Welcome the Power of

positive Feng Shui into

every area of your life

by Treena Dean

copyright 2004
Table of Contents

How to Use this Book 1

Chapter One: Understanding Feng Shui 3

What is Feng Shui? 3

History of Feng Shui 3
Is the energy of your space positive? 5
Is the energy of your space negative? 5
8 cures for negative energy 7
The five elements 10
The Bagua 15

Chapter Two: Feng Shui for the Interior 18

General guidelines for a favorable interior 18

Specific structural elements 19
Which room should go where? 23
Bedroom 23
Bathroom 26
Kitchen 27
Living room 28
Home office 29
A final word on Feng Shui for your home 31

Chapter Three: Feng Shui for the Exterior 33

Choosing the perfect location 33

The four animals 33
Fortunate landscapes 37
Remedying a bad location 38
Other landscape considerations 39
Rivers 39
Roads 43
Driveways 43
Pathways 45
The shape of your home 45
Neighbors 49
A final word on location 51

Chapter Four: Feng Shui at the Office 52

Desk Position 52
 Non-desk jobs 56
Arranging your personal space 57
Unique professions, unique Feng Shui 61
A final word on Feng Shui for the workplace 63

Chapter Five: The Bagua 65

Using the Bagua to enhance your life 65

Career (Kan trigram) 66
Knowledge/Self-cultivation (Gen trigram) 68
Health and Family (Jen trigram) 69
Wealth (Hsun trigram) 71
Fame and Reputation (Li trigram) 72
Love and Marriage (Kuen trigram) 74
Children and Creativity (Dwei trigram) 75
Helpful People and Travel (Chyan trigram) 77
The Center (T’ai Chi) 78
Final thoughts on the Bagua 79

Moving forward with Feng Shui 80

Sources for further inspiration 81

 1

How to Use This Book

Since the dawn of civilization, we as human beings have

been fascinated by the unseen energy we feel at work around
us. We sense that powerful energies are circulating through
our bodies, touching our souls, and somehow helping to shape
our futures. We believe we could take control of our destiny if
only we knew how to harness this amazing power and use it for
our own good fortune.

Throughout the centuries this wisdom has been known

to different groups of people, but always somehow the
knowledge was lost. Though the druids of Stone Henge and
the designers of the pyramids may have had useful secrets to
share, there remains no written record to help us benefit from
their wisdom.

Luckily for us, however, the ancient Chinese science of Feng Shui has managed
to survive the ages! Feng Shui offers both an explanation of that ‘unseen energy’ we
feel as well as powerful and practical ways to begin using that knowledge to affect
positive change in our lives. By learning this ancient art of placement, you will begin to
balance the energy of your surroundings and bring harmony to both your outer and
inner worlds.

Some of the possible benefits of Feng Shui include:

Better Health
Enhanced Love Life
Increased Wealth
A Better Reputation
Increased Wisdom
A Happier Family
A More Successful Career
A More Harmonious Life

Can simply rearranging your furniture do all that? Well...not exactly! Feng Shui
is an extremely complex art form that involves much more than simply shifting the
position of your couch! In fact, many Feng Shui specialists spend years in training
before they feel capable of properly advising their clients. In China, birthplace of Feng
Shui, it is expected that a novice could spend at least ten years studying the science
before they would be even nominally qualified to begin dispersing the teaching to
others.

Therefore, this book is meant as an introduction to Feng Shui, rather than a

complete authority on the subject. It is meant to help the average busy modern
individual learn how to apply Feng Shui to their own lives without years of study. We
 2

hope to help you rapidly grasp the concepts of the science and then teach you how to
quickly and easily begin incorporating the principles into your life.

As you read through this book, you will learn ways to remedy energetic problems
in both yourself and your surroundings. You will also learn the many negative effects
that energetic imbalance can have on you and your family. Don’t worry, however, if you
find that your bathroom is in the wrong place or that you’re living on the wrong end of a
river!

The negative effects of poor Feng Shui can take years to begin to seriously affect
the inhabitants of a given space. Also, it is very easy to take steps to remedy energy
imbalance, much easier than you might assume. In fact, you could probably have your
home feeling 100% more harmonious in as little as a few hours.

Every member of modern society could use a little more harmony and balance in
their lives, but few have the time to dig through the abundance of information available
on Feng Shui to find the aspects of the practice that would be useful to them. These
are the people for whom this book was created. After all, the more hectic your life, the
more you can benefit from a little Feng Shui!
 3

Chapter One: Understanding Feng Shui

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui: Literally translates as “wind and water”. Simply put,
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement (whether it be
a home or objects within the home) in order to balance the
energy of an environment and to create the best possible quality
of life for the people living within that environment.

The History of Feng Shui

Feng Shui was created in ancient China, though it
may have evolved from an even older science with roots
in India and Tibet. Originally Feng Shui was known as
“Kan Yu”, which means heaven and earth. This gives us
a sense of how the ancient Chinese felt that the unseen
world influenced the everyday world within which we live.

‘Kan Yu’ eventually became known as ‘Feng Shui’, meaning ‘wind and water’.
This name is thought to have come from the word, ‘fang-shih’, meaning a master of the
Taoist tradition. These masters were skilled as healers, diviners, and magicians and
created the Eight Branches of Chinese Medicine. Feng Shui is considered one of these
branches, all of which share the following common principles.

Principles of Chinese Medicine

Tao

Taoism is one of the three major religions of ancient China (along with Buddhism
and Confucianism). The word Tao means “the way”, meaning the eternal way, or the
way of god. Any further definition becomes tricky, for as the Tao Te Ching (the scripture
of Taoism) says, “any Tao that can be told is not the real Tao”.

The goal of Taoism is to achieve oneness with the Tao through self-discipline
and increased wisdom. To be as one with the Tao means to be in harmony with nature
and all the invisible forces of our universe.

Yin and Yang

To achieve this harmony, one must find a balance between the two opposing
primal powers of Yin (female energy, receptive energy) and Yang (male energy,
 4

creative energy). These two energies compliment each other, rather than compete with
each other. Both are needed to keep the universe in motion.

Balance of Yin and Yang in the human body is necessary

for good health, wisdom, spiritual awareness, and basically
every other quality that is desirable for human existence. In
order to achieve personal energy balance, however, you must
make sure that your environment isn’t working against you.
This is where the science of Feng Shui can help enhance the
quality of human life. Feng Shui seeks to balance the Yin and
Yang energies of the home in order to encourage balance for
the occupants within.

Feng Shui is actually divided into two distinctly different practices using Yin and
Yang. Yang Feng Shui deals with the orientation of buildings and objects, while Yin
Feng Shui deals with the orientation of graves and tombs. In this book we will be
concentrating on Yang Feng Shui.

Ch’i

Yin and Yang are simply different qualities attributable to the basic energy in all
life. This basic life energy is called ch’i, which means ‘cosmic breath’. We as human
beings have ch’i within ourselves and our homes or living spaces have a separate ch’i
of their own. In order for our lives to be balanced and harmonious, the ch’i within us
must be in harmony with the ch’i around us.

For example, if a person’s home is ineffectively arranged, the ch’i of the home
will be sluggish and will likewise influence the ch’i of the occupants. This sluggish
environmental energy may have serious effects on the people living inside the home
leading to illness, depression, and discord within a family or marriage. In contrast, if a
home is effectively arranged, the ch’i flows smoothly and the occupants benefit from this
vital and life-affirming energy.

It may sound like a strange concept, but think of it this way; if a home has poor
air circulation, it absolutely affects the occupants of that home. Poor air circulation can
cause feelings of fatigue, headaches, and can be a real hazard if there are any toxic
fumes released into the air (such as the fumes from certain cleaning products). The
effects of poor ch’i circulation can also be harmful, maybe more than most people
realize.

Many people can sense whether the ch’i around them is balanced, simply by
using their intuition. An intuitive knowledge of good or bad environmental ch’i is often
responsible for where we choose to live, whether we realize it or not. It’s why we
decided we just couldn’t take that particular apartment, even though it was in the perfect
 5

neighborhood and at the perfect price. Instinctively, we realized that the apartment had
negative ch’i and would be detrimental to our well-being as the occupants.

If you feel your ‘ch’i instincts’ may not be functioning at top form, you’re not
alone! As modern people, we have lost our sense of connection to the energies of the
earth and our instincts have become dulled. Luckily for us, we can still use our other
five senses and the rules of Feng Shui to discover the state of the ch’i in our
environment.

Ways to know if the Ch’i of your environment is Positive:

According to the principles of Feng Shui, the ch’i in an environment should be

able to enter a home easily, flow through the home without being blocked, and exit the
home through a door other than the door through which it entered. The same principles
apply to the rooms within the home. A room with no windows will have a very poor ch’i
flow. The energy enters, but then has nowhere to go. Therefore, the ch’i energy
becomes stagnant. Over time, this stagnant energy can become negative energy and
prove harmful to the occupants utilizing the room.

We’ll get to the specifics of how to encourage good ch’i in later chapters, but a
good indication of the how well the ch’i in your home is flowing is to observe the flow of
air currents. If you open the doors and windows on a calm day with a gentle breeze
flowing outside, does that same gentle breeze pervade the entire home? If so, chances
are the ch’i of your home is flowing nicely as well. If you have some rooms that are
‘breezeless’, and others where the breeze has become a strong wind, chances are that
your home has poorly flowing ch’i and that the Yin and Yang aspects of the ch’i are out
of balance.

Ways to Know if the Ch’i of your environment is Negative:

Sha is the name often given to negative ch’i energy.

Sha travels in hard, straight lines, in contrast to the gently
meandering quality of ch’i. It is never a desirable type of
energy and can have profoundly adverse effects on the people
living in an environment in which it rules.

While ch’i energy gently encourages the life energy

within a home, sha energy cuts through the environment,
stripping a space of positive energy and leaving negativity in its wake. A dominance of
sha energy is often responsible for the chronic illnesses, increased stress, and general
‘bad luck’ of a home’s occupants. Sha energy can become powerful in a home for a
variety of reasons.
 6

Possible Sources of Negative ‘Sha’ Energy

• Steps lead straight to a home.

• A pathway leads straight to the front or back door.

• Power lines or telephone lines run directly toward a home.

• Straight shadows are cast by telephone poles, streetlights, or other buildings and
fall directly toward the home.

• River, stream, gully, or ravine flows straight toward the home.

• Roads lead directly to the home before turning.

• Road dead ends at the home.

• Home is located at the corner of an intersection.

• Home has the corners of other buildings pointing directly toward it.

• Home has a front and back door directly opposite one another.

• Home is located on a natural fault line in the earth.

There are hundreds of reasons that sha energy

may be present in a home. To determine if sha energy
is entering your living space, look for any long straight
lines that may be leading up to your house. Whether it
is a natural ditch, a flight of steps, or a shadow cast by
a neighboring building, these straight lines are nearly
always pathways for sha. The good news is that there
are several very simple ways to deflect sha and
increase the positive ch’i within your living space.
 7

8 Ways to Cure Negative Energy

1. Bright Objects

Mirrors

Mirrors placed on the exterior of your home will help to deflect threatening sha
from the outdoors. This can be a simple cure for negative energy that results from living
at the end of a ‘dead end’ street or at the corner of an intersection. There’s no need to
move house; a simple mirror of any size, small or large, will help to protect the home. A
convex mirror can be particularly effective by dispersing the negative sha in all
directions.

In your interior, mirrors can be used to draw

good ch’i into the home as well as to encourage the
flow of ch’i within the space. A reflection of a peaceful
outside garden is an excellent way to bring in good
ch’i, while a mirror on a wall lacking windows is a
great way to keep the ch’i moving. Indoor mirrors
should be large and hung high enough so that they
don’t ‘cut off any heads.” Mirrors hung too low can
be a cause of headaches and low energy.

Some Feng Shui specialists advise against

putting a mirror in the bedroom, however, as it is
believed by some that the soul floats above the body
during sleep and can be frightened by its own
reflection. But if you feel certain that your soul stays firmly in your body while you sleep,
a mirror in the bedroom can be a great way to increase the energy of the space and
possibly lead to a more fulfilling love life!

Lights

Lights are powerful cures for negative energy. Plentiful light is considered very
important in Feng Shui. Outdoors, a light can mend a missing corner on a home (more
on missing corners later). Indoors, light enriches the energy of both a room and the
inhabitants. When considering which lamp to choose, a good rule is the brighter the
better!
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2. Sound
Any source of sound within a home can be used to ward away
bad sha energy. This may be why many people find it comforting to
always have the television or radio on while they are at home. A more
peaceful way to create sha-dispersing sound is to use a fan, a burbling
fountain, or an air purifier. Even running the vacuum will disperse bad
sha energy.

Wind chimes may be the best choice for a sound cure, however. Wind chimes
not only disperse negative sha, but encourage positive ch’i when hung on the eaves of
a home. Wind chimes (as well as bells) can also be used to summon wealth into a
home or business. Therefore, hung near the entrance of a store, chimes serve not only
to bring in business, but to discourage intruders (bearers of sha energy).

3. Moving Objects

Negative sha can also find an avenue of movement

in long, straight areas within the home. If you have
corridors that proceed for more than a few feet, you’ll want
to put a moving object in the room at the end of the corridor
in order to prevent negative energy from lodging there.

A fountain is always a good choice for a moving

object. Flowing water is money producing, ch’i activating,
and sha dispersing! Other options for moving objects could
be a toy train for a child’s room, or a mobile hung above the
bed in the nursery.

4. Living Things
Plants and Flowers

Plants and flowers, as living things, are natural conductors of ch’i energy and can
be used to keep ch’i flowing effectively throughout a room. Plants symbolize nature,
life, and growth and are natural indicators of good ch’i. Where a plant thrives, so does a
human being. In contrast, if you have a trouble keeping plants alive in your home, you
can be almost certain that you have an excess of negative sha present.

Outside your home, plant and flowerbeds can be used to attract good health.
Potted plants can also be placed on either side of a doorway to encourage good ch’i to
 9

enter the house. Outside a business, a healthy selection of vegetation will encourage
good business by attracting money energy into the establishment.

As far as a green thumb is concerned, don’t worry if you don’t have one. Artificial
plants can be almost as effective as real plants when concerned with proper Feng Shui.
Simply purchase high quality artificial flowers and plants and keep them clean and free
of dust. In this way, even the most botanically challenged can benefit from the good ch’i
created by plants in an environment!

Fish Bowls

If you live next to an ocean, lake, or stream, chances are you won’t need a
fishbowl in your home. (Unless of course, you simply enjoy caring for fish!) If the
element of water is not readily present, a fish bowl or aquarium can be a great way to
introduce water into a home. Water is the element of Feng Shui that encourages
wealth.

Fish bowls are particularly good choices for introducing the element of water
because they contain a living being. Like plants, fish disperse negative sha and
encourage the flow of ch’i. Fish also prevent accidents, ward off bad luck, and are just
about the easiest pets in the world to care for. If
you have plant in your bowl, you shouldn’t even
have to change the water more than twice a
month!

Ideally there should always be an odd

number of fish present and if a fish dies, it should
be immediately replaced. Gold fish can be a
great choice for your fish bowl if you have a room
(or sector of a room) in which the fire element
may be lacking.

5. Heavy Things
If you’re having difficulty with commitment, oftentimes a strategically placed stone
or statue can have a powerful stabilizing effect on your personal ch’i. A statue in the
bedroom could be helpful for your marriage, while a bowl of stones in the career sector
of your home could keep you from losing your job.

6. Electricity

Electricity naturally stimulates the area in which it is placed. We’ll learn later how
to place your radio for enhanced health, your television for more wealth, or even your air
purifier for a better love life!
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7. Colors

Colors can be added to different sectors of a room to boost the

effectiveness of the objects arranged there. For example, red, the color
of Chinese weddings, is a lucky color. Red flowers in the career sector
of your home could help you gain the promotion you’ve been longing
for. In contrast, you wouldn’t want white, the Chinese color of
mourning, to be the predominant color in your career sector. That is,
unless you were hoping to lose your job!

Other important colors are yellow for longevity, green for

freshness, growth, and tranquility, and black for wealth. Black
can represent a loss of light or life, however, and should be used
carefully. Black in your health sector might not be the best idea.
Blue is another ambiguous color. It represents sky and the
heavens, but can also be a color of death.

8. Bamboo Flutes
In ancient China a bamboo flute was blown to report that peace had been
declared after a time of war. A bamboo flute in the home can bring peace and safety.
With it’s hollow interior, a bamboo flute is naturally a conductor of ch’i. When the flute is
played or blown, it stimulates positive energy flow. Flutes of all kinds can bring
protection to a home or business. Because of their former association with war, flutes
also protect from theft and bring misfortune to those who would seek to harm your
home.

The Five Elements

In addition to the Eight Cures, the Five Elements can be used to create harmony
within the home. They are equally effective in deflecting the forces of negative sha. We
already know that ch’i energy can have both Yin and Yang qualities, but ch’i can be
further subdivided into the categories of wind, water, fire, earth, and metal.

Each of the five elements manifests a distinctive quality of ch’i energy. Though
none of the five elements are truly ‘negative’, they can cause destruction if not properly
balanced. Because the elements mutually create and destroy one another, the proper
flow and balance of their energies must be achieved in order to protect a home and it’s
 11

occupants from the possible negative side effects of an elemental imbalance. The
following diagrams illustrate both the creative and destructive cycle of the elements.

The Creative Cycle: Water feeds Wood, Wood feeds Fire, Fire creates Earth, Earth
creates Metal, and Metal creates Water.

The Destructive Cycle: Water cools Fire, Fire melts Metal, Metal destroys Wood,
Wood destroys Earth, and Earth destroys Water.

Arranging your home or room using the creative cycle of the elements will create
harmony and balance both in your environment and your life. Ch’i energy is naturally
encouraged to flow throughout a space that is arranged according to the creative cycle.
But there are certain occasions when the destructive order can be used to your
advantage.

You would use the elements’ destructive order if you had an overabundance of a
certain element in a room. For example, an overabundance of the fire element within a
space can make the room itself more vulnerable to destruction by fire, while making the
inhabitants of the room experience greater stress and a higher incidence of ‘flaring’
tempers.

To balance the fire element, you would introduce a water element. Water
naturally cools fire. A fountain or fish bowl would help to balance the room and protect
the inhabitants from a fire element threat. (In this instance, you wouldn’t want to use
goldfish in your bowl since their reddish gold color represents and encourages the fire
element.)
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To further understand the elements and their applications, we must take a closer
look at their individual properties. Each element has its own unique energy and is
associated with a specific color, time, season, and direction. Each can also be applied
to aspects of human personality and even specific body organs.

Wood

Energy Quality-expanding energy, newly ‘sprouting’ energy

Wood is associated with the season of

spring, which accounts for the quality of its
energy. Wood energy is creative and fresh like
sprouting leaves in the springtime. This element
is represented in the environment by trees (of
course!), pillars, chimneys, towers, narrow
skyscrapers, and by tall, gently sloping hills. Its
symbolic color is green and its shape is a long
straight line.

Wood follows water in the creative cycle because it is fed by water (water causes
plants to grow). It in turn feeds fire (logs are cut to build a flame). In the destructive
cycle, wood saps earth (too much planting of a field can ruin the soil) and can be
destroyed by metal (an axe that chops down a tree).

Wood is usually dominant in the most easterly point of a room or home and can
be used to encourage good health and positive family relationships. Within a person’s
body, wood is associated with the feet, and within a person’s personality, wood
manifests itself as a kind and generous nature.

Water

Energy Quality- sinking energy, energy that submerges

Water energy is sinking energy,

but this should not be confused with
‘lowered’ energy. This is more the
energy of subconscious investigation
and self-knowledge. Water is associated
with the season of winter. Though winter
may seem a barren time, it is a
necessary period of rest and
regeneration before spring can burst
forth. In the same way, sometimes a
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person will need to cultivate water energy before they can begin to outwardly manifest.
This is well known to people working in creative fields. In order to avoid artistic
‘burnout’, an artist must take time to cultivate their water energy.

Water energy is associated with the north and is represented by the color black,
the color of a deep still pool. The shape of water is a rounded form. It is represented in
the environment by mountains with uneven tops, rolling hills, rounded buildings, domes,
and of course by the actual presence of water in a lake, river, stream, or ocean.

Water is produced by metal (condensation on the outside of a tin cup) and in turn
produces wood in the generative order. In the destructive order, water destroys fire and
in turn is destroyed by earth (filling in a pond with earth).

Water is associated with career by direction on the Bagua (next section), but is
also responsible for generating wealth. On the human body, water is represented in the
ears. In a personality, water energy is utilized in moments of insight, revelation, and
deep understanding.

Fire

Energy Quality- rising and sustained energy at its highest level

Fire energy is the energy of reason. For

centuries many cultures have used a light or a
burning flame to represent knowledge. It is this
high, sustained fire energy that we use to grasp
complex concepts and acquire new wisdom.
Fire energy is associated with fame and status,
two possible byproducts of knowledge.

Fire is fed by wood in the creative cycle

and in turn creates earth (ashes). In the destructive cycle, fire is destroyed by water,
and in turn destroys metal (melts metal and returns it to its liquid form). Fire is
associated with the season of summer and with southerly directions. Its shape is
pointed or triangular and it is environmentally represented in pointed mountains, church
spires, and other buildings with steeply pointed roofs.

In the human body, fire energy is represented in the eyes. In a personality, fire is
displayed in people who are logical, reasonable, and have excellent manners. An
overabundance of fire in a personality can make a person bossy, antagonistic, and rude
(if not actually violent). Too little fire can cause the internalization of thoughts and
feelings and put stress on the organs of the body (especially the stomach).
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Earth

Energy Quality- stable energy, constant sustained energy

Earth energy is the energy of the center. It is

the stable energy that sustains our bodily functions
and at the most base level keeps our spirit united with
our living body. Most of the time, we don’t have to
consciously attempt to manifest earth energy within us.
In times of illness, however, it is the weakening of our
earth energy that can lead to serious mental and
physical infirmity.

Earth energy in a personality is the energy of honesty and loyalty. People who
have a healthy amount of earth energy will always be sincere in their words and actions.
They will consider others, while not neglecting themselves. They will be truthful, but
compassionate.

In the creative cycle, earth is created by fire and in turn creates metal. Earth is
symbolized by the color yellow, while its signature shape is a flat, even plane.
Environmental earth elements include plateaus, grasslands, and buildings with flat or
gently sloping roofs.

Metal

Energy Quality- solidifying energy, contracting energy.

The energy quality of metal is well

represented by its corresponding season,
autumn. Just as the energy of the earth
begins to contract after the expanding
energy of summer, so does metal energy
contract. Metal energy is the type of
energy you would experience in your life
after a ‘big event’. A lack of metal energy
is what causes many people to fall ill after
a period in which they have been utilizing
a great deal of fire energy.

For example, many women get sick on their honeymoon. After all the work and
excitement involved in planning a wedding, they finally become energetically exhausted
after the event is over and therefore are more vulnerable to illness. If a woman has a
good supply of metal energy, however, she will be able to recover from her fire energy
expenditure without suffering any ill effects.
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The color of metal energy is white and its corresponding shape is a square.
Metal energy is represented in the environment by mountains with rounded summits
and in buildings with block shaped tops. It is associated with the west and can
encourage the health, well being, and happiness of children.

In the human body, metal energy is associated with the mouth, the organ that
takes the fire energy of the mind and contracts it so that we can express our ideas in
words. In a human personality, metal is associated with righteousness in that a person
with the adequate metal in their personal ch’i will have ideas that are well thought out
and will more often than not speak the truth.

The Five Elements at a Glance

Element Direction Quality Season Color Shape Body Persona

Water North Sinking Winter Black Round Ears Insight
Wood East Expand- Spring Green Vertical Feet Generous
ing Lines
Fire South Rising/ Summ- Red/ Angles Eyes Knowledge
Sustained er Orange
Earth Center Steady Time Yellow Flat Total Compassionate
Btwn Body
Metal West Contract- Autumn White Square Mouth Truthfulness
ing

The Bagua

In order to know how to

use the Eight Cures and the Five
Elements most effectively, you
must understand how they
should be placed. The Bagua is
a specially designed map that
helps Feng Shui practitioners to
organize homes to facilitate the
flow of ch’i in both the
environment and the inhabitants.
This map reveals how a space
should be arranged in order for
the environment to function
harmoniously and for the
occupants to have a fortunate
existence. The Bagua is an
 16

octagon shape that is divided into eight sections, each one representing one of the eight
trigrams and one of the eight life situations.

Li- Fame and Rank Kan- Career

Gen- Knowledge and Kuen- Marriage and Love

Dwei- Children and Creativity Jen- Family and Health

Chyan- Helpful People and Hsun- Wealth

Travel

The 8 Trigrams
According to ancient Chinese legend, the eight trigrams were revealed to Fu Hsi,
the father of Chinese divination and first Chinese emperor of legendary times, over
3,000 years ago. Collectively, the eight trigrams are called the pa-k’ua and they each
represent one aspect of nature: Heaven, Earth, Fire, Mountain, Lake, Deep Water,
Wind, and Thunder. Each trigram is made up of a series of broken and unbroken lines,
the broken lines representing Yin and the unbroken Yang.

The eight trigrams were first written in the ancient text of the I Ching, or Book of
Changes. This ancient text has been used for divination for centuries and is considered
sacred to the Chinese. The I Ching and its companion text, the Li Shu (Book of Rites),
are where many of the founding principles of Feng Shui have their roots.

The 8 Life Situations

Each of the eight trigrams has a corresponding life situation and each life
situation has a corresponding direction.

• Wealth- southeast

• Fame/Rank- south

• Marriage/Love- southwest

• Children/Creativity- west

• Helpful People/Travel- northwest

• Career- north

• Knowledge/Wisdom- northeast

• Family/Health- east
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How to Use the Bagua

Learning to use the Bagua is fairly uncomplicated. You simply superimpose it on

whatever part of your home you might be concentrating on at the moment. The Bagua
can be applied to a plot of land on which you are looking to build, can be utilized over
the entire layout of your home, or can be used to focus on a specific room or rooms you
feel might need some extra help in order to be energetically balanced. Some Feng Shui
specialists even use the Bagua to deconstruct specific pieces of furniture. For example,
which area of the bed you choose for making love may influence both your level of
pleasure and the likelihood that you will conceive a child.

You can also use the Bagua on the human body with the eight directions
corresponding to specific internal organs: the heart representing fire, the kidneys
representing water, the liver representing wood, the lungs representing metal, and the
spleen representing earth. The same principles used to balance a room can be used to
balance your body and optimize your health.

We’ll be using the principles of the Bagua in the following chapters to discern the
most advantageous arrangement for the interior of your home as well as the most
desirable location and orientation for the exterior of your home. Though we won’t go
into further depth on the Bagua until Chapter Five, it’s important to realize that this map
is forming the groundwork for all the rules that follow.

In Chapter Five, we’ll learn ways to use this ancient map to encourage good
fortune and improve your overall quality of life. We’ll also learn how to address any
specific concerns that you may have. Whether it’s a career promotion or an
advancement in your love life, the Bagua can help you to achieve the specific outcome
that you’re longing for.
 18

Chapter Two: Feng Shui for the Interior

Feng Shui for the interior is the most

well known aspect of the art. It is also the
area of our home in which we have the most
control as modern people. We can’t always
live near a protective dragon (next section),
and we may not be able to choose the ideal
shape for our structure, but we can always
decide exactly where we’d like to place our
bed and how we want to arrange our living
room!

General Guidelines for a Favorable Interior

Light

There are certain basic properties that every interior should posses if a home is
to possess good Feng Shui. First of all, every room should receive adequate natural
light. Light is the energy of yang, the life energy, and is necessary for the occupants of
a home to thrive. If a house is dark, there will be an overabundance of yin energy and
occupants will suffer with illness and depression.

During the day, the sun should be the only light your need if it has good Feng
Shui. At night, you should have bright lamps for the rooms in which you spend the
predominance of your evening hours. Lamps can be used on cloudy days to keep the
ch’i of the house from becoming listless and the occupants from becoming
unproductive.

Levels

The levels of the home should be as regular and even as possible. A split-level
house is prone to having poor Feng Shui. The ch’i has a difficult time flowing smoothly
through the home and this can lead to negative results for the family. If the front of the
home is higher than the rear, it is held that the children of that particular family will have
difficulty achieving independence. If the rear of the home is higher than the front, the
family will have difficulty making financial ends meet.

Ceilings

An arched or dome shaped ceiling is the most desirable shape. It will help in
moving ch’i smoothly throughout the home. If you have a two-story home, then a high
 19

arched ceiling is especially useful in helping ch’i to flow smoothly from the first floor onto
a landing on the second floor.

Flat ceilings are desirable because they will help to keep the energy within a
home steady and even. Triangular or steeply pointed ceilings should be avoided as
they harbor destructive sha energy and can cause the fire energy of a home to become
overly exaggerated.

Specific Structural Elements

Doors
Doors are probably one of the most important considerations
when trying to enhance the positive ch’i of your home. Exterior doors
are responsible for connecting your home and family to the outside
world and interior doors are a huge element in helping the ch’i to move
smoothly from room to room.

The arrangement of your doors will affect every aspect of your

life including career, happiness, health, and overall prosperity. As
design elements, they should be taken very seriously.

The Front Door

The front door is the point at which the ch’i energy first
enters the home. As such, it should be welcoming. The door
should open out into the widest point of the room and the room
or foyer that first meets the eye when opening the front door
should be warm and light and encourage ch’i to enter.

The front door should be proportional in size to the rest

of the house. A door that is too big or too small will throw off
the balance of the home and lead to arguments between family
members and overall bad luck.

The Back Door

First of all, a home should always have a back door. A home with only one door
will have a very difficult time achieving good ch’i flow. For security reasons, it is also a
good idea to have more than one method of entrance or exit into a home
 20

Back doors should be similar in size to the front door in order to ensure that the
flow of ch’i is smooth and regular. A back door that is larger than the front will cause the
energy of the home to exit more quickly than it enters, causing a ch’i deficiency in the
home.

Door alignment

Rule number one of door alignment is to never have the front door and the back
door in direct line with one another. A house with this door arrangement will find it
nearly impossible to keep good ch’i energy inside the home. Negative sha energy, on
the other hand, will enjoy sweeping in and out of this long straight line through the
center of the house. The closer these two doors, the worse the situation will become.

You can remedy this problem by installing wind chimes, plants, and fish bowls
directly in the pathway of the two doors. These items will help to catch the ch’i as it
blows through and disperse it throughout the home. They will serve to disperse
negative sha energy as well.

Another door problem is created if doors are directly aligned with either interior or
exterior staircases. Straight stairs are pathways for sha energy. Negative sha will have
a chance to get a running start into a home if a long narrow staircase leads directly to
the front or back door, or if a door opens onto a flight of interior stairs. Remedy this
problem by installing wind chimes above the door to disperse sha and arranging potted
plants on either side of the front door to welcome ch’i.

Interior door alignment is very important as well. Awkwardly arranged doors can
cause health and relationship problems, as well as being annoying to deal with on a
daily basis. Doors placed directly opposite each other within the home will be fine,
however, as long as the doors open away from each other and do not touch in any way.

Doorknobs that touch each other create conflict within

the home and increase the likelihood that a resident will
sustain injury (especially a broken bone). In this instance, it
can be worth your time to switch the hinges on one of the
doors, allowing it to open in another, more favorable
direction. If switching hinges seems like too much of a
hassle, you can ‘heal’ the door by painting it red, or by tying
red bows around the doorknobs themselves.

A red door is good luck on either the interior or exterior

of you home. Red is an especially auspicious (or lucky!)color
for the Chinese and is associated with increased fame, rank,
and wealth.

One final rule is that no door that opens directly onto a wall will bring good
fortune or facilitate the flow of ch’i. In fact, if the front door opens into a wall, Feng Shui
 21

specialists advise that you should tear down the wall if at all possible, or consider
moving. It is believed that a front door with such a poorly placed wall blocks all good
energy from entering the house. You can lessen the severity of this energy block by
placing trees in planters on either side of the door and mounting a mirror on the wall.

Interior doors that open into walls are not quite as serious and can be fairly easily
remedied. One solution is to install a mirror opposite the opening of the door so that the
room you are leaving is reflected back to you. You could also hang pictures of beautiful
scenery or pleasing vistas, or paint a mural that depicts an outdoor scene.

Windows
Windows are nearly as important as doors
when it comes to facilitating the flow of ch’i within
your home. Windows should be large enough to
allow the home to ‘breath’, but should not be too
large or your home will have a difficult time holding
in the proper amounts of ch’i.

The most desirable windows will actually

open to the outside as a door would, swinging
open to welcome in passing ch’i energy. Inward
opening windows will impede the flow of ch’i and encourage the residents to be
suspicious of others and excessively inwardly focused.

Windows that slide up and down do not harm the ch’i of a residence, but neither
do they enhance it. Make sure sliding windows open completely. Windows that only
open halfway will harm your reputation, causing other people to get the wrong
impression of your actions.

Windows should be placed high enough on the wall so that no resident of the
home has to stoop to look out. Just as mirrors placed too low on the wall can cause
headaches and low personal ch’i, so can a low window depress energy levels.

Stairs

Feng Shui has several recommendations for the placement and appearance of
your stairs in order to avoid common energy pitfalls. First of all, it is best if there is only
one staircase within a home. Multiple staircases muddle the flow of ch’i and lead to
confusion and misunderstandings within the family.

Secondly, the staircase should not be located in the center of the home. The
center of any building should be the most stable position within that particular structure.
On the outskirts, chaos may reign, but the center must hold. Since a staircase is a point
of activity for ch’i as it rises and circulates to the next level of the home, it is considered
 22

too active a structure to be placed in the center sector. Over time, a central staircase
will lead to decreased wealth and reputation in the community.

As for the appearance of the stairs, they should be wide and well lit. Narrow,
dark stairs restrict the flow of ch’i and lead to anxiety within the residents. Stairs that
have spaces instead of boards between the treads allow the ch’i to seep away before it
reaches the second floor. To counter this problem, install plants or an aquarium
underneath the stairs to help facilitate the rising of the ch’i energy.

As for the overall shape of the staircase itself,

a gently curve is the most fortunate and ch’i
enhancing shape. Beware of spiral staircases as
they create a symbolic hole within a home. Homes
with spiral staircases are likely to cause numerous
health problems including high blood pressure and
heart disease.

Corners
Just as a ‘missing’ corner on the exterior of your home can cause energetic
imbalance, missing corners on the interior are also considered unlucky. They direct
negative sha energy directly into the center of the home and can cause residents to feel
guilty or ashamed for no legitimate reason.

Remedy:

To remedy a sharp corner within your

home, you can hang mirrors on both
sides of the structure to soften its
impact. Placing a large potted plant in
front of the corner can help, as can
hanging a mobile or wind chimes from
the ceiling directly in the path of the
sharp corner.
 23

Which room should go where?

The way in which the rooms within your home are arranged influences your daily
activities and over time creates a pattern for your very existence. Not only does room
arrangement force you to physically move through your space in a pre-determined way.
It is a scenario that can be compared to a rat in a maze. The rat becomes so
accustomed to moving in a certain way, that even when removed from the maze, it will
still continue to move in the same patterned way. Depending on the effectiveness of
your layout, that pattern could be very positive, or quite negative.

If you live in a U-shaped home (as discussed previously), and your bedroom is
located within one of the protrusions, over time this pattern of daily behavior will begin to
affect the course of your life. Because sleeping in this unfortunate space causes you to
feel distanced from your spouse and family, you may become unsatisfied with your life
and be compelled to abandon your family altogether.

In contrast, if you live in a U-shaped home and your bedroom is located within
the heart of the home, your daily pattern creates quite a different consequence. You will
most likely feel connected to your family and spouse and be quite pleased with the
overall quality of your life. A dramatic difference considering you’re only changing the
room in which you sleep!

The average person will spend eight to ten hours a day (or approximately 1/3 of
their entire life!) in their bedroom, however, so where you sleep is not a consideration to
be taken lightly. The placement of the living room, bathroom, and kitchen are also very
important because these are the rooms that most families will frequent for the majority
of the day. In addition, you would want to give special attention to the room in which
you have your office if you work out of the home.

We’ll learn more in Chapter Five about how to use the Bagua within your rooms
to enhance every aspect of your life. Listed below are general guidelines and rules for
effectively positioning your most frequently used rooms as well as advice for correctly
placing the key elements of each space.

In the Bedroom…
The bedroom is the place where we recharge ourselves. Sleep is when our body
repairs damage done to our cells and when our nervous system rests and assimilates
the knowledge learned on a given day. If the quality of our sleep is good, our mind will
be clear and our waking lives effective. If the quality of our sleep is poor, we will be
anxious, dull witted, and ineffective in our waking lives.
 24

The location of your bedroom within your home is the first contributing factor as
to whether or not your sleep will be peaceful. The ideal placement for the master
bedroom is diagonally across from the front entrance to the home, with the bed against
the central wall. This arrangement will keep the bed near the heart of the home, but still
allow privacy and quiet. Logically, the closer you are to the hustle and bustle of the
comings and goings of the house, the less peaceful your sleep will be.

In a house with multiple bedrooms, two bedrooms should never face directly
across from each other. Not only is this bad for privacy, but Chinese tradition holds that
children who grow up in a bedroom directly across from their parents will be rebellious
and disrespectful.

You should avoid having the bedroom door in direct line with the front door as
this encourages the urge to sleep even when you may not be tired. You may come
home from the grocery store and decide to take a nap rather than making dinner as you
planned if your front door leads directly to your bedroom. The subconscious urge to
sleep will just be too powerful to resist!

As for the arrangement of the furniture in the

bedroom, the bed itself is of course the element of
central importance. If at all possible, the bed should
be located on a diagonal from the door. This allows
a clear view of anyone entering the room and will
keep the sleepers’ ch’i from becoming restless and
beginning to cause problems in their health and
career sectors.

*Ideally place bed, cater-corner the

entrance to the bedroom.
If for some reason the bed cannot be placed on the diagonal, a mirror can be
used to reflect the entrance diagonally across from the bed.

Remedy:

Mirror is placed in the diagonal position so that the

bed is reflected back into its ideal place. The mirror
also helps to facilitate the movement of ch’i
throughout the room.
*Some Feng Shui experts advise against a mirror in the
bedroom, saying it stimulates ch’i in a way that is unhealthy
for sleep or that a mirror can frighten the soul of a sleeper
as it rises from the body during the night. Other Feng Shui
experts recommend mirrors for the bedroom to increase
the quality of sleep as well as to encourage an enjoyable
 25

and fertile love life. Therefore it’s up to you and your instincts to decide whether or not a mirror in
the bedroom is desirable for you own personal situation.

A mirror cure may be desirable in a room in which the diagonal position would
force the foot of the bed to face toward the nearest pole of the earth. Meaning, if you
are in the Northern Hemisphere, you wouldn’t want to sleep with your feet facing north.
In contrast, if you were in the Southern Hemisphere, you wouldn’t want to sleep with
your feet facing south. It is energetically unwise to sleep in such a position as it will
draw the focus of your energy down toward your feet and away from your brain.

The ideal positioning for the bed is with the head facing slightly east or west of
the nearest pole for increased knowledge and wisdom. (Slightly northeast or northwest
for Northern Hemisphere, slightly southeast or southwest for the Southern Hemisphere.)
Aligning directly with the pole is not advised as it can cause an overabundance of
mental activity during sleep and even lead to psychological disorders. Facing the bed
from east to west or west to east is also acceptable as it will maintain even energy
levels throughout the entire body.

Another unfavorable bed position is with the foot of the bed directly in line with
the door. In ancient China, as in many other cultures, a corpse was laid with its feet
toward the door while awaiting the day of its burial. On that burial day, it was carried
from the home with its feet leaving first. Sleeping with your feet in such a position,
therefore is considered bad for your health and generally unlucky.

The lighting for the bedroom should be warm, but

not overly bright. The bedroom is the one area of the home
in which low light levels are not only acceptable but
preferable. In order to prepare properly for sleep, the body
must be able to stop manufacturing the ‘wakeful’ chemicals
that are produced when the skin is exposed to bright light.

If at all possible, the bedroom should not be directly

attached to a bathroom. This creates a Feng Shui situation
called, “hitting the emperor’s seat”, that is very unfavorable.
(One can imagine that in ancient China, hitting the
emperor’s seat was probably not a very wise practice if you
hoped to escape with your life!)

Unfortunately, most modern homes have a master bath attached to the master
bedroom. While convenient, this is poor Feng Shui. Bathrooms generally have poor
ch’i quality and toilets are especially inauspicious fixtures that cause money energy to
be flushed away from the home.

To remedy the problem of an attached bathroom, keep the door closed between
the two rooms as much as possible. Hang a mirror on the bathroom door so that the
bedroom will be reflected back on itself, lessening the influence of the bathroom. Wind
 26

chimes or a mobile can be hung in front of the bathroom door to help circulate ch’i and
keep it from being sucked into the bathroom.

The Bathroom
On the subject of bathrooms,
there are many ways that you can
counteract the negative effects of
‘bathroom energy’. Bathrooms are one
of the few areas in a home where yin
energy will reign, regardless of the
amount of natural light present, or what
steps you take to encourage positive ch’i
flow.

Yin energy isn’t always negative,

but an overabundance does encourage
listless personal energy and
ineffectiveness in the work place. The yin energy of the bathroom, however, is
considered to be generally unlucky and sometimes actually harmful. You can minimize
the danger of a bathroom by paying close attention to its design and by always keeping
the door to the bathroom firmly closed.

Location

First of all, a bathroom should never be located in the center of the home. Just
as a staircase brings instability to the center, so does a flushing toilet. If you have a
bathroom in the center of your home, you should try not to use the facilities there if at all
possible. There is no way to remedy a central bathroom except by not using it or by
moving to another home.

A bathroom should not be located near the front door or in a place where guests
will have to view the facility when coming and going. The more a bathroom is viewed by
strangers, the more encouragement the unlucky yin energy will have to emerge from the
bathroom and begin to flow throughout the rest of the home.

Finally, with regards to orientation, the bathroom door and the front door should
not face in the same direction. If they do, the family will be visited by cycles of
misfortune and it could be possible that the women of the family will be more likely to
suffer from miscarriage.

Design

After location within the home, the location of the toilet within the bathroom itself
is the most important consideration. The ideal location for a toilet is in a position in
which it can’t be seen when opening the bathroom door. The more hidden the toilet, the
 27

less malevolent the yin energy of the particular bathroom. If your toilet is highly visible,
using a screen to hide it from view can be an effective method of counteracting the
unlucky position.

To further reduce the impact of yin

energy, it is important to make sure that
your bathroom is well lit and well ventilated.
If you have a window in your bathroom,
using mirrors to reflect the outdoors within
the space will help bring in positive energy.
Painting the walls in a pastel color is also
beneficial and will help to promote harmony
within the family.

The final word on the bathroom supports what women have been asking men to
do for years; “put the seat down!” The toilet lid should be closed at all times when the
toilet is not in use in order to prevent money energy from being lost. It is a good idea to
close the lid firmly before flushing for the same reason. In addition to being good
manners, closing the lid is correct Feng Shui.

The Kitchen

A kitchen is representative of wealth. In fact, the Chinese word for ‘food’ sounds
the same as the word for ‘wealth’. Just as proper nutrition nourishes the body and
generates good health, proper placement and arrangement of your kitchen will generate
wealth and prosperity.

In order to bring about good fortune, a kitchen should not be placed near the
middle of the home. A kitchen that is dissected by the centerline of a structure will
cause the bodies of its residents to likewise divide against themselves. They will
therefore be at risk for a higher incidence of illness within
the family.

A kitchen should not be visible from the front door.

Just as a bedroom near an entrance will encourage too
much sleeping, a kitchen near the entrance will encourage
overeating. Children will be especially vulnerable to this
invisible pull and will be at an increased risk of suffering
from childhood obesity.

Within the kitchen, the stove is of primary

importance. The stove should be clean and working well in
order to allow wealth to enter the home. The stove should
 28

be used regularly. Each burner should be utilized an even number of times in order to
keep money energy from being blocked. The more burners utilized, the more wealth
will be accumulated by the family. This is why many Feng Shui experts advise putting a
mirror on the wall behind your stove. The reflection doubles your number of burners
and likewise doubles your money!

The stove and cooking areas should be well lit and spacious enough to make
preparing and cooking food comfortable for the chef. This area should be located in
such a way that the chef is not surprised by anyone entering or exiting the kitchen. In
addition to the fact that no one working with sharp knives should be startled, it is poor
Feng Shui and will lead to decreased wealth,
health, and decreased intimacy between husbands
and wives.

Remedy:

This problem can be remedied using mirrors to

reflect the entrance and hanging a wind chime
above the door so that the chef will be aware of any
entrances or exits into the kitchen.

Living Rooms

As a place where the family spends time together and where you will entertain
your guests, the living room should be well lit and exude feelings of warmth and
welcome. It should be the largest room in your home as well as the most carefully
decorated. A properly arranged living room is a great choice for the room that will greet
residents when they first open the front door.

If a living room had good Feng Shui, the sight of this room at the end of a long
day will make residents feel comfortable, relaxed, and happy to be home. In the same
way, a cozy living room will make guests feel welcomed and at ease.

Furniture within the living room should

always be facing the entrance. No seat
should have its back directly to the door, and
no furniture should be placed too close to the
entrance. The chairs and sofas should be
arranged to facilitate conversation and
comfort, with each seat having a clear view of
all the other seats.

*This living room is beautiful and the light is very good. It is also pleasantly decorated and very
welcoming. For proper Feng Shui the residents would need to move the red plaid couch. It is too
close to the door and is facing the wrong direction.
 29

Using the Bagua (Chapter 5), plants, mirrors, and water features can be placed
to make the living room one of the most auspicious in your home. Good Feng Shui in
this room will facilitate unity within the family and a harmonious connection between the
family and the outside world.

A Home Office
Having your office located within your home even more intimately connects the
arrangement of your space and the successfulness of your enterprise. As such an
important aspect of your existence, its placement should be taken seriously.

Locating your office in one of the corners of your home is the ideal. Just as the
‘big boss’ at work gets the corner office, give yourself the same Feng Shui advantage by
placing your home workspace in an auspicious corner. To discover the most auspicious
corner for your personal ch’i, use the tables below.

Simply find your year of birth and observe the corresponding direction. If you
were born near the changing of the year, you may find yourself in a ‘cusp’ situation and
will have to use your personal intuition to see which direction is best for you.

Ch’i Orientation for Males

SW E SE SW NW W NE S N
1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909
1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918
1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927
1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936
1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945
1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954
1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963
1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972
1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981
1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2034 2033 2032 2031 2030 2029 2028 2027 2026
2043 2042 2041 2040 2039 2038 2037 2036 2035
2052 2051 2050 2049 2048 2047 2046 2045 2044
 30

Ch’i Orientation for Females

SW E SE SW NW W NE S N
1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909
1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918
1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927
1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936
1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945
1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954
1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963
1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972
1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981
1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2034 2033 2032 2031 2030 2029 2028 2027 2026
2043 2042 2041 2040 2039 2038 2037 2036 2035
2052 2051 2050 2049 2048 2047 2046 2045 2044

Using the indications for personal ch’i can be confusing when you are
considering the needs of a large family. If a husband’s ch’i is oriented toward the
southwest, and wife’s toward the northeast, how will they arrange the house to benefit
both of their personal energies? This situation can become even more complicated
when considering the needs of children and grandparents who may be living in the
home!

Because of this dilemma, many Feng Shui specialists advice using personal ch’i
orientation only in matters that are unique to the individual and will not influence the
family at large. Therefore, locating your home office in an auspicious corner for your
own personal ch’i will not damage anyone else in your family and will actually benefit
them in that there will be more wealth available for the family at large.

Arranging the entire home to suit one person’s ch’i, however, would be selfish if
there are several other family members to be considered. That is why most Feng Shui
experts advise simply following the directions as traditionally indicated by the Bagua
(Chapter 5). In this way, the entire family will continue to thrive, regardless of the
orientation of their own personal ch’i.
 31

A Final Word on Feng Shui for the Interior of Your Home…

In modern day life it’s clear to see how interior Feng Shui can affect our lives
more than the location of a mountain range. It’s easier to place faith that rearranging
the rooms and furniture within our homes might really make a difference in our lives. It’s
also easier to believe that poor placement may cause serious harmful consequences.

If you’ve discovered during the reading of this

section that your home is experiencing terrible interior
Feng Shui, don’t panic! There’s no need to sell your
home or move to a hotel until more suitable
accommodations can be found. The consequences
listed above occur after years of living in the worst Feng
Shui environments possible. If you even begin to make
subtle changes in your environment, you will be able to
avoid the most serious of these without any problem.

If you do have a bathroom or staircase located in

the center of your house, for example, you will learn
ways to increase the energy of that sector in Chapter
Five. You can help remedy such a situation by
encouraging the earth element (the energy of the
center) in your home with color and shape.

The most important thing to realize is that you have the power to shift the course
of your fate. By taking the time to enhance the energy of your home, you will also be
enhancing the quality of your personal energy. You will begin to feel better and think
more positively and soon you won’t feel the need to worry about the state of your Feng
Shui.

Positive Feng Shui should free you from such anxieties about your destiny, giving
you the strength to think positively and deal with hardship when it arises (as it will in
every life, properly Feng Shui’ed or not). If you find that you continue to experience
anxiety about the placement of your home after making a few adjustments, you should
reexamine your motives for using the art.

You may have some deeper-seated problems with desiring an unreasonable

amount of control for your life. No science, not even Feng Shui, can promise that its
laws will give you absolute power over your destiny, only the opportunity to create the
most fortuitous conditions possible.

So relax and take these principles for what they are, a useful guide in
understanding a subject that is mystical, esoteric, and deeply personal. Use your
 32

personal intuition to discover how much Feng Shui is appropriate for you and let the
other rules fall where they may.

Though a Feng Shui master would gasp at this blasphemy, every individual truly
knows within themselves how their personal space should be arranged. It is only
because our instincts have been dulled that we need to follow the rules of Feng Shui.
Once your instincts start working again, you will be able to put your own personal spin
on this art of placement, making it not only more suited to your individual taste, but more
effective for the unique being that you are.
 33

Chapter Three: Feng Shui for the Exterior

In ancient times, the location for a
home was the primary concern when
trying to create the most positive flow of
energy possible. The general shape of
the land and the arrangement of the
specific features within the landscape
were closely analyzed before any
building could take place.

Many ancient battles were fought

over who claimed the rights to a
particularly prime property. Even in
present day China, land disputes over desirable Feng Shui property wage for years on
the battleground of the modern legal system. Why all the fuss about location you may
ask?

The fact of the matter is that there are actually far fewer desirable Feng Shui
sites than there are people hoping to build. The science of location is incredibly
complicated and at the same time very specific. With so many rules to follow, there are
very few pieces of property available that will truly fit the bill for ideal Feng Shui.

This problem with location is even more pronounced for modern people. Many
people live in apartments or in rented homes where they have very little control over the
particular location of their home. Even those people who can afford to buy or build their
own home rarely have the luxury of putting good Feng Shui above all else. When it
comes time to buy, usually factors such as price and proximity to work must be first on
the list of considerations.

A ‘bad’ Feng Shui location doesn’t have to be a death sentence for the well being
of your home’s ch’i. There are many ways to counteract the negative effects of having a
landscape that is less than ideal. First we’ll learn what constitutes the ‘perfect’ Feng
Shui spot and then we’ll learn ways to remedy the specific problems you may face with
your personal location situation.

Choosing the Perfect Location

The Four Animals

In Feng Shui, proper location is determined by carefully observing the

arrangement of the four celestial animals as they are manifested in the landscape.
These animals are symbolized by distinct land formations or shapes that must
occur in a specific combination with one another. Because the landforms will serve as
 34

the guardians of the home, their presence is considered extremely important. The
fewer animals present, the less protected the home. Each of the animals corresponds
to a specific compass direction, as well as a specific side of the structure that will sit
upon the land.

The Four Celestial Animals

Animal Season Direction Side of Building

Green Dragon Spring East Left

Red Raven Summer South Front
White Tiger Autumn West Right
Black Tortoise Winter North Back

The Dragon

The most important of the celestial animals is the

dragon. Even if the other animals are missing, a strong
dragon presence can still make a site desirable and
provide protection for the home that will be built there.
That’s why the first stage of scouting any site for Feng
Shui desirability is to determine the presence of the
dragon in the landscape.

The dragon is detected simply by observing the

surroundings. If you live near hills or a mountain range,
you would look for formations in the hills that resemble a
dragon. It could be a dragon in any position (sleeping,
seated, standing), but a dragon with a raised head is
considered to be the most fortunate.
 35

Dragons can be present in the cityscape as well. Perhaps the city skyline near
your home resembles a dragon, or maybe a combination of natural and man made
objects could form a dragon shape. A good time to look for a possible dragon formation
is in the very early morning as the sun rises and the skyline is in shadows. Oftentimes it
is easier to spot a dragon when you view your surroundings in silhouette. You could
look for a dragon at sunset, but since the most desirable location for a dragon is in the
easterly direction, sunrise is your best choice.

If you do happen to find a dragon in a

direction other than the east, it is still a
desirable formation and you will be able to
rearrange the other animals in order to take
advantage of the strong dragon formation.
The one rule for the dragon is that he always
guards the left side of the home or structure,
regardless if that side is the easterly side.

Example: Sleeping dragon on a hillside, head is

to the right, body to the left.

The Tiger

The dragon and the tiger should always

exist as opposite polarities. If the dragon is
east, then the tiger will be west. The dragon
is left and the tiger is right. Of the two, the
dragon is the dominant landform and should
always be visible even if the tiger is more
hidden.

The tiger is represented in the natural

landscape by low, crouching hills, or by a rock formation that has no jagged edges. In
the city landscape, a small, solid building could represent a tiger. Even better if this
building is white. White is the color of the tiger and will serve to enhance the power of
this celestial animal.

If you seem to have a white tiger present in your landscape without the balancing
force of the dragon you should beware. White tigers can be a threatening influence to a
home without the power of the dragon to keep them in check. In order to counter the
potential aggression of the tiger, you would establish the presence of the dragon within
your home by using the dragon’s color, green, on one or several of your walls.
 36

The Tortoise

The black tortoise guards the back of your home and can be represented by a
row of tall trees or a higher mountain range. In the case of a mountain range, your
home should be at a fair distance from the range. Like the white tiger, the tortoise can
become a menacing figure if located too close to your home.

In the cityscape, the black tortoise could be

a higher stand of buildings behind your own
property. Once again, the buildings should not be
too close. In addition to the tortoise becoming a
possible menace, high mountains or buildings too
close to your home will block the light from
reaching inside.

Light is vital to good Feng Shui; the brighter the better. Therefore, you wouldn’t
want to live too close to the tortoise, even if the thought of a menacing turtle doesn’t
frighten you quite as much as a menacing tiger! It’s important to remember that though
the rules of Feng Shui may at times seem purely mystical, there are grounded in
practicality.

The Red Raven

(or Red Phoenix)

The Red Raven is known to some as the Red Phoenix.

This celestial animal has an energy very similar to the energy of
the fire element. It is highly active and creative and ideally should
front a home in a southerly direction.

The Red Raven is the least dominant of all the celestial

animals. In an ideal setting, the front of a home should roll down
and gently away from the structure presenting a vista of a valley or
lowland. Somewhere in that vista is a large boulder, a slightly
larger hill, or maybe even another home that will represent the
Red Raven in the landscape.

Because the intense energy of the raven can be so powerful, it would be bad
Feng Shui if the raven were too close to your home and overpowered the influence of
the other animals, especially the benevolent dragon. The dragon would find it difficult to
nurture and protect your home if the raven were constantly blasting you with agitating
fire energy.
 37

Fortunate landscapes and how to place your home among them…

How to position your home is perhaps most easily understood by observing a few
very simple diagrams. The following are a few examples of how to position your home
in landscapes that are manifesting the four celestial animals. Remember, even if you
only have a dragon present in your landscape, you can still profit from a great deal of
protection by aligning your home with the dragon on your left side.

Example One:

This diagram reveals the ideal Feng

Shui property. The dragon is located
to the left (east), the tiger to the right,
the tortoise behind, and the raven to
the front. The dragon is large enough
to keep the tiger in check, and both the
tortoise and raven are far enough from
the property to be protective rather
than detrimental to the property.

Example Two:

This diagram is even more fortunate than

the first, though the Feng Shui involved
is a little more creative. In this figure, the
dragon shape in the landscape wasn’t
distinctive. By building the home on the
top of the rise, the owners gave the
dragon a ‘head’ and brought wholeness
to the animal. This is in turn brings
harmony to the landscape and to the
residents. Also, by building in the realm
of the dragon’s head, the residents of the
house will experience increased strength
in the knowledge sector of their lives.

You must be careful when creating a dragon’s head however. You should never
build your home on an overhang, especially if there is a white tiger present below who
may be waiting to devour all of your good luck energy. This site is suitable because the
rise of the dragon’s body isn’t too steep and the tiger is big enough to protect, but not to
threaten. The tortoise is suitably distant, as is the raven.
 38

Example Three:

This diagram gives a possible

example of an ideal Feng Shui
location for an urban dweller.
A dragon with a raised head
(the most fortunate dragon) is
represented by the skyscrapers
to the left of the home. The
white tiger is found in the short,
squat home to the property’s
right. The tortoise is found in
the tall, distant skyscrapers
behind the building and the
raven is represented by the
smaller home located at some
distance to the dwelling.

Remedying a ‘bad’ location…

If you find that your home or apartment conforms to none of the rules governing
the four celestial animals, don’t worry! You can still summon the energy of the dragon
into your home by using the dragon’s signature color on the appropriate walls. The
following diagram reveals which walls on the interior and exterior of your home would
correspond to the dragon.

The exterior wall to the east of your

home (hopefully the left as well, but if
not choose east) is one of the walls of
the dragon. You can enhance the
dragon protection of your home by
planting trees against this wall.
Another choice would be to encourage
the growth of a climbing vine, like ivy.
You could paint the wall green, but
your neighbors might find that a little
strange if the rest of your home
wasn’t green as well!

The Interior wall of the dragon would be the western interior wall. Even though it
is located on the western side, it is still facing east and so is claimed by the dragon.
 39

You can enhance the dragon in your home by painting this wall green or by using wall
hangings or curtains in a green color.

Other Landscape Considerations…

Rivers

Rivers are powerful conductors of ch’i within a

landscape. They can bring amazing good fortunate or
devastation, depending on several key Feng Shui factors. It
is generally assumed, however, that a house with a view of
water of any kind will bring success to its inhabitants.

Quality of the River

When deciding to live near a river, you should carefully observe the quality of the
water. The river should be clean, flowing, and lively. Fish, wildlife, and people should
be able to use and enjoy the river with no ill effects. This is a sign that the ch’i of the
river itself is pure and beneficial.

If the water is murky, stagnant, or has a foul odor, you should think twice before
considering making your home there. Though stagnant water can still bring money into
a home, it will be unlucky money that can carry death and destruction in its wake. The
ch’i of a stagnant or polluted river is tainted, and so the manifestations of the water
energy in your home will also be tainted.

In addition to the negative ch’i of such a river, there are many health risks
associated with living next to stagnant water.
Still water is a breeding ground for disease
carrying insects such as mosquitoes. Whether
it be malaria or West Nile virus, these insects
continue to be a threat to human health.

Throughout human history, stagnant

water has been a dangerous health hazard,
causing plagues and widespread death, and it
is best avoided at all costs. Once again, the
rules of Feng Shui prove to be practically sound
as well as mystically powerful.
 40

The Position of Your Home

If you do find a river whose ch’i is pure and powerful, you must consider the
placement of your home in relation to the river. The first rule of course is distance. You
want your home to be at least twice its height away from the riverbank. If the home is
large and tall, this is far enough away to benefit from the power of the river without
suffering ill effects. If your home is small, four times the height would be a better
distance. If a small home is too close to a river, it will be overpowered by the water’s
ch’i and there will be an increased incidence of illness within the family.

Next, it is important which direction your home faces with regard to the river. The
ideal is to have your house front the water for increased wealth. If your home faces
away from the river, you will be presented with opportunity, but will never be able to
successfully grasp it. You can remedy this easily by installing several mirrors to reflect
the river within the home. In this way you will draw the positive energy of the river into
your home and your life.

There are other factors to consider other than direction and distance from the
water. How your home is placed with regards to the shape of the riverbank will also be
very important. While the proper placement will bring good fortune, improper placement
can cause negative consequences. Most of these consequences will involve difficulty
with finances since water symbolizes money. The following are a few examples of less
desirable river locations.

Less Favorable River Locations

Example One:

If a river forms a horseshoe shape away from the

home, you once again have a situation where the
inhabitants will be able to see good fortune, but never
be able to claim it as their own. This situation can be
cured by using a mirror to reflect the image of the
river inside the house, bringing the good money
energy indoors.
 41

Example Two:

This home site could be either beneficial or

unbeneficial, depending on the quality of the water.
If the water of this bay is gentle and peaceful and in
no way threatens the home, then this is a very
auspicious location. If the water is violent and
unpredictable, this would be a very unlucky location
and probably at high risk for being damaged in a
flood.

Example Three:

This location could be either lucky or

unlucky. If the river flows toward the
home, this is a lucky site and will bring
the inhabitants wealth. If the river flows
away from the site, however, it is unlucky
and the residents will watch as all of their
wealth flows away from them. This too can
be remedied with mirrors. Use a pair of
mirrors to bounce the reflection of the water
into the home in such a manner that the
water appears to be moving toward the
home instead of away. It may take some
time to discover the proper arrangement for
the mirrors, but in the end your effort will be
well rewarded.

Favorable River Locations

Even though a river can cause money

difficulties, it is much more likely that you will
experience great good fortune in your money
sector by living near flowing water. Even an
 42

unfavorable location can usually be remedied and even a troublesome river is better
than none at all! The following are examples of desirable river locations.

Example One:

When a river curves around a property in an

embrace, the residents will enjoy great wealth.
An embracing river also bestows luck upon the
home.

Example Two:

This river location is a study in contrasts.

The embracing river here bestows luck and
wealth, but the opposite side of the river
horseshoes away, carrying opportunity for
wealth away from the site. These two sides
of the river will battle for a time and the
inhabitants of this home may experience
some setbacks in their financial sector.
Eventually, however, the embracing river will
triumph and the inhabitants will overcome
adversity and be both wealthy and
successful.

Example Three:

This river can be lucky or unlucky. If the two

tributaries are flowing toward the home and
meet in front, then this is an auspicious site with
double the money energy. If the two rivers are
both flowing away from the home, it is doubly
unlucky as wealth will be swept away from the
home on two strong streams.
 43

Waterfalls in a River

While waterfalls can be beautiful, Feng Shui

specialists consider them to be bad neighbors. The louder a
waterfall, the more dangerous it will be. A waterfall that
sounds like thunder spells disaster for the homes nearby.
Smaller waterfalls are not as dangerous, but are still
considered inauspicious.

While it is true a gently burbling fountain, or a babbling

brook are good for dispersing sha energy, a waterfall is just
too noisy. One Feng Shui specialist compared a waterfall
and fountain in this way: “You spot a hungry tiger loose in
your backyard so you whisper to your brother that it is time to
go indoors. Thusly, you both escape the tiger. That is the
energy of the fountain. On the other hand, if you spot a hungry tiger loose in your
backyard and scream for your brother to go indoors, thus alerting the tiger to your
presence and causing him to eat the both of you; that is the energy of the waterfall.”

Roads

Roads, like rivers, are avenues for the flow of ch’i. Curving roads are best of
course. Straight lines of any sort are pathways for negative sha energy. That is why it
is undesirable to live at the end of a dead end street or at the corner of an intersection.

High-speed roads and highways are especially

dangerous vessels for sha. The energy on a super
highway has been called ‘killing ch’i’ because it is
moving much too quickly for the human body to
assimilate.

If you happen to live in an undesirable road

location, the best cure is the mirror cure discussed
earlier. Placing a mirror on the outside of your home will help to deflect the negative
energy and protect your family. Outdoor wind chimes or fountains located between the
home and the street can also be beneficial

Driveways
In addition to the street on which you live, how your own driveway approaches
your home can have a negative or positive effect on your home’s energy. The
driveway is the vessel that links your home to the energy of the main street. A good
 44

driveway will filter out negative sha while allowing positive ch’i to meander toward the
house.

Example One:

The fork formed by this driveway is a bad omen for the

family. Traditionally it meant that the first-born son
would quarrel with his father and would end up moving
his wife and children into his own home instead of
staying to take care of his parents in their old age. In
modern times, Feng Shui specialists say that a forked
driveway will mean a breaking off of relations between
the first born child and the dominant parental influence.

Example Two:

This driveway narrows as it approaches the street. This

dwindling signifies reduced career opportunity and can
mean a decreased life span if the driveway slopes down
hill away from the home. You can remedy this situation
by installing a lamp at the bottom of the driveway. This
light will help re-circulate ch’i that has become stuck at the
end of the drive.

Example Three:

A circular drive is the most auspicious. It helps ch’i to

move slowly and effectively up to the home and is a
symbol of wealth. If the center of the driveway is
planted with flowers, family prosperity will be
increased. If the center of the driveway contains a
fountain, wealth will be attracted to the family, while
negative energy is repelled.
 45

Pathways

The path leading from the driveway or street up toward the home is also a
conductor of ch’i energy.

Left: The house on the left is suffering from the same ‘bottleneck’ problem as the home
with the narrowing drive. The owners will benefit from installing a lamp near the end of
their drive.
Center: The house in the center has a long narrow path that will direct malevolent sha
energy straight into the home. These people can cure the problem by installing a mirror
on the exterior of their home.
Right: The house on the right has a path that widens out to the street. The future is
open for the inhabitants of this home. The sha energy will be slowed by the narrowing
path, but could still possibly find a way to enter the home. These inhabitants could
benefit from a mirror on the exterior.

Steep Stairs

A home with a steep steps is allowing money

energy to roll out of the house. You can remedy
this problem by installing a mirror at the bottom of
the steps facing the house. The money energy
will be reflected back to the home before it can
roll out into the street.

The Shape of Your Home

Once you have placed your home properly and managed to get your driveways
and pathways up to Feng Shui standards, then you must consider the shape of your
home itself. Shapes are very important in Feng Shui. As we’ve learned, each element
has a shape, and each shape has a unique energy.
 46

According to Feng Shui, square, rectangular, or round shapes are the most ideal
for a home. They are even, regular shapes that will bring stability to the family.
Unfortunately for many western cultures, we have a tendency to build irregularly shaped
structures. This can lead to discord within the family and a life that is lacking in the
sectors of the home where the structure is considered incomplete.

The following are a few examples of common irregularly shaped home designs
and how to remedy them. If your particular shape is not discussed, simply apply the
outdoor light and plant cures discussed below to the specifics of your particular home.
Remember, you are seeking to achieve a balance in the overall shape, coming as close
to a perfect square, rectangle, or circle as possible.

U-shaped Houses
U-shaped homes can be unlucky for a marriage. If the master bedroom is
located in one of the protrusions, it can symbolically separate the marriage from the
solid steady ch’i energy of the home. In this situation, one or both of the spouses may
find reasons to ‘sleep outside the home’, engaging in infidelity and putting their marriage
at risk.

If the kitchen or dining room is located in one of the protrusions, the family will
not enjoy eating in their house. This will lead them to eat more meals out at restaurants
or fast food joints. While this isn’t such a tragedy, it can get expensive and lead to
unhealthy eating habits. It’s much harder to find healthy food in reasonable portion
sizes when you are eating meals that you haven’t prepared yourself.

If a child’s room is located in one of the protrusions, the child will eventually grow
to feel distanced from their parents and siblings. They will be symbolically ‘locked out’
of the family unit and will become resentful. This child will find every excuse to stay
away from home and may even eventually decide to leave their family before they are of
age.

A living room or family room located in a protrusion is the most unfortunate

arrangement of all. In this instance, the family will likely be plagued with chronic
headaches, backaches, and other general
aches and pains. They will be at a higher
risk for having to undergo major surgery and
will suffer losses in both their money and
career sectors.

Remedies:

To help remedy the problem of a U-shaped

home, there are many simple steps that you
can take. First of all, begin by filling in the U
with trees or flowering plants. Next, install
 47

outdoor lights that will shine into the U during the evening hours.

If possible, rearrange your home so that the rooms least used are located in the
protrusion. Though locating a guest room in a protrusion may cause guests to feel
unwelcome, this is preferable to causing discord within the main family unit. You could
use one of the rooms as a storage area, an exercise room, or a playroom for the kids as
long as they have a room of their own where they sleep.

If you simply have to locate a principal room in one of the protrusions, leave the doors to
these rooms open as much as possible, so they will fell less ‘cut off’ from the rest of the
home. In addition, hanging mirrors to reflect the room into the main portion of the house
will help facilitate the flow of ch’i and reduce the negative impact of living in a U-shaped
home.

L-Shaped Homes

L-shaped home are extremely popular in many parts of the world. Unfortunately,
they are considered poor Feng Shui because a large portion of the shape is missing.
This results in an imbalance of the home’s energy as well as the energy of the
occupants. L-shaped homes are much more dangerous than U-shaped homes and can
cause both minor disruptions as well as life-threatening crisis.

Depending on the arrangement of the rooms within the home, an L-shaped living
space can lead to poor study habits in children, poor work habits in adults, reduced
wealth, reduced opportunity, an increased incidence of both mental and physical illness,
and an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with a terminal disease.

Remedies:

Luckily, remedying the problems caused by an

L-shaped home can be very easy! By simply
installing a light that shines into the ‘missing’
corner, you can fill in the space and encourage
a balanced flow of ch’i within your home.

To further facilitate good ch’i, install wind

chimes or bells over your doorway. This will
invite good energy in, while deflecting negative
sha. Mirrors can also be used to even out the
space.
 48

Cleaver or Pan-handle Shaped Homes

Not to frighten anyone that may live in a cleaver shaped home, but a bedroom,
kitchen, or office located in the ‘blade’ section of the home will lead to the death of
success as well as the early demise of the inhabitants.

People living in the blade of a cleaver shaped home will feel out of control in all
aspects of their lives. They will be terrified of change and will likely suffer from panic
attacks or even agoraphobia. This fear causes them to avoid going into the outside
world which causes them to spend more time in the very place that is causing their
anxiety: their own home!

If you do live in this type of home it would be advisable to move your bedroom to
the ‘panhandle’ of the home right away. This will immediately begin to increase your
feelings of safety and security.

Remedies:

Begin by installing a light cure to fill in the

missing portion of the home. You may want
to plant flowerbeds and create a pathway that
will further help to solidify the shape of the
home.

On the interior, try to arrange your rooms to

keep the bedrooms, office, and kitchen away
from the ‘cleaver’ section of the home. If this
isn’t possible, use mirrors to reflect beds,
desks, and kitchen appliances back into the
‘safe’ portion of the home, away from the
blade.

A cleaver shaped home can be remedied fairly easily. If you live in a cleaver shaped
apartment, your situation becomes a bit more difficult. The installation of the outdoor
cure is especially necessary in remedying the shape of a clever shaped home. Though
you will be able to improve your situation with the use of mirrors, you may want to
consider moving to a more fortunate space if your finances allow.
 49

Neighbors

It’s always a good idea to check out the neighborhood

before you decide to purchase a home or rent an apartment. Are
your neighbors friendly and prosperous? Are the exteriors of the
homes near yours well maintained? If so, chances are that the
energy of the neighborhood is good and that you and your family
will thrive there.

On the other hand, if the community is in a state of decline

and the citizens are guarded and unfriendly, you should
reconsider your decision to move to this area. Even if you are on
a limited budget, there are low-income communities that are as
clean, friendly, and well-kempt as the wealthiest neighborhood in
town. You don’t have to be wealthy to have good energy, though it is a fact that good
energy will afford you a better lifestyle.

If you are going to be opening a business in a

neighborhood it is even more important to carefully observe
the surroundings. You may have to do a little homework,
learning how long each of the establishments on your block
has been in business and how they are faring financially. If
others have had bad luck with bankruptcy and failed
enterprise, chances are you will have difficulty getting your
business to thrive in that particular area.

The only constant within the universe, however, is

change. So even if you choose the most fortuitous
neighborhood possible, there is a chance that the buildings
near you could be torn down and new structures will be built
that will change the ch’i dynamic of the entire community. The following are a few ways
to counteract the negative energy created by new neighbors moving in on the block.

High Rise

If a high-rise complex is built across the

street from your home, there is still a chance that
you will remain relatively unaffected. If the street
that separates you from the high rise is at least
four house lengths wide, you and your home’s
energy will be safe from the bullying energy of
such a large structure.

If a high rise is built right next door to a

smaller home, it can wreak havoc on the energy
 50

within that home. Not only does a high rise block light from reaching the interior of the
smaller home, it negatively impacts the personal ch’i of the people living inside. People
living in the shadow of a high-rise will experience setbacks in their career and will fail to
meet their personal potential.

Remedies:

You can overcome the negative impact of living next to a high rise by installing a mirror
that will reflect the building back on itself. It’s even better if this mirror is convex and the
image of the building is turned upside down.

If the building is located to the west, or right

hand side of your home, it can become a
threatening tiger in your landscape. This
effect will be doubled if the building is painted
white, the tiger’s sacred color. In order to
counteract this effect you would enhance the
dragon in your home using the methods
mentioned previously.

Unfriendly Corners

Sometimes, your new neighbors may be the nicest people in the world, but the
way they’ve built their home is decidedly unfriendly. If a neighboring property is angled
in such a way that a corner of the home is aimed directly at your own, your home’s ch’i
will suffer. If the neighboring home is larger than your own, this problem can become
even more exaggerated, causing you and your family to become ineffective in your
worldly endeavors.

Remedies:

The first step in both improving your ch’i

and ensuring your privacy is to plant a
stand of trees between your and your
neighbor’s property. To further
counteract the negative sha energy
aimed towards the home, you can
attach a mirror on the exterior of your
home and install a wind powered lawn
decoration. Miniature windmills or pink flamingos with wind-powered wings are two
possible choices.
 51

If a pink flamingo offends your personal aesthetic (and you wouldn’t be alone if it did!),
you could choose to use bamboo poles amongst your plantings. Bamboo deflects
negative sha energy and is great for encouraging climbing vines.

Institutions

If a school is built on the block, you won’t have much to worry about as far as
your home’s ch’i is concerned. Though the playground may be noisy, the presence of
children can actually bring good fortune to the neighborhood. Small businesses are
also fairly good neighbors, as long as they keep regular business hours and don’t lure
undesirable people into the community.

A church can be a good neighbor if it is primarily a place

of worship or if weddings and christenings are often performed
there. If the church is the site of frequent funeral services,
however, it can cause the yin energy of the community to
begin to outweigh the yang.

Yin energy is the energy of the dead. When living

residents of a community begin to absorb too much yin energy,
they will be at an increased risk of perishing in a sudden
accident. An overabundance of yin will lead to decreased
ambition, decreased creativity, and decreased effectiveness in
the world.

Remedies:

You can remedy the influence of a nearby church or

funeral home by planting trees between your
property and the other structure. The trees should
be planted close together, with thick foliage. Another
option is a tall fence, covered with climbing vines.

A Final Word on Location…

No matter how your landscape is manifesting, and regardless of whether or not

you are fortunate enough to live near a river, you can still benefit from the principles of
good external Feng Shui. By simply using color to encourage the protection of the
green dragon, you have already greatly enhanced your positive energy.

If you go a step further by mending broken corners and installing mirrors to

deflect negative neighborly influences, you will truly begin to notice an improvement in
the energy of your living space and the quality of your life.
 52

Chapter Four: Feng Shui at the Office

When you work at home, you can

choose any desk position you like, work the
hours you choose, and arrange your
personal belongings any way you please.
When you go to the office, chances are that
the most desirable Feng Shui locations will
be reserved for top management and that
your superiors will be telling you where to
sit, exactly when to come in, and what is
acceptable to have displayed in your
workspace.

If you are top management, then the

Feng Shui of your office is probably
working well for you (or at least you have the authority to change it!). If you are not yet,
but would someday like to be top management, you may have to get a little creative with
your Feng Shui in order to increase your energy and productivity and catapult yourself
into a position of power.

Desk Position

A cushy corner office is of course the most desirable Feng Shui location in any
workplace, especially if the corner you choose corresponds with your personal ch’i
orientation. If you aren’t one of the privileged few to have such a prime space, you can
still make your workspace a place of power and effectiveness by making a few
adjustments, the most important of which is the position of your desk.

The most auspicious placement for

your desk is diagonally across the room
from the entrance into your office. This
position allows you to view your entire
workspace as well as be immediately
alerted to anyone entering or leaving the
room. This location will increase your
concentration, cause your business to
thrive, and put you in a position of control
and authority.

Having your back to any door is decidedly bad Feng Shui. It will lead to business
being conducted “behind your back.” You will be out of the loop on business deals and
partnerships and will be passed over for promotions and wage increases. The severity
of the problem will only increase the closer you are to the offending door.
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Example: Poor Desk Arrangement

In this situation, the worker is both too close to the door and facing in the wrong
direction. If at all possible, this person should turn their desk around to face the
entrance and move it three to four feet back
towards the diagonal wall.

If this is not an option, they can install

mirrors both in front and to the side of their desk.
This will keep them aware of the comings and
goings of the rest of the office. Chances are that
they will still feel as if they are constantly ‘looking
over their shoulder’. Even with the mirrors it will
be difficult for this person to work up to their full
potential.

Common Desk Locations

And Their Subconscious Associations

The position of your desk not only influences the way your work, but affects the
way people view you and your achievements. If your colleagues seem to disrespect
your opinions, or you are never invited out to lunch with the boss, it may be your desk
position that is to blame rather than any particular aspect of your job performance. The
following are a few common desk locations as well as the possible consequences of
being the person who occupies that particular desk.

Desk with Back to a Window

If you occupy this position, you will not be listened to carefully. It’s logical that
someone seated in front of you might be more entranced by the activity outside your
window than the words that are coming out of your mouth. People who are forced to
spend the majority of their day indoors often find the world outside the window
irresistible and will be tempted to daydream instead of take notes on your latest
company improvement plan.

In order to keep the focus on you

and not the clouds rolling by outside, you
should rotate the position of your desk so
that you are the one facing the window.
If you find that you get too distracted,
you may simply have a window that is
too large. An oversized window can
cause a room to have difficulty holding in
the appropriate amount of ch’i energy. In
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this case you could try placing a few potted plants in front of the window, or installing a
fountain to help keep the ch’i circulating within the room.

If all else fails, you might have to invest in some blinds and lower them halfway.
In this way, you’ll still allow ch’i enhancing natural light to enter the room without
allowing all your room’s ch’i and your focus to be sucked out through the floor to ceiling
window. Though it’s a sad thing to close out a beautiful day, sometimes you must make
the sacrifice in the name of increased concentration and productivity.

Desk Closest to an Interior Opening Door

The person in this desk will be assigned more work than anyone else in the
office. This could be a boon if the increased number of assignments leads to increased
company visibility and perhaps even a promotion for work well done. However, it can
be exhausting to be forced to handle extra work and you may become frustrated that
you are doing more than your coworkers and still not getting paid a higher salary!

A grueling work schedule can lead to feeling ‘burned out’ on the job. Your
personal life will suffer, you’ll have higher stress levels, and the quality of your work may
eventually start to decline if you’re forced to carry an abnormally heavy workload for
months at a time.

One possible solution for this problem is to install a ticking clock, a fountain, or
anything else that will help generate repetitive, white noise. This soothing sound will
help to lower your Yang energy levels and make your personal aura a bit less bright.
This decreased visibility will keep you from being overloaded with work.

Desk Closest to an Exterior Opening Door

The person closest to the front or back door will be considered expendable.
Though they may be well liked by their coworkers, the person in this desk will be seen
as the least essential member of the office team.

That means if you’re the unlucky person to be assigned this position, you’ll be the
first to go in the event of any company
cutbacks. This desk also puts you in a
poor place for inter-company
communication. Though you may know
who’s coming and going, you won’t be
clued in to the decisions being made by
the rest of the company.

To avoid being considered

dispensable, first make an attempt to
relocate your desk. If that isn’t possible,
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try to keep fresh flowers or plants on your desk at all times. This will keep the energy
around your desk stable, and prevent the positive ch’i energy from being swept out the
door as it opens and closes throughout the day.

Another possible cure for this situation is to place a heavy stone paperweight in
the future sector of your desk (more on this in the next section). Simply place the stone
in the center of your desk at the point furthest away from your seat. This should ‘weigh
you down’ in your career and help you to be taken more seriously around the office.

Desk facing a Wall

People whose desks directly face a wall will be considered inaccessible by the
rest of the office. Your coworkers will go out of their way to avoid talking with you if you
are the person who occupies this desk. They will consider you closed off,
uncommunicative, and a poor collaborator, regardless of whether any of those things
may or may not be true.

The easiest way to counter this negative image is of course to turn your desk
around so that the wall is at your back. If for some reason this isn’t possible, you can
install a mirror to your front, to your side, or in both locations as in the example of “poor
desk placement’ illustrated at the beginning of the chapter. As we said before, this will
still leave you with the feeling that you have to ‘look over your shoulder’ and you will
have difficulty working up to your full potential.

Desk enclosed by Interior Glass

People who work at a desk

enclosed by interior glass will inspire envy
in their colleagues. If this is your desk,
people will perceive you as standing in the
way of their own personal advancement
and will do whatever they can to strip you
of your position. You will be the subject of
viscous office gossip and will feel like an
unwanted outsider in the company break
room.

An office enclosed by glass has very poor Feng Shui. It will be unable to hold
proper amounts of ch’i energy and the energy that does make its way in will be unable
to circulate properly.

The best remedy for this situation is to remove the glass walls if at all possible.
Revolutionize your office by ‘tearing down walls’ and uniting the workforce! If your
superiors won’t go for that idea, try installing blinds on one side of the office for
increased privacy and a line of potted plants on the other side for more effective ch’i
 56

flow. A mirror behind you should help to deflect negative sha energy aimed at you by
coworkers.

Desk in the Center of the Room

The person seated at this desk will be considered ‘old reliable’. If this is your
desk, you may not get the hot new assignments, but you will be the person that your
superiors turn to in a time of crisis. They will depend on you to rise to the challenge
presented and save the company from a loss of both money and reputation.

Depending on how well you deal with the crisis you could be on the fast track to
company advancement. In a study of ten different office spaces, Feng Shui expert
Steven Cardiff discovered that the desk located at the center of the office experienced
the highest rate of turn over due to promotion in nine out of the ten sites. (The tenth site
had a staircase in the center of the office, bad luck for the general energy of the building
as well as for employees who could have benefited from central placement!)

“But I don’t work at a Desk!!”

You may be asking yourself, “What good are these rules if I don’t even work at a
desk?!” The principles of desk placement can be applied to many other types of
employment as well. Simply substitute the area where you spend most of your time for
the desk in the situations mentioned above.

If you are the line chef whose food prep

station is closest to the exit, you’ll be
considered the least vital part of your team. If
you are a mechanic whose work area is closest
to the interior door, you’ll be receiving the
majority of the oil changes. If you are a doctor
and you to face the wall when discussing your
patients’ x-rays, you will be considered
uncommunicative and your patients will feel
uncomfortable asking you questions regarding
their treatment.

The list could go on and on. The point is that wherever you spend the majority of
your workday will influence both the way you work and the way that people perceive
your work. Giving a little Feng Shui attention to this often-used area can increase your
productivity and improve your relationships with coworkers and employees.

If your routine varies and you are rarely in the same place, you would need to
substitute your own body for the desk. When you visit clients do you stand facing a
wall, do you stand in front of a window, or do you lead them to a nice comfortable spot
in the center of the room and proceed to make the sale every time?
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Arranging your Personal Space

(Taking the Bagua to the Office)

Once you have your desk positioned for optimal

Feng Shui, you should shift your focus to the objects
located within your personal workspace. It’s common
knowledge that paying close attention to how your desk is
arranged can increase productivity. A tidy desk can
reduce stress and help keep your mind as clear and clean
as your workspace. A nicely decorated desk makes you
happier to be at work and helps you assert your individual
identity.

Using the principles of Feng Shui, we can take

your desk organization to an even higher level. With only
a few minor adjustments, you will be able to increase your efficiency, productivity, and
creativity, all while influencing the opinions of your coworkers and superiors and putting
yourself in the position to move quickly up the corporate ladder.

In order to accomplish these goals, we must turn our attention to the Bagua, the
“Feng Shui map” that was introduced in Chapter One. We’ll be focusing on this ancient
map in great detail in the next Chapter, but for now we’ll use a few of the basic
principles to help you achieve your work related goals.

The Bagua as designed for your personal workspace is slightly different than the
classical Bagua we’ll be using in the next section. Feng Shui experts believe that the
energy of the work environment slightly alters the importance of the key directions.
Therefore, instead of focusing on North and South, we’ll be locating objects simply
based on their relationship to your own body as you sit in your chair.

Goal #1: Keeping your Present Job, or Advancing in the Company

Location: Center, Far Side of Your Desk

This goal is represented by the central area on the far side of your desk. This is
the career section of your desk and what you place here will have an impact on how
well you perform and how far you will advance in your chosen field. Depending on your
unique needs, you have several options as to what items will prove most beneficial to
you if placed in this sector.

If you have anxiety about your job performance or worry that you may be fired,
you should place a fountain, a ticking clock, or even a small stereo in this location.
Playing classical music, or simply having another source of steady, rhythmic sound in
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this area will help to banish anxiety and disperse negative sha energy that may be
flowing in your direction from the corners of other people’s desks or down long hallways
in your place of business.

If you have trouble focusing on the

task at hand and you feel this is
endangering your job, you should place an
object representing the fire element in this
position. The fire element is represented
by the colors orange and red and by
pointed, triangular shapes. The fire
element will focus your energy and help
direct your efforts toward the task at hand.
This will help improve your productivity
and possibly put you in a better position for
advancement.

If you can’t seem to put together a long term plan for your future in your present
job, you’ll want to encourage the metal element in this area. Metal is represented by
square shapes and by the color white. Encouraging the solid, contracted energy of
metal will help you to sustain your focus until you have solidified your long-term goals.

Goal #2: Enhancing work relationships

Location: Right side, Far side of Desk

No matter what your business, good working relationships are vital to your job
success. People have been ‘scratching each others’ backs’ since the dawn of business.
Who you know and how they feel about you is often more important than what you know
or even how well you do your job!

To help make sure you are able to establish strong

ties with the powerful people in your work place, install a
mirror or other reflective object in this area. This will stir up
the ch’i in your relationship sector and help you to become a
dynamic figure that the people in your office will want to get
to know.

To maintain these connections once you’ve made

them, use symbols of earth energy (flat, yellow) in this area
to encourage long, sustained relationships. This could be a
vase of yellow flowers or something as simple as a yellow
notepad or a yellow folder. Remember, Feng Shui
manifests in even the most mundane of objects.

If you have a superior who seems unapproachable, a green plant in this sector
will help you to gather the courage you need to make an impression on this imposing
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person. As a living thing, it enhances ch’i as well as being representative of the wood
element, the energy of spring, early growth, and new connections.

Goal #3: Expanding Creativity

Location: Left Side, Far side of Desk

There are many jobs out there that rely heavily on sustained creative energy. If
your job is in marketing, advertising, writing, entertainment, or another creative field, this
is the type of energy you need to keep flowing. Your job depends on your creativity and
you can’t afford to let this all-important energy wither or wan.

To make sure that your creative energy will be

there when you need it, use the fire element in this
area. Anything red or orange, or possessing the
sharp, triangular shapes of the fire element will suffice.
If your phone is located in this sector, make it red. If
you have a little bowl of candies in this area (a sure
way to make sure your desk is popular), make them
red jelly beans or cinnamon drops.

In order to feel more secure when making a creative leap, enhance the earth
element in this area with color or shape (yellow, flat). This could mean that your
computer will be yellow in color, or that you will have a vase of yellow daisies on the far
left hand side of your desk.

If you feel that your creative potential is still relatively untapped, you can help
yourself to manifest his type of energy by using the metal element in this area (white,
square shapes). Keep your pencils in a small, white box, or better yet, keep your red
jellybeans in a small, white box. That way you’ll be getting fire and metal in one tiny
package. Remember, Feng Shui is definitely open to multi-tasking!

If on the other hand you feel that your creativity is

way over tapped and you’re feeling creatively drained,
encourage the water element in this sector. The water
element will encourage the energy of your subconscious,
helping you to fill the well of creativity. A small fountain is a
good choice, or multi-task by installing a small fish bowl
with goldfish (fire and water combined).

Goal #4: To encourage communication and trust

Location: Left side of desk, closest to you

If you are the leader of a company, you have an especially strong need to
encourage communication and trust in your employees. You need to communicate
effectively to get the most out of your employees and you need them to trust your
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decisions in order to move the company forward. If no one understands your orders, or
if your workers are always second guessing your directions, neither you nor your
company will reach the highest level of success.

To encourage your workers or co-workers to feel comfortable expressing

themselves, install an element of earth in this sector. This will help you to be a calm,
solid force that encourages people to feel safe sharing their concerns with you. Earth
energy will help you to be sincere and direct, but compassionate in your
communications.

To help those who may seek your advice to

articulate themselves more clearly, use the metal element
in this sector. That could be found in the form of a metal
letter opener, or in a small white box filled with metallic
paper clips.

To help keep your entire office free of petty gossip

and politics, encourage wood energy in this sector. Wood
is the energy of kindness and generosity. A bonsai tree
would be good for this sector, or even something as
simple as a container of wooden pencils.

Goal #5: Increase your salary, or increase your sense of self worth
Location: Right side of desk, closest to you

Almost everyone thinks they could use more money, but most people could
definitely use a higher sense of self worth. Though there are the occasional
egomaniacs of the work place, most people tend to underestimate their talents and
skills. What you place in this sector could increase both your self-image and your
paycheck.

To increase your overall confidence, and possibly your pay as well, use the fire
element in this sector. Gold fish in a bowl will introduce the fire element while also
enhancing the water element of this sector. The water element will further boost your
self-esteem by helping to banish any feelings of self-doubt.

If you feel you just aren’t getting paid enough money to meet your personal
needs, you would encourage the earth element in this sector. Once again, a flat yellow
folder could do the job, or perhaps mix a few yellow fish in with your gold fish if you
choose to place a fishbowl in this sector. (Just make sure the fish will make friendly
bowl mates. Some fish have the tendency to attack and kill different species. A killing
frenzy in your self-esteem sector is definitely not a desirable occurrence!)
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Goal #6: To be happier and more productive on the job

Location: Your desk chair

This is the sector of yourself. The energy of this area will influence how people
view you, how your view yourself, and how happy and satisfied you feel about your work
and the time you spend in the workplace.

To assist you in fulfilling your overall potential, you should enhance the fire
element. You could sit in a red chair, use a red mat for underneath your feet, or even
make a habit of wearing the color red yourself.

To help you to ‘go with the flow’ and be able to evolve to suit the needs of a
changing work environment, you would use the wood element. Once again, your chair
could be made out of wood (painted red to promote fire as well if you like), or you could
introduce the color green into your ‘self’ station.

To give yourself a confidence boost, you would encourage the earth element by
using yellow. To keep your mind focused and your emotions in check, you would
encourage the water element and utilize the color black. Though black can be
dangerous in some sectors, using black at the workplace is perfectly acceptable. It will
help you to remain inwardly focused amidst the swirl of office activity and allow you to
refrain from becoming overly emotionally in situations where it is best that you behave in
a more detached, professional manner.

Unique Professions, Unique Feng Shui

Though the rules above can be applied to any personal workspace and to any
profession, there are certain ways to tailor the rules of Feng Shui to enhance the energy
of your specific business or profession. The first consideration is the ‘external’ Feng
Shui of your office or place of business. The shape you choose for your building can
increase your productivity and likelihood of meeting with success in your chosen
endeavor.

Fortuitous Shapes for your Chosen Profession

Circles
The circle is representative of the
water element. As such, a circular shape
is good luck for a fishery, seafood market,
or pet store specializing in fish and aquatic
life. A circular building is good luck for a
business such as a video store or lending
library that requires people to ‘come full
circle’ and return the products they’ve
borrowed in a timely fashion.
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Sharp Points and Triangles

These shapes represent the fire

element. Since the organ associated with fire
is the eye, businesses that deal in
appearances will benefit from doing business
in a building that is manifesting the fire
element. Beauty salons, clothing stores, and
department stores will do well in such a
building. Grocery stores and restaurants that
depend on their food looking appetizing will
flourish by choosing a ‘fire’ building.

Christian churches have chosen to use the fire element in their structures for
centuries. Their tall pointed spires are more a call to the fire energy of the mind,
however, rather than the eye. These holy buildings hope to set fire energy to work in
the minds of their devotees. They hope this focused, highly charged, thought energy
will lead seekers to recognize the truth and wisdom of their teachings.

Churches in other cultures use the dome in their structures. This is a call to the
water energy within their spiritual seekers. You can imagine that the people who
constructed these buildings hoped that the circular shape would help their devotees to
dig down deep within themselves, using the power of water energy to lead them to a
personal revelation of the truth of their spiritual teachings.

Flat Lines and Planes

Straight lines are representative of
the earth and of the constant base energy
that unites our soul to our body. As such,
any business that deals with ministering to
the health and well being of the soul or
body would do well to be in a building
manifesting earth energy. Pharmacies,
hospitals, clinics, outreach programs,
shelters for the abused and destitute, and
doctor’s offices would all benefit from
being in such a building.

Long Straight, Vertical Lines

Wood is manifested in building with long, straight, vertical lines. Skyscrapers are
the most extreme example of this sort of building. Accounting firms, lawyer’s offices,
and real estate firms would all do well in a wood manifesting building.
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All three of these deal with finishing up old business and

getting a fresh start. Realtors help people to purchase new
homes, accounting firms help people to get a fresh start for the
coming fiscal year, and lawyers deal with an untold variety of
‘fresh starts’, from finalizing a divorce to clearing an innocent
person who has been charged of a crime. That energy of the
‘fresh start’ is the springtime energy of the wood element.

Square

Square represents the energy of metal. Any industry

dealing with metal or metalworking will therefore thrive in a
metal manifesting building. Jewelry stores, auto mechanics,
car rental agencies, and banks will all benefit from locating
their business within a square structure.

Getting Creative With the Shapes

You can use Feng Shui to help enhance the image of your business even when
your potential customers are nowhere near your building. By using the shape
associated with your profession on your business card or logo, you will make a positive
impression on your target audience.

For example, for years a major airline had a logo in which a square box was
created by the three letters of its abbreviation. This airline struggled with bankruptcy
throughout this time and even threatened to cut pension benefits for its retirees. When
the logo was changed to include a triangular shape behind the three letters, the airline
began to thrive and was soon ‘in the red’ once more. As wind fuels a flame, so did the
fire energy represented by the triangle fuel the efforts of this airline.

A Final Word on Feng Shui for the Workplace

In China it’s not at all unusual for institutions to seriously consider the Feng Shui
of a particular office space before deciding to set up shop. Banks in particular are
known to bring in the top Feng Shui consultants available in the belief that proper Feng
Shui will help their institution to survive in the world market and outshine their
competitors.
 64

If you work within a western culture, chances are that proper Feng Shui isn’t high
on the list of considerations when your superiors are considering the design and layout
of your office. Therefore, you may meet with more resistance when deciding to
rearrange your desk or office space in order to be more Feng Shui friendly.

If you feel your co-workers will be supportive of your choice to encourage positive
energy flow at work, feel free to share with them your plans and thoughts for improving
the ch’i of the workplace. Many high profile firms in large urban centers of the U.S.,
Canada, Australia, and Europe openly use Feng Shui to enhance productivity and
worker satisfaction.

If on the other hand you feel that your co-workers will mock your interest in Feng
Shui, or that your boss may start to think you’ve gone off the deep end when you start
rearranging mirrors to facilitate ch’i flow, you may want to keep your intentions to
yourself. Let Feng Shui be your secret weapon in this case. Simply make your
changes quietly and leave others to wonder how you managed to snag that great
promotion or to finish all your work reports before six o’clock in the evening!
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Chapter Five: The Bagua

How to use the Bagua

Feng Shui is an ancient practice

and like any ancient way of thinking, it
has evolved into slightly different
schools over the years. Just as there
are hundreds of distinct sects within the
larger umbrella of Christianity (Baptists,
Methodists, Catholics, Episcopal, etc..),
there are numerous sects within the
basic art of Feng Shui.

Depending on which sect you

follow, the Bagua will be used in
slightly different ways. The Black Hat
sect of Feng Shui has dispensed with
the concept of directional orientation
altogether. They instead base the
sectors of the room according to their
relative location to the main entrance to
that room. The direction in which that main door opens is also taken into consideration
and will further affect which sector will be placed in which part of the particular room.

In this book, we will be using the Bagua as it has traditionally been used, with the
cardinal directions corresponding to specific sectors of a room as well as specific
aspects of a person’s life. Classical Feng Shui considers the directions of the compass
to be a reliable way of deciphering the sectors of a home or rooms within that home.
Some Feng Shui experts have suggested that these directions may need to be modified
with consideration to your hemisphere.

Therefore, if you live in the southern hemisphere, you may want to consider
reversing the directions for each of the following sectors. Your career sector may be to
the south, for example, rather than the north. The reason for this is that Feng Shui was
developed with the gravitational and energetic forces of the northern hemisphere. These
forces work in different ways when the dominant polar influence is a southerly force,
rather than a northerly one. Use your personal intuition to decide if a directional ‘flip flop’
might be advisable for your particular situation.
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Kan Trigram
The North
Element-Water
Color-Black
Sector-Career

In Chinese, the word Kan means “deep water”,

meaning the deepest, most personal, intuitive energy that we
possess. For many people this intuitive energy is what we use
to chart our chosen career path and so the Kan trigram has come to be associated with
career and professional success. Kan is also the trigram of the journey of personal
creation. This journey can of course take the form of a career, but you may find the
‘deep water’ energy of the Kan trigram manifesting in different ways in your life as well.

For example, if you are a parent, your

intuitive, creative energy will be what you
draw upon when raising your children.
Though many would consider child rearing
the realm of a different trigram, many
mothers and fathers feel that their parenting
work is an intimate part of their personal
journey in the world. First they must use
their Kan energy to transform themselves to
meet the challenges of parenthood, and
then they must continue to draw on that Kan
energy to raise their children to be strong, self-confident individuals who are prepared to
make a ‘personal journey’ of their own.

Kan energy will be used in areas of our lives that many people consider ‘hobbies’
rather than full-fledged careers. If you enjoy artistic pursuits in your spare time, such as
painting, writing, knitting, or interior decorating, you will be using Kan energy to fuel your
creative efforts. Though the energy of the creative process itself belongs to another
trigram, there would be no creative process without the energy of Kan. Kan energy fills
your creative well, it fuels your dreams, and it inspires you to begin the process of
outward creation.

So when considering the needs of your Kan or Career sector, be aware that you
may be able to use this sector to enhance other areas of your life as well. If you were
suffering from a chemical dependency, for example, you would need the deep intuitive
energy of the Kan trigram to help you discover the root of your problem and urge you
toward a transformation. You would also need a little extra Kan if you are feeling
unfulfilled in your life and are looking for a deeper meaning in your day to day activities.
The intuitive power of the deep water will help you to discover hidden truths that may not
be readily apparent.
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Object Placement for your Kan or Career Sector…

The Kan trigram is located due north, though people in the southern hemisphere
may want to consider switching the location to the due south position. Therefore, in
order to locate this sector in your home or within a particular room in your home, you
may need to use a compass to locate the northern most position.

Once you have located the northern direction, you have a few Feng Shui
decisions to make. Some people prefer to take their entire home or apartment into
consideration when using the Bagua, others prefer to apply the map to each room
individually, and still others use a combination of both methods. It’s really up to you to
decide which method your feel will be most beneficial to your personal living space.

If you have a teenager whose bedroom is located in the most

northern position in the house, you may find it difficult to convince
them to let you place items in their room to enhance your personal
career Feng Shui. You may also have difficulty convincing them to
keep the room clean enough for sanitary standards, let alone Feng
Shui standards! In this situation it may be best to place career-
enhancing items in the northern most point of your bedroom, living
room, or other space where you spend a majority of your time.

When deciding which objects to place in your Kan sector in order to improve the
energy of your career, any of the eight basic cures can be used to create positive ch’i
and to deflect negative sha from that area of your life. Mirrors, wind chimes, fountains,
and plants and flowers are always good choices.

You can use objects that are specific to your chosen profession or desired goal to
help you make advancements in this sector. If you are an architect, place your drawing
table in this sector. If you are a writer, place your desk and computer in this sector. If
you work in a lawyer’s office, keep your law books on a sturdy shelf in this area. Using
these objects will help to improve the overall quality of your work, as well as your
satisfaction with your chosen job.

Using the five elements can help you to address more

specific career related concerns. Since water is the element
associated with Kan and with the northerly direction, you will
find special power in using water elements in this area. Water
naturally enhances the career sector and cultivates money
energy (as we’ve learned previously). Using the color black in
this sector can be a successful way of promoting the water
element and increasing your income.

You’ll use the fire element in this area if you want a

promotion or want to step up your rate of production. If you
want to stabilize an uncertain job situation, use the earth
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element. If you want to regain your enthusiasm and enhance your motivation, once
again, use the water element. If you want to improve your working relationships or make
new work connections, use the wood element. And if you want to be more creative at
work, use the metal element.

With regards to your personal life journey, use a water element in this sector if you
have lost your passion and excitement. Use a fire element if you want to advance to a
higher level of understanding regarding yourself and the course of your individual
existence. Use the wood element if you are looking for someone to help you on your life
journey, whether it be a mentor, friend, or life partner. Use the metal element if you are
looking to create a new identity for yourself. And use the earth element if you are feeling
detached from your life and need to ground yourself in the reality of the moment.

People who suffer from panic attacks and anxiety may be able to find some relief
for these conditions by encouraging the earth element in the sector of their personal
journey. Their anxiety may be directly related to fear, uncertainty, or dissatisfaction with
their personal life path. By bringing the energy of the center into this area, they may be
able to center themselves as well as encourage feelings of stability, safety, and security.

Gen Trigram
Northeast
Color-Blue/Green
Sector-Knowledge/
Self-cultivation
This trigram, “Gen”, is actually pronounced as “Ken”
so you may find that other Feng Shui books will refer to it as
such. Gen is the energy of the “fierce wind”, the energy of
knowledge and self-cultivation. It is ironic that in order to harness the energy of Gen, we
must learn to calm the ‘fierce wind’ of our mind and bring ourselves into a peaceful state
in which will be able to have the discipline to absorb the knowledge we need and to
cultivate our strengths and talents.

Many eastern cultures encourage a practice of meditation. Though this practice

first began as a way to discover and assimilate spiritual wisdom, it is beneficial for people
seeking to gain new knowledge of any kind. A mind that is able to quiet itself will be able
to learn more quickly and evolve more effectively. It only makes sense that a person
who can shut down all the thoughts of ‘what I have to do today’ and simply concentrate
on the task at hand will be better able to complete that task.

You would want to enhance the energy of the Gen Trigram if you are having
difficulty focusing your attention or your efforts. A child with Attention Deficit Disorder
would benefit from enhancing this sector of their room. A stressed out mother who is
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longing to find the time and mental energy to devote toward her dream of returning to
school would also want to enhance the energy of this sector.

Object Placement for the Gen or Knowledge and Self-Cultivation Sector…

Most of us will have difficulty taming this fierce wind of the mind and will therefore
actually benefit more from calming the energy in this sector rather than ‘kicking it up a
notch.” If you are one of the few people in the world who is skilled at mental stillness and
serene contemplation, you may want to add a little of the fire element to take you out of
your mind a bit and urge you to interact more with the world. For the rest of we stressed
out, over worked, mentally frazzled people, we’ll need to concentrate our efforts on
calming the energy of this sector.

Any element of fire, metal, or wood should be avoided in this sector if you are
looking to encourage a quiet and more receptive mind. The water element would be a
good choice for calming the ‘fire of the mind’ and helping you to pull on your inner
resources. The earth element would be beneficial for centering your energy and pulling
your mind back from the million different directions in which it is trying to run.

This sector of a room or home is a great place to set up a meditation area or a

study room. Decorate this space with blue/green colors and let the light in the room be
soft and soothing but bright enough for hitting the books if need be. Keep noisy
appliances away from this space and instead soothe the mind with a gently burbling
fountain.

The body part associated with this sector is the hand, so this can be a great place
for engaging in soothing, repetitive, ‘handicrafts’. Activities such as knitting, whittling, or
sketching can actual help many people to transition their thought patterns into a more
receptive and contemplative place.

Jen Trigram
East
Element-Wood
Color-Green
Sector- Health and Family
It may seem strange at first that the Jen trigram is
pulling double duty for both health and family, but on closer
inspection it actually makes a lot of sense. The organs of
the body must all work harmoniously together (like a family) if a person is to thrive and
experience all the benefits of good health. If one body system suffers, than the whole
body suffers. It is the same with a family. When one family member is in trouble, the
whole family will be weakened. In contrast, if the family is working well together, all of
the members will flourish.
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Health and Family are also both highly affected by the past. The way you live
your life from the moment you are born affects whether or not you will experience good
physical health. A lifetime of poor eating habits and high stress will predispose you to
disease, whereas a lifetime of exercise and eating right will increase your chances of
living a long and healthy life. It is the same with a family. The way you were raised
affects the way that you will raise your children, which in turn affects the way that they
will raise their children.

Though health and family are both influenced by the past, the Jen trigram is
associated with wood energy, the energy of springtime and new beginnings. It is the
energy of the Jen trigram that we must use to keep our health and our relationships
bursting with vital, healthy, new energy.

Object Placement for the Health and Family sector…

As we’ve said previously, any of the eight cures will help to boost positive ch’i
energy when placed in this sector. Bamboo flutes would be an especially good choice in
that they are also representative of the wood element, the signature energy of the Jen
trigram. Mirrors, wind chimes, and water fountains will help to stimulate positive ch’i,
while a smooth round stone in this sector can help to stabilize a family relationship that
may have become strained.

When using the five elements, wood

will prove to be the most beneficial energy
for this sector. Wood encourages vital,
healthy energy to circulate through our
bodies, our minds, and our family
relationships. Decorate this sector with
wooden objects, with the color green, and
with shapes that are long and vertical.
Pictures of trees or forests can help to
enhance the wood element, as can carpets
or upholstery that display flowers and plants
in their motifs.

The other elements can also prove beneficial in the family and health sector. Use
elements of earth to lower stress levels and to center a family that is in crisis. Use the
metallic element to aid in recovery from illness and to encourage children to maintain
family ties. Use the fire element to increase physical and mental energy and to help the
family engage with each other more directly. (The fire element can be especially useful
for a family who tends to scatter to every corner of the house and spend little time with
each other.) The water element can be used to correct the opposite problem, cooling the
tempers of family members who engage too directly or who may be irritable from being
forced to share a small living space.
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Another enrichment for the family aspect of this sector is to place pictures of loved
ones, both living and deceased, in this area. In this way you will encourage the
ancestors of the past to provide protective energy to their descendents and you will
remind the living of the family members who came before.

For good health, it is especially vital that this sector be free of dirt and clutter. A
dirty Jen sector will lead to disease of the physical body, while a cluttered Jen sector will
lead to ‘scatterbrained’ behavior and possible mental illness as well. Using green in this
sector, especially in the form of healthy plants, will encourage health and vitality.

Hsun Trigram
Southeast
Color-Purple
Sector-Wealth

When considering the Hsun trigram, we are not only

concerned with material wealth, but with blessings of all
kinds. What those blessings may be depends on your
personal idea of what a ‘wealthy’ life entails. It may mean
that you want to be blessed with many children, that you want to lead a long and healthy
life, that you want to achieve your ambitions, or that you want to be able to retire by the
age of forty. Whatever your desires, enhancing the energy of the Hsun Trigram can help
you to achieve wealth and blessings of a wide variety.

Material wealth is an issue that almost

everyone is concerned with. Not only do we
need money to survive, but having extra money
can mean that we also have extra time, the
most precious commodity we have as human
beings. Much of our desire for material wealth
is really a desire to be free from having to
spend so much of our time scrambling to make
enough money to get by. We’d all like to have
more time to spend with family and friends,
more time to engage in hobbies and pastimes
that are meaningful to us, and more time to
simply relax and let the world rush by.

At different times in our lives, however, wealth can take on a different meaning.
For a man diagnosed with a terminal illness, the concept of personal wealth would be to
have a few more days to spend with his loved ones. To a couple who has been trying for
a child for years, the symbol of personal wealth would be finally seeing that second pink
line on a home pregnancy test.
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Object Placement for the Wealth Sector…

For thousands of years, purple has been the

preferred color of royalty, most of whom have an
abundance of monetary wealth. Using purple in
your wealth sector will help to encourage material
abundance. Mirrors, wind chimes, and flowering
plants (especially with purple flowers!) will help to
stir up the ch’i of your wealth sector and help get
the positive money energy flowing.

As we’ve said before, water is the element that brings money energy flowing
towards or away from your life. To keep money energy flowing in the right direction,
always keep the doors to the bathrooms in your house tightly closed and keep the lids of
the toilets down unless they are being used. Also, fix leaky faucets in sinks, showers, or
bathtubs right away.

To encourage good water element energy, use mirrors to reflect any outside water
inside the house. If you live near a river, pond, or lake, or have a water feature in your
yard, make the most of it by reflecting the image into your money sector. Fountains and
fish bowls are good ways to enhance your wealth. Fish bowls are especially fortunate as
fish will bring good luck as well as good energy.

Another way to encourage wealth is by placing actual money in this area. You
may choose to keep your personal lock box or safe in this sector. Even a dish with a few
coins inside can help to stimulate positive money energy. If you have a bowl where you
dump your loose change, move it to this area to make the most of its positive monetary
influence.

In order to encourage blessings of a different sort, use items that symbolize your
desire to decorate your wealth sector. If you wish happiness and long life to your
children, keep their pictures in this sector. If you wish for increased opportunity, put a
climbing vine in your wealth sector. If you simply want to increase your overall
abundance, place an object that symbolizes that quality to you in this sector.

Li Trigram
South
Element-Fire
Color-Red
Sector-Fame and Reputation
In our modern culture, the lust for fame has become a
disease. Every person believes they deserve the chance to
have the focus of the entire world firmly trained on them for
at least their ‘fifteen minutes’. Whether this obsession is due to the popularity of reality
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television programming, or is simply a result of our entertainment-obsessed culture, it

has gotten decidedly out of hand.

The Li trigram is not the energy of this type of fame; the Li trigram is
representative of deserved recognition. For example, if you were a scientist who has
spent your entire life trying to cure disease, the energy of the Li trigram would ensure
that your discoveries brought you the recognition and good reputation that your efforts
rightfully deserve.

Not every situation would necessarily have to be that heroic, but the point is that
enhancing the energy of your fame and reputation sector will not make you win a
national singing competition unless you have the skills and talent to warrant such a prize.
The energy of the Li Trigram will naturally be manifested if you are simply pursuing your
creative destiny as a human being and concentrating your efforts on mastering your life
goal.

A person who volunteers their time, will automatically become known for their
charity. A person who is helpful to strangers, will become known for their kindness. A
person who endeavors to bring compassion and excellence to their work, will become
known for their skill. Your actions will speak for themselves and they will speak louder
than any words, or even any Feng Shui!

Object Placement for the Fame and Reputation Sector…

If you feel the need to help your actions along a bit, you can use any of the eight
cures to ‘liven up’ the energy of your fame and reputation sector. A water feature would
be a wise choice if you seek both greater fame and greater wealth. A fish bowl would
also encourage wealth. Choosing goldfish as the residents of your bowl will encourage
the fire element as well.

The fire element will be the most powerful

of the five elements as it is the signature energy
of the Li Trigram. This is the energy of
intellectual investigation, high sustained activity,
and mental clarity. All of these qualities will lead
you towards excellence in your chosen field of
endeavor, thusly increasing your chances of
achieving fame and a good reputation.
Encourage the fire element in your fame sector
by using triangular shapes and the color red.
You could also burn candles and incense in this
area.

Most people will want to avoid using the water element in this area because it will
dampen the energy of fire. If your lust for fame is so all consuming that it is negatively
affecting your life, however, a little water might not be a bad idea. Earth energy in this
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sector will bring a center to a wildly fluctuating reputation and wood energy will help you
to ‘break in’ to the area in which you would like to achieve your good reputation. An
actor trying to land their first big role, would encourage wood in their fame sector to help
them take their first steps toward their ultimate goal.

Objects that are unique to your particular area of expertise may help to encourage
the energy of the fame sector. The same actor above may want to keep scripts in this
area. A professor would put lesson plans in the fame sector, a policeman would keep
his uniform in this sector, and a concert pianist would store their sheet music in this
sector.

Kuen Trigram
Southwest
Color-Pink
Sector-Love and Marriage

Love is the most powerful force in the world. Nearly

all the Holy Scriptures agree that the creating force of the
universe is an entity based in profound love. Loneliness,
however, is also a very powerful force and one that most
human beings don’t enjoy experiencing at all. Even if you aren’t the type to want to
eventually get married, chances are you would still like the opportunity to share your life
with someone who loves you and whom you love in return.

There is something about a life that is shared with someone else that is more
meaningful than a life spent all on our own. Not only do we enjoy the closeness,
intimacy, and support that a partnership can provide, but by engaging in an intimate
relationship with someone else, we are forced to confront negative patterns in ourselves
and in our mate. One of the functions of a good relationship is that we learn about these
destructive tendencies and hopefully learn how to leave these tendencies behind.
Though it may in some cases be easier to hold onto negative patterns and live alone, we
will progress further as human beings if we are forced to engage with others and evolve
to meet our potential.

In the search for love, human beings have tried every thing from love potions to
love spells to specially designed voodoo objects in order to try to find the partner that is
right for them or to force another person to return their unrequited love. There is very
little Feng Shui can do for you if you are infatuated with someone who does not return
your feelings. But proper Feng Shui in your love sector may help you to be able to move
past your infatuation and explore other romantic possibilities.

Object Placement for the Love and Marriage Sector…

To enhance the energy of this sector you can use any one of the eight cures. The
elements will help you to achieve specific goals. Fire will help to increase the passion of
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your relationship. Earth will help to stabilize a rocky relationship. Wood will help to get a
new romantic relationship started while metal will help to create a deeper connection in
one that your already have. Water will help you and your partner to connect on a deeper
level.

If you are specifically looking to

increase your chances of getting married,
there are many Feng Shui
recommendations. Pairs of anything in
this sector will encourage your to pair off
as well. Two identical statues, two
matching trees, or two small fountains
will all help to move you closer to the
altar. You should avoid matching
bookends in this sector, however, unless
they are touching. Bookends separated
by books may mean that you will remain
separated from your future mate.

The color pink will also help to enhance the energy of your love and marriage
sector. If you happen to already be in a relationship with a partner who can’t stand the
color pink (many males and females have a strong aversion to the color for some
reason), a combination of red and white stripes will work to strengthen the energy of this
sector.

Dwei Trigram
West
Element-Metal
Color-White
Sector-Children and Creativity

The Dwei Trigram is a bit

confusing upon first examination. It is
the sector responsible for children and
creativity, but it is associated with the metal element, which is the
energy of contraction, not of new life (wood energy). This trigram
is also associated with the west, the direction of sunset, not
sunrise, and its signature color is white, the Chinese color of
mourning and death.

On the Bagua, however, the Dwei trigram is located directly

across from the Family trigram, the realm of the ancestors.
Neither children nor any creative project can separate itself from
what came before. Children depend on the past for their very
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inception and will continue to depend on the past until they are of an age to care for
themselves. The color white helps to remind us that no new life can emerge without
others passing away.

The quality of metal energy makes sense as well. Both children and creative
works come to us in a raw form. Both must be refined and shaped as we would refine a
piece of metal. We must teach our children everything they need to know to survive and
thrive in our individual culture. We must help mold them so that they will be able to grow
into effective, compassionate people. In the same way, we must continue to fine-tune
our creative works until they are the best that they can possibly be.

Object Placement for the Children/Creative Sector

Metal will be the most influential element for

this sector. Use metallic objects and square
shapes in this area to encourage good
relationships and to promote the overall health and
well being of your offspring (whether they be little
girls and boys, or your latest novel!). If you are
trying to conceive a child, metal energy will be very
useful in your children sector, especially in your
bedroom. A little metal energy in the bedroom will help to take the passionate fire
energy between you and your mate and contract it into the metal energy of a new life.

If you already have children and simply want to encourage peace, harmony, and
love in your relationships with them, place their pictures in this sector. Baby books, old
toys, and their arts and crafts projects are also good choices. By hanging their drawings
and childhood artwork in this section, you will be encouraging their creativity as well.

To hone in on your own creativity, place any ‘works in progress’ in this sector. If
you have a painting you’re working on, let it rest overnight in your creative sector and
you may wake up in the morning knowing exactly how to proceed. To enhance creativity
further, you may want to decorate this section with the color white. White is the
signature color of metal energy and will help you to stay focused on the creative process
and sustain your creative energy. Be careful using white in this sector if you are having
problems conceiving a child. Though white is the color of metal, it is also the color of
death and can have a negative impact on your chances of conceiving.

The energy of the Dwei trigram can be used to encourage your own inner child.
If you are one of the many adults in the world who have forgotten how to play, the quality
of your life will be greatly enhanced by a little metal in your creativity sector. Metal
energy in this area can be used to heal the child within yourself. Perhaps you had a
traumatic childhood, or perhaps your inner child is still very much alive and is mentally
holding you in the past and keeping you from moving forward.
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To encourage your inner child to let go of old wounds and to allow the adult you to
move forward, use metallic objects and the color white in this sector. Placing a picture of
yourself as a child in this area can help you to recapture your childish feelings of joy,
discovery, and play, while keeping childish fears from encroaching on your adult life.

Chyan Trigram
Northwest
Color-Gray
Sector- Helpful People
And Travel
The Chyan trigram is the trigram that represents
strength and power. It looks at where you have received
your strength and how generous you have been in sharing
that strength with others. In other words, who were the
helpful people that encouraged you to become the person
that you are today, and who have you helped in return?
To achieve strength and power in your life, you will continuously need to be nurtured and
aided by others and you will need to keep that energy flowing by supporting the efforts of
those who need your help. This is the energy of the Chyan Trigram.

Travel is part of this trigram in the sense that our travels are also journeys of
understanding. Entering into different cultures and unusual surroundings helps us to
come to a deeper understanding of the world around us. It also provides us the
opportunity to help others enhance their awareness. Travel can even help bring together
different cultures and reduce the violence that can result from a lack of empathy and
insight.

Object Placement and the Helpful People/Travel Sector

Everyone could use a few more ‘helpful people’ in their life. In today’s world, we
often live far away from our families and old friends. It seems there just aren’t as many
helpful people around as there used to be. Communities aren’t as close knit and people
are generally more distant than they were fifty years ago. This problem is at its worst in
large cities where people will often live in adjoining apartments for years and never even
learn their neighbor’s name!

To attract helpful people into your life, decorate this sector of your home in gray or
silver colors. Use the elements of both metal and wood to help form new relationships
and use the element of water to help strengthen bonds from the past. The element of
fire will help you to attract like-minded people and will help you to fuel your own helpful
nature, allowing you to be a positive force for those who may need your assistance.

If you are specifically hoping to make contact with a mentor, place pictures of
admired people in this area. If you are seeking professional guidance, place pictures of
well-known leaders in your chosen field. If you are seeking greater wisdom, place the
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images of wise people from history. If you are seeking spiritual guidance, try placing an
image of Mother Theresa, Gandhi, or other admired spiritual figure in this sector.

To increase your opportunities for travel, or to help make the most of a planned
trip, place images of your dream destinations in this sector. You can also store your
travel books and itineraries in this sector as well as any meaningful souvenirs from past
trips.

The Center
(T’ai Chi)
Symbol- Ying and Yang
Color-Yellow
Element-Earth

The final sector of the Bagua is not represented by a

trigram, but by the symbol of Ying and Yang intertwined in
harmony. They are perfectly balanced and proportional and
each one contains a little seed of the other. T’ai Chi is the name given to describe this
balance, the perfect harmony of Yin and Yang.

A strong, balanced, and harmonious center is the most important element within
any home as well as within each person. A balanced center enhances the functioning of
all the other trigrams and leads to health, good fortune, helpful people, happy families
and children, and overall success on our life journey. This is why it is so important to pay
special attention to the center of our homes, our bodies, and our spirits.

Object Placement for the Center Sector

To encourage stability in your life and to give a strong foundation for the other
eight trigrams, use the earth element in this sector. Painting the area in earth tones is a
good place to start. Yellow is the signature color for the center, but you can also use
muted browns, tans, and reds, colors that are manifested in soil.

If at all possible, make sure that there are no stairs or bathrooms located in this
section of your home. They will cause the energy of the center to be unstable and overly
active. Avoid using wood elements. Wood destroys earth in the destructive cycle and
will undermine the strength of the center. Subtle touches of the fire element can help to
fuel positive energy (fire creates earth in the creative cycle), but an overabundance of
fire should not be encouraged as it can raise the energy of this sector to an undesirable
level.

Plants and flowers are a great choice for decorating the center of a room or home.
They come from the earth and naturally encourage strong, positive, central energy. In
addition, they stimulate ch’i and will deflect any negative sha that may be aimed into the
center of your home. Remember, even artificial plants and flowers can be used so don’t
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despair if the center of your home doesn’t receive adequate light for growing live plants
or flowers.

Final Thoughts on the Bagua

The Bagua is not only helpful in learning how to arrange objects, it is a useful tool
for enabling us to more closely examine our lives. By taking a closer look at each of the
eight trigrams as well as the energy of the center, we can begin to become aware of
areas where we may be lacking in essential energy.

Sometimes it can be easier to observe our strengths and weaknesses when we

break our lives down into smaller, more manageable sections. Perhaps the Bagua can
help you to discover the forces at work in your own life. Hopefully you will be able to use
this ancient map to remedy energy deficiencies and make the most of your natural
sectors of power.

No matter how well rounded you may be, we are all born with elemental energy
imbalances. In ancient China it was believed that a person’s fate was decided at birth.
This fate (or karma) was manifested in the balance of the five elemental energies within
the person’s body, mind, and spirit. Since no human being is perfect, there is always
one element that is significantly weaker or stronger than the rest. The challenge of our
karma, therefore, is to balance our elemental energy to avoid potential dangers
associated with our personal elemental imbalance.

This is how the Bagua can help us to control our fate. Though an excess of fire
energy in your personal karma may put you at a higher risk for ‘burning out’ early and
perhaps even dying at a young age, you can counteract this tendency by encouraging
the water element in yourself and your surroundings. This means that our future is not
predetermined. By cultivating self-knowledge, we can learn how to balance our
elemental energy and create the most fortuitous conditions possible for a long and happy
life.
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Moving forward with Feng Shui

How to Advance your Practice…

If the ideas in this book have intrigued you and you
feel drawn to advance your knowledge of the ancient art of
Feng Shui, there are more resources available now than
ever before in history. There are hundreds of books,
several instructional videos, and even Feng Shui institutes
and personal consultants who can more closely address
your personal needs.

As you continue to dig through the information

available, however, you will find that many of the sources
contradict each other, and that at times individual sources
will even contradict themselves! This can be frustrating,
but is to be expected. There is not a single mystical text or
art in the world that is not at times seemingly contradictory.
Whether it be the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or the
teachings of the Buddha, all mystical traditions are filled
with inconsistency and seeming paradox.

It is our job as students to seek to understand and assimilate these contradictions

as best we can. This is why we must be empowered seekers, using our own personal
spirit given intuition to interpret the information that we are given. Though many religions
and mystical practices will claim that strict obedience to the ‘rules’ is the only way to
achieve personal blessing, the texts of these traditions will lead us in a different direction.

All spiritual writings emphasize the importance of seeking direct guidance from a
deeply personal source. In Christianity it is the Holy Spirit that will lead you to personal
truth. In Buddhism, you yourself must become a bodhisattva, or little Buddha, and seek
your own unique enlightenment. In Feng Shui, you must use your intuition to apply the
guidelines of the practice to your own life in a way that is the most useful and powerfully
to you personally.

So enjoy your search, increase your knowledge, but always return to the center of
truth within yourself for the final word on any Feng Shui decision. Use your intuition to
apply the rules of Feng Shui in a way that will bring harmony and balance to the energies
of your home and to your own personal mind, body, and spirit. You’ll be amazed how far
you can go with a few guiding principles and a sense of self-faith.
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Sources for Further Inspiration

Books…

Simple Feng Shui By Damian Sharp. Conari Press, Berkeley, CA. 1999.

Feng Shui for the Home By Evelyn Lip. Times Editions, Singapore. 1986.

Home Design from the Inside Out By Robin Lennon with Karen Plunkett-Powell. Arkana
Press, NY. 1997.

The Art and Science of Feng Shui. By Henry B. Lin. Llewellyn Publications, MN. 2000.

Creating Home Sanctuaries with Feng Shui By Shawne Mitchell with Stephanie
Gunning. New Page Books, NJ. 2003.

Journey to Mastery By Dr. Kathryn Mickle, Ph.D. Frederick Fell Publishers, FL. 2001.

Feng Shui Handbook: How to Create a Healthier Living and Working Environment By
Kam Chuen Lam. Henry Holt, NY. 1996.

Feng Shui: Art and Harmony of Place By Johndennis Govert. Daikakuji Publications, AZ.
1993.

Feng Shui: The Chinese Art of Placement By Sarah Rossbach. Dutton Press, NY.
1995.

Institutes…

The Feng Shui Institute of the Americas

P.O. Box 488
Wabasso, Fl. 32970
United States
www.windwater.com

The Feng Shui Institute of New Zealand

P.O. Box 89186
Torbay, Auckland
New Zealand
www.fengshuir.co.nz/

The Feng Shui Society

London
United Kingdom
www.fengshuisociety.org.uk