MAKING WAVES WITH FENG SHUI
Thanksgiving Feng Shui
by Dennis Fairchild

When we refuse, air, light and food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.

Alcoholics Anonymous

‘Tis the season for family, friends, fireplaces and Feng Shui (pronounced “fung shway,” the ancient global philosophy that says that everything around us has an impact). And, food too, of course!

Feng Shui’s founding fathers didn’t do McDonald’s. Back then, daily meals were shared with family and “I love you” meant “I will cook for you,” not “Do you want fries with that?” Rooms used exclusively for dining were a feature of royal palaces, unusual in the West among the commoners until the late 18th century. Until then, tables were set up in any convenient spot or bowls were balanced in laps and meals were taken wherever and whenever.

In Feng Shui, the dining room is analogous to the spleen and nothing should divert attention from food or conversation. It is best for a dining room not to be visible from the front entrance; make it a special, separate part of the home. Unlike glass-walled fast food joints overlooking parking lots or speeding traffic nudging you to hit the road, a few shaded windows help promote concentration, amusing conversation and serious chewing instead of eat and run.

It’s preferable not to see the kitchen from the dining room. If these rooms are too close, stand a screen between them, hang a sheer curtain or small crystal ball or ornament from the ceiling to distract the eye and separate the space symbolically. To promote intestinal peace when the pizza boy delivers, set out silverware and serve in the dining room, not on the couch with a paper towel in your lap.

During the holidays — and, everyday — highlight the food on the table, not the cooking and serving area. If your freestanding dining table is connected to the kitchen, learn from Orson Welles. Use foreground spot lights and dimmers to make background clutter disappear into the shadows, creating a more seductive and appetizing illusion of space. No matter what Martha Stewart says, hide pots and pans, never flaunt them — copper or otherwise.

For dining rooms, pale walls are best. Low tones promote a relaxing mood, complement food and guests and look great by day as well as candlelight. Pale green and yellow stimulate lively conversation; grays and beige make for neutral shop talk. Formal dining rooms reserved exclusively for evening should feature shades of rose tones to enhance pleasant exchanges among guests, while providing an attractive background for silver, glassware and gilded bric-a-brac. Bright red dining rooms are for restaurants that encourage patrons to eat and run. Chez vous? Never!

When eating, lower dining room curtains, especially when the view is unappetizing or competes with the cuisine. To ease digestion, willowy, soft curtains are preferred over louvre blinds or shades. Here, softness creates a feeling of comfort and relaxation, inviting you to sit back and enjoy the food instead of playing peek-a-boo. Don’t seat anyone with their back to a window until the curtains are drawn unless it’s an in-law you despise or a colleague who’s a pain.

Be sure the table is solid, not rickety, warped or soiled. Glass-top tables impel guests to leave early, featuring feet and promoting escapist strategies. The ideal Feng Shui dining table is preferably oval, octagonal, round, rectangular or square, in that order. Wood is better than laminate or glass. Keep it simply decorated, light and airy and with live or silk flowers in-between feasts.

Walls should feature mirrors (to detect parsley between your pearly whites or egg on your face). It’s said that paintings of landscapes and nature attract luck, money and cut down visits to the doctor. To prevent discord and confusion, don’t display liquor bottles or photos of grandpa in the dining room. Keep unused china and crystal out of sight. Otherwise, everyone will want seconds and thirds and might lose touch with the purpose of the gathering.

Empty plates and happy faces tell us we are truly, deeply, madly loved.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you can. Theodore Roosevelt

Dennis Fairchild is a Royal Oak-based author of several books on divination. For information on his personal Feng Shui, intuitive and astrological consults, e-mail DenFairchild@aol.com or call (248) 546-6912.