Applying Feng Shui to Your Home part 3

In addition to the physical structure of your home, feng shui is also affected by invisible energy flows. Outdoors, energy is free to flow in and around structures, but a building captures the energy of the space that it occupies. This energy takes its shape from two spatial dimensions, determined by the direction in which the house faces, and one time dimension, determined by the year in which the house was completed. Feng shui practitioners us a method called the Flying Stars that helps them discover the shape of these invisible energy streams. Once you know the shape that they take, you can take appropriate measures to encourage them or divert them.

Creating a Flying Star chart is a complex process that involves discovering the exact direction in which your house faces and knowing the date that the building was completed. The completed Flying Stars chart will have numbers in the 9 squares derived from the orientation of the house and the date of its construction. When it’s finished, a Feng Shui master will place the chart over a blueprint of the house to determine where the various pools and flow of energy lie, and then propose appropriate “cures” to enhance the positive energies and discourage the negative ones.

While feng shui is a highly personalized art, there are some general principles that you can use in your own home without the advice of a feng shui master. If however, you want a full reading and cure, you should consult a feng shui master or learn the Flying Stars method for yourself. For general purposes, though:

Doors and Windows Feng Shui

The doors and windows in your home are the entry and exit points for chi as well as for yourself and your guests.

• Make the front door inviting.
• Avoid front doors with many panes of glass which may reflect the good chi away or confuse it.
• If your front door is in a direct line with the back door or any large window to the outside, find a way to screen them from each other, otherwise the energies will flow in and out without stopping between.
• Avoid placing beds and desks against windows or windowed walls, as it leaves the person occupying the space vulnerable to bad energies from outside.
• If there are negative structures pointed at the house outdoors, you can mitigate their effects by placing a fish tank or a plant in line with the front door or at the front windows.
  

Kitchen

The stove belongs to the fire element, and the sink and refrigerator belong to the water element. To bring balance to the kitchen, incorporate stone and wood in the design. Stone countertops and living plants are ideal, although a bowl of river pebbles in a window can bring in stone as well. The kitchen should be well-lighted, preferably with natural light.

Feng Shui Remedies

There are eight types of remedies that can be used to enrich your life. They are:

Light

Use mirrors, lighting and reflective surfaces to bring light to dark areas.

Sound

Harmonious sounds attract lucky chi. Use wind chimes, bamboo tubes and bells to create eddies that attract and hold the flow of chi.

Color

Red and black promote the flow of chi and increase energy. Blue and green encourage stillness and promote serenity.

Life

Plants and animals can be used to fill empty areas with chi. Fish are especially fortuitous and promote prosperity.

Movement

Still areas can attract chi with the use of movement. Silk banners, ribbons or water fountains all provide movement which attracts positive chi.

Stillness

You can slow the movement of chi (as in a house on a street with very busy traffic) with the use of large rocks, screens and other barriers to keep the chi from flowing in and out without pausing.

Mechanical

Mechanical and electrical equipment can also stimulate the flow of chi. This is one reason that it is recommended that computers should never be placed in a bedroom.

Straight Lines

Straight lines encourage wealth and happiness. Use scrolls, bamboo stalks and other naturally straight objects to add straight lines to your home.

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