Five Minute Feng Shui

This is my final Five Minute Feng Shui podcast. 

Remember always, YOU ARE YOUR BEST FENG SHUI!  When times are good, indifferent and/or bad, you can make things better with your own feng shui.  Never, ever forget this!

It has been a pleasure recording these podcasts over the past 5 years and hearing from you, all my listeners!  And as Gene Autry sang, "Happy Trials to You, Until We Meet Again...Happy Trials to You, Keep Smiling Until Then!"

The Year of the Rabbit is coming and with a gentleness that only a bunny can bring. It will offer us a sweet exhale like you do when you sit down in your favorite chair after a long day.

The rabbit is associated with the moon, as you may often see the outline of a rabbit when the moon is full.

The tiger that precedes the rabbit is the sign of the month of February and the rabbit is the sign associated with the month of March and the Pisces zodiac sign.

This podcast discussed the good fortune energies in 2023, Year of the Water Rabbit.

After the past few years that have been marked by upheaval and uncertainties, the energy coming to 2023 will be replaced by a new light, hopeful, and sweeter energy.

The Year of the Tiger was the first to bring in springtime energy as it is the first of the 3 spring zodiac animals of tiger, rabbit, and dragon. The rabbit represents the fullness of spring when nature is flowering, and green growth appears.

The energy of the rabbit will offer us a respite from the cold austere energies of the past few years that were aligned with the metal element and winter-time animals of the pig, rat, and ox.

The five elements are the five building blocks of feng shui. The elements are made up of water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. If your home or office feels ?off? or uncomfortable, it might be out of balance. Just taking a quick look around your home or office will help you to diagnose if there is too much or too little of an element.

In a perfect feng shui world, you?ll find all five elements present in a room. This helps to keep the room feeling comfortable, harmonious and balanced ? and thus making you more productive, effective, and successful.

In feng shui, you can look at someone?s office and home and often see the level of success they enjoy. But can you take those same traits and apply it to something more personal, like your handwriting? Just like there?s a flow and movement that translate into qualities in your life, there?s flow of handwriting that can indicate ? and even influence ? personal qualities.

The art of handwriting analysis, graphology, is much like feng shui.

Graphology is undertaken seriously by those who practice it, and those who don?t, often treat it esoterically. But, look at some interesting facts about handwriting analysis, or graphology.  The CIA, FBI and many police departments in the US look at handwriting to understand the minds of those they?re investigating.

How does graphology relate to feng shui? In feng shui, the mind and thinking are related to the hand, so by extension, the style of writing someone has provides some insight into that person?s personality and can influence their lives. In my own feng shui training, my teachers encouraged students to look at our signatures to make sure they looked successful and prosperous, with an emphasis of writing that had bold strokes that tilted up and to the right.

There?s one image that gives you support at work and represents wealth, resources, strength and support and that image is a mountain. Mountains, whether images, real, such as the Rocky Mountains or Himalayas, or symbolic, such as a screen, all give support in feng shui. This is a critical concept in feng shui because without support, there is struggle and a feeling of rolling a boulder up, well, a mountain.

Support from behind

The idea of being supported makes a lot of sense when you think about it. If you sat on a stool all day, your back would ache. But when you have a comfortable and high-backed office chair, you are supported and can work longer and more effectively at your job.

The same is true in your home.

Having a support at the rear of the house symbolizes the black tortoise, a celestial creature that provides support and adds vigor and longevity to your life and home, helping to protect you from unpleasant surprises and misfortune. The black tortoise is represented by a slight rise at the rear of your home, supporting your home, much like the tall back on an executive chair supports you as you work.

Windows are a natural part of the exterior of a home or office building. In a sense, they?re the eyes of the building. Their openings let in light, views and without them, life would dark, dull, and depressing. Yet, having not enough windows is just as bad as having too many. Because of their energy, windows can affect our home?s feng shui ? and ultimately ? our lives.

Like all things in feng shui, balance is important. The same is true with windows. Too few and it?s dark and we feel hopeless, too many or too large, and we feel scattered, frenetic, and exhausted. The key is to balance enough light and views with privacy and exposure.

If you?ve ever wanted to make a change, a move, or leapfrog to another place in your life, this is the star that will help you do it. In feng shui, the White 1 star is a star that can bring you all those things, plus these benefits:

Opportunities Victory over the competition A new way of being or living Sudden luck, like a star falling in your lap Increased income

When you look at benefits like these, it?s no wonder that the one (1) star is so popular in feng shui. This star is part of a group of stars called the White Stars. These include 1, 4, 6, and 8 (and sometimes 9). The stars in this group are considered to be the most favorable.

The 1 star is governed by the planet Jupiter, and whenever this planet appears, it is said to create good luck. Like western astrology that confers good luck with Jupiter for expanding good luck, so, too, is the 1 star. When it shows up, luck expands wherever it flies.

If there was ever a star that represents wine and roses, the 4 (four) star is it. In feng shui, the number four and the 4 star represent education and romance, but it also has other benefits that are like a motorcycle with a sidecar filled with roses.

For entrepreneurs and the career-minded, any kind of publicity, marketing, writing, podcasting, sales or speaking falls under the purview of the 4 star, making it a great star for students, teachers and writers.

This is the star whose home sector is the wealth sector and represents that tiny green shoot that signals vibrant new growth and life.

The 6 star is one of the most favored and highly regarded of all the stars in feng shui. This star has a bountiful energy star that bestows favor and brings achievements, power, influence, authority ? and perhaps the best of all its attributes ? windfalls, favors, and opportunities laid at your feet.

The 6 star is like a big cosmic shower of meteors that rain down like diamonds from the sky and into your lap.

Better still, the 6 star represents the energies of helpful people that bring assistance when you need them.

There are numbers in feng shui that are regarded as the most favorable for luck and wealth. That?s because when the numbers 1, 4, 6, or 8 (and sometimes 9)  ? represented by the qualities of success, promotion, attainment, love, travel, and prosperity ? show up in your home either as a natal, annual, or monthly energy, good fortune comes your way.

Let?s start with the number that is the most favored of all, the number 8.

The 8 star is related to the northeast corner of education, wisdom, and good decisions and is an earth star. Until February 2024, the number eight also relates to both water and earth, and because of this can bring much prosperity and success in two realms: relationships and wealth.

There are many ways to go about manifesting your desires. The first and most direct is to take action. Action is critical, but what about when you?re forming your idea? How do you manifest your heart?s desire faster and more easily ? and most importantly ? more exact to what you want?

Chi, or energy, whether it is that of a room or your own personal chi, can all be changed. I always say that ?chi flows where the eye goes.? This is why when you enter a house that has a wide picture window or a door opposite the entryway, your eye (and the home?s energy) goes out that door or window. For the homeowner that views this daily, their energy goes out the door or window with their vision, and they often suffer from lowered finances, difficulty making progress in their lives or have health problems.

Rolling 7?s on a craps table in Las Vegas has always been considered lucky, but that?s where that luck ends. In feng shui, the number seven is considered very unlucky and full of misfortune. Worse yet, it can cause theft, violence, and injury.  From 1984 to 2003, the number seven was extremely lucky, but that changed in 2004, when we entered Period 8, a time that runs from 2004-2024. If you count seven as a lucky number, be sure to look at its implications in feng shui.

The White Tiger in feng shui represents the west or right hand side of our homes (as you look out the front door). The White Tiger is associated with courage, protection and dignity.

The White Tiger brings good luck and fortune when it is represented by a small rise on the right side of the house and is most often associated with the compass direction of west. It is the yin to a dragon?s yang. The White Tiger protects a home from negative forces and is sometimes associated with wealth.

The square and rectangle are considered two of the most auspicious shapes in feng shui. Rectangles represent growth and are considered to be very auspicious shapes, with its upward  shape representing a tree. The square represents the grounding element of earth, and is considered the most beneficial shape for building houses.

But few houses are a perfectly even-shaped design

If your relationships are tired and money flies through your hands your house might just be the wrong color. Maybe life is a constant struggle and you can?t put your finger on the one small thing blocking your success. The answer could be as simple as the color on your house. Feng shui dictates that the paint color on your house can affect your wealth and abundance.

From the earliest fairy tales of genies and fairy godmothers, we all have wishes that we would love to see magically happen. Luckily in feng shui there is a wonderful technique for activating the energies associated with all of the usual aspirations that everyone wants: love, wealth, health, happiness, good fortune.

It involves using gems and crystals, and when used correctly, can almost magically bring about anything you desire.

It happens to everyone. Your brakes go out, the air conditioner dies and your dog has to have surgery. When bad luck happens, it happens in threes, as the saying goes. And when that much happens all at once, it can take a toll on your finances. Suddenly, that darling pair of shoes goes away, and maybe you get behind on your rent or car payment.

That?s when you need money fast, and feng shui can help!

Creating a healthy, energetic home or office relies on diligence. It?s much easier to let your home or office become cluttered and messy than it is to keep on top of papers, throw out old magazines, or otherwise dispose of the things that you no longer need, want, or use.

For that reason, many people don?t bother with this kind of routine maintenance, and that?s what decluttering is: just another part of regular home maintenance.

It?s easy to close the closet door or shut a jumbled drawer, but you know it?s there and every time you go to open that drawer or door, that mess is there waiting for you. Simply knowing it?s there and not going away can be a source of stress.

That?s why regular cleaning ? and decluttering ? is so important.

When Napoleon Hill wrote ?Think and Grow Rich? he concluded that a very important aspect in the process of gaining wealth was tied to sex. He said that ?The emotion of sex contains the secret of creative ability.?

This ?seat of power? and the ability to create is uniquely tied to feng shui, too. What?s especially interesting about sex and money in feng shui is that the wealth sector is also associated with the number four.

Crystals have long been thought to possess mystical qualities. Certain crystals and stones have long been associated with having healing abilities, the ability to focus thought or intention or even transmutation. And this is no longer an issue of belief.

We know scientifically that crystals, specifically silicon crystals, are the chief reason for ever faster processing speeds in computer.

But there are other stones and crystals in feng shui that have different applications and uses for creating beneficial energy for clearing your thoughts!

Today, we understand that good gut health is essential to our overall health. In feng shui, this area is represented by the southwest and when the gut sector of your home is challenged or your home is constipated with clutter, the flow of your body and life can make you feel stopped up.

One of the most wildly popular feng shui books is Karen Kingston?s Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. And one of the topics she covers in the book ? that few others have dared to touch ? is the subject of the elimination system and its tie to your personal feng shui.

While it?s not a pretty subject to talk about, Karen deftly connects clutter in the house with the symbol of the internal clutter we all deal with daily: our colon.

One of the greatest joys of living is having someone who belongs to you and whom you belong to. Just knowing you have a partner in life to lean on provides us with fulfillment. Singles will say they have the love of friends and family?.but.

The ?but? is that they don?t have a partner ? a wife, a husband, a girlfriend, or boyfriend. They say it?s just not the same as when you have someone in your life that you are committed to and who is committed to you.

And it?s true. Having a loving partner in your life gives you a feeling like no other.

In feng shui every direction, such as north, south, or northeast has a number, color, element and a shape associated with it. Each shape has a distinct meaning. For instance, the tall, rectangular shape of wood is associated with growth. The shape associated with ?big metal? or the northwest is round. This is also the shape of coins ? or ?change? ? and wealth.

Go into almost any Chinese restaurant and you?ll see beautiful chandeliers. You might wonder if this is an effort to dress up the interior of the restaurant, and while it might be, chandeliers have a much more important symbolic place in restaurants, and indeed, your home. These chandeliers are thought to bring up the quality of the dining experience because chandeliers are thought to invite wonderful chi ? and they do!

When traveling, whether for business or for pleasure, you can still enjoy the benefits of feng shui. You might have even noticed that enjoy your travel more (or less) when you travel to certain places that are in one direction. Maybe you find that you enjoy travel equally well, but more so to some places than others.

There?s a saying that success is just the accumulation of good habits. It?s true. The more you do to help yourself and to be successful, the more successful ? and prosperous ? you?ll become. Success and the wealth and acclaim that comes with it isn?t as much a secret as much as it is a habit.

It may not seem like fame and recognition are important, but they are. This part of feng shui and your life directly relates to how others see you and how you present yourself in the world.

When you have good fame luck, opportunities often find you and others promote you and open doors for you.

When fame and recognition energy is low, it seems like you?re lost in a crowd with little or no recognition and no opportunities for introductions, recognition, or that boost your reputation and social status.

There are few homes with perfect feng shui. Fortunately, rather than hanging a windchime or adding flutes to a beam, you can make simple decorative changes can be made that will look and feel more natural. These decorative elements can help remedy difficulties such as poison arrows that come from a front door and back door alignment or odd windows and slanted walls.

Here are nine important feng shui decorating fixes that you can use in your home that will look good and help your home?s feng shui.

As educated and advanced people, we now know that unseen forces, like radio waves, gravity, and even solar flares, do exert an influence over us and our lives.

We?ve come to understand that energy is a real, living thing and the acceptance of chi ? the flowing river of energy that resides in our bodies, our homes, and the Universe, is also real. So, it should come as no surprise that the energy of chi can also exert an influence on us that?s either beneficial or detrimental.

The problem with feng shui today is that although feng shui is more popular than ever, it?s that surge in popularity that?s given rise to myths about feng shui that can actually cause more harm than good.

The bed is a critical piece your ability to be rested and supported as you sleep, and indeed, your life. When the headboard of your bed is compromised, it will create problems for you in your life in your relationships, health and difficulties with money, and even getting proper rest. Many beds simply don?t have a headboard at all, and this gives the sleeper absolutely no support, sleep quality is impacted and many find they feel like they have to ?go it alone? in the world.

Based on that, you might think have any headboard is better than none, but that?s not exactly true either.

Some headboards can cause more harm than good.

Good feng shui has a number of definitions. It includes everything from good landscape layout, auspicious topography that includes mountains, lakes, or oceans, and good design, including auspicious or  inauspicious shapes, harmonious arrangement of elements, and a host of other factors.

But did you know that good feng shui can also include very subtle environmental clues, too? It?s true.

For instance, have you ever walked into a home or office and felt uncomfortable at once? Or, perhaps your children became unruly or your baby started to cry. These are all signs that the feng shui of the space is not right.

One of the most common questions in feng shui is what color to paint a bedroom. Bedroom color is an important choice because we always want our bedrooms to support our rest and relaxation.

Colors that are soft, muted, and easy on the eyes are always preferable to bright and energized colors, such as a crimson red or bright blue.

Think of terms of the restful quality of the colors you select, whether it?s for wall color or your bedding.

In feng shui, there are a lot of ways you can use mirrors to your advantage. Some of the most popular ways are to reflect a beautiful view, add more light to your room, or make the room look larger. But equally important are the ways not to use mirrors, or the feng shui mirror don?ts.

 

Paying attention to your office can pay in rich dividends for your career. You?ll notice that once you make changes, corrections, and enhancements to your office, you?ll feel differently in it and enjoy your time in your office more.

What?s more, everyone who comes into your office, or cubicle, will notice what you have done and will be influenced in their thoughts about your space ? and that will make them feel differently about you and help build your career.

Monthly March 2022 feng shui energies.

When you experience little or no growth in your life, it could be because the growth portion of your home is blocked, impeding your progress. This podcast specifically addresses the wood energy of the east and southeast.

 

Feng shui is often used to improve your life in love, money, and happiness. But what about when you have a problem, like feeling your life never grows or improves, or if you have an addiction?

There are ways to use feng shui to help you move past trauma, manage self-defeating behaviors, and see your life?s circumstances change becoming more positive and rewarding.

Originally used as temples for the practice of devotion and enlightenment, pagodas are prized and auspicious figures for desks and homes. They may be placed in your home or office for protection or as a symbol of rising fortunes, whether through study or professional advancement.

In feng shui pagodas are synonymous with education.

Dutiful Asian parents often display them on their children?s desks to promote good study habits and for scholastic success. But the pagoda is also a symbol of protection and enhancement.

Here's a breakdown of February 2022 monthly energies as we start the Year of the Water Tiger.

Tired of take out or frozen dinners for one? Or you might be ready to go on a date with someone instead of a movie for one. Maybe you don?t know how to meet someone after a long relationship has ended. The good news is that the Chinese New Year is an auspicious time to begin the New Year with an eye toward the future ? and that includes the future of your love life!

Regardless of your relationship status, now?s a great time to use feng shui and spur the romantic energies of the lunar New Year to help you attract a new love.

Addressing Feng Shui frequently asked questions (FAQs) and what to expect in 2022.

Lunar New Year:  As part of preparing for the Lunar New Year, many Asians and Chinese prepare their home as they would for an important guest, taking time to do a thorough decluttering of old items, giving their home a deep cleaning, and adding auspicious decorations such as flowers and oranges. The home is given a thorough going-over to rid the house of old energy and prepare it for the new energy of the New Year.

The Year of the Tiger is coming and with it will be sweeping change. The big, yang water energy that comes in like the tiger will make everyone sit up and take notice, just as you would if a grand tiger came striding into the room.

The tiger is a solitary creature by nature, and like water which is represented by the number one, this is a combination of energies that can bring major shifts.

Life is about to swiftly change and open up again after feeling slammed shut the past two years.

The third sign of the Chinese Zodiac, the tiger is a symbol of passion, power, and growth. Although it is represented by the late winter, the tiger is the first sign of spring, when buds and green grass bursts forth from the ground, and so, too, does the tiger.

Holidays are special times to gather family and friends together to enjoy festivities, gifts, and special foods. This is especially true at Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa when we seek to share the bounty of the year by giving gifts and celebrating with those closest to us.

It is a fun and beautiful time of year when homes and shops are decorated in glittering lights and bountiful greenery.

Decorating for the holidays is also great feng shui because it puts attention ? and intention ? on your home.

Creating good feng shui that promotes wealth, happiness, and opportunities can extend way beyond your front door or the way you arrange your bedroom. Feng shui can be incorporated in the accessories in your home to the car and clothing colors you select.

Once I began making feng shui my lifestyle, I noticed that make those choices made more of a positive impact.

Good feng shui at Thanksgiving allows involves showing gratitude and thanks for those who are important in your life.  Your spouse, children, parents, siblings, close friends, and neighbors.  There is no better way to have good feng shui during the holidays than to connect with those who matter to you most in a grateful and thankful manner!

If you?re confused by feng shui and about how to assign the corners of your home, you?ll be happy to know that there is a secret weapon in the feng shui arsenal: the compass.

Some feng shui experts recommend locating all the sectors of your home by orienting off the door to the room, or the direction of the house by assigning the front as north.

This can often be confusing because there may be more than one entryway to a room, and what if your front door actually faces west or southeast?

There are two elements that are key in feng shui: Fire and Water. The importance of water has been covered at length, but the element of fire is often overlooked, though it shouldn?t be. Fire is an essential element and brings many benefits. It keeps us warm and cooks our food.

The color of fire is red and the color red activates, effectively turning the power on to wherever it?s used or placed. Using it the right way can bring material rewards, recognition, fame, pleasure, and happiness.