shape, I cannot make up my mind on how to position the ba gua.

The front door of our flat is in the top side of the "C", so if I align the ba gua with the front door I will only cover the top section of the C (which contains the hall, kitchen and living room) but it leaves out the rest of the flat (2 bedrooms, a corridor, a toilet, and a bathroom).

I hope you can help cleari my confusion on how to position the ba gua, because I really want to decorate our new flat according to Feng Shui. One of my goals is to have a baby. In addition to activating the dui area of our bedroom, I would like to do something in the tai chi area as well, but am not sure how to do that because I’m not sure where that is.

A: Although I greatly prefer to use the modern “doorway” approach to the ba gua (as detailed here), it does get trickier the farther a layout strays from the tidy rectangular structures for which the modern ba gua works best. There are three ways to approach an odd-shaped layout like this:

1) Toss out the doorway ba gua and use the compass directions instead.
2) Apply the ba gua to that part of the home that lies “ahead” of the doorway as you enter (that would be just the top section of your "C"). Yes, that does leave a big area of the home “outside” the ba gua. You can see those areas as a kind of extension of the Knowledge, Career, and Helpful Friends areas, but it is literally quite a stretch to do so.
3) Don’t worry about trying to contort the ba gua sufficiently to get it stretched over your home, and focus instead on the ba guas for each room in the apartment.

If you’re wondering what I’d do, pick option 3.

When dealing with very irregular shapes such as this one, it’s a good idea to set the ba gua aside (at least temporarily) and take a look at the shape as a whole. You’ve already done that by describing it as a “C” shape, which it is.

Activating the tai chi is going to be difficult, because you don’t have one. It’s in that big empty space in the middle of your C layout, regardless of what you decide to do with the rest of the ba gua. The tai chi is the center, and this apartment doesn’t have a physical one (unless you are on the ground floor and have exclusive use of a garden or courtyard in that area, which is probably not the case). You can’t do anything about that. It is what it is. You do, of course, still have a tai chi for each of the rooms in the homes, and you can if you like designate one particular space (such as the living room) as the emotional center of the home even though the physical center is missing.

The best advice I can give you is resist the temptation to view this layout as a problem. Yes, it’s unusual. Yes, it does make working with the ba gua a bit of a challenge. But why not decide that this unique and unusual home is the perfect place for you to conceive (and birth, and raise) a child? Hey, look at that: conceive and child both start with the letter “C”. What a happy coincidence… I think we could even call that a synchronicity.

I suggest that you get a nice big piece of poster board, and in great big letters in the middle of it, put the phrase “C is for CHILD!” Surround that phrase with pictures of mothers and babies. Or, if you make the letters really big, you could make each letter a mini-collage of pictures of pregnant women and of mamas (and daddies) and their happy, healthy, charming children.

Frame your collage and put it either in the room that will be the baby’s (if you’ve got one), or on the wall wherever the baby’s crib/bassinet will go if bambino will be sharing your bedroom for a while. Spend a few minutes each day looking at your imagery (first thing in the morning or last thing at night are the best times) and feel how wonderful it will be when you are holding your child in your arms in your C-shaped apartment.

Although I like having a physical collage hanging on a wall somewhere in the home, I've recently discovered a new technology which you may enjoy. It's called MIND MOVIES (click on the banner on the right at the top of this page for details: it's a software package that makes it really quick and easy to create an inspiration slideshow of any words and imagery that addresses your dreams and desires). My husband and I have already made 3 Mind Movies (I'll post a link to a sample in the upcoming email newsletter) and are having so much fun with it. I think a Mind Move would be a phenomenal asset to you in your quest to have a baby, so if you make one be sure to let me know how it works out!

Wishing you a joyful motherhood, and much happiness in your new home,
Stephanie R.

2008-09-29T12:24:00.002-10:00

Q. Our master bathroom is on the second floor above the kitchen, and our sink is directly above the stove. Is that a problem? Is it “fixed” because I have a microwave and a wood cabinet above the stove and other wood cabinets that cover the complete length of the kitchen?

A: Yes, it’s a problem (water-fire conflict, especially since water is overhead and likes to run downhill). Fortunately, having the sink above the stove is less serious a problem than when the toilet is directly above the stove.

And no, your wooden cabinets are not fixing this. The cabinets do create a bit of a buffer, which is better than nothing, but they don’t correct the problem.
Just because wooden furniture is made out of wood, that doesn't mean it represents the wood element. I know some people say it does, but I strongly disagree on that point. For one thing, any kind of furniture made from wood has no living wood chi left in it, and when we want to add "wood-type cures" to a space what we're looking for is that natural vitality of plants and tress. Keep in mind, too, that wooden kitchen cabinets are brown and rectangular which means they have “earth-type” color and shape.

When a bathroom is in a tricky position, such as over the kitchen , the recommended remedies are to:
1) Hang a faceted crystal ball in the center of the kitchen
2) In the bathroom, place a three- or six-inch round mirror on the ceiling directly above the toilet to visually reverse the downward flow of water (use double-sided tape to hold the mirror in place)
3) Place earth-type objects in the corners of the bathroom to stabilize the energy
4) Add an image such as a bird or tree to the downstairs area below the bathroom to help lift the energy there. For example, perhaps you can file a decorative tile with a bird or tree motif that could hang on the wall between the stove-top and the cabinet.

Thank you for your advice. I’ve enjoyed your books and web sites very much.

You’re very welcome, it’s my pleasure to help,
Stephanie R.

Q+A POLICY
The purpose of this Q+A service is to clarify modern feng shui principles and remedies, and to help you make sense of contradictory teachings you’re likely to come across. If you are new to this blog, please read the Q+A Guidelines (see sidebar on left) before sending me a question. Do expect that I will edit your message for clarity and focus, and that it will be several days (often longer) before I post a reply. Keep in mind, too, that you’re getting my personal opinion on the topic. If you ask someone else, you might get a different answer.

Angled Front Door

2008-09-29T12:11:00.002-10:00

Q. Our front door is on an angle at the left corner of the house. Where do we place the bagua: at the angled front door entrance or at the front path step that leads to the porch?

A: The ba gua is always determined by the door, not a path, step, or porch. But when the entry is on a corner angle, you also have to look at what side of the house is the “front.” Unless you are on a corner lot (as discussed here), that’s probably fairly obvious based on the relationship between the house and your street. You might find my discussion of a single room with angled entry, here, helpful as well.

Q (con’td): As you enter our front door and walk into a large entry hall, on the immediate right is our dining room. The dining room has 3 large arched entrances with one into the kitchen and the stove is clearly visible as you come in. I believe the kitchen view of the stove from the front entrance is a problem. Is that correct?

A: Not if the kitchen and stove are off to the right when you come in. A stove visible from the front door is only a problem if it’s directly ahead of you when you step through the door, and if you stand with your back to that door when cooking. Because your door is on an angle, you don’t have that layout. If you want to remedy this anyway, a faceted crystal in the kitchen archway will interrrupt the flow of chi between door and stove.

Hope that clears things up,
Stephanie R.

Plumbing in the Wealth Corner

2008-09-29T12:06:00.001-10:00

Q: My washer & dryer are in a closet in the wealth corner of the first floor of my house. I heard that plumbing in the wealth corner is not good. Do you agree? If so, is there a cure for this?

A: Please read the article here:
(Plumbing “remedies” apply to laundry room, too.)
And the blog post here:

Everyone, this is why I respectfully request that you do your feng shui homework before sending me your questions. Basic stuff has all been addressed elsewhere, either on my site or someone else’s, and certainly it’s all covered in books and classes. The more questions like this I get, the less time I have to answer the juicy ones.

Just a hint,
Stephanie R.