Feng shui tips

Cures are used to activate chi (positive energy) and deflect sha (negative energy).

Be aware of how chi enters and circulates in your home, if you have large windows the chi may be entering the room too quickly, use curtains and blinds or crystals to slow the chi down. If your windows are tall and narrow, try dressing around the window or just drape at the top to allow enough chi in. If you have a long hallway from the front to back of the house, place wind chimes half way along to calm the chi. Chi stagnates in corners, place plants, mirrors, lamps or fresh cut flowers here, to keep the chi moving.

Sha comes from outside influences, buildings taller than your home, pointing in, create sha, busy roads pointing towards a window, create sha, telegraph poles, electric cables, bad neighbours, railway lines, flight paths, stagnant water and even very large trees can create sha. Having said all that, a few, well placed mirrors, facing out of your windows can deflect most things. Shiny door knobs also act as mirrors as do highly glazed or metallic decorative balls, placed in the garden. Wind chimes hanging in a tree can help, also garden lighting, as well as being decorative, provides protection.

Feng Shui is extremely personal and should be different in each individual's home. Your space should never feel like your friends or neighbours space and vice versa. Your home and office should support and uplift your goals and desires.

Clear your clutter! - define what 'clutter' is; don't throw away precious memories, display them in areas where they belong. Do get rid of things you may have collected from boot sales or flea markets, especially if they are worn or broken (or finally get round to repairing/transforming them into stunning objects d'art!) Get friends, family or anyone else to help clear your clutter if you have problems letting go! Try to tackle one area at a time, work on that area until you are happy, then move on to another area.

When I refer to the ‘home office’, I realise many people have their home office within another room, usually a dining room or spare bedroom, if this is the case use a screen to hide the desk when you are using the room for its specified purpose. Never have the office in your main bedroom.
If you do actually work from home, change the name of the room - always refer to this room as your workroom or office. Hang a bagua mirror above the door to signify that it’s not part of the home but where you work.

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lucky bamboo

money tree

The five elements

You can find your personal element and kua number here

Feng shui uses the same 5 elements as in traditional Chinese horoscopes. The 5 elements are EARTH, FIRE, WATER, WOOD, and METAL.
There are 3 elemental cycles that determine how the elements work together in your space, the productive, reductive, and destructive cycle.

Productive Cycle - should be used to enhance a lucky direction:

Fire nourishes & feeds Earth
Earth produces Metal
Metal stirs Water
Water feeds Wood
Wood strengthens Fire

Reductive Cycle - should be used to calm an unlucky direction:

Fire burns Wood
Wood sucks up Water
Water rusts Metal
Metal reduces Earth
Earth weakens Fire

Destructive Cycle - only to be used in extreme circumstances:

Fire melts Metal
Metal chops Wood
Wood breaks up Earth
Earth blocks Water
Water extinguishes Fire

Each one of these elements is associated with an area or areas of the Bagua:

Water North, Career Area

Earth Southwest, Relationship Area
Northeast, Knowledge Area

Wood East, Health & Family Area
Southeast, Wealth Area

Metal Northwest, Home & Helpful People Area
West, Children & Creativity Area

Fire South, Fame & Reputation Area

FIRE - Colour; reds, oranges and purples. Shape; triangle. Material; candles, lamps and plastic.

EARTH - Colour; rusty reds, browns and yellows. Shape; low, long rectangle. Material; clay, pottery or soil.

METAL - Colour; whites, gold and silver. Shape; round. Material; metal.

WATER - Colour; deep blues and black. Shape; irregular or wavy. Material; glass or fabric.

WOOD - Colour; greens and turquoises. Shape; tall, thin rectangles. Material; wood, paper and plants.

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