MAKING WAVES WITH FENG SHUI
Bring Life Into Your Living Room
by Dennis Fairchild

Feng Shui (pronounced “fung schway”) is the ancient Asian philosophy that says that everything around us impacts us – landscaping, colors, furnishings. It’s a beautiful melange of symbolism, folk lore, astrology and good ole uncommon sense. Now that the snow has gone, most of us want to play outside but neglect important inside areas of the house—- like spring cleaning. This month’s mail is all about that.

Dear Dennis:

I am soooo happy that warm weather is in our stars! I don’t have a green thumb or spend time outdoors much. As a mom, I devote most of my time cleaning and in my living room, which is the biggest room in my home and gets lots of sun from the east. I like the concept of compass school Feng Shui because I like my east windows and all the glorious brilliance. Any tips about making my living room Feng Shui fantastic for mid-2006?

Holly; online from Fenton, MI

Golly Holly:

Grab some paper, pencils and a compass and follow some of the following traditional tips:

First: Draw a sketch of your living room, noting windows and doors. Align the compass in the center of your living room on the floor with its needle pointing to the “N” position. Mark each sector— N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE and SW— on stick ‘em notes or file cards and put them in the appropriate area. Some may occupy a corner; others, an entire wall. Makes no diff. No house is perfectly aligned North to South. Is yours?

Secondly: North – Career. Check what’s located in the northern spot of your living room. North represents career and what-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up, is ruled by the water element and influenced by the colors black or blue. An aquatic item in this sector greatly enhances the career prospects of occupants: a painting or waterscape with a dominance of blue, an aquarium or a small water fountain suitably energizes it. Ornaments that are black, particularly made of metal, is very beneficial, as metal “produces” water in the Productive Cycle of the Five Elements.

Then: South – How Others See You/ Acknowledgment From Peers. This portion of the living room largely affects the “breadwinner” of the home. This area is ruled by the color red— symbolically, the Red Phoenix, the icon of luck. It would benefit from something red like a painting of a phoenix or a photo of flamingos at sunrise (not sunset). Red rugs or red wooden ornaments (as wood produces and feeds fire) also fans southern flames. A bright light or fireplace in this part of the room greatly enhances the Fame aspiration. If a mirror must be hung above the fireplace, shop for a small one. Mirrors represent water; don’t extinguish your fame flame!

Next: East – Get Physical! The East sector of the living room relates to the health of all residents. For improved vitality and longevity, place strong healthy plants in this area. A water feature or waterscape painting is also beneficial as water feeds wood. Chinese scrolls of bamboo groves, deer or cranes, pine trees, are all good symbols to promote long life and five-sense well-being.

Note: West – Descendants and Extended Family. Kids, step- (or, “bonus”-) kids and blood relatives is associated with western spots. Ruled by metal and the colors of white, gold or silver, this sector benefits from metallic ornaments such as sculptures, metal wind chimes with six hollow tubes and television set, computer or CD-player. You can also energize this space with objects made of earth such as white ceramic vases or natural quartz crystals, as earth produces metal.

Look at: Northwest – Mentors, Descendants; Travel. To attract help from mentors, luck when away from home, assistance from people far away and to improve business networking, it’s vital to enhance the northwest-sector of the living room. This sector is associated with strong metal, so metallic objects or generous colorings of white, gold or silver is ideal. Rounded metal sculptures or metallic-based table lamps with round white shades are perfecto. It’s said that six Chinese coins tied with red thread brings luck or suspend a metal wind chime with six hollow tubes to attract help and happiness from afar.

And, Then: Northeast – Inner Knowledge; Learning. Make sure that this area has good Feng Shui if you or children are going to school or are spiritually inclined. This spot relates to the element earth and with earthly colors like ochre and clay. Earthenwear objects (ceramics or terra-cotta vases) are well-suited here. To energize luck with education, natural crystals like amethyst or faceted hanging crystals are excellent. This is also the ideal area to place something that is spiritually important to you: a statue of Buddha, a goddess, a crucifix. Don’t leave objects on the floor here. Keep everything elevated on tables or wooden plinths as a mark of “elevated” respect.

Note: Southwest – Love Relationships. If you want to improve your romantic and love encounters, focus here! Ruled by the element earth, activating this sector is tres importante. A chandelier-style table lamp will attract abundance (and bring light) to those you love or would you would love to love you more and promote harmony among partners. Rose quartz or any natural crystals placed here with photos of family or lovers adds to this aspiration. Pictures of red or pink peonies— a Chinese “Double happiness” icon— as well as a pair of wooden ducks, a terra-cotta or ceramic statue of an embracing couple or a pair of red candles are other good energizers. A tiny touch of red ignites the fire of romance, as fire produces earth.

And, Lastly: Southeast – Moolah, the Almighty Buck. The southeast sector of your living room represents wealth and prosperity. Financial prospects can be greatly enhanced by placing wooden objects here, as wood is the ruling element, symbolized by the color green. As “growing wood,” plants are more auspicious than furniture, pianos or wooden objects. Display a robust jade (Chinese money plant) lush with deep green succulent leaves or a healthy plant with an abundance of rounded leaves, to symbolize m-o-n-e-y. Dried flowers are taboo; too yin. This is an excellent area for an aquarium, especially featuring nine fish – one black and eight gold – or a small fountain to “feed” the wood element. Make sure the size of the water feature is in proportion to the room. As Feng Shui is about balance, you don’t want to “drown” the living room.

Feng Shui encourages us to spend time in the living room because, after all, it’s all about living and laughing.

Dennis Fairchild is author of many books on divination and lives in Michigan because of all the beautiful lakes (prosperity, health). For information about personal astrological/intuitive and Feng Shui on-site session call (248) 546-6912