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July 20, 2006 Fast Feng Shui Newsletter In
this issue:
Balance
and Harmony in Feng Shui Wind chimes have been on my mind a lot lately. That's because our next-door neighbors have several very large wind chimes hung by their front door, which is on the side of their property nearest to us. Our houses are close together, and it's windy here, especially on summer afternoons. The wind chimes have been chiming so loudly and continuously it's been starting to drive us nuts. The first rule of wind chimes is that you should find the sound of the chime pleasing. The second rule is that the wind chime should not be so big (larger chimes are louder) or hung in a location where it will interrupt your own sleep at night or annoy your neighbors at any time. Now, I am very fond of wind chimes when used appropriately. But in feng shui, more and bigger is not always better. The size of your cure - whether it be a wind chime or anything else - should be appropriate to the location where it is being placed. And as soon as the summer trade winds kicked in here, I took down the wind chime that was hanging by my own front door, because it was just too noisy in that location. (Our previous home was in a more sheltered spot, where I was able to hang several wind chimes and leave them up year 'round.) Pleasing sounds can be effective feng shui remedies, but annoying noises are a feng shui problem. From a feng shui perspective, our neighbors' wind chimes were not only too many but also far too large for that spot. Instead of an occasional harmonious chime, their wind chimes have been so clamorous and continuous that the effect has been agitating (rather than gently activating) the chi around their doorway -- and throughout that whole side of our house. I hesitated to say anything to my neighbors about this. It's not my job to correct their "cures" unless they ask for my advice… but as the neighbor being intruded upon by their wind chime noise, I knew I'd have to bring it up soon. As it turned out, I didn't have to say anything; apparently the wind chimes were too loud for our neighbors as well, because the other day they tied a bandana tightly around each set of chimes to keep them from sounding. Even on the windiest afternoons, all we hear now is a muffled clinking. So the noise problem has been solved. I'm going to remain alert for an opportunity to bring feng shui up in conversation with my neighbors, though, just in case they might like some advice. Here's a hint: if your wind chimes are so noisy that you have to tie a scarf around them to keep them from sounding, they are too big for the job, or are hung in the wrong place, or you have too many of them… or all of the above. Find a less windy spot for them or, if they are not too large, use them inside where they will chime less often. The nice thing about feng shui is that there are always alternatives to any cure. I don't know if our neighbors are trying to deflect sha chi, attract more energy to the house, or just heard "it's good to have wind chimes by the door" and went too far with it. If I get a chance to ask what their intention was, I'll provide some suggestions for less intrusive remedies. Faceted crystals, a ba gua mirror, a flag, or a large potted plant might all be useful… and more appropriate for the windy side of the house, where multiple large wind chimes are too much of a good thing.
Recommended Resources
Feng
Shui Q+A Q+A Policy: If you are a new subscriber, I recommend reviewing past Q+A sections in the newsletter archives before emailing me, to get a sense of what kinds of questions are appropriate. You may even find that your question has already been answered. Last but not least, please be aware that many others are also hoping for some of my time, and that asking multiple questions limits my ability to respond to everyone equitably. Due to the high volume of email I receive, I am often unable to respond promptly; please be patient while awaiting a reply. --------------------------------------- (Questions have been edited for clarity and length, and identifying details have been changed..) Q: : "In one of the Feng Shui books I read
(by Lillian Too), I learned that if you live in the ninth floor or higher
in a high rise apartment, your balcony or largest window becomes the
'front door.' Does this apply to the Black Sect Feng Shui also? Should
I use my balcony access as my front door?" What Lillian Too is talking about is the "Facing Direction," not the front door. These are two different things, although in many cases they are on the same side of the house. Think of a typical suburban neighborhood:
Here the "front" of the house (facing direction) is the street side, and the "back" of the house is the back yard. The front door is also on the street side. So for these houses, the front door and the facing direction are the same. Now picture a lakefront house that is positioned between the street and the lake shore, with the entry on the street side. You drive up to the house, go in the "front door" then walk through the house and bam!... on the opposite side of the house from the front door is the gorgeous lake view. Usually in a house like this, the living room, deck, etc., are on the lake side, to take advantage of the lovely view, and they have great big picture windows, sliding glass doors, etc.
So in this case the "facing direction" is the lake side of the house... it's where the view, the living room, the sunlight, the big windows are. But the "front door" is still the front door. Here, the front door and facing direction are on opposite sides of the house. For an apartment -- especially a higher floor that gets more light and air (compared to, say, the 2nd floor, which is usually rather dark due to surrounding buildings) -- you often have a similar situation. You enter the apartment from the interior hallway, but the bigger, brighter, airier rooms are on the street side, to take advantage of view/balcony, etc. So again, the facing direction is different from the front door location. The "ninth floor or higher" statement is misleading. It will depend on the building, the location and surrounding buildings, the apartment layout, where the apartment is within the building, etc. You can't use a general rule for this; there are too many variables. Anyway, the facing direction is a compass method thing. It doesn't matter where your facing direction is for the contemporary, "BTB"-influenced feng shui methods. When I talk about the "front door," I am referring to the entry that the architect intended to be the primary access point to the house. It's the place where you step from the public world into your private home. The balcony may be your facing direction, but the front door is where it is, regardless of what floor your apartment is on or whether or not you have a balcony.
Clutter
Clearing Tip FAMILY MEMENTOS Family mementos are very tricky, because they carry so much emotional history, and they can take up a lot of space. Clutter clearing doesn't mean you have to get rid of them all. It means being thoughtful about what you are keeping, and why. The most important thing is that you go through each of those boxes and see what's in there. Maybe you will end up getting rid of 80% of it; maybe you'll end up keeping 90%. How much you decide to keep is less important than the process of deciding -- which is the only way to ensure that everything in your home (and in all those boxes) is still there for a reason. This process might not be speedy! Take lots of breaks, and pamper yourself. Drink lots of water. For each hour spent sorting, or for each box you clear, reward yourself with something you enjoy... an evening stroll around the neighborhood, or a half-hour in the garden. The more challenging the clutter task, the more important it is to have a reward or incentive in mind. "When I came across things that had belonged
to my parents and grandparents, I almost cried. I closed the cupboard
doors and took a much needed break, a cup of tea and an apple and a
little talk with myself did the trick. I may not have my loved ones
with me any more but I do have many wonderful memories. No one can take
those from me.....ever, and I really don't need "things" to remind me
of those who have passed on. Sometimes mental pictures can bring smiles
and even out loud laughs that only you can enjoy because your memories
are private and no one can take them from you."
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A hui ho! (until next time),
Feng
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(c)
2006 Stephanie Roberts. All rights reserved.
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