Changing with the Seasons

Feng Shui is very conscious of the changing seasons. We’re well into fall now so it’s time to make a few adjustments around the house to reflect the changeover from summer.

One thing I like to do is change the silk flowers in our bathroom. Here are the flowers we keep there during the spring and summer:

Last weekend we found these fabulous silk flowers in great fall colors to replace the summery ones:

This simple change has created a great new energy that lifts our spirits every time we see them.

What changes do you make in your home when the seasons change?

Floorplans and Romance

Here’s the floor plan for a recent client’s apartment:

In Feng Shui the Relationship area of a space is always located in the back right-hand corner of a space, so my client’s Exercise/Storage room is in her Relationship area.

She is single and looking for romance, so we want to make sure the symbolism in this room supports her desire for a relationship even if the room is too small to be her bedroom.

Even more significantly, my client stores a lot of work material in this room. Is her primary relationship with her job? Where is the room for romance?

Looking at her floor plan helped her see what kinds of changes she needs to make if she wants to attract romance. As soon as I left the consultation she began the transformation.

What other changes might she like to make? I invite you to leave your thoughts in the comments.

More Fun with Bad Feng Shui

It’s been awhile since I posted about the truly bad Feng Shui to be found in design magazines. Here are a few great examples I found over the weekend.

First up, a “conversation nook” in the corner of an otherwise beautifully-designed home. Ouch!!

Next is an example of far too much Wood in a room that’s dominated by an open hearth: it appears as if this entire room might go up in flames at any moment.

The simple addition of darker, richer colors and perhaps some “Watery” artwork is all that’s needed to balance this dessicated scene.

Finally, here are two examples of kitchens in need of a new color scheme. Because of the heat of the stove, kitchens are naturally Fire-y places and need to be balanced with other elements, especially Earth, which drains Fire of some of its intensity.

Hot reds exacerbate the feeling of flammability in these kitchens: if you’re getting ready to paint yours, be sure to go easy on the intensity.

Do you have photos of bad Feng Shui that you’d like to share? Send them along to be featured in future blog posts.

Anchoring Your Family with Feng Shui

One of my favorite things is a great old box that my grandmother’s best friend brought with her from Norway when she emigrated in the late 19th century.

Here you can still see her name on the top:

The box top identifies her and says where this box, carrying all her belongings, was destined for in her new life in America.

The box was beautifully made by hand and has now lasted well over 125 years as a useful household item. I use it to hold my needlework, but its interior is beautiful too: take look at the paper lining inside.

This box says Family to me. In Feng Shui, it’s important to anchor the idea of Family just as it’s important to anchor Prosperity and Intimate Relationships.

How are you anchoring your Family? Do you have a favorite thing, too?

Chi Energy and the Basics of Feng Shui

“What is Feng Shui all about, anyway?” This post answers that question with a few of the basic ideas and concepts most important in this ancient art.

With good Feng Shui you’ll create an environment that energetically attracts the things you desire into your life.

The words themselves, pronounced fung schway, literally mean Wind and Water, two beneficial energies we need for good flow and balance.

This life-giving force is called “Chi energy.” When it’s stuck, you feel stuck; when it rushes too fast, you miss out on its life-giving benefits.

Beneficial Chi needs to flow smoothly and easily everywhere you live and work.

An environment with good Chi flow enhances every part of your life, so success and abundance can flow into your life with ease.

Three Essential Feng Shui Tools
Feng Shui’s unique tools and techniques help you achieve your goals by bringing your space into harmony with nature. Its unique concepts have evolved over thousands of years into a system that’s practical, modern and immediately useful today.

• The harmony of Feng Shui’s Five Elements nourish you by aligning your space with the natural world.

• The Bagua Energy Map identifies specific adjustments that anchor the power of your intention.

• The universal energies of Yin & Yang optimize the balance of your space, bringing the right amounts of masculine and feminine energy into your life.

Feng Shui bring you its benefits by looking at every aspect of your space: your furniture arrangement, color, texture, artwork, symbolism and more. The result is a space filled with comfort, safety and beauty.

Have a question? Don’t hesitate to send it along!