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FAQs about Feng Shui in general

by aisling d'art ©2005

Many people have heard about feng shui, but have questions about what it is and how it works. Here are answers to some of the most common questions.

Question: Is feng shui a religion? Do I have to be a Buddhist or something?

Answer: No. Feng shui is the art of placement. Some of the concepts are based on Chinese spiritual traditions, but today--especially in western culture--feng shui is used primarily for arranging furnishings and choosing pleasing colors.

Think of it this way: Your kids can study karate without getting involved in Asian spirituality. You can use yoga for fitness, period. Likewise, feng shui can be used for decorating your home or office, and that's all.

You can be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Agnostic, or Atheist, and there will be no conflicts with anything that I teach about feng shui. Just skip over anything that sounds a little too weird or mystical, and focus on this as a way to declutter your home, and create an environment that truly supports your dreams as well as your daily routines.

Question: I put flowers in my romance corner, and nobody's asked me out yet. (Or, I've put a fish tank in my money corner, but I'm still unemployed.) What's wrong?

Answer: Sometimes, feng shui can seem to work miracles. At other times, the results take longer. Did you see the Jim Carrey movie, "Bruce Almighty"? That showed why everyone can't win the lottery at once. Life doesn't work that way.

Also, while a single change can sometimes "work magic" in your life, you may need to look at the bigger picture. See the next question and answer, for an example.

Question: I want feng shui to help me with my final exams, so I'm "energizing" my Knowledge area. But, what about the clutter in the rest of my apartment? Where do I start?

Answer: Good for you! Energizing your Knowledge area (the left side of your room or home, as soon as you walk in the door) is a good idea, but you're right to ask about the clutter. One of the biggest problems that I see when people use feng shui like this is that they do too much in one area, and neglect the rest.

 

I've written an article, Feng Shui Tips for Clutter Control, to give you some ideas. If you're working with massive amounts of clutter, my best advice is to start small, take things slowly, and--as soon as you start feeling overwhelmed--stop and take a good long break.

Some people start with an easy spot... maybe they're going to alphabetize the spices in their kitchen cabinet. Maybe they're going to go through the cup of pens and pencils, to see which actually work and which need to be thrown out.

Others prefer the time approach: They'll set a timer for 15 minutes. That's all they're committing to, in terms of decluttering that day. If they're having fun, they'll keep working after the bell rings. If not, well, that's 15 minutes put to good use. If you do just 15 minutes of decluttering each day, that's nearly two hours each week. It may take you three months to go through your entire home, but you will get there!

And then there is the logical approach, which borrows from feng shui philosophies: Start at the door that most people use to enter your home. Clean around the door. Then clean whatever you see next. And then whatever's after that. Pretty quickly, people will see a clean, clutter-free home when they walk in the door. For many people, this is incentive to tackle the rest of the clutter... the areas that visitors don't always see.

No matter which approach you use, getting the clutter out is the only way you'll get long-lasting results with feng shui.

Take 15 minutes (or a small project) right now, and you'll feel vastly better when you've finished it.

 

Q. People talk about the "love corner," "romance corner" or "marriage corner" in Feng Shui. Where is it?

A. It depends upon which kind of Feng Shui you're using. For most beginners, I recommend the easiest kind, Black Hat Sect (BHS) Feng Shui, which was developed especially for people in the U.S.A. and Canada, the U.K., and other western countries.

If you're using BHS Feng Shui, your "romance corner" (also called the "love," "partnership," "marriage" or even the "sex" corner) is at the far right corner when you're entering your home through the door that most people use. If you put an imaginary clock face over the floor plan of your home, and you're standing at about 6 o'clock when you're coming in the door, the "romance corner" would be around 2 o'clock. It's that back right corner or area of your home.

If you're using Intuitive Feng Shui, your "romance area" is probably your bedroom. If you're using Compass School Feng Shui, it's the area that is in the southwest part of your home.

(You can use Feng Shui on your entire home, your office, or just one room. The areas and corner designations remain the same whether it's a big space or a small one.)

Q. I've decorated my entire bedroom, which is in my romance corner, with reds. I've lit lots of red candles in there, too. I'm still alone on Saturday nights. What's wrong?

A. Well, in Feng Shui terms, it's important to keep balance. With all that red, you've overdone it. Balance the red with white and pink, and see if that helps. If it doesn't, remove all but two of your candles, and add some items that are blue and some that are black. This should resolve the Feng Shui problems, and--hopefully--help you to meet Mr. (or Ms.) Right!

But, keep in mind that you've gone so far overboard with those fire elements (red = fire), it may take a little while before equilibrium returns to your life, too. I recommend that you make a few changes, and then wait for a couple of weeks. If nothing happens, make a few more changes, and wait again. And so on. (Of course, don't be waiting at home. Get out and meet people! Feng Shui can seem to work magic in some people's lives, but don't expect it to bring True Love literally to your doorstep without any other help from you.)

Q. In the "romance area" of my home, I have floor-to-ceiling windows and a big fireplace. Some people tell me that this is great, and I certainly have a lot of dates, but... nobody stays in my life for long. What can I do?

A. In Feng Shui, your romance area is energized by symbols of fire and earth. This means red, sunlight, and fire, among other things. (When you need to add romance to your life, we start with the fire-related colors and elements.) Your fireplace more than meets this requirement. By adding those big windows, you're bringing in too much sunlight. (See the previous question, above, about having too much fire energy--in that case, the color red--in your romance area.)

Those huge windows are also symbols of things "flying out the window." Get some shades or curtains on those windows, quickly. Covering them halfway is enough.

I'd also remove anything that is red or pink from the room, and replace each one with something blue or black. Both of those colors symbolize water, and it will offset the overload of fire elements in your romance area.

See what happens. If your love life comes to a complete halt, replace some red and pink items, a little at a time, until harmony and balance are restored.

Q. This is too much. I can't make any sense of it. Tell me something that's easy to do. I'm tired of sitting at home and feeling so alone.

A. If you want to boost your love life with Feng Shui in one easy step, go get some pink silk flowers and a small vase to display them in. If you get them at the dollar store, that's fine for starters; you can get fancy with this later, if it seems to help. Roses or something similar are ideal; don't choose "droopy" flowers.

Stand in the doorway of your bedroom, looking into the room. You should display your silk flowers around the far right corner of your bedroom.

That's it. Really. Try it and see if it helps. It may take a week or so, but I've seen this work in hours.

And, oh yes, be sure that you're getting out of the house at least once a week, in a setting where you can meet new people.


Aisling D'Art is an artist who has worked with Feng Shui for over ten years.  Read more of her articles at "Shui To Go!" - http://www.ShuiToGo.com


 



 

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Last modified: 07/20/05