feng shui from fook.com

Q: Do you have any advice for me and my husband in regards to finances? We do not work well together on money tasks and the bills pile up and no one wants to deal with any of it because it is such a negative experience.

A: My best guess, based on very limited info, is that some prosperity consciousness study/training is more in order for you at this point than specific feng shui strategies. Without that (which will help you transform your expectations and attitude towards financial chores) any feng shui tactics you might use are not likely to be effective.

If “prosperity consciousness” is a new concept to you, AllAboutProsperity.com is a useful place to start. Learning to let go of those negative expectations will certainly help.

Marital discord about financial matters — lack of defined responsibility for who does what, conflicting priorities, different spending/saving habits, etc. — is extremely common. Money stuff pushes all of our buttons better than just about anything else. I suspect you might get more help from someone like Suze Orman, who addresses such issues in her books and columns, than by looking to feng shui for an answer.

I will say that if you’ve noticed the discord only happens when you discuss finances in a certain area of the home (in the dining room, for example), and that you also bicker about other issues in that space, then there may be feng shui factors involved. You should look for and correct or avoid any sources of sha chi in that room and see if you can talk about your finances more amicably in another area of the home.

If finances in general are an issue–in a broader sense than just dealing with personal/family finance tasks–then certainly you can look around for feng shui factors. But that’s far too broad a topic to be addressed here.

Sorry I can’t be of more help, but feng shui is only one of many “life tools” available to us: don’t reach for the hammer when what you need is a screwdriver.

Hope this helps in some way,
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 may be several days (or 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.

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: We bought a raised ranch a couple years ago and our finances are so up and down. Mainly due to my husband always changing jobs. My career is also very up and down in terms of income. I work out of my home in the insurance and mortgage industries, and am also now a new real estate agent/Realtor. But I think a lot has to do with our front door, which is just a few feet from the stairs. The entry is a very small area from which you go up or down. I read somewhere to put a rock on the bottom step going up. I had a small one there and just changed it to a bigger one. Does that help or did I read that wrong?

A: From a feng shui perspective an entry like this (small foyer with stairs leading both up and down) this can indicate increased “ups and downs” in life but is more closely associated with a lack of focus. The problem is that when you enter the house, you are immediately confronted with a “which way do I go” decision. There s no clear energy path when you step inside the home. This seems to be reflected in the job changes your husband is going through, and your own multi-faceted career.

To some extent, you may be able to lessen this with your décor: use lighting and focal points to influence where your attention goes from the foyer. Brighter lighting, eye-catching imagery, motion (such as a mobile), and sound (a windchime at the top of the stairs) are all possible ways to achieve this.

Those sorts of remedies are usually best placed at the top of the stairs that lead to the upper level, to draw your attention (and therefore chi) in an upward direction from the entry. I say “usually” because if the only rooms on the upper level are the bedrooms and bath(s), then I’d recommend instead that you place your attention-grabbing/chi-directing cures toward the more “yang” spaces of the living room and kitchen instead.

Since you describe the entry area as small, I would be wary of adding anything to that space that will make it feel more cramped, such as a rock at the bottom step. This will add visual clutter and the potential for stubbed toes to your foyer, and won t do much to define a path of movement one way or the other. Just because a solution is recommended in a book (and that includes any of my books), that doesn t mean it s the best remedy for your particular space. Every situation has unique aspects which need to be considered.

I also caution against being quick to see things as a problem. If working in the insurance, mortgage, and real estate fields feels overwhelming or distracting to you, that s one thing. But if you like the variety don t feel you have to “fix” it. In my view, multiple sources of income are always a good thing!

Keep in mind, too, that there may be other feng shui factors in your home that are influencing your career and financial experiences. The front door is an important feature of any space, but it is certainly not the only factor.

Hope this helps bring some clarity and focus to how you see your space,
Stephanie R.

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: I have a small water fountain in my living room, placed by my front door. Unfortunately I have a dog that bumps into it whenever she looks out the living room window. Could you please suggest another option to activate that area?

A: A “water type cure” doesn’t have to be a fountain. It can be a photograph or painting of a fountain or a waterfall or of the ocean or a stream or river. It can be accessories in “water” colors like deep blues and blacks, and undulating “watery” lines, shapes. The options are unlimited.

Choose something that makes you smile and feel happier when you see it, and that it a size/shape/type appropriate to the space you have available for it.

Stephanie

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: I’m new at Feng Shui, and don’t know what to do about my bedroom. The mirror is on my dresser, facing the foot of my bed. There’s really no other way to arrange the furniture in this space, so what kind of cure can I do to make this a better Feng Shui bedroom?

A: If you are concerned about the mirror, all you have to do is drape a pretty shawl or scarf over it at night, so the mirror is covered while you are sleeping. That will solve the problem.

Stephanie

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: My friend moved out of her house after breaking up with her boyfriend. She is a real estate agent and business has been very slow. She has a part time job for money for food, car payment and cell phone, but she really needs some real estate to take off to be able to build up enough cash to get into an apartment. She has been staying with different friends because she has no place of her own. How can she chi up her career sector?

A: I’m sorry to hear your friend is dealing with challenging circumstances. How fortunate that she has some income and friends who are sheltering her. The bottom line, though, is that if she is moving around among a series of temporary borrowed lodgings, then she does not have a career sector to “chi up.” I recommend she focus on shifting her own energy, rather than the energy of her borrowed space. Start here.

Wishing you both great future success,
Stephanie R.

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: I will be getting new gutters in the next few months and I am very attracted to one that is pre-painted an olive green color. The current gutters are white, but for some reason that seems dull and does not appeal to me. Also they show dirt and mold a lot. However, with the productive cycle, the yellow house, white gutters, gray roof seems to correspond. Do you think the green gutters are an okay choice, or should I stick with white?

A: It’s really not necessary to coordinate every feature of your home with the element cycles. The productive cycle is not so much a goal in itself as it is a tool for making adjustments to a situation where imbalance in the elements is causing a problem. Sure, it’s nice if the colors of your home are in harmonious relationship, but that does not make the productive cycle the overriding factor in your choices.

Far more important is that your gutters be in good condition (which they will be when you install the new ones), and that what you see when you look at your home makes you happy. So if you are very attracted to the olive green ones, then go with those. Why compromise with another color you won’t like as much? Each time you notice the gutters you’ll wish you’d gone with the green ones, and that’s not good feng shui at all.

If you feel there is a significant imbalance in the element representation in the exterior of your home — and that it is affecting you in a negative way — then you can use landscaping and accents to introduce the desired balancing element(s) in a subtle way. There’s no need to overthink it, or to make choices that won’t please you.

Hope this helps,
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 may be several days (or 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.

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: You advise to do only one cure at a time. I have some very serious health issues and I am focused on that. Can I start a cure for prosperity at the same time?

A: I do think it’s a good idea not to try to apply feng shui to every possible area of your life at once. That just leads to chaos and spreads your attention and energy over many areas, making it difficult to fully focus on the one main thing that deserves your priority attention. And if you are attempting a long-term or complex remedy, such as a 28-day method that requires daily focus and action, then yes, I would recommend keeping your other feng shui strategies simple during that time. When that 28-day period is over, if you feel it’s necessary, you might move on to another remedy or method.

But that’s just a suggestion, and each individual’s needs are situation are unique. Sometimes there’s more than one top priority area to focus one.

Health issues are rarely about just one thing, because anything that adds to our stress level or interferes with getting restful sleep every night can make us more susceptible to illness or make recovery more difficult. So, if financial issues are causing or adding to anxiety and stress, then addressing them through feng shui may also support your improved health in the long run.

How much feng shui you do, how quickly, is really up to you. If you start to feel overwhelmed by it all, that’s a clear sign to slow down and step back. But if a situation is nagging at you and you feel intuitively that you’d like to address it with feng shui, feel free to move ahead, even if you are already feng shui-ing another issue.

BTW: Health issues are often impacted by “sha chi” of various kinds, because sha chi is a stressor that affects your vitality and can undermine the strength and resilience of your immune system. If you think this is something you’d like to explore, you may want to read this article from several years back in my newsletter archives:
http://www.fastfengshui.com/nlt_dec01_2004emf.htm

One of the most prevalent forms of sha chi these days is electro-magnetic pollution. You can also download a free report on EMF Dangers & Solutions from my husband’s website here: http://www.emf-health.com
(click on the link in the blue bar at the top of that page).

Hope this helps,
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).  If you send me a question, do expect that I will edit your message for clarity and focus, and that it may be several days (or 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.

Wishing you great success with your feng shui, and with best wishes for speedy improvements in your health,
Stephanie

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: You advise to do only one cure at a time. I have some very serious health issues and I am focused on that. Can I start a cure for prosperity at the same time?

A: I do think it’s a good idea not to try to apply feng shui to every possible area of your life at once. That just leads to chaos and spreads your attention and energy over many areas, making it difficult to fully focus on the one main thing that deserves your priority attention. And if you are attempting a long-term or complex remedy, such as a 28-day method that requires daily focus and action, then yes, I would recommend keeping your other feng shui strategies simple during that time. When that 28-day period is over, if you feel it’s necessary, you might move on to another remedy or method.<

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: I’m a new subscriber and enjoyed reading your archives. I’m confused about the use of mirrors in feng shui. I spent yesterday moving mirrors to various locations because in their previous locations they reflected doors or windows. Yet, I also read that a mirror should reflect a beautiful view. How can I place a mirror to reflect a pretty view when it shouldn’t be placed oppostite a window/door?

A: I don’t know where you read that mirrors should not be placed opposite a window or door, but this is incorrect. Placing a mirror where it will reflect an attractive natural scene into the house (i.e., a view seen through a window) is a very positive benefit and one of the traditional uses of mirrors in feng shui.

There are some people who believe that a mirror should not be placed opposite the FRONT door (not all doors!), because it is thought to “reject” or “bounce back” any positive chi coming through the door.

However, I disagree with this view, as do many other feng shui practitioners. A mirror in the entry can be very beneficial, especially in a small entry with a wall “blocking” the door. A mirror in this position opens up the wall and creates the impression of greater space, as well as reflecting exterior chi into the house.

Hope this helps you gain more enjoyment from your mirrors,
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). If you send me a question, do expect that I will edit your message for clarity and focus, and that it may be several days (or 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.

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog

Q: In my kitchen the sink is exactly opposite the stove. I have read that this creates a lot of conflict in the house. Since it is impossible for me to shift the position of the appliances I would appreciate if you could recommend a cure for this.

A: The secret to figuring out how to remedy this and many other feng shui situations is to understand why it has earned a position on the don’t list. This case is one of many in which the problem lies in the elements represented.

The stove is associated with FIRE, and the sink with WATER. Fire and water are natural enemies: water extinguishes fire, and fire evaporates water. That conflict between the elements is why a sink-opposite-stove kitchen layout is said to lead to arguments and tension in the home.
Sure, you could invest in a kitchen renovation and move your appliances around, but that’s a very costly and time-consuming solution. The standard cure for this feng shui problem is to introduce the WOOD element as a peacemaker. The WATER chi of the sink will go to nourishing the WOOD, and WOOD will feed FIRE. Everybody’s happy, and water and fire aren’t getting in each other’s face any more.

In a spacious kitchen, you might have a table or island between the sink and stove. In that case, a nice (healthy, green) houseplant on the table can be the cure. (A wooden table, BTW, does not count as a wood-type object: it has no living chi; is either a metal (round, oval) or earth (square, rectangular) shape; and usually an earth (brown) or metal (white) color.)

In a smaller kitchen, where there’s no room for a table, a green area rug in front of the sink, in front of the stove, or half-way between them, will provide the same benefit. The rug can either be a solid green, or might have a pattern of green vines or leaves.

If you can’t use a rug, hang a green (or leaf-patterned) kitchen towel over the oven door handle.

As a last resosrt, if you can’t find any way to place something green between the sink and stove, put a small plant or two near the sink, and something else to represent the wood element near the stove.

This is very basic feng shui advice, BTW, and just one of the many common situations I discuss in Fast Feng Shui. I strongly recommend that feng shui beginners take some time to study the five elements as well as the ba gua if they wish to apply feng shui successfully to their homes.

Hope this helps,
Stephanie

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Fast Feng Shui Blog