Something in my neighbor's yard smells
wonderful these days. I don't mean he's been cooking up yummy stuff
on the grill -- although when he does, that smells good too. This smell
is of flowers. I can't see whatever's in bloom over there, and don't
know what it is, but each afternoon at twilight there's a moment when
the air all around us suddenly smells like flowers. It's a rich, sweet,
almost intoxicating aroma that drifts through our yard and in our living
room window. It's impossible to ignore, and it's filling our home with
enchanting and uplifting chi every night.
Good smells are, by definition, good feng shui. Bad smells, which are
often caused by rot, mold, fungus, mildew, or some other form of contamination
or decay, are a sign of unhealthy chi and should be investigated. If
there's a funky smell in that cabinet under the sink, check it out.
Perhaps there's a leak down there that should be fixed, or maybe your
garbage bin needs a good scrub-out. Bugs and vermin are other culprits
in the funky smell department, and are equally guilty of indicating
decaying or unhealthy chi. Put out some roach traps or call in an exterminator
to get rid of the source of the problem.
The problem with funky smells is that getting rid of them at the source
is often difficult, unpleasant, or both. It's easier to reach for that
can of air-freshener. In fact, if you watch HGTV (a cable home and garden
channel) as much as I do, you'll get the impression that we are a nation
addicted to air-fresheners. It seems like there's at least one featured
during every commercial break. And the problem with air-fresheners is
that they aren't fresh; they're chemical concoctions laced with artificial
fragrance.
Several years go I checked into a hotel room that displayed a placard
on the desk proudly announcing that they were now using Febreeze to
give their guest rooms a "clean, fresh scent." What I noticed when I
walked into the room was a nasty artificial "fragrance" that bore no
resemblance whatsoever to fresh air, and that gave me a headache within
60 seconds. Fortunately, the hotel was in a wooded suburban area, and
I was able to open a window and air out the room with real fresh air.
Headache-inducing artificial fragrances are not good feng shui any more
than mildew, mold, or mouse droppings are. If you keep your home clean
and well-maintained, you shouldn't have to cloud the air with chemical
fragrances. If you are concerned about the air quality in your home,
invest in an air filtration system
instead of spending your money on chemical cover-ups. And if you can
afford a nice bouquet of fragrant flowers from time to time, indulge
yourself!
Speaking of flowers... Mother's Day is coming up next Sunday, May 8
(here in the U.S., anyway). If you're ordering an arrangement for Mother's
Day, ask your florist to be sure to include some fragrant flowers in
the bouquet, so you can gift Mom with the positive chi of a naturally
beautiful aroma for her home.
Announcements
APRIL GIVE-AWAY WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of our April
Give-way. Lyn in British Columbia, Canada, Glenda in New South
Wales, Australia, and Gloria in Hawaii, each receive a free copy
of our "Fast
Feng Shui for Prosperity" ebook. Watch for a new give-away
in our next issue.
Feng
Shui Q+A
(Most questions will have been edited for clarity
and length, and any identifying details have been changed. Please note
that due to the high volume of email I receive, it is no longer possible
for me to respond to every question personally. I still welcome your
questions, and if I cannot provide a personal response I will try to
address your issue in a future Q+A column.)
Q:: My bathroom is in the southwest corner
of my bedroom. I have resigned myself to not using that toilet and always
keeping the seat down. However, I have read that if you put a mirror
on the door, it will make the toilet disappear. The problem is that
if I put a mirror on the outside of the door, it would be facing my
bed, and I know you are not supposed to have mirrors in your bedroom,
especially not facing the bed. What can I do about this?
A: First of all, I am not convinced that your bathroom location
is a problem. The bathroom is a separate room; it's not part of the
bedroom, and the fact that it is SW relative to the bedroom doesn't
mean it's in a bad location overall.
Second, you don't have to stop using a bathroom just because you are
concerned about what gua it is in. Any feng shui solution that is awkward
and inconvenient is not good feng shui! The feng shui "rules" are guidelines,
not commandments, and must be interpreted within the context of your
specific home.
Third, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" is excellent advice in feng
shui matters as well as in other areas of life. Don't rush to use feng
shui cures if you aren't sure they are needed. However, if your bathroom
is in the SW corner of the entire house, and you feel it is having a
negative effect on your relationship(s), you may want to counteract
the draining energy and excessive water chi in some ways
A mirror on the outside of the bathroom door is one way to do this.
If you are concerned because the mirror faces the bed, install a "door
panel" style sheer curtain (gathered on rods at both top and bottom)
on the door and pull it across the mirror at night.
Do you know that the average person spends 90%
of their time indoors where the air may be 5 to 100 times more polluted
than outside air? The House of Representatives and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) both say that Indoor Air Pollution is the number
one health problem in America! Air quality is important and has a direct
impact on the quality of chi in your home. Breathing is basic
to life, and improving the quality of the air you breathe in will in
itself do much to improve the quality of your health and your life.
Air purifiers can dramatically increase the air quality in your home,
car, and office, by removing airborne pollutants such as dust, pollen,
smoke, allergens, germs, chemicals, and dander. Check out our selection
of high-quality air purifiers and ionizers offered by our partners at
our Air
Purifiers page.
Your click, along with others' today, improves the lives of more than 1,000 children. Each click helps prevent life-threatening diseases, restore vision to blind children, and enable child amputees to walk.
You don't pay a penny. Sponsors will pay for the services your
click provides.
In 2004, visitor clicks funded basic, critical
health services for more than 461,000 children around the world. The
number of children helped depends on the number of people who visit
The Child Health Site. Please
click every day, and encourage your friends and family to do the
same.
Softcover editions of "Fast Feng Shui" and "Fast
Feng Shui for Prosperity" are now available in AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND
through Fast Trak Direct Pty. Ltd.
Order your copies today by calling Fast Trak Direct at: 3 5255 3073
(Wallington, VIC) Please note that Fast Track can only ship to Australia/New
Zealand postal addresses.
•••
Newsletter Archives
This newsletter is published approximately
twice a month. If you missed our previous issues, you can read them
here.
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2005 Stephanie Roberts. All rights reserved.
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