Fast Feng Shui Blog
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May 08, 2009
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Energy/mood level and feng shui |
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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.Labels: Feng Shui Q+A, health
posted by Stephanie R. #
5/08/2009 09:21:00 AM
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April 10, 2009
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Ba Gua Mirrors and Your Neighbors |
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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.Labels: ba gua, mirrors, noisy neighbors
posted by Stephanie R. #
4/10/2009 11:53:00 AM
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March 21, 2009
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Ba Gua or Ba Gua MIrror? |
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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.
Labels: ba gua, mirrors
posted by Stephanie R. #
3/21/2009 10:32:00 AM
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January 26, 2009
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Happy New Year! |
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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.Labels: 2009 Year of Ox, Chinese New Year
posted by Stephanie R. #
1/26/2009 10:02:00 AM
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December 31, 2008
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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.Labels: Chinese New Year
posted by Stephanie R. #
12/31/2008 12:12:00 PM
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October 31, 2008
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Stove-Dishwasher kitchen layout |
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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.
StephanieLabels: Feng Shui Q+A, Kitchens
posted by Stephanie R. #
10/31/2008 11:01:00 AM
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Should I Move to a Place with Some Feng Shui Challenges? |
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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.Labels: Feng Shui Q+A, moving
posted by Stephanie R. #
10/31/2008 10:51:00 AM
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Drain in front of Condo |
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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.
StephanieLabels: doors, Feng Shui Q+A
posted by Stephanie R. #
10/31/2008 10:29:00 AM
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Bathroom Across from Entry |
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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.Labels: bathroom, crystals, doors, Feng Shui Q+A, mirrors, prosperity
posted by Stephanie R. #
10/31/2008 10:18:00 AM
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October 30, 2008
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Office at the end of the Hallway |
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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.Labels: chi flow, crystals, Feng Shui Q+A, office
posted by Stephanie R. #
10/30/2008 09:31:00 AM
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