Using Feng Shui to Improve Your Life

[Eloriel]

I like to call Feng Shui "acupuncture for your home and other living environments." It's also referred to (less clearly, IMO) as "the Chinese art of placement."

BTW, it's pronounced (by most people) "fung shway."

As most people know, acupuncture balances the energy (ch'i or qi) flowing through the invisible but very real Chinese meridians in our bodies. Feng Shui balances the chi in your home, office, desktop, garden, etc. When the energy in the body is out of balance, illness and/or pain results. When the energy in your home is out of balance, your life affairs (possibly including your health) are not going to be in as good a condition as you would probably prefer. Feng Shui offers many guidelines for creating a harmonious flow of life-hancing chi throughout your living spaces.

I decided a couple of days ago to share some of my knowledge with DUers about Feng Shui -- after all, I'm not using it. :evilgrin: Actually, that's one of the reasons I want to do this (or a side benefit) because we always "teach what we need to learn." I need some prodding to put what I know into practice around my own home. But the larger reason is that I kept bringing the subject up on another thread, and it occurred to me it was time to SHARE what I could on this subject more widely -- why have the knowledge if I don't share it?

I studied Feng Shui with author, lecturer, Feng Shui expert Terah Kathryn Collins, as well as on my own. I chose Collins to study with because her first book on the subject was the best, clearest one I'd found and I'd bought and read quite a few by that time.

While there are many good books on FS out there (and I haven't kept up with the newer ones), I would still recommend her first book, "The Western Guide to Feng Shui," as a good place to start for those who are interested in pursuing this for themselves. (I've not read any of her subsequent books, but she really does write with clarity so I can't imagine they're not quite good also.)

After studying with her, I was a practicing Feng Shui consultant for a couple of years, and had some amazing and wonderful experiences. There came a point where it stopped being as much fun or as rewarding, the clients weren't miraculously coming to me as they had been before, and something else came into my life I needed to attend to, so I stopped practicing. Not long after, I realized that the whole reason I'd even studied, learned and practiced it in the first place was really for my own education: to learn quite a bit about this mysterious non-substance called chi.

FENG SHUI SCHOOLS
There are two major schools of Feng Shui. One is more intuitive and much more attentive to chi and how it works, and the other is more rigid and based on hard and fast rules involving Chinese astrology and the compass. I was drawn to the more intuitive kind, which has plenty of its own "rules" but doesn't come anywhere near Chinese astrology or the compass. I rather think the compass and related schools are more for "accountant types" of people. As I said, this branch is pretty rigid. (No offense to accountants here, or even to practitioners of advocates of the Compass and related schools -- that's just not my cup of tea.)

The FS I've studied (and on which Collins' work is based) is based on what is referred to as the Black Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. (Don't freak at the "black hat" part -- the symbology there has NOTHING to do with our Western good cowboy/bad cowboy symbolism.)

But the roots of all schools of Feng Shui go back to Taoism, which offered the ancient Chinese what I have found to be an incredibly elegant, all-encompassing worldview and philosophy that touched and explained every part of their lives, and gave them the tools with which to enhance and manage their lives.

Yin/Yang and the Five Elements (or more accurately, as Yin/Yang are manifested in the Five Elements) are what all the stuff of the physical (and non-visible) world are made of. Thus, Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on the Five Elements and their interaction in our bodies (organ systems, meridians, herbs and other healing substances, our emotions, etc.) and in our environment (Feng Shui).

That's all I'll post for starters, except I want to leave with the introduction to Collins' book, which is entitled "My Own Journey Home:"

I began my Feng Shui journey when a friend insisted that I join her at a lecture on a strange subject called Feng Shui. I had heard just enough about it to assume it was a superstitious collection of Chinese folklore. Now I was invited to sit through an evening lecture on it. Reluctantly, I went.

Dr. Richard tan was the speaker, a highly respected acupuncturist and feng Shui expert in San Diego, California. I was in my seat less than three minutes when I was filled with the realization that Feng Shui described what I had been intuitively practicing for years. It was one of those rare and wonderful moments when I felt that my whole life had been arranged in perfect sequence to bring me to this man and this information. As I listened to Dr. tan, my excitement about, and awe of, the synchronicities in life steadily grew. Here was an ancient Eastern science that approached and treated buildings in the same holistic manner that I had approached and treated people for over a decade. Wide awake and hanging on Dr. Tan's every word, I took my first lesson in the theory and practice of Feng Shui -- the language of my future.

... As I studied with different teachers and read everyting on Feng Shui that I could get my hands on, I observed that tightly woven into the timeless fabric of Feng Shui, were the holistic principles I had always worked with and lived by. And for the first time in my life, I felt passionaltely in love with what I was doing, and aligned with my life's purpose.

(Note: prior to "discovering" Feng Shui, she'd been a registered polarity practitioner and neurolinguistic programmer, and was co-founder fo the Polarity Therapy Center of Northern Virginia.)


FIRST STEPS
Okay -- so, if you're interested in considering putting Feng Shui to work for you, the first step is to DECLUTTER.

I'll have more to say about that, but just keep it brief for now: Organize, straighten up and also clear out all your spaces, getting rid of anything that you don't use or that doesn't make your heart sing or bring you joy.

Everything we own has its own chi (and we also impress OUR chi on everything we own) -- and we are also energetically tied to everything we own. If we experience negative feelings, memories, etc., those things are depleting our energy, not feeding it. Just removing them will help clear the energy.

Decluttering can take a while (esp. if you're a packrat like me), but make a start, any start -- and when you do, take time to notice the lighter energy of even any single spot you have successfully decluttered. It's palpable. And it's also real. :-)

More to come....

[medeak]

1. was into that at one time....tell me

studied all the energy corners for self and family... and later was told that since US is in different hemisphere ... nothing was correct?

[Eloriel]

3. Nah, go ahead

HOWEVER, let me say again that I don't do Compass and related schools, so if that's the FS you're using, maybe that's one of their rules. I don't know.

[medeak]

5. yep

compass nwse etc.

[ret5hd]

2. quick question...where should i place...

the picture of b* that the gop sent to my home (for some reason)?

i was thinking the bottom of the toilet would be most soothing to my nerves. however, i am willing to consider using it as a backstop for my darts. any info appreciated.
:-)

[medeak]

4. you got one too?

I've gotten three. Took one and cut off heads....very good feng shui

[DrWeird]

6. I rearranged my furniture over the weekend. But I think I did it wrong.

My ficus exploded.

[tlcandie]

7. OMG!!

That is hilarious, but it's not! :+ Poor ficus! :cry: Sorry, I hate for plants to die, but the way you stated it was just hilarious! :hug:

[DrWeird]

8. Um, no. Ficus was what I called my cat.

The ficus PLANT has barricaded itself in the spare bedroom with a months supply of Cheetos and Dr. Pepper.

Ohh, its going to be a lot of bad incarnations fixing up my karma after this.

[tlcandie]

12. Sorry, still hilarious ...

even though I think Feng Shui rules! :+

[sybylla]

17. ROTFL

Channelled a little too much enery there, eh?

[Eloriel]

9. More about chi

I used to tell my lecture and workshop audiences that they were "chi sensing mechanims" and they are -- we all are. And then I'd rattle off examples such as:

* We've all had the experience of being in a room about which we were later able to say, "The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife."

* We've all visited places we couldn't wait to get out of -- maybe we didn't know why, but for whatever reason we were acutely uncomfortable in the place. Or maybe we could quite clearly sense yucky energy or "vibes."

* Conversely, we've all visited places that were so pleasant and beautiful, or so peaceful and serene, or even so exciting in a positive way, that we would have liked to stay for a long time.

* We all respond favorable to things like waterfalls (even just pictures of them, but especially the real thing), the ocean, majestic mountains, kites and balloons including hot air balloons, beautiful flowers (esp. our favorites), etc. All of these are filled with great chi.

You can say they're beautiful, and that's true enough. But their beauty is part and parcel of their great chi (and vice versa) -- they can't be separated.


THE MOVEMENT OF CHI
Chi, in its healthy state, is constantly on the move. Not too fast, not too slow, but moving nonetheless. If it's not moving, you have a condition (in your home, on your desk or in your body) of stagnant chi, and that's NOT positive chi for humans.

If it's moving too fast it's calls "sha" (pronounced "shah") and that's dangerous chi for human beings. We'll have more to say about that later. Chi moves too fast whenever there is a straight and narrow passageway for it -- interstate highways, for example. Long, narrow corridors and other things we'll also get into later.

So, your job then is to attract great chi and lots of it, and to keep it moving through your life, your house and through your body -- again, not too fast and not too slow.

Stagnant chi is inherent in all those piles of clutter. Anything that hasn't been moved and isn't in a direct flow of chi is sitting in a stagnant pool of chi. Stagnant chi draws more stagnancy to it, which can start a downward spiral that, if not overcome, can lead to serious and difficult to stop deterioration. As for that downward spiral, ever notice how your piles of clutter grow, almost on their own? :evilgrin: If you have enough stagnant chi in your environment, it WILL negatively affect your health -- and the kinds of illness that manifests is often difficult to diagnose and difficult to treat.

The problem with stagnant chi and its stuckness is that if you get enough of it going on, YOU don't have the personal energy (physical energy, stamina, etc.) to deal with it. So the conditions worsen, as does your own energy and stamina. Pretty soon you get a snowball effect with more and more deterioration going on around you (and within), and it becomes increasingly difficult to reverse the process.

If this sounds scarey, good. I mean it to be scarey. It's IMPORTANT that people understand the risk involved with stagnant chi.


WHAT'S THE FENG SHUI QUOTIENT OF YOUR HOME?
Do you have any rooms in your house that you either never use or dislike/hate going into? I'm 99.9999% sure that those rooms or other spaces have bad Feng Shui -- that's why you don't like going in there. (You're a chi-sensing mechanism, remember? And you KNOW when you encounter bad Feng Shui.)

Maybe it's your junk room; maye it's a room that has other factors that make up bad Feng Shui -- too dark, too small and cramped, blocked window or ugly view, you hate the furniture or it has no furniture -- could be any of a thousand things, or some combination.

Fortunately, whatever is contributing to make the bad feng Shui can be fixed. And THAT is what Feng Shui is all about.


FRONT DOOR FENG SHUI
Chi enters your home through your front door. Therefore, you want to keep your front door and surrounding area in beautiful condition because great chi is attracted to anything that the human eye (and ear) is positively attracted to -- color, cleanliness and order, growing things, attractive lighting, beautiful landscaping, tasteful ornamentation or art, windchimes, fountains, etc., etc.

So, in addition to any decluttering and cleaning you might want to do to start your Feng Shui adventure, a terrific "homework" assignment is to check out your front door with a critical eye. Look at it as you might if you were getting ready to sell the place or as if you were the real estate listing agent. What do you see? What do you see that you like? What do you see that you DON'T like?

What can you do right away to make it more attractive? Wash the window in the door? Sweep the porch or steps (and keep them swept)? Shine the hardware on the door? Add an inexpensive but thoroughly beautiful plant (choose one with round leaves!! and maybe color if possible)? Paint the door (red's a great color -- the very BEST color -- if it doesn't clash with the rest of your color scheme).

Also -- It's important to USE your front door -- frequently. You need to activate it with your presence. "But I drive right into the garage and come in the door from the garage." Okay, once in a while, walk OUT of your garage and to your front door. And/or go in and out the front door to get the paper or the mail. Or walk the dog (or yourself). Or just to walk around your house, taking a look at things, and then back in. Use it AT LEAST 3 times a week, preferrably more if possible.


SHARE WITH OTHERS
By all means, post what you find at your front door and what you plan to do about it if you'd like. Also post about your decluttering experiences. Decluttering can be VERY difficult -- it's helpful to get morale support from others. Or tell us about your experiences visiting places with great chi or places with horrible chi. Also any questions you might have.

Oh -- and any smart asses or otherwise disrespectful DUers will simply be put on Ignore. AFAIC, that's good Feng Shui too -- we'll call it decluttering of a cyberspace type. :evilgrin:

[LWolf]

10. My front door

faces North, while my house faces West. The door opens to the side. There is a big planter next to the door, but I've struggled to get anything at all to grow there; not enough sunlight in that spot. The ony thing that thrives is the iris I divided and placed there. I also played with some rocks, a fountain, etc., but the animals kept knocking everything down. So, for now, it's just the iris.

Several feet further to the north from the door is a weeping red jade crabapple tree, and I have a flower pot near the entrance that I like to keep full of pansies & petunias, as the season dictates. It's empty right now, and needs my attention.

Between the front gate opening west, and the front door opening north, there is a walkway that walks through a grape arbor. So, you come in the gate, walk straight ahead through the arbor, with the flowerpot and crabapple to your left, and the door to the right. The door itself is white, and, like the rest of the house, needs painting. There is a nice heavy-duty security screen door. I gave up replacing my doormat; the dog kept racing around with them and shredding them. There is usually a dog or a hen resting on the front stoop. Nothing decorative about the door, inside or out; just plain wall. I did just recently cap a big electrical cable poking out of the wall behind the door; it led to an unused security light. For 3 1/2 years, this cable hung off the wall behind the front door until I figured out how to get rid of it!

Walking through the front door, there is a couch and a skylighted arbor full of plants to the left, a doorway and wood stove ahead, and a huge picture window to the right, looking out over the roses and hollyhocks. When the weather permits, the front door is open for fresh air; it's private. Nobody lives in the acres to the north, and you can't see the door from the street.

Fresh paint would help; it would help the whole place. But generally, I'm happy with my front door!

[Eloriel]

13. So is the front door hidden from view at the gate?

(And, please, no compass directions -- I don't do Compass School, remember? :D )

Ah, re-reading, I see that you can't see the door from the street. Is it clear to people, though, where the door is? Or is it sort of confusing, say to someone who's never been there before, if there's a door there or just where the door is? The walkway and arbor are helpful in pointing the direction, but just how confusing is it for someone to know where the front door is even if they can't see it? A little, a lot, not at all? (Hint: "not at all" is what we're looking for. :D )

I know you like your privacy, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that at all. However, it sounds like between the door being "hidden" (from the street) and also quite plain, that maybe you need to add something more -- esp. since you're wanting to move.

As for shade, impatiens and hostas and many other plants do well in the shade. Azaleas are slow enough growing that they might do okay in a planter, and they retain their leaves year 'round. Impatiens are great because they're so colorful and also rounded leaves (azaleas too). Of course, I know summer's over. You might also consider "silk flowers" -- not the best, but better than nothing, especially better than an "empty" planter -- assuming your animals wouldn't destroy them.

In general, I get the feeling that you need to do a little something more to attract more chi. Also -- is the door peeling, or the paint just not fresh? Would you consider painting it?

Sounds wonderful -- love the wood stove (there's something so comforting and, well, warming about wood heat) and picture window overlooking beautiful flowers.

[LWolf]

19. It's "not at all" hard to find the door!

The gate opens on to a straight walkway, which walks straight to the arbor and on to the front stoop; the front door is at the edge of the house, so as soon as you reach the corner of the house, you're at the door. It's a straight shot.

The area next to the door...I've tried many plants; but, in addition to the shade, we also have the highly alkaline soil and caliche layer of the mojave desert; I've had jasmine, honeysuckle, an azalea, hostas, and several other plants there, and none have survived. I have lined the far edge in pansies and petunias, seasonally, to match the flower pot. They get enough light at the edge to survive. The iris is just extra tough. Funny, the whole rest of the front yard is a lush cottage garden. A dozen roses, bush and climbing, daisies, daffodils, hollyhocks, trumpet vine, rosemary, mint, ivy, carnations, crabapples, cedar, a pepper tree, mums, nandina, the list just goes on. It's just that one spot that has resisted growing anything, until I moved the iris in.

Paint is needed; it's needed on the whole place! I had some work done this spring and summer; many necessary repairs. Paint is next, but my budget ran out. I need to save up for the next round of work.

It's a charming little place; just in need of freshening up. I've just rearranged furniture in two bedrooms and replaced furniture in the living room, which has helped. Next on the list of big projects that don't need funds are cleaning and reorganizing the garage; we'll dispose of a lot of clutter out there! I'm hoping I'll have enough saved for a paint job before spring.

[Eloriel]

24. I'm confused

Help me out here. You said:

There is a big planter next to the door, but I've struggled to get anything at all to grow there; not enough sunlight in that spot.

Now you're saying that your soil is alkaline -- but if you have a planter, you can put your own soil in it, whatever you want.

And how does your "cottage garden" grow with all that alkaline soil and the caliche (which IS nasty stuff), or is the front door the only lace where you find the caliche? Our clay soils here in GA yield nicely to nice, thick layers of compost (over time, not overnight) -- does that work for caliche?

So are you saying that the planter is actually a bed directly on the soil? I was imagining an urn or other type of planter that can be picked up and moved. (Ahhhh, and THERE'S your solution, possibly.)

Or are there any native plants that are also shade lovers? (Does anything grow in caliche?) Though do stay away from anything with thorns on it. Succulents would be great, but not with thorns, not at the front door.

If not, consider a huge urn, filled with your very own choice of compost-rich mix. Really, you don't need an empty "dead spot" right by your front door!

Also -- about the door. What I was talking about re painting was just buying a gallon and painting your door yourself for starters, not the whole house which I certainly realized would be a huge and expensive and probably not a do-it-yourself job. It was just a suggestion -- that's what we FS consultants do, ask questions and make suggestions. What people DO about them is their business. :evilgrin:

I remember your description of your home fairly well from a thread some time ago. It sounded absolutely wonderful and yes, very cozy. So cozy I wanted to visit! :-)

[LWolf]

25. ah...terminology!

"Planter" = big dirt triangle. The wall of the house stretches until it meets the garage, at which time we get another wall going the other direction; a piece of ground in the corner that looks like a piece of pie about 10 - 12 feet wide and 6-8 feet deep. That other wall is what stops so much of the light from reaching that spot. ( The garage door, and driveway, are in the back from an alley).

How does the cottage garden grow? To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. The ground out there is just as bad. Don't try to dig down more than a few inches; you won't get anywhere! The grass is bermuda, which is really difficult to kill. The rest of the stuff just thrives. I don't feed it; ever. I trim every once in awhile, very casually. I water regularly. It faces into the prevailing wind, which is brutal to plants in the desert. It thrives on neglect, or just on my daily appreciation. My two hens do fertilize it, but they don't leave much. They free range about the place.

My big flowerpot is close to the door; I need to put some more flowers in it; I pulled the last bunch awhile back and haven't replaced them. Pansies will survive our light frosts all winter. And I can put a few down for color amongst the iris.

I guess that's what I've really done; just gone with plants that are proven survivors in these conditions. I choose them, put them out there, and if they make it, great. If not, I replace them with something else until I find something that works. That's how the iris ended up by the door; they're really hard to kill!

Paint for just the door is a good idea; I could do that myself pretty easily. I just have to decide what color the whole rest of the place will be when I've saved up for it, so the colors will complement each other. Probably a white house with green trim; up to now, the whole place has been white. But green is a welcome color in the desert.

[Eloriel]

27. Desert ... house paint colors ...

you may find some additional inspiration or perhaps confirmation when we get to Five Element Theory.

Thanks for the explanations.

[LWolf]

34. I'll look forward to it.

The desert is an incredible place; it could teach us much about doing away with "clutter;" it's beauty is spare and minimalist.

And, it teaches us about bending in the wind rather than breaking, survival, and adapting to thrive with the resources available.

When it comes to color, the blues and greens of water and fresh growth are lacking, and those colors resonate strongly with me. Water is a blessing, and I try to make my home an oasis.

When my good friend gifted me with a puppy 18 months ago I named her "Rain," after the blessing that she is!

[Eloriel]

37. My one visit to the desert

was on a trip to Las Vegas (required, with my husband's company). I couldn't believe, in late winter, how much color and variety in the plant life and the scenery we found in the desert.

Wonderful post, LWolf. What kind of dog is Rain (fabulous name!)? (You know what a dog person I am!!)

[LWolf]

38. Rain

She is a beautiful blue merle australian shepherd, 18 months old, with one blue and one brown eye.

[Eloriel]

40. Oh, wow

I think I'm jealous. ;-)

[Lugnut]

11. My front door.....

Is red because I love red. It looks crisp and eye-catching with a white house trimmed with black shutters. The door faces Northwest and is accessed by a curved sidewalk from the driveway. The front porch is roof-covered and is our favorite spot on a hot Summer day. The landscaping in front of the house needs a lot of work. It upsets my chi which is what I just learned.

I have a lot of decluttering to do. I hate those growing piles. They are upsetting my chi too.

Thank you Elorial. Now I know why the beach is my favorite place.

[Eloriel]

14. Not so sure they're upsetting your chi

Altho I suppose that's one way to put it. :-) (I'm thinking both the landscaping and clutter upset your conscience, like they do mine. LOL.) Draining your chi is a better description. Upsetting your chi would be more like harsh conditions -- loud and persistent noise, menacing items.

Whatever you can do NOW to work on the landscaping (a little at a time is perfectly fine) will actually help you do more later. Same with clutter, actually. Any time you lighten the chi in an area or problem spot, it allows more fresh chi in, and the more fresh chi, the easier it is to work with the remaining problems.

I'll post some tips on decluttering later.

The red door is primo! :thumbsup:

Actually, that reminds me of a point I'd forgotten. When we are in the flow, so to speak, and when we engage our chi-sensing capabilities, we tend to create things which are Feng Shui appropriate.

I'll give you an example. As we've done things to this house (or in the house), over the 5 years we've lived here, I've noticed that the right move, once finished, looked like it'd always been that way. Most recently we moved the freezer from one spot in the garage to a different spot-- and it immediately looked like it had always been there. I don't remember what it was right now, but I do remember after removing something, that space looked like the whatever it was had never been there.

All of this, btw, is healing work. Our living spaces need to be healed too! When we do something that's appropriate and healing for our homes -- rearrange furniture in a better arrangement, for example -- there's a "click" that happens when it's just right. You know it. It feels right, it looks right, it IS right. (Again, it only makes sense, since we're chi-sensing creatures.)

[Lugnut]

28. Wow!

I can't tell you how many times I've moved furniture, removed pieces and added pieces to achieve that "something" that I needed to see. It's been a slow process that has included re-painting but the living room now makes me feel good. I love to be in there.

This is fascinating. Thank you for sharing your experitse, Elorial. :)

[Eloriel]

31. You are welcome

And thanks for the appreciation. I was wondering earlier today if I were doing this for naught, so it means a lot to me.

[NMDemDist2]

107. ahhh you want me to actually USE the front door? geez....

ok ok I'll do it

the door is forest Green with a matching security screen.(facing west) My BIL sent us a gargoyle like wood carving a few years ago that we stuck out by the front door, but I have since moved.

can pretty rocks take the place of a plant? I have 2 cypress trees right out side the door.. ?? input on that is welcome

we have a very small "entry" with tile and a coat rack that is a mess (on the north side)...??
I also have a half circle window above the door that I currently have covered with a fan in a forest green and burgundy native american pattern.
on the other (south wall) I have a Southwest art gallery crafts fair poster of a red rock canyon in peach, tan and red rock red


on another note, I signed up for flylady and have de cluttered a bunch this weekend. I started in the master bath and did the kitchen and dining room also. We are afraid to use these rooms now cuz they are so clean and bright ROFL

thanks for the offer to share your knowledge of feng shui, i look forward to your input

[NMDemDist2]

108. did some work on the front door now too, threw away an "evil gnome"

that was a gift from the BIL

pulled out a ceramic planter and filled it with (silk) red tea roses

moved a wind chime from the patio to the front entry way

cleaned all the coats and empty purses from the coat rack (it's naked now except for my daily purse and favorite jacket which is also forest green and burgundy)

still need to clean all the dust off the door but it's a start....

[enki23]

15. adventures in chi farming

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[Eloriel]

16. Tips for decluttering

WHAT IS CLUTTER?
First, a definition. Terah Kathryn Collins would say, "Anything you don't love."

Think about it for a minute. Imagine living in a place where every single thing about it gives you pleasure and fills you with joy. Can you imagine how rich your life would be on a daily basis? You would be living in a paradise, wouldn't you? That's the ultimate goal.

I can hear it now, "But I'm not that materialistic." Ah, but we ALL need the basics -- a place to live, furniture and basic appliances, cooking equipment and dishes, automobile, clothes. And there's no reason what is necessary things-wise, can't also feed our spirits at the same time as they satisfy our survival needs.

Okay, so you can look around you and see plenty in your life that doesn't satisfy that basic criterion (uh, like almost everything??? LOL), but you certainly can't go out and replace everything, so what now?

You make the best of what you've got NOW. First, you get rid of those things you never use anyway, those things which aren't essential to your survival and are clearly dragging you down (depleting your energy), ALL your stacks of "stuff" (papers, books, whatevers -- discard and/or organize it appropriately), you repair or get rid of anything broken or otherwise in disrepair.

And then you make sure whatever's left (even those things you'd like to replace) are in the best condition possible -- clean, in good repair, shined, etc. And oh yes, appreciated. If you really would like to replace your washer and dryer but can't just now, get them in as good a shape as possible (clean, maybe even polished) and start actively appreciating them for their service to you and their presence in your life.

Obviously, all of this won't be something you can accomplish overnight.

But you can start. :-)


THE MORE OBVIOIUS CLUTTER
Most of the rest of what I have to share re tips for decluttering really has to do with the stacks of stuff, or the clutter in drawers and closets, garage, basement and attic, etc., NOT the things which we use regularly and feel somewhat neutral about but which don't bring us joy and eventually (ultimately) we'd like to replace with something that DOES bring us joy.

I want to say again, you are energetically connected with each and every "thing" you own. If that connection is a positive one -- if it feeds and nourishes you -- then terrific. If not, then you need to cut the cord and let it go.

Unfortunately, those energetic ties can be mighty persistent. And there's the rub. They can also be mired in those pools of stagnant energy (excessive yin), which also makes them even more difficult to deal with.

I've just given you a hint about how to deal with stacks of stagnant energy. What do you do with excessive yin? You bring in more yang. More about that in a minute.

It's possible that few of you reading this have had the same experiences I and thousands of others have had with clutter. But in my experience, I've discovered that when I have tried to deal with some clutter, and the longer it's sat there as "clutter" the worse this is, I can easily become confused, demotivated, disoriented, clumsy and inept, etc.

I'll pick up one piece, find myself unable to determine what to do with it, so pick up another, drop something, get fristrated and more confused, clumsy and somewhat disoriented, eventually stub my toe or break something, etc. This is what stagnant energy of that kind FEELS like and needless to say, it's NOT conducive to making decisions about what to do with things in the stack (or the drawer or closet). Can we say inertia?

If that's the type of conditions you encounter (or even if you just want to avoid them), here are some things to help:

* Put on music -- whatever music makes you want to dance, uplifts your spirit in an energetic way, makes you smile or want to celebrate.

* Turn on the lights -- ALL the lights.

* Open the windows to let in some fresh air (and fresh chi with it), even if it's for a short time.

* Vacuum, sweep and/or dust in the immediate area or the whole room.

* And possibly the most effective: use any one of a number of space-clearing tools: salt water or frankincense or smudge stick or essential oils or just clapping or ringing a bell over, under, around, and within the clutter you're trying to deal with. All of these will help break up the stagnant energy, and you'll find the clutter easier to deal with and yourself less disoriented because the stagnant chi has been broken up and can be released.

* However, if you find yourself feeling hopelessly confused and unable to make decisions about things, go outside yourself for a few minutes -- or at least into another room. Do some jumping jacks or some energetic deep breathing. Stretch. Ground yourself by stamping your feet or other method. Turn up the volume a bit on that music. :-)


WHERE TO START?
Anywhere you feel drawn to start. Just start. Some people like to do it methodically, starting in one corner of a room and going around the perimeter. Some people like to tackle the thing bothering them the most. Some like to get rid of the most obvious and easiest -- just putting things away that are out of place. The most important thing: just start.


ANOTHER RESOURCE
I don't remember how I discovered FlyLady, but it's a wonderful resource. Difficult to describe, but FlyLady has a system that helps people like me (perfectionists) methodically but almost painlessly get a grip on getting our homes and lives in order. She's not for everyone, but I can't recommend her highly enough. The system really does work, but as with anything, YOU have to work the system (which is something I'm still working on, but when I do, it's wonderful).

http://www.flylady.net/

I'd suggest checking her out, signing up for her email list if you're drawn to her at all (and there are a maybe dozen or more emails a day -- but some of them are quite repetitive and you can always delete the ones you don't want or need). She's a very positive, upbeat person, and many of her emails including testimonials from others are super-inspiring, thought-provoking and often chock full of wisdom.

Decluttering is her first priority too. Because "You can't organize clutter." She asks you to spend just 15 minutes a day (even setting a timer!) to declutter in the room of your house that is the target for the current week as one of the first steps of her system. She's right about how much you can actually get done in 15 minutes. And the 15 minute timer keeps people from getting overwhelmed, which is the handmaiden of inaction.

The other "first steps" she has you do is develop some morning and evening routines and do them until they become habit. Aside from a couple of things she insists must be part of your morning and evening routines (I know, that rankled me a bit too) you develop your own morning and evening routines. My basic routine (including her "musts") really have become habitual, and they really are a boon for me.

The nice thing is that aside from her few "musts," you can implement her system at your own pace, adapt it to your needs and lifestyle, etc.

Again, she's probably not for everyone. But if your home isn't in the shape you'd like it to be and it's difficult for you to get it there and KEEP it there on a routine basis, FlyLady might be helpful for you too.

She even mentions Feng Shui now and then -- tho she's Christian, I think (probably fundamentalist), so she certainly doesn't dwell on it. But this much I know: she's been responsible for changing thousands of lives for the better and IMO that makes her a Lightworker. People have even written in describing how lives were saved because they had implemented her routines and system.

Check it out.


A FINAL THOUGHT
All of us have kept things which were given to us by people we love, even though we seriously DON'T love the gifts themselves. We do NOT owe it to our loved ones to let our personal chi be depleted on a daily basis by hanging onto these things. Release the guilt and release those gifts. They're hurting you.

[Desertrose]

18. uhhm....about that de-cluttering....

LOL....thats exactly why I haven't been on this thread yet...I am de-cluttering my studio...from bottom to top and side to side....I had 2+ boxes full of leather pieces given to me years ago by a friend that I totally forgot about...that is going...old bills that are past the point of necessity....just all kinds of stuff!!

So...hopefully when this job is done I will get to spend more time on here.....I really appreciate you starting this thread Eloriel....I have been movin gthings around in my house and will check with you about some as time permits:)

:hug:
DR

[Eloriel]

20. Good for you!!

I should been decluttering myself this afternoon instead of posting about it. :-(

But I will.

[Pithlet]

30. What about

A home where the decor now a days is a clutter with plastic objets in primary colors circa 2001-2004, with various labels such as "PlaySchool" and "Little People". Does that mess up the chi? Getting rid of it at this time is not an option. :)

[Eloriel]

32. You keep it neat when not in use and teach the little ones to

pick the stuff up at the end of the day, or whenever is appropriate (before naps or before dinner or bath, whatever times are most appropriate). FlyLady.net actually has had some great suggestions adn testimonials on this. It's doable. The secret is believing it, and taking steps to make it so. ;-) Believe me, your little ones WILL appreciate order too. Really. They're probably even better chi-sensers than we adults are, just less verbal about it. :evilgrin:

Too, you need to make sure that they don't have too much out at once. There's no need for EVERY toy to be in the middle of the floor or even available. In fact, I used to rotate my son's toys, to great effect. He would get a little tired and bored with some of them, and it was great to pull out some he hadn't seen in a while and put the ones he was bored with out of sight. Sometimes these newly recovered toys were the ones we took when visiting someone, or to restaurants, etc. Worked very, very well.

So, to recap: Sorry, no excuses. ;-) Find ways to store them attractively while not in use (I keep seeing plastic milk cartons in great colors but whatever works -- toy chests are an even better solution), and start teaching the little ones the good habit of picking up after themselves.

[Pithlet]

33. Yeah, I know

My post was light hearted. My kids are toy tornadoes, though. It doesn't take long for toys to get scattered, but he does love to pick them up and organize them, too, so that helps. But the rotating thing does help.

[Digit]

98. She was alittle too fundy for me, got anyone else?

[Eloriel]

99. Nope, sorry

She is a person with a very, very good heart, excellent information, a superb system and frankly a LOT of wisdom. Personally, I believe she keeps her fundiness very well in control, if not her syrupy sweetness. :-)

Remember that you don't have to buy into or even read the parts you find objectionable. The system itself is devoid of any whiff of fundamentalism, at least none that I can remember seeing -- unless you even object to "God breezes," which is her term for flashes of inspiration, which she uses fairly often.

I'd say if you need a system for gently but systematically (at your own speed) getting control of your life relative to your personal environment, there is none better than this that I know of. Somewhere on her site she does give props to the two women whose system she tried but didn't work all that well for her, if you want to check that out.

I go nuts with all the emails, but I have even come to appreciate them, if somewhat begrudgingly. It DOES work to get daily reminders about the key parts of her system.

[hlthe2b]

114. Ohhhhh, thanks so much for this... I have such clutter right now

and it has to be the most depressing, demotivating, life-haulting factor I can imagine.

Thanks for the concrete steps I can take and advice for tackling even a small bit of it.

I'll follow your feng shui thread as long as you keep it going and I thank you!

[tlcandie]

21. I'm reading ...

just stealthing here more or less! My books are being sorted.. mailed/ given away or taken to a bookstore for resell purposes!

I hate clutter, but it seems to, as you say, have taken on a life of its own! :+ So, it will be getting a thorough going through and I took a leave of absence from school the end of June just to do this type of thing!

So, I will read, but work mostly! :+

Thanks Eloriel... great thread! It's very important for a home or area to work for an individual. If the chi works for them and flows and offers no issues then that's good enough! I think Feng Shui is more of an intuitive feeling because I have found, as you, that a lot about my surroundings fell in line with the principles and if it didn't... it allowed me to figure out what was bothering me!

:hug:

[Eloriel]

22. That's true

Good Feng Shui can be largely intuitive.

However, there are quite a few principles and some "rules" and "cures" (or fixes) that most people aren't capable of inuiting but which can make an enormous difference. It's helpful, for instance, to understand something about the Five Elements and how they work together (which I'll get into later).

But people can do a LOT on their own, by themselves, just by watching for those "clicks" or "ahhhhs" that happen when they move furniture or do other things.

I'll give an example. I did a consult with a delightful woman, newly divorced, who wanted to make some changes in her house to get her ready for the new chapter in her life. There were 2 rooms where the furniture just wasn't right -- those rooms didn't work. But she had to keep the furniture at least for now and actually was very positive about them, it's just that their arrangement didn't look right in their rooms and so both rooms were very uncomfortable as a result -- uncomfortable as in "we don't really like to go in there all that much."

I actually couldn't figure out a better placement for either room myself (I'm not an interior designer and always made that clear to people), but we did look at both rooms REAL carefully, talk about it a lot, and I encouraged her to continue to think about and try other combinations. (I did, of course, have other useful FS information for her -- it's not like she wasted her money. LOL.)

A week or so later she called me, VERY excited. SHE had indeed found just the right furniture arrangement for both rooms and invited me to come see them. I did and was as delighted as she was. In the living room the change in how the furniture was arranged was almost imperceptible, except that it made the whole thing "click." I mean, someone not paying a lot of attention might not even have noticed that anything had been moved, along the lines of, "Something's different in here, but what? Did you get new drapes?" LOL.

In the Play Room in the basement (or whatever she called it), the room was quite large and putting the furniture around the walls (which is how she originally had it) didn't work. But because of the placement of a sliding glass door and a fireplace, neither did a traditional "sofa facing the fireplace" sort of arrangement. She found an angular placement of the sofa (diagonal across one of the corners), moved the TV, and the few other pieces to match this new arrangement, and the room suddenly became an absolute delight. Very comfortable and inviting, very cozy even though large, etc., She may have added another piece to round it out or perhaps a wonderful afghan (I remember something was added), but it had definitely become a simply fabulous room. (So fabulous *I* wanted to stay there!!)

When you work with these things consciously, you become aware that our furniture and other things have a place they prefer to be (in a manner of speaking) -- a place where they're more comfortable being, which makes us more comfortable with them. When they're in the right place (and sometimes that's a different room), everything clicks and, as I said, it's palpable. The process of working WITH your furniture and other decorative items is very organic, and a thoroughly fascinating, engaging process.

(Sorry, tlc, I go off on tangents when people stimulate my thinking...)

[tlcandie]

23. No problem at all here! Talk all you want...

I know a few who are listening!

I believe things which most people believe are inanimate, but aren't, have their own desires/wishes of where they would like to be placed. Sometimes, they like to be moved/cleaned, etc.

There's just so much out there to learn and enjoy... it is wide open!

:hug:

[Lugnut]

44. I'm listening....

I'm reading and I'm learning. I'm looking at my surroundings in a whole new light and it's exciting. :)

[Eloriel]

54. Yes, this stuff is VERY exciting

I'm glad you're finding it so.

It provides a framework or philosophical base for so much that we already "know" intuitively, and then it takes us beyond that by providing understandings that the ancient Chinese figured out because they spent so much time studying how chi works (e.g., thousands of years), but most of us Westerners aren't so tuned in. Altho, in truth, the West has had some things to contribute to the overall study of energy in the environment as well. I'll try to touch on some of that later too -- but, really, I already have with the smudge sticks and so forth.

[medeak]

26. thanks for the motivation

went through house and decluttered. Have interior decorating license so naturally environment is important.

hack hack...dust was incredible.. now what to do about housekeeper for last 14 years who drinks all the booze....gawd love her..she's Jehova Witness and not a one has barked at my door since she started working here.

[tlcandie]

29. LoL medeak!

:+

[linazelle]

35. Eloriel thanks for starting this thread...I always appreciate your

brilliance and clarity--I look forward to what you will be adding to this thread. :D

I posted an inquiry to see if anybody was interested in Feng Shui over a year a go and the thread died. Perhaps it was because I don't know very much about it and had little to add.

But I've just moved into a new home and am very interested in making it warm and inviting so I am trying to recall some of the basic FS tips I've gleaned from a few books. One thing I did is leave lots of old things behind when I moved.

I know FS says you should have things like water in or near the home--as in a decorative fountain. A red door is supposed to be inviting, eliminating angular items to eliminate bad Chi is also supposed to be good.

I'm still puzzled about the compass application and hope you'll post more about this as well as crystals.

[Eloriel]

36. Compass and crystals

Thanks, linazelle. I wonder if I saw your thread back then? I myself started one once upon a time and it died too. Glad this one is getting a little more activity.

Okay, those FS consultants and others who use a Compass are using a very different system. I have no interest in it, and I frankly don't know much about it. There are some "rules" that they two "schools" share, but I don't even know that much about that. I just have no interest -- and in fact never would have studied FS -- in the other system. The more intuitive FS that I and thousands upon thousands of others are using is equally valid, tho very different. So I can't talk with you about Compass School applications. The compass is unnecessary in my school of FS. Sorry. (I really have an aversion to Compass school.

(I would also suggest that anyone interested in acquiring books about FS should thumb through and decide whether or not those books are Compass School or not. It's fine if they want to study Compass and related schools, but if they start acquiring books from BOTH schools, they'll spend far more time confused than if they chose one and stuck with that until later.)

Crystals (small lead crystal faceted balls, as opposed to quartz and other mineral crystals) are used in many applications in FS. They're really quite magickal. We'll get into cures, which is one application for crystals, later. The other application, which also could be considered a cure, is to simply hang them in an area where you want to heighten the energy or its flow. Again, we'll discuss these more later. In the meantime, though, if you have specific questions about them or any other FS things, feel free to ask them.

[Sweet Freedom]

39. Eloriel, I have a question specific to my home...

and perhaps you can help.

My hubby and I have been going nuts because of problems with our house. EVERYTHING that is wrong with our house is so because of water. I guess "leaks" are the problem -- from the plumbing, the roof, rain through the doors. Leaks have ruined my window sills, all of my floors, tiles, cabinets, ceilings, etc.

I suppose I could just accept that perhaps the builders did a shoddy job on my home, but I just find this water motif kind of creepy (and the repairs are getting expensive!).

Any thoughts?

[Eloriel]

41. Oh, yes

Apparently, your job is to "heal" this house. I hope you've had a chance to at least make a good start on it.

Water represents wealth in FS. If you have a leak in your plumbing, you have a drain on your wealth. Have you fixed your plumbing completely? That would be my first priority to make sure it's completed, if at all possible. And the other leaks are no help either. Then there are ways you can "shore up" the wealth areas of your home.

We had an outside faucet leak we finally had fixed recently. And sure enough, every time we turned around there was some unexpected financial outlay required. Drip, drip, drip.

I will need quite a bit more information to be of much specific help beyond this. I take it it's a fairly new house? What is the current status of your repairs -- what still needs to be done? Where do you live (I'm interested in general climate and topography, whether there's much "water" in the local area, etc.) There are so many things I need to know that it's difficult for me to figure out what questions to ask at this point. So, tell me what you can (minus compass directions :evilgrin: ) And tell me generally about your house -- I'll have some specific questions about that, but tell me what you can as an overview description. Do I need to know anything about the builder? Your neighbors or the neighborhood? (I know this is difficult to answer since you may not know the kindsd of things that FS is interested in -- but just sort of get quiet, a little meditative and see what comes to you to tell me.)

For now, though, realize that there are ways to heal the home and get in control of this situation, and of course the repairs are big, big part of that.

[Sweet Freedom]

80. Thank you Eloriel

Actually, my home is not new. We bought it in 1996 when it was 5 years old, but I'm not aware of the previous owner having water problems.

We are currently fixing as many problems as we can. We've replaced the water heater that leaked, the AC unit that leaked, repaired the leaking roof and eaves, installed gutters, replacing all window sills, etc. We still have to replace our kitchen sink, our back doors and possibly our shower. Once we do all that, we can move on to cosmetic improvements (replacing tiles, or hardwood floors damaged by water, etc.)

I'm not thrilled with the builder. I can say that almost every problem in the house is a result of the builder. For example, the plumbing of my kitchen sink was installed backwards, so it leaks. My water heater was not placed on a pan, so when it leaked, the water seeped into the house. The windows sills are all rotted because the security sensors in them were not properly caulked. (Of course, none of this happened until after the warranty expired.)

I live in Texas, outside of Houston and a bayou runs next to my house.

Thanks again!

[Eloriel]

87. Bayou

That's interesting.

I'm really sorry you've had all these problems. It sounds literally like a nightmare. Unbelievable.

What's the situation of the bayou? Is it polluted (do you know)? Or has it been mishandled or damaged in some other way (dammed up, overdeveloped...I don't know, I'm searching here)? What's the condition of the wildlife in the bayou? Are there any or were there any "nightmares" in the local area? -- and I have no idea what I mean by that, but since the word cropped up for me, I thought I'd make a point of asking. Any historical human tragedies, perhaps, that you know of? Is there a cemetary close by? Any tall utility poles?

I hope you'll tell me more, describe more -- unless you'd rather not. I certainly don't want to push any advice on anyone.

[Sweet Freedom]

88. Hmm...

Bayou seems okay. Lots of birds, frogs, lizards, turtles, a gazillion bugs, etc. The trees around it are being cut down (old age). FYI: I live on a cul-de-sac, but there are no houses on the top curve -- that's where the bayou runs.

A tall utility pole (wooden kind) is positioned between my home and the bayou and there is a cemetery about 1/4 mile up the road (I can't see it from my house).

I'm not aware of any human tragedies.

Don't know if this means anything, but everyone in our neighborhood has two pine trees in the front yard. Mine are the only ones that are NOT dying. (Amazing, since I have a brown thumb.)

[Eloriel]

90. ??

Okay, don't know where to go from here. As I said earlier, it's tough to know all the questions to ask.

Thanks for the info. The bayou sounds wonderful.

[drfemoe]

96. Something was mentioned

in the earlier thread about removing trees having an effect on well being. I'd like to hear more about that.

Can you ask that question to the author of this thread?
(I have a real strong feeling my post won't be seen.)

[Eloriel]

42. A few misc. Feng Shui tips and a bit of a recap

And tomorrow I hope to start on Five Element Theory.

What may not be clear from my discussions about FS so far is that your immediate living environment affects every area of your life -- Career, , Contemplation, Health and Family ("Ancestors"), Wealth, Reputation, Relationships, Children and Creativity, Helpful People and Travel. Where there are imbalances in your surroundings, it indicates current or potential imbalances in the affected area(s) of your life. Much more about all this later.

Further, healing your home (and your life) isn't just for self-aggrandizement or a self-centered pursuit. Your actions spiral out from you and affect the whole planet because it affects the sea of chi in which we all exist. All healing, then, is part of planetary healing. Feng Shui (and all other true healing modalities) matters.

Okay, recap / new tips:

* Make your front door and everything leading up to it as beautiful and eye-appealing as possible. USE your front door, often.

* Declutter. Get rid of those things which do not fully support the person you are becoming, those things which you do not LOVE and/or use. Eliminate stacks of "stuff," whether piles of paper, closets and drawers of unworn clothing, cabinets of unused cleaning supplies or cosmetics and other HBA, garages or basements or attics filled with things you "might need some day." Develop a nice working relationship with your local Goodwill (or other charity).

* Once you've identified things to let go of, try to get them out of your house as soon as possible. Don't let them linger in some other part of your house indefinitely.

* Like the old saying goes, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." Clean, orderly, beautiful surroundings enhance your life in every way, including spiritually.

* Try periodically to view your home as if you were a stranger to it. Or, conversely (this works for me), imagine someone's about to visit you -- what do you see that you wish you didn't? Write it down, all of it, and get busy!!

* If you're ever away from home (vacation, day trip, workshop or lecture or artistic event, whatever) and come back home with new eyes, seeing things you'd like to change about your home, do it. Make those changes. Your experience "away" has been an expansive one, you're a new person. Making the changes you can now visualize will help anchor "the new you." NOT making the changes will help anchor the old you. (This is one of Terah Kathryn Collins' best tips, IMO.)

* Never block any door -- not even a door that's never, ever used.

* If you need a little additional clarity in your life, organize or re-organize your desktop -- and wash it while you're at it.

* Clutter HOT SPOTS. FlyLady (who I mentioned in a previous post -- or see flylady.net) has a great idea. One of her constant daily reminders is to go take care of your clutter Hot Spots, those areas in your home (kitchen counter, table by the front door, a corner of your desk, the dining room table perhaps) that constantly collects clutter. It's a great idea. Once you declutter one of these persistently problem clutter attracting spots, do a daily spot check so you can keep it decluttered.

* Make sure your windows are all clean. (I discovered squeegees not long ago, btw, and now don't mind washing windows at all, which is not to say mine are all done ... but they're definitely more doable and I did some today.) As you do so, form the intention of letting more Light and Truth and Clarity into your life.

* Buy or make up some space-clearing paraphernalia. Smudge sticks (and a container, an abalone shell is traditional), certain flower essences or essential oils or even salt water and a glass spray bottle -- or for the essential oils a diffuser, frankincense (the resin drops are much preferred over any sticks, which means you'll also need some little charcoal to burn it on) and use it regularly, especially after any upsetting events or emotional situations or illness. (Some essential oils are helpful killing microbes when used in a diffuser.)

* Make a list of any maintenance that needs to be done on any of your possessions -- the whole house, anything in it, anything you own. Either get them fixed or get rid of them. You don't want any part of your life "not working."

* Empty your wastebaskets frequently. Once a day is optimum.

* Make a rough drawing of the layout of your house or apt. Doesn't need to be to scale or perfect, but we'll use it later when we get to the bagua. Make one also for the shape of your property if you own your home (or rent a house on a lot).

* Start looking at the symbolism you've surrounded yourself with -- your furnishings, decorative objects and any art on the walls. What does it "say"?

(I once did a consult for a woman who told me that she and her husband were somewhat estranged. THere were two pictures over their bed -- both of them depicting single, solitary and somewhat lonely-looking people. And they weren't even a pair, as in a matched set of pictures. On another consult, the young woman was disappointed that she hadn't attracted any relationship into her life. A little later in the consult, she told me that an antique in her home had belonged to a beloved aunt, who had died at age 70 having been a spinster all her life. My client had 70 years of spinster energy sitting right there in her home! This last one is a combination of embedded energy and symbolism, not pure symbolism alone. Another client, also tired of being single, had wonderful original works of art sprinlked throughout her home, but in each case they depicted women alone.)

Perhaps you can guess from these examples that it's not just a matter of deleting negative or at least unhelpful symbols, but also of introducing symbolism that depicts what you want in your life. When we discuss the bagua, we'll discuss exactly where in your house the good symbolism belongs. For now it's enough to start examining and observing

* Also make a list of the areas of your life I mentioned at the top of this post and do an assessment of how you're doing in those areas of your life.

* It's also worth thinking about, and committing to paper as well, a description of what your absolutely ideal, perfect personal environment would be like. Where would it be -- mountain, ocean, forest, desert? What would the house look like? What colors, what fabrics and materials and textures? What style of furnishings? What art and other decorations?

[tlcandie]

43. *Raises hand!!! Question, please!!!

<snip>
Further, healing your home (and your life) isn't just for self-aggrandizement or a self-centered pursuit. Your actions spiral out from you and affect the whole planet because it affects the sea of chi in which we all exist. All healing, then, is part of planetary healing. Feng Shui (and all other true healing modalities) matters.
<snip>

Okay, I have a VERY hard time with this. I'm constantly fighting urges to repair/fix up, etc. Funds are not the issue. The issues are many...

Mostly related to moving into a new time and era and wouldn't I be wasting my energy (time and money) on this IF it's changing soon?

Earth changes are in place, fully evident. I live on west coast of Florida about 15 minutes from the ocean... not in flood plane, however. During all of the past hurricanes, we did not loose electricity even once. (We were very blessed and I almost feel guilty) Maybe we should be saving up all funds for rainey day fund to move to a different location or something?

Maybe our funds would be better off used to help others. I mean we are talking paint exterior, almost a whole new roof (because I don't want the same thing), popcorn ceiling taken down and replaced, pool resuraced with new salt water system vs the current cholorine and new pump/filter and then new bird cage, more landscaping, new tiled floors, putting in new windows, possibly building in the garage and building a 2-3 door garage, shed, pool cabana on the lot we own next door...well the list is quite extensive and even includes a total kitchen and bath(s) remodel.

I'm torn as you can see and I would really like to resolve these issues to where I feel comfortable and balanced. I don't want to let them go out of say, fear of change. I don't want to do them and over spend energy into this 3D system.

Help!!!!!!!!!!! :bounce: :+

[Eloriel]

49. Oh, my.

Okay, I have a VERY hard time with this. I'm constantly fighting urges to repair/fix up, etc. Funds are not the issue. The issues are many...

Mostly related to moving into a new time and era and wouldn't I be wasting my energy (time and money) on this IF it's changing soon?

snip

I'm torn as you can see and I would really like to resolve these issues to where I feel comfortable and balanced. I don't want to let them go out of say, fear of change. I don't want to do them and over spend energy into this 3D system.

First, please understand that chi will be a part of whatever comes next. A more refined type, perhaps, but chi IS the stuff of which the physical universe is composed -- a fact which quantum physicists have discovered. (I'll post about this separately, sometime later.) Therefore, the more you can do to improve the chi where you are NOW, the more you HELP bring about the changes you are looking forward to.

Second, here's a quote from Terah Kathryn Collins' book which addresses your question a little more obliquely but still makes the point. I read it the other night and thought it was well put:

Experience has taught me to apply Feng Shui wherever I am. This means that a rental apartment, leased ofice, hotel room, or any "temporary" quarters still needs to be balanced. I find it tremendously hepful to enhance the Ch'i in even the most teomporary accomodations, such as in the places where I hold workshops or spend a few nights when traveling...

Many peple look forward to applying Feng Shui to their new homes -- as soon as they buy them. But, they feel it's a wate of time and money to fix up rentals they'll be in for just a yeaer or two. This is like saying, "I'm going to wait a year or two to take good care of myself." Lodging or offfice space that has Ch'i-depleting qualities can drain the resources of those who live or work there, whether temporary or not. On the other hand, a Ch'i-enriched environment attracts all kinds of benefits and positive opportunities. If your goal is to buy a house, or simply to live a good life, it is wise to do everything in your power to create a personal paradise, right here, right now. The Ch'i that moves through the spaces where you live and work NOW is of vital importance to your health, prosperity, and happiness. So, begin where you are. Balancing and enhancing the environment where you find yourself today is one of the best ways to energize and manifest your goals, hopes, and dreams for the future.

No matter what those goals, hopes and dreams are.

Please note especially these two key sentences, and please read them as literal and all-encompassing, because they are:

Lodging or offfice space that has Ch'i-depleting qualities can drain the resources of those who live or work there, whether temporary or not. On the other hand, a Ch'i-enriched environment attracts all kinds of benefits and positive opportunities.

A few pages later she has this to say:

Feng Shui views your home or workplace as a living entity that you are either in harmony with or in discordant partnership with. When you honor its aliveness, recognize its vital connection with the quality of your entire life, and make the changes that keep it fresh and alive, it remains a delightful place to be. It nurtures, protecs, and supports your growth and movement through life.

As for whether to use your resources to help others OR to heal your home, why make it an either/or proposition? Nothing says you can't do both. Put another way (from a FS perspective), if you DON'T use your resources at least in part to heal your living environment and bring it to a higher vibration, you'll soon enough find yourself with dwindling resources.

Some if not all of what's on your list sounds like enhancements rather than maintenance/repair. Improvements of that type fall on a continuum scale from "what you can't stand to live with" to "what would make this place paradise." You're the only who can determine where various items on your list fall on that continuum for the best expenditure of your resources.

For example, when you say "more landscaping," is that because you have virtually none, because you can't stand what little or the kind you have or it's inappropriate for the style of your home or your FL location, or because compared to mansions in Architectural Digest you find it lacking?

FS doesn't suggest you be impractical or wasteful (in fact, both those could be bad FS). If you're wanting to add a billionaire's accoutrements to a home in a distinctly middle class neighborhood, you're on the wrong track (again, inappropriate and again, bad FS). EVERY home can be brought up to its optimum for the home itself and its occupants. Your job is to find out what that "optimum" (meaning not too little and not too much) is for your current home.

You yourself have provided the standard: "where I feel comfortable and balanced." Will the lack of a new roof in a different style make you or the home UNcomfortable and UNbalanced? What about all new tile floors or the lack of them? Or new windows? Etc. If these things are in poor repair, they DO need to be fixed or changed -- at least eventually if it's a huge and expensive project (but the more you do elsewhere, the easier it will become to do the larger projects).

However, there are also often things you can do in the meantime even for those things that do need to be changed. For example, let's say you have one or more tiles in your current floor that are broken and present a safety hazard. If you're unable to replace the entire floor (or financially able but currently not up to the task) and that same tile is no longer available, you might be able to find inexpensive floor coverings that could cover up the broken tiles and improve safety. OR, for a more permanent fix but still not replacing the whole floor, you might find tiles in the same size that can replace the broken ones and also use a few more elsewhere in the floor in either a specific pattern or randomly.

As another example, let's say your ceiling is in disrepair and detracts greatly from your home (very bad chi). One possible interim alternative (again, only as an example, not specifically YOUR ceiling which I haven't even seen) might be to drape fabric across the ceilng, like a canopy. That wouldn't be appropriate in all cases or for all people, but it's one possible solution. There are undoubtedly others. In Feng Shui, there are ALWAYS solutions.

One more comment. My parents grew up during the Great Depression, and it scarred them for life. When they were building the home I grew up in (built entirely by my father almost single-handedly, except for the plaster), they built it with many, many "what if's" in mind -- what if they would have to make room for their parents or other relatives in the house, what if this, what if that. As a result, they built the home in such a way that while quite sturdy and serviceable, it didn't satisfy THEIR needs. They spent 25 years of their lives in a home that really didn't work for them, purely because they built it with contingency plans in place (and out of fear!) that never materialized. We have to do what is appropriate for us and serves us NOW (and in the immediate to near future), allowing the longrange future to take care of itself. (IOW: Don't try to cross bridges before you come to them.)

Like Collins says: are you going to wait til the energy changes before you take care of yourself? FS is one way of taking care of yourself by taking care to see that your personal environment supports who you are and who you are becoming.

Hope this helps.

[tlcandie]

50. Thank you Eloriel!!

A gem as always!! :hug: These are things I already knew it seems, but upon hearing YOU say them it seems (a bit more reflection needed) that possibly guilt is a big factor.

I will reflect on this some more, but I do believe it works!! And I do try WAY too hard to cross bridges before I come to them :P

[Eloriel]

53. You're absolutely right

So many times, we already KNOW, it just takes a reminder or a "refresher." (Hah! As I said, that's one of the reasons I'm doing this thread! And it's working -- I spent several hours doing about 1/2 the windows in the house today. :-) More to come, too. It makes such a difference. You find yourself wanting to do more AND having the "energy" and motivation to do more too, so much so that doing more becomes a pleasure and a joy, not drudgery.)

Re guilt -- if I understand your reference, please remember you have to fill YOUR cup up in order to be able to share with others without depleting yourself. Also remember -- and this is so important -- that everything is connected so any improvement in your home affects your neighborhood, which affects the spaces beyond that, on and on out to infinity. I have had numerous instances of people "cleaning up their acts" in their own home and property only to suddenly see their neighbors taking a new interest in their own property. You're raising the vibrations for yourself AND others, and that's what it's all about.

[TrogL]

45. My house got Feng Shui'd

There's more ghosts wandering up and down the hall then when they started.

:wtf:

[TrogL]

46. What do I do with my books.

There's several thousand of them and they're in every room of the house. It looks like I'm moving to a newer, smaller place and I don't want them in the basement 'cause they'll rot.

[LWolf]

47. An everpresent issue.

Weed your collection, and pass some of them on to others; as a lifelong bibliophile, some of my books stay with me forever, and some I eventually grow out of. I can usually tell when I'm "done" with a book and ready to pass it on. I donate my books to independent used books stores, and I've also used bookcrossing.com to release some of them.

They won't do you any good in boxes, says the woman with a shed full of about 4,000 books next to the garage. :eyes:

Look over your newer, smaller place carefully. If possible, choose a place that will support plenty of shelves, and fill it with shelves. Weed your collection until it all fits in the available space; then continue the "revolving door." Everytime you bring a new book in, an old one has to go.

This is all great advice. I ought to follow it myself. In reality, when I moved to a smaller place, I put a cargo container next to the garage and filled it with bookshelves to hold the extra books. Right now, the shelves are full plus there are another 20 or so boxes of books clogging the aisle.

[Eloriel]

52. That is quite an interesting site --

http://www.bookcrossing.com

Thanks!

[LWolf]

58. You're welcome.

I have a small stack(3) of books that are waiting to be released sitting right here!

I usually release them at Starbuck's.

[tlcandie]

61. Whoa !! Too kewl!

I thought it was like her corner new/used bookstore! Eloriel thanks for this link.. I'm in!! :hug: :+

[drfemoe]

97. Lol!

This just cracks me up! I'm a book collector. Though I've recycled more than I even own now.

Twelve years ago, I sold about 400 at my garage sale before a move. Fortunately a guy came by who wanted to buy the whole lot!
Four years later, I sold about the same amount to second hand bookstores, preceeding yet another move.

Some of mine are currently in boxes. I hate that!

I wanna library!

[tlcandie]

48. As LWolf says... weed them out..

They are stagnant energy someone else could be using if you have no plans, too. Books are what I have the hardest time giving up. :+

But I got rid of a LOT just this week! Decided that their energies were no longer valid for me and that maybe someone else could enjoy their words, energies, perspectives!!

:hi:

[DemExpat]

51. But once I did just that and cleaned out many books....

and found a couple of years later I needed a "refresher" from a certain book and it was GONE....:-(

:D

I keep the books that have really taught me something as a record of my learning, growth and experience.
But once a year I take them all down, clean them and the shelves well, and throw out any ones that I "know" I won't be needing again....

Right now I am long overdue for a cleaning out of my books, papers, clippings, notes, etc. etc. etc. :argh:

I have been tempted to chuck it all away without even sorting through - as an experiment to see if I'll miss it all, but I dare not yet....:-)

This thread is an inspiration!

:hi:
Barb

[Eloriel]

55. Oh, goodness

There was only ONE book of many that you released that you found you needed again later? That's a pretty darned impressive track record. I wish my record on that were nearly as impressive.

What we do, as you've pointed out, is grow beyond some of the things we own. But as long as we don't release them, the "old energy" keeps us from full growth into the new persons we're trying to be (if that makes sense -- seems a bit awkward). IOW, things we no longer need anchor us in the past instead of freeing us to go forward fully.

I myself have a number of books I need to release. For book and information lovers, it's never easy to let go.

Re chucking it without sorting through, I remember many years ago when my son was a toddler and I was still married to the Army, we met another Army family who said they'd moved several UNopened boxes about 3 times and hadn't missed anything so they decided to give them away, still unopened. :shrug: LOL. More courageous than I, that's for sure.

[DemExpat]

56. ..(shudder)...throwing boxes of books out unseen......

:D

IOW, things we no longer need anchor us in the past instead of freeing us to go forward fully.

In this case of the book I really wanted to browse through again, it was more to do with having a setback of sorts....you know....2 steps forward, 1 step back.....and I really needed/wanted to see the words to get me moving ahead again.

I don't know if I bought the book again, or found it in the library.....

Anyway, I am more cautious now of throwing good books away.
Right when I think I won't need those insights or words of wisdom anymore and chuck the book out, I could be at a point sometime where I need it again.

I'll decide to not let this bother me now - as long as I keep my bookshelves clean and tidy!

Besides, they are like good friends!!!!

:hi:

DemEx

[Eloriel]

57. More about chi

preparation for getting into the Five Elements. This is the first of at least 2 posts I'll be making about ch'i. This one helps explain more about why attention to chi in our living spaces is important, and a bit about how FS works. The excerpts are from Collins' book.

But first, let me correct myself. I said Feng Shui is Taoist thought, but I noticed in Collins' book that she says, that FS "predates Confucianism and Taoism, and has been practiced for over three thousand years in China."

I'll continue with a little more re the history of FS from her first chapter:

Early practitioners of Feng Shui located building sites for homes and villages. An auspicious site was one where the vital energy called Ch'i flowed in a manner that was harmonious and supportive of human life.

Feng Shui practitioners relied on their highly tuned senses, their intuition, and the knowledge passed down from their teachers to assess the land. They were interpreters of sorts, translating the dialect of a mountain, valley, or meadow into the language that local villagers could understand and benefit from. In this way they were responsible for strategically placing habitats above flood plains, below strong winds, and i the safe embrace of land that was blessed with harmonious Ch'i.

snip

Feng Shui probationers paid close attention to the intuitive impressions that they received as they "joined" with the land and felt its Ch'i qualities. They listened to every sound, tasted the soil, scouted the surrounding area, observed the contours of the land, looked for the telltale patterns made by wind and water, and watched for omens. Every physical feature and condition communicated the quality of the surrounding Ch'i. Animal bones, dead trees, and sharp protruding or waterworn rocks were often considered bad omens, while vibrant foliage, meandering streams, and living game animals symbolized good fortune, health, and happiness for the people who would live there.

Once a suitable plot of land was located, the Feng Shui practitioner guided the building process so that the benevolent qualities of the Ch'i were not damaged in any way. they chose the building materials and monitored every step of construction to assure that the Ch'i continued to flow in a friendly, nourishing manner. The building was like a jewel being placed in its perfect setting. One wrong move could harm or destroy the delicate Ch'i balance between the manmade structure and its natural surroundings.


A few quotes from her 2nd chapter, re chi:

ALL things in the physical world are endowed with living energy known as Ch'i. This includes the material possessions we may have considered inanimate, such as cars, computers, furniture, and appliances; as well as rocks, plants,land and buildings. Every single physical thing is "alive" and endowed with its own unique Ch'i qualities, as well as the Ch'i qualities we bring to it with our own reactions, experiences, memories. When our persona responses blend harmoniously with things around us, we feel a deep sense of harmony, comfort and safety. Obviously, when we look around and see everything surrounding us as being "alive," it becomes vastly more important to live with things we feel good about.

...Homes and workplaces are serving their purpose when they are experienced as safe harbors, powerful springboards, comfortable nests, and personal paradises by the inhabitants.

...A joyful memory attached to the simplest object can empower it with vital Ch'i that feeds you every time you look at it.... Items that have unhappy memories or feelings attached to them, or that you simply don't like, do not carry the living vital Ch'i that is supportive of you. The fastest way to transform the aliveness of these objects into something that is fresh and wholesome is to let them go....

Ch'i connects every physical thing. We live in an interconnected web of life, where everything is related to every other thing. Throw a pebble in a pond, and watch the whole pond be affected by the ripples of one small stone. This gives a special importance to your neighborhood and community, because the Ch'i flowing through them is also flowing, relatively undiluted, through your home or workplace.

The principle of interconnection continues indoors. For instance, the chaotic Ch'i in a crowded closet ripples out through the rest of the house and can have a restrictive effect on the whole space. The soothing, nurturing Ch'i generated by a beautiful atrium pulses through the surrounding area and can have a vibrantly positive effect on it. What's more, the Ch'i qualities of the closet or the atrium are connected to the rest of our lves.... Things that appear small and insignificant -- an uncomfortable chair, a harsh light, a table with sharp corners -- can have a major impact on your vital Ch'i when you are habitually connected to them. On the other hand, if the beautiful atrium was in your workplace, it could positively affect your health and enhance your relationships, as well as boost your creativity and financial gains. For better or worse, Ch'i connects you to everything, making all things in your life important.


...Feng Shui views your home or workplace as a living entity that you are either in harmony with or in discordant partnership with. When you honor its aliveness, recognize its vital connection with the quality of your entire life, and make the changes that keep it fresh and alive, it remains a delightful place to be. It nurtures, protects, and supports your growth and movement through life.

[LWolf]

59. Food for thought.

I've been making good progress with the uncluttering; but I'm not done yet. And the piles of papers in my office keep trying to multiply again. I'm planning to deal with some of them this weekend, before I start on the closets or the garage. I love my "atrium." The previous owner "converted" a closet; took out doors and the back wall, placed a skylight in the roof above it. It creates an open space between the livingroom and office, and is definitely the focal point of this little cottage!

I have a question about the building/designing process. Do Feng Shui practioners help set up a lot, a floorplan, and building of new construction?

[Eloriel]

60. Yes, some do.

Many curent FS consultants are interior designers; I think more and more architects, etc., are getting into FS (and IMO ALL interior designers and architects should study FS). And some FS consultants are heavily involved in old-fashioned geomancy.

Most FS consultants can assist with floorplans.

But really, for both site and floorplan, there's an awful lot you (or anyone) can do for yourself because this wonderful information is now available to the Western masses (and there's your own intuition, of course). Again, I'd heartily suggest Collins' book as a start. There are others and I'll try to name some as we go along (and as I review some of what's left of my library).

Good work on the decluttering. And I love your atrium too, sight unseen. :-) Really. (And your dog as well.)

[LWolf]

62. Rain,

who is curled up at my side as I type, just opened one eye to assure me that she has plenty of love to return. ;-)

I'm hoping to move next summer, and planning to start the process this spring. While I know it's "time," the atrium, my front arbor, and some things I've done in the back yard will be missed. Since I can't take the atrium with me, I'll have to figure out a way to recreate the space!

[Pathwalker]

63. Eloriel, could you please answer a question for me?

I am in the process of repainting several rooms in my home, and one of the things I'd like to do is paint some murals on the interior doors. I have the plans laid out; a different theme for each door, some of which will represent the rooms beyond the door, others that are simply landscape scenes - these for the closet doors.
Is this acceptable? Are there any subjects that would create bad chi? One son wants a "dungeon door with glowing eyes of a dragon, and a sign that says:Don't feed the Dragon - it only makes him grow". Is that okay?

Also, what about dual purpose rooms, like a kitchen, great room? That's my "What do we do with this room."

Thanks, I'm loving this thead!

[Eloriel]

64. Good questions

Murals -- ANYthing handcrafted, any original artwork, etc. -- introduces wonderful chi (as long as you love it, of course). The more loving care -- artistry and/or craftsmanship -- put into something handcrafted, the better. Imagine tapestry woven with a prayer in each weft and weave...or knitting done with loving thoughts of the recipient woven right into it.

Think too of the Pittock Mansion in Portland, OR. It's a large and beautiful place, high atop the bluffs overlooking both the beautiful Wilamette River that gently flows through Portland and the majestic Columbia River that roars past it on the North on its way to the Pacific. As if that's not enough, a vista with a view of 3 or was it all 5 of the snow-capped Cascade mountains in the vicinity (but all of them visible only on a very clear day). But I digress. I don't remember too much about the inside of the mansion itself, except for being told during the tour that the lacquered finish on the woodwork was done with NINE coats of lacquer, buffed and polished between each by Chinese laborers, by hand using pumice. (Ouch!) Imagine that. Actually, that was IMO exploitative enough of the Chinese laborers that unless they were treated well otherwise, it may not have been such great chi (plus their own mental attitudes while doing the work mattered).

This, btw, is one way the rich get richer -- they can afford these high-quality, heavily chi-embedded beautiful furnishings which in turn attracts yet more chi for increased prosperity etc.

Your murals sound enchanting. Yes, there are symbols that can represent or attract bad chi. If you want to, and feel the need, run some of the details by me. But for the most part, you're safe with any uplifting and beautiful imagery -- landscapes will be wonderful and will serve to "expand" the space (always good). Even better if you can add water -- ponds, lakes, meandering streams, a waterfall, those kinds of things. (Water = wealth, but also a wonderful flow of chi which ramps up the energy in any area it's found).

Dragons are an absolutely wonderful FS symbol -- respresnting power and prosperity. Protection too. I wouldn't make the dragon too menacing-looking, though. Or, better still, see if you can get some Chinese dragons to model on (and they can be plenty menacing-looking) but don't let the door itself be too dark and dungeon-y. See if you can strike a happy medium on that with your son. You'll often find dragons and clouds together in Chinese symbolism -- clouds representing heavenly chi made manifest (made physical).

Go for it -- and when you're done, come onna my house. :D

One final thought -- we will eventually discuss the bagua (the FS "map" that is used for your whole house and each room in it), and which shows exactly what areas of your house and its rooms relate to which area of your life. It would be especially beneficial to key your murals to symbols to enhance those specific areas of your life. For example, if a closet door is in the Wealth segment, you definitely want to add symbolism, if at all possible, that helps enhance your Wealth. We'll do bagua after Five Elements, which I hope to get to tomorrow or perhaps the next day.

[shanti]

65. great topic!

i've always had an interest in feng shui, and have the book by evelyn lip, 'feng shui for the home'. i've taken a few of her hints such as burning incense, putting windchimes in front of your front door (supposed to draw good luck into your house), and the layout of your bed (the foot of the bed should never be facing the front door).

i like the red door thing too, but it wouldn't work in my neighborhood as the homes are all earthtones.

your hint about getting rid of the clutter is right on because i have one table (the "dining room table", ha ha - we never eat on it!) that collects papers and assorted clutter like a magnet. i'll clean it off and two days later it will be full again.

[arwalden]

66. Perhaps This Book Can Help

"Feng Shui For Dummies: A Reference For The Rest Of Us"

[Eloriel]

67. More window washing and a couple of interesting results

I'm taking a page from FlyLady.net and not trying to do it all, all it once -- "baby steps," she counsels, so that we don't get completely worn out and give up in exhaustion and overwhelm. (Another excellent mantra of hers is: Housework done imperfectly still blesses your family.)

So I did just one window yesterday -- the one in the bedroom that required moving furniture to get to it. However, I took the opportunity to vacuum thoroughly behind the moved furniture and a few other places not normally caught during my more routine vacuuming, and of course to wash that out of the way window as well as a thorough scrubbing of the several glass table tops in the BR. What a difference. That whole area of the room "lit up," so to speak, and I can assure you it wasn't just that there was more light coming through the window, because there wasn't that much of a difference. It was the whole thing - the vacuuming and window and glass washing.

A little later on, I was walking through the traffic pattern of an adjacent room, eyes straight ahead of me, and something grabbed my attention to the side. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, different in that area, except that the improved energy -- all that fresh, vibrant chi -- was spilling out from the BR and lit up that part of the house as well.

Similarly, the bathroom, with the one window and a smaller one at that I cleaned the other day, now seems fresher and cleaner and just "more alive" everywhere, without my having DONE any cleaning in there aside from the window.

Today I worked on some more windows, this time to doors to and from the garage, which of course required me working IN the garage part of the time. I had no sooner started on the window washing in the garage when suddenly my husband also came out to the garage to do some (oh, so sorely needed) straightening of his stuff. Now, I know him well enough to know that it was NOT that he saw me out there and said to himself "Oh, I think I'll work in the garage too." It was more that since we are all connected in this sea of chi that is our physical world, he picked up intuitively on the activity out there and suddenly felt "pulled" to come add some to the improving energy.

Interstingly enough, the semi-sheer lace curtain on the newly cleaned window on the door leading to the garage now seems cleaner itself.

As I said: this stuff is palpable. :-)

[LWolf]

69. I did some little things this weekend.

I cleaned out a box of stuff I'd thrown together from several "stacks" awaiting my attention. Most of it got sent to the office round file; some was accomplished, and a couple of things are waiting on the desk to be dealt with in "business hours." I also rehung a couple of things on the walls of my room that came down when we were doing furniture rearranging, and brought out some more stuff that had been stuffed into the closet. And I pruned and re-routed my front grape arbor; the grape vine wasn't growing in the right place. I'd cut it down to the ground because the arbor was about to come crashing down; it took so long to rebuild the arbor that the ensuing growth was blocking the path to the door and not in harmony with the new arbor. It's finally done well, and now all I need to do out there is repair and rehang my windchime.

I was going to work on the grape arbor in the back, too, but it rained, so I did a little inside instead. Not much, but if I maintain what I've already done, and keep doing little things, it will keep getting better!

[Eloriel]

71. That sounds like quite a lot!

Good for you! Sounds great!

I'm also interested in knowing -- did you have any insights or notice any changes in the energy as a result?

After I wrote my previous post and was zipping around the kitchen working on dinner, I was noticing how much lighter and brighter the whole house is beginning to feel. I have lots more to do myself, but it's heartening to see (again) what I've so often promised others: that in making positive changes, it eventually infuses sufficient fresh ch'i into the environment to help fuel additional positive changes with ease, rather than with difficulty or as "work" or "drudgery."

(Sorry, got off on another stream of consciousness little rant.)

[LWolf]

73. Maybe not in the house;

I had a major shift at the end of August/early Sept.; a big improvement at that point. I don't notice these little things as much because there are a couple of bigger projects "shouting" at me. Outside, though, the arbor approaching the house is much "brighter!"

[Eloriel]

76. Brighter

It's amazing, isn't it?

And I have to say the work you described on the arbor sounded like quite an improvement, and delightful.

[Eloriel]

68. the Power of Ch'i -- Part 1

That's the title of a small but IMO profound book by Michael Page that addresses the subject of ch'i vis a vis a number of different discplines (martial arts, Health, Feng Shui, Taoist Magic, and so forth). I'm going to merely post some fairly random excerpts from the book which I've underlined. It's a book I recommend highly for anyone who is interested in this stuff called ch'i.



...(T)he character of ch'i gained two meanings: heaven's ch'i which encompassed such entities as air, steam, gas and weather; and man's ch'i which included his aura, breath, acupuncture channels and bodily fluids. Of the two, man's ch'i was the weaker; it was strongly influenced by the ch'i from heaven and earth, though it was possible to counter these influences to an extent by the use of art, magic, and science. This was felt to be the case because it was believed that all things, animate and inanimate, large and small, natural and artificial, inhaled and exhaled ch'i and thus affected one another.

Man's ch'i, because heavily influenced by the ch'i of heaven, has always been the main subject of attention; men and women have always looked for happiness and good fortune, and it appeared that attention to the flow of ch'i made these more likely.

Such attention indicates that ch'i does not have a fixed form: agent of change it may be, but it is not itself free from change. So it is seen that there are two chief ways in which bodily ch'i can be manifested. Depending on the various factors in a person's life, such a birth date, or the material circumstnaces of life, ch'i can become weak or strong. Whatever form it takes, ch'i is energy expressed in mterial form: light, strong and subtle ch'i floats as air' heavy, weak and coarse ch'i sinks to form solid substance.

When it is strong, it manifests itself as thermal energy or fevers, or it may be vaporized as in sweating or moist palms, or it may be ionized as in martial arts. In this subtle form it is a vitality which may in fact be quite indistinguishable (except by temporary location) from its cosmic counterpart, the ch'i of heaven.

In its weak or coarse form, ch'i is not percisely indentical to but is closely associated with, and conveyed in, the air breathed in through the lungs, kidneys and pores....

So it is clear that both subtle and coarse ch'i may be breathed in, and one of the aims of the mystic is to convert the coarse weak ch'i into its subtle strong forem, the better to achieve harmony with the Tao. For this, brething exercises may be used and the object of these was often to animate the subtle ch'i that was already present in the body. Breathing coarse ch'i caused the subtle ch'i to stir.

In order to better unite mind and matter and animate the being, ch'i does not have a fixed form. But, in whatever form it does manifest, it animates all the processes of the body: digestion, assimilation, evacuation; breathing in and out; blood circulation; and the dissemination of fluids throughout the body.

But it does not only animate the lower functions of the body. In addition, it animates the higher functions of the mind: we shall see its functions in the martial arts, and we shall see in painting, for example, how the create ch'i flows through the body, the arm, the brush and then on to silk or paper, "thus unitigin artist with creation."

As can be seen in the martial arts, every movement of ch'i influences our own self, other selves, and our wider environment. Perhaps this explains the naive "vibes" and "chemistry" so beloved of modern psychologically aware people. It is through the resonances of ch'i that we become sensitive to others' auras, movements and manners, and pick up intuitive information. It is through ch'i that syncrhonicity occurs, and divination through the I Ching is made possible. It is when the currents of ch'i are harmoniously integrated, or are encouraged to be, that its benefits arise.

...muc study has gone into the forms which ch'i may take.

...Man'sa ch'i is always greatly influenced by earth's (and heaven's) ch'i. The land influenced by earth's ch'i, for instance, most nearly brushing the surface of the earth is that which is believed to be the most habitable. If ch'i recedes too far beneath the surface, no water flows, pollution and sickness thrive, and there will be bad luck. Thus most of the raison d'etre of feng shu practitioners is their supposed ability to direct smooth beneficial ch'i to clients, and to divert hectic, harmful ch'i from them.

Ch'i, despite the fact of extensive categorization, is a unity. Taoist practice, whether meditational, medicinal or martial, has always been based on a view of man as a microcosm, reflecting the macrocosmic universe. So much so, that human physical characteristics and functions have always been seen to have cosmic equivalents.

---------------

Well, that ended up being more than I had thought I would excerpt from this particular chapter, so I'd better break this up into several different posts. But I hope this passage is as thought provoking for readers as it was for me, reading it again as I typed it. It raised so many other subjects -- Jung's synchronicity (in the last quoted paragraph), for example.

More to come ...

[Eloriel]

70. The Power of Ch'i -- Part 2

Additional excerpts -- and btw, I certainly invite comments, insights, etc. on any of this material:

...(T)he Chinese have been scientists from the earliest times. The dictionary definition of science refers to the search for understanding and meaning and the formulation of laws.

...As a result, Chinese scientist-mystics have formulated certain laws that explain the universe as they see it. Primarily the see the universe in its manifest form as an interconnected whole, as in Indra's net, each object reflecting the nature of each other object, each phenomenon partaking of the nature of all other phenomena.

One law that results from this is the law of harmony: tht the universe is held together by the tension between positive and negative forces, between yin and yang. Without their constant interplay, the universe would collapse. Such interplay is at work in the earth and in man, in the whole man and in his parts. The earch for harmony in conduct and in the environment has consequently been a constant preoccupation of the Chinese....

This yin and yang law runs parallel to the other great law; the law, observed in nature, that change is cyclic: that all manifestations undergo a regular cycle of birth, growth, decay and death, whether they be baceteria, men and women, plants, mountains, stars or galaxies. To illustrate this principle, Taoists devised the Theory of the Five Elements. Its application enables Chinese to moderate the process of ineluctable change in themselves and in their environment.

Both yin and yang and the Theory of the Five Elements are aspects of ch'i, the ultimate material essence of the cosmos.

YIN and YANG
Yin and yang are the cement of the manifest world, for it is they that maintain it in being. From the centrifugal force of the speed of the moon in space being balanced by the force of its mother earth's gravity, through all humans and human organizations, to the maintenance of the structure of an atom by balance and harmony, in all of these is seen the play of yin and yang.

...Two of the principles to do with yin and yang laid down by the Yellow Emperor 2000 years before Christ are, firstly, that all beings and things in the universe are aggregats of ch'i and are composed of varying proportions of yin and yang, and, secondly, that all beings and things are in a state of dynamic change, tension, and transformation which is unceasing. Man's place is to aid the processes of harmony; indeed it is to his advantage to do so.

Yin is represented by the symbol __ __, while yang is represented by ____. Yin is static; yang is dynamic. Yin signifies endurance; yang signifies change. While yang may be said to be vital and positive, yin is that which encourages the maintenance of present sttes. So, in the human body, for instance, runaway yang, the power of the positive, would lead to uncontrolled expansion and rapid death, as would uncontrolled yin, the influence of the negative, through contraction and torpidity. The two need each other in the sense that neither could exist without the other, any more than any aspect of the world of ten thousand things could exist without them: there is no light without dark, no deaeth without life, no negative without positive, no man without woman, no creation without destruction.

...Thus nothing in the cosmos can exist without the constant interplay of the two: ch'i, manifesting in the tension between yin and yang, is the "Subtle Origin of all manifest beings and things..."

"ll manifest beings then, are subject to yin and yang; any destruction of the harmonious tension between the two will be desrtructive to beings, objects, systems, and empires either in the short or the long term. Not only do men and women need to subject themselves to the law, they need to seek to exemplify and increase the possibility of harmony between opposites, for all opposites partake of the nature of yin and yang....

So, in their gardens, such beings sought to have yin valleys and water balanced by yang hills and sky, sunlight by shadow, heigh by depth, and warmth by coolness.

..>Even the two indigenous philosophies of China, Taosim and Confucianism, partake of this interplay: Taoism supplying the mystic, artistic and creative aspects of life, and Confucianism suppying the ritual, the decorous and the niceties of social order. These opposites each played their part in the life of the people and helped to maintain balance. ... Taoism, at its best a metaphysical, mystical, light-hearted and artistic way of life, represented a complete contrast to Confucianism; it was the yin of society, counterbalancing the yang of Confucianism. While, since they were human systems, the two systems were often at odds, they nevertheless provided a solid underpinning to the fabric of Chinese life.


...Changes in the flow of ch'i are explained in the theory of the Five Elements. An appreciation of the Five Elements is similar to a knowledge of wind and sail: an alteration in one leads to a controllable change in the other and so to the achievement of the goal: in the case of Taoism, the everdqy and final attainment of a peaceful and happy life.

I CHING
(Ed. Note: The 64 trigrams of the I Ching track "the rise and fall of the yin and yang.")

..The very act of consulting the I Ching or any other divinatory system is, as in all other techniques that involve ch'i and its changes, a harmonizing act. It brings the mental world of the consulter into direct relationship with the pattern of energy currents in which he is immersed.

...All divinatory methods succeed, it is said, to the extent that the consulter is tuned to the total situation, including most importantly the state of the universal energy net, ch'i. The art of mystical prediction is based on the universal law of energy response, principles of yin and yan and the five phases of energy evolution. All these, properly used, can reveal as yet unknown events and facts.

The Universal Energy ch'i will respond appropriately and naturally in integrating with the spiritual energy ch'i of the consulter.


THE ARTS
However it is achieved, harmony, in art as in all aspects of Taoist living, is the target. Harmony is the resolution of opposites, and thus we are drawn to fuller consideration of the yin and the yang.

Toaist Chinese art of all kinds is full of yang and yin, each balancing the other. Yang, being positive, active, male, penetrating, red and heavenly, is symbolized in painting and poetry by stallion, dragon, ram, cock, horned beasts, jade, mountain, summer and the south. Yin being negative, female, receptive, passive, dark and earthy, is symbolized by fungus, whirling shapes of cloud and water, valley, winter, north, ase, peach, female dragon, peony, fish and chrysanthemum. By placing such symbols in juxtaposition, Toaists hoped that each would influence and balance the other. It is the tension in these efforts that provides the strength in the works. In short, works of art were, in early times, especially, but not exclusively, made and used as practical magic. Their portrayals of harmony re meant to induce harmony.

For in Taoist art, as in yoga and health, the aim is harmony and this means harmony between yin and yang. Such harmony is aimed at providing a raprochement between humans and their chaotic and turbulent universe, of which they are much more an integral part than any bland Western acceptance of those words can imply.

...Since it is a function of ch'i to unify the appearance (yin) with the reality (yang) of the ten thousand things, it would appear that the artist who essays to do likewise should ally himself with the Universal Spirit in orer to achieve this.

So in the composition of a picture, as much as in the trials of skill in Martial Arts, this interplay and balance of yin and yang will be seen most subtly in the use of light and dark, of space and non-space.

...Yin cannot exist without yang. That they are often in imbalance is the root cause of the human tragedy, according to Taoists. Outside the human realm, the whole web of tao is held together by their interplay.

...Taoists believe that (ch'i) is exhaled in visible form in the mountains as clouds and mist. It is little wonder that clouds and mist, swirling and undulating, figure so largely in their art and poetry and are reflected in their calligraphy and dance. These mystic representations reassure them of the infusion of ch'i in all things, sustaining and invigorating the universe.

...What caught on, and is the most characteristic feature of Taoist art, was the significance of the blank space, of the emptiness or yin which complemented the strength of the yang in a peculiarly telling fashion.

---- a bit more to come --

[Eloriel]

72. The Power of Ch'i -- Part 3

These excerpts will be slightly more random. There is a wonderful chapter on the Martial Arts, but since that's not really our concern here, I'll excerpt only minimally from that chapter.


MARTIAL ARTS
...In the martial arts, the word for breathing (ch'i) means not only the air that is inhaled and exhaled (coarse ch'i) but also the spirit and intrinsic energy which is centered in the tan t'ien, the psychic centre of the body (subtle ch'i). It is this relation between spiritual breathing and physical breathing that martial artists utilize. Correct use of breathing is valued far more than sheer physical power, for without it, they cannot achieve their goal.

...Based on the Taoist principle that the human body is a miniature universe, Taoist movement aims to guide an individual's ch'i in a way which exactly follows cosmic law....Tai Chi Chuan, like all martial arts, teaches the cultivation of the ch'i within the body and its projection towards one's opponent rather than fighting technique. This emphasizes again that the prerequisite in all forms of martial art is control of the mind, of the breathing and of the flow of ch'i.

...Through Tai Chi Ch'uan, a professional fighter of any discipline or school may learn more about control and balance. And even if a person who practices Tai Chi Ch'uan has no special training in self-defence, if the occasion should arise in which he (or she) needs to protect himself, he will be spontaneously prepared to do so.

...The body always follows the mind.


FENG SHUI
"If a geomancer can recognize ch'i, that is all there is to feng shui." (quoted from Sarah Rosbach in her book, Feng Shui

To the Taoists, man, living creatures, the earth, and the cosmos have always comprised one "living, breathing organism" through which ch'i flows and pulses. The art of Feng Shui, literally wind and water, is concerned with those currents as they flow through the earth and as their results affect the fate of man. Its aim is to detect and facilitate the flow of the earth's ch'i just as the goal of acupuncture is to tap the flow of bodily ch'i in a beneficent manner.

...Everything: hills, streams, trees, stones, and humans, inhale and exhale ch'i, thus affecting each other. Ch'i changes and pulses within the earth according to the cosmic tides, which are detectable and controllable. As Sarah Rosbach says in her book...:

In the course of its turning, ch'i may rise near to the earth's surface, creating mountains. It may expand so strongly as finally to escape, erupting into a volcano. And if ch'i recedes too far from the earth's crust, the land will be dry, desert-like and flat. The best situation occurs when ch'i nearly brushes the earth's surface, causing mountains to form, trees to grow tall, grass to be green, air to be fresh, water to be clear, clean and accessible, flowers to bloom, and man to live comfortably and contentedly. Where ch'i is too far away, no water flows, pollution and sickness thrive, and there will be bad luck.

...Inside the house, every effort should be made to ensure that the ch'i is allowed to circulate. The essence of good feng shui is to accumulate ch'i without allowing it to go stagnant; for instance, a bedroom should not be placed over an empty room or garage, because stagnant ch'i will accumulate there and infect the room above.


THE SAGE

...Everyone's daily activities evoke responses throughout the universe which will be echoed back to them. So fortune and misfortune is self-created and results from the violation of this truth. The personal ch'i is a part of the universal ch'i: there is a two way response. This subtle universal energy resonates with a man's energy, and, depending on the energy he embodies, finds it expression in similar negative or positive events.

...Sin, for the Taoist, is simply a violation of the harmony of the universe. What in theistic religions is an obligation to conform to the will of God is in Taoism a natural cooperation with the harmony of the universe ...So any suggestion that the Sage is not concerned with morals or ethics betrays a misunderstanding. There is no emphasis on morality because it is taken for granted; the stage of ethics has been surpassed.

...He always has enough energy to do what is necessary, because his whole life is based on the husbanding of his resources, of being in tune with the cosmic energies around him.

A practicing Taoist makes the very important discovery that a human being is not isolated, and is not a separate and unimportant atom. Because the vital principle permeates everything, because it flows through him and circulates through all of creation, he experiences all aspects of life as interconnected and interrelated with the vast universe.

...This being the case, it seems sensible to pick up the wav3elength and cooperate with the universal power rather than to pursue activities that cause disharmony for oneself and others. By his daily practice, a Taoist Master is able to practice spontaneity that cooperates with the universe. Through such self-cultivation, such a person can serve himself and others. Taoists refine their energy until it becomes as subtle as the pivotal energy of the universe.



...Of Westerners, it was Jung who looked most deeply into this ability which had been recognized for centuries by the Chinese. In his own words, "I therefore turned my attention to the intuitive technique for grasping the total situation which is so characteristic of China, namely the I Ching." Jung detected in this, as well as in astrology and the events of ordinary life, what he called an "acausal connecting principle" to be operating. He found that events and feelings were often clearly connected even when no obvious or direct causes and effects were apparent. It was more than mere coincidence: two events could often be clearly connected by more meaning than there was any right to expect using any logical, linear though.

He called this principle synchronicity, "a descriptive term for the link between two events that are connected through their meaning, a link that cannot be explained by cause and effect.


THE UNION OF THE HEMISPHERES
A comparison between the right and left hemispheres of the human brain and the East and West hemispheres of the planet may be far-fetched. Nevertheless, it has long been known in psychology that loss of creativity on the one hand is caused by cutting off from consciousness the contents of the right (east) hemisphere, just as a loss of rationality is caused by a cutting of of the left (west) hemisphere. It may be that a re-harmonisation of the planet is in prospect through a kind of global leaderless therapy.

The first aspect of this potential union that will be under consideration will be the parallels between ch'i and some insights gained from modern physics.

...It is (Fritjof) Capra, of modern physicists, who draws the closest parallels between the notion of ch'i and the notion of the quantum field. He points out that the idea of ch'i, at any rate as conceived of by neo-Confucians, is one of a "tenuous, non-perceptible form of matter." This, they said, was present throughout the universe, and could condense to form material things.

...Capra quotes from Walter Thirring and Joseph Needham:

Modern theoretical physics ... has put our thinking about the essence of matter in a different context. It has taken our gaze from the visible -- the particles -- to the underlying entity, the field. The presence of matter is merely a disturbance of the perfect state of the field at that place; something accidental, one could almost say, merely a 'blemish.' Accordingly, there are no simple laws describing the forces between elementary particles...Order and symmetry must be sought in the underlying fields.

The Chinese physical universe in ancient and medieval times was a perfectly continuous whole. Ch'i condensed in palpable matter was not particulate in any important sense, but individual objects acted and reacted with all other objects in the world...in a wave-like or vibratory manner dependent, in the last resort, on the rhythmic alternation at all levels of the two fundamental forces, the yin and the yang. Individual objects thus had their intrinsic rhythms. And these were integrated...into the general pattern of the harmony of the world. (Quoted from Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics, another book I heartily recommend for anyone interested in the blending of the "New Physics" with ancient Eastern philosophy, and esp. the notion of ch'i.)


CONCLUSION
(I include this quote not just for the point it expresses, but because it is so poetic and lovely. And then a quote about the environment.)

We -- you, individual reader, and I, individual writer -- will live out our lives in our separate ways. Or so it will seem to us.

yet we are linked, you and I, both subject to the flow of ch'i within and without us.

Even if we had never met through these words, it is still true that the ways in which we channel our ch'i will affect each of us, will affect the balance of our neighborhood, our world, and ultimately the cosmos. We are at the same time both minute and ephemeral and of fundamental importance and eternal worth in the scale of things.


...It is hardly necessary to catalogue the disastrous effects of our present one-sided yang attack on the natural world. It is characteristic of this approach that the yin is largely discounted, so that the beneficent flow of ch'i is impeded.

Yet Nature moves always towards balance. ...All beings and things, all systems, natural and man-made, are in a state of dynamic change, tension, and coexistence which is unceasing. Since we are part of the process whether we like it or not, we are wise to avoid destroying the harmony by over-enthusiasm, exploitation, and competitiveness. Instead, we should look for and aid the inevitable process of harmony. Otherwise we could find ourselves squeezed out as dispensable to the system, as the yin and yang work towards the harmonious flow of ch'i. This process can be seen at work around us in the tensions between tendencies towards global disaster and global cooperation.

...Similarly, the concentration of capital in the developed nations is balanced by the indebtedness of the third world and a gradual growth in accompanying insight. The likely crash of western economies is only the natural progression from bull to bear, from male dragon to submissive female tiger, from thrusting yang to retreating yin. It too, the Taoists would say, will lead to a return to balance -- before yet another cycle begins.

Emphasis added

[silverlib]

74. Incredible...

you have answered so many of my questions without me asking. I started this thread earlier today and was so excited to see that you had added the last three entries later today.

This subject fascinates me, and even though I have never had the right words, I have always known that balance was essential in all things. I have been working some time now with simplifying my life, but never connected it with the balancing until now.

Your writings have brought daily living into ch'i and ying and yang and Tao, etc.

Thank you so much, Eloriel, and I look forward to more.

[Eloriel]

75. You're quite welcome

I'm so tickled someone is reading -- and excited too, as I am -- about this subject.

I was thinking to myself last night after (finally) finishing the last of those 3 posts -- Is anyone reading this, does anyone other than me really care? Why aren't people as excited about FS as I am? LOL. So your post means a lot. Thanks.

[Eloriel]

77. More about Symbolism

But first a couple of questions for readers and participants:

Have you spent any time looking at the symbolism in your home? Did you find anything interesting or perhaps questionable? Anything that caught your attention in a good or bad way? Care to share?

Okay, it's really amazing to me where you can pick up Feng Shui tips and insights -- or insights that make you think about FS. As I was thinking about symbolism this morning, I remembered a passage that I decided to share from a 1988 book, "Internal Affairs: A Journalkeeping Workbook for Self-Intimacy" by Kay Leigh Hagan. She self-published it (the edition I have) but Harper later published it too.

In her chapter entitled "Spirit," all about intuition -- "Intuition is valuable precisely because it bypases the rational mind," she writes -- she discusses various methods of accessing various parts of ourselves including our inner Elf, "that aspect of ourselves that is always ready to play. When we open to the Elf in us, we are able to celebrate the ordinary and experience it in an extrarodinary way. The Elf might enjoy hiding treasures for us to find on a walk around the neighborhood or directing our attention too synchornicities that bode good fortune -- a fight of geese in formation against a magnificent sunset or a penny in our path. We beckon th Elf through creating shrines, special spaces especially made to reflect and celebrate the intuitive in our daily surroundings."

"...A shrine is a sanctuary, a place where we honor those things we hold sacred and precious. Most of us are familiar with shrines only in the context of our religious practices yet in all probability, we have made and used shrines throughout our lives. If you look around your home, you are likely to find a group of family photographs carfefully arranged on the mantle or bookshelf. Perhaps you notice a diploma framed on the wall, or trophies and ribbons from winning competitions. There might be a display of your collections, such as butterflies, stamps, or bells. Often souvenirs from your travels will find a special place of display. The Elf in us gathers these objects together and sets them apart to draw attention to them and to honor their place in our lives.

"When we bring this practice to a conscious level, we create a shring: an intentional arranging of objects to invest them with meaning, to draw attntion to them for symbolic purposes, or to honor a feeling or accomplishment. Shrines are a special extension of journalkeeping which allows intuition, or our iner Elft, to make associations and connections without asking for a logical reason. As you watch a shrine develop over time, new dimensions of your essential self will unfold before your eyes.

"My introduction to shrines as a tool for self-observation came from Janie, a visual artist, friend and former neighbor. Whenever I visited Janie, I was struck by the visual richness of her living space. She would tack anything to the wall: feathers, bones, scraps of bright ribbon, postcards, rough sketches of future drawings. She explained that she liked to 'feed' herself visually by surrounding herself with colors and textures that would inspire her artwork. I christened her apartment 'The Magic Musem,' for it had an enchanting effect on me, and I always left feeling refreshed, excited, and creatively stimulated. Janie's Elf was free to decorate, celebrate and delight the senses. Upon returning to my home, I would notice the stacks of must magazines, newspapers, and books. The walls were bare, my closets full of rolled posters awaiting frames. Evidence of my Elft was nowhere to be seen. I decided to try feeding myself visually as Janie suggested. Slowly and timidly, putting up the posters with tape and tacks, I began coaxing out my Elf. On my nightstand, I placed a shell next to a candle. I ventured to buy a few cut flowers, and I was on my way.

"What I discovered as I stretched my sensory antennae, was that my environment is both an influence on my internal world and an expression of it. Whether or not I am intentional about constructing my environment, it affects me, for the objects surrounding me have meaning and convey information, subliminally at the very least.

"EXERCISE
Look around your home, noticing any group of objects that attract your attention or that you encounter on a daily basis. Ask yourself what each group 'says' to you or about you....Observe which of these shrines you made consciously, and which unconsciously. Are there some shrines you deliberately avoid? Others you gravitate towards?

(It's certainly worthwhile to take a look at ALL your "shrines" in your home -- look for the symbolism, what it says about you. Jot it down. Are there any shrines for which you do NOT like what it says about you -- a pile of dirty laundry? A pile of mending -- one of my own slightly hidden shrines -- a visible stack of bills or other downer communications? Take a look around and find out what your environment is saying about you, what it's saying TO you. And then tell us all about it. :D

"Hagan goes on to describe how you can consciously make "theme" shrines or "exploratory" shrines, and I think these are terrific ideas, tho not particularly FS-ish:)

"Shrines reflect inner concerns and invoke intuition, inviting it to come out and play. As a tool for exploring the inner world, shrines are part of journalkeeping: shrines are three-dimensional journal entries, just as real as the most fluent prose.

"To make a shrine, start with a space you will encounter daily so that it will attract attention. Good shrine spots are mantles, window sills, bedside tables, bookshelves, or the top of the television. Then decide whether the shrine will be exploratory or have a conscious theme.

"If it is exploratory, begin with an object that attracts your attention simply because of its beauty, uniquenesss, or peculiarity. No reason is necessary. Perhaps someone hsa given you a lovely crystal, or you have a funny souvenir from a recent trip. Put this object in a shrine spot and allow your Elf to add other items to it as you feel the impulse, without asking why or searching for a rational connection. Shrines don't need a 'why!' I have found that an exploratory shrine might grow for months -- I will shift its position, add more objects, rearrange them, without an inkling of what the shrine symbolizes. Eventually, and somewhat suddenly, the shrine will 'ripen.' All the necessary objects are present, I just kow it. Then, one day as I am staring at these favorite things, the significance of the shrine will emerge like a psychic telegram. It may be a clear feeling, a new goal revealing itself, or a secret I've been keeping from myself. Often, shrines symbolize my deeper spiritual concerns and provide a safe space for me to encounter them.

"Making a shrine with a theme can help clarify specific issues, too. Select an object that reminds you of the situation in question -- maye you're struggling with a relationship confice, or you want to remember your dreams. place the object in a designated shrine spot. Soon, that object will attract another, a postcard or photograph, a special rock, or a bright piece of fabric. Your Elf will look for things to add to the arrangement, and on a subliminal level the shrine will remind you in a gentle and playful manner of the issue at hand. Your attention, consciously and unconsciously, will be focused on the theme and you will be alert to clues that deepen your understanding of it.

"Often the need for a shrine will become apparnet to you from the kinds of entries you're making in your journal -- repetitive, whiney, stuck in a bog, obsessions with a single issue, fear, dread, confusion. Creating a shrine gives you a way to address these feelings and take action without forceing confrontation. Like your journal, shrines provide a sacred space for your internal concenrs. Shrines can be documented by photographing, drwing, or simply describing them in your journal, but the real power of shrines comes from making and watching them."

-----

Now, again, some of that is not specifically FS -- but she obviously recognized FS principles (even if she couldn't identify them as such) which again validates how much good FS really is both noticeable and intuitive. You'll be reminded of some of what she talks about relative to consciously creating shrines, both exploratory and themed, when we get to the subjects of the bagua and specific FS "enhancements" to improve certain aspects of our lives (Career, Contemplation, Health and Family, Wealth, Reputation, Relationships, Creativity and Children, Helpful People and Travel).

For now, you might want to take a look around your house at all the unconscious shrines you've built and see what they say AND if you want to make any immediate changes in them.

[alijana]

78. Apreciation

Thanks, Eloriel

I wanted to let you know how appreciated you are. I have been busy with selling and buying a house lately. I am still implementing clearing my closets, but the main living areas are clutter-free and the energy is faboulous.

I sweep my front porch at least once a day or more often before each showing. It is amazing how clear, and how energetic I feel. It almost makes me want to stay in my house, except Portland, OR is where my family needs to be. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I will work with shrines a little but more so in my new house.

Joy

[DemExpat]

79. I sencond this about the great info E. provides....

But with all of my other life responsibilities and other readings, I have to bookmark some things of compelling interest for future perusal!

:hi:

DemEx

[Eloriel]

83. Thank you, both

I obviously pooped out on my promise of starting Five Element Theory last night, but I feel more ready for it today anyway, so later (this evening?).

Plus, I guess there's no real hurry since there are people who are still catching up, which is totally cool.

[LWolf]

81. I am still reading I, II, and III.

I need to spend more time than a quick scan.

Here's some symbolism I can share:

My home has always meant "sanctuary" to me. The place I could go to be protected from the world's intrusion. When my home is cluttered and/or bleak, there is no more santuary, and my whole state of being suffers.

Gardening...I am a gardener. So much so that I've considered changing my name. Shedding the 3 last names I've had in my lifetime, bestowed by men who, sooner or later, disappeared on their own journey, and left me with their name. I'm not a formal gardener; I don't do fertilizer, herbicide, pesticides, etc.; I'm very casual about composting, pruning, arranging...and yet, my little corner of the world blossoms. My tiny cottage and it's little postage-stamped sized lot is home to peaches, lilacs, pomegranites, grapes, about 15 roses, honeysuckle, trumpet vines, daisies, mums, iris and daffodils, poppies, mints, another dozen or so herbs, crabapples, hollyhocks, hummingbirds and hordes of other songbirds, berries, asparagus, and more; and they all thrive on my seeming neglect. Gardening is a metaphor for my profession; planting, watering, feeding, nurturing, and allowing learning to grow.


Edited to add:

I dreamed about looking at a house for sale last night. I've been planning a move for awhile. This dream was interesting because it was 5 acres literally on the ranch I keep my horses at; carved out of an unused field. The seller was a woman who keeps her horses at the same place; we ride together frequently. We aren't great friends; we don't have much in common, but we enjoy each other's company on the trail. The house itself was a mobile home. As I walked through the place, other people (agent, seller, and other friends who'd come to see it,) kept remarking on what great shape it was in. I kept noticing bent window casings, beat-up fiber board paneling, worn flooring, and a confusing floor plan. I never did get through the whole thing. I was unimpressed with the mobile home, but kept looking at the 5 acres out the window. I was drawn to the land. At the same time, I kept looking at the price, knowing it was 3 or 4 times more than my budget could afford, and thinking about that trailer sitting right on top of the San Andreas fault; which that area does.

I'm not sure what the dream was saying to me in the larger picture, but I seemed to be reacting to the FS in the dream house/property. That's the first time I remember noticing something like that in a dream!

[alijana]

82. Sanctuary...

Your cottage and surroundings feel heavenly...
I hope you can find a sanctuary in your new location whereever that may be.

Joy

[cassiepriam]

112. Kitchen shrine

I got the idea from some of my readings a few months ago.
Dinner time is the most hectic time at my house.
To create harmony I made a little shrine in
the kitchen with candles, some decorative corn, some
greenery from the yard (change the decoration and greenery seasonally.) I light the candles before cooking dinner. It is amazing how the whole atmosphere has changed.
I love this thread, thanks EL.

[Eloriel]

84. Five Element Theory -- Intro

I'm not really sure how much I'll cover about the Five Elements, but I will at least introduce the subject.

It's my understanding that as ch'i (that invisible "stuff" of which the physical universe is constructed) condenses (its vibration slows), it partakes of one or more of the Five Elements -- water, fire, metal, wood, earth.

BTW, I had a horrible time learning Five Element Theory because I kept trying to resolve the conflict between what I knew in the 4 Elements from astrology, Wicca, etc. There are, of course, some direct correspondences (water, fire, earth), but beyond that, the two systems just don't compute -- at least not as far as I could tell. My advice is don't go down that path. Just accept this as a different system, equally valid if not more so, from a culture with a completely different worldview than the one we grew up in.

The Five Elements are found in everything, or more accurately, everything partakes of one or more of the Five Elements. I literally cannot think of anything knowable on the physical universe that can't be categorized or described by one or more of the Five Elements.

So let's begin.

The reason you need to know something about the Five Elements is that you want to achieve balance in your personal environments. For that, you need all 5 elements represented -- not necessarily equally represented, but in balance, in harmony. And you'll need to understand something about what they are in order to adjust the balance. Too much Fire? What do you do about that (other than just taking some of the Fire away, which isn't always the most desirable fix)?

Terah Kathryn Collins expresses it this way:

Feng Shui observes that human beings are made up of a combination of all five elements, and therefore are typically most comfortable when all of the elements are represented in their homes and workplaces.

...Before I learned to see the elements, I could tell when an environment was out of balance, but i didn't know exactly why, and I didn't know exactly what to do about it. Now, the elements tell me what to do to achieve balanc.

...The fastest and easiest way to learn this language is to practice defining your own environment in elemental terms.

When you're looking at your environment, there are 5 types of representations of those elements in your environment (Collins' helpful list):

1. The actual elements themselves: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

2. Things made out of the elements, such as wooden furniture, ceeramic (earth) tile, silver decorative objects, etc.

3. Things that represent the elements, such as rocks relating to the Metal element, or mirrors representing the Water element.

4. Artwork that depicts the elements, such as landscape paintings representing the Wood element, or sculptures of animals representing the Fire element.

5. Things that are int he associated color and/or shape of the elements, such as a red chair signifying Fire, or a square table representing Earth.

These 5 categories are stronger the closer to the real element itself they are. IOW, category 1, the actual element, has more power than a category 3 or 5 representation of the element.

WOOD
* Plants and flowers including silk, plastic and dried
* anything made of wood including furniture, siding, paneling, roofing, decks, etc.
* Plant-based cloth and textiles (rayon, cotton, linen)
* Floral print fabrics
* Art depicting landscapes (not all landscapes), gardens, plants, and flowers
* Columnar shapes, beams, pedestals, poles, stripes
* Greens and blues


FIRE
* Fire itself in candles and fireplaces, also stoves, ovens, wood stoves
* All lighting including electric, oil, candles, natural sunlight and fireplaces
* Animals including pets and things made from animals including fur, leather, bone, feathers, wool.
* Art depicting people and/or animals
* Art depicting sunshine, light or fire
* Triangle shapes, pyramids and cones
* The red spectrum of colors (and purple is yin Fire)


EARTH
* Earth itself (soil in your planters, but may not include soilless potting medium) and things made of it -- adobe, brick, tile, ceramic, earthenware, porcelain
* Plaid and checked fabrics or other items (gift wrap, other art)
* Shapes such as squares, rectangles, and long flat surfaces
* Art depicting earthy landscapes of desert, fields and so on
* Yellow and earth tone colors


METAL
* Metal itself -- steel, copper, brass, iron, silver, aluminum, gold, etc.
* Rocks and stones such as marble, granite and flagstone, natural crystals, rocks and gemstones
* Art and sculpture made from metal or stone
* Shapes of the circle (including coins), oval and arch
* White and very light (pastel) colors


WATER
* Streams, rivers, pools, fountains and water features of all kinds including your sink, bath/shower, etc.
* Reflective surfaces such as crystal, glass, mirrors
* Free-flowing, free-form and assymetrical shapes
* Black and dark-tone color including charcoal gray and midnight blue, also dark burgundy, etc.


Many things are actually more than one element. A wood stove is a Fire element but if black (and most of them are), it's also Water. Yellow linen is both Wood and Earth. White leather is both Fire and Metal. Etc. It's not impossible to find things that are 3 elements.

In addition, as Collins points out in her book, you can find combinations in other ways:

An aquarium, classically used in Feng Shui to enhance the Ch'i, is a great example of all five elements joined together in one expression. The water itself, along with the glass container, represents the Water element; the plants express the Wood element; the fish symbolize the Fire element; the sand represents the Earth element; and the rocks symbolize the Metal element. Think of your favorite natural paradise, and you will probably notice that it's made up of a harmonious blend of all five elements, whether it's on an island, in the mountains, or deep in a forest.

At home at at work you can create five-element arrangements in an infinite variety. Think of all the different combinations you can put together by using the things, colors, and shapes associate with each element. For instance, in front of a mirror (representing the Wter element), you could place a healthy plant (representing Wood), in a red terra cotta pot (symbolizing Fire and Earth). To bring in the Metal element, you could then place a polished rock or small bronze statue with the plant, and you have all five elements collected togeher in a simple five-element arrangement.

Collins practices what she preaches. Her business cards have all 5 elements represented -- they are printed in black and a mauvy-pink or maybe light burgundy (Fire), with a drawing on the card of a tiered fountain (Water) sitting on tile squares plaza (Earth), with archways (Metal) and columns (Wood) and a vista of rolling wooded hills in the far background (Metal and Wood again).

Now, why not take some time and go through all your rooms, pencil and paper in hand, and make sure you have all 5 elements represented in all your rooms?

I will post at least one and probably 2 more posts on this subject -- you need to know about the Creative and Destructive cycles (how the elements work or act upon one another, which has a lot to do with how you can balance whole rooms) and possibly a post on the Five Elements and the physical body, if only because I find that so fascinating and it further illustrates how all-encompassing this ancient Chinese theory really is -- as opposed to, say, the Western model in which none of our sciences and philosophies are very well tied together or integrated with any others at all. Too, it might give you an appreciation of how your environment can affect your physical health (or reflect/mirror it, who knows? I just know there are correspondences that are worth paying attention to).

Any questions? C'mon, don't be shy. ;-)

[Lugnut]

85. One question....

I have a distinct dislike for floral fabrics and have none anywhere in my home. I lean toward plaids or geometric prints. Therefore by having plaid fabric on a wooden framed futon I would have a combination of both wood and earth in that one piece of furniture, correct?

I want to thank you for taking the time to do this. I now have a whole new way of "seeing" my surroundings thanks to you. :)

[Eloriel]

86. Yes

You're a quick study! I like that. :-)

Now, of course, you will want to take into account such things as volume and intensity -- the amount of the wood in that futon is probably far less than the amount of the plaid, which is fine, I just wanted to mention this because as you look around your home, remember, you're going to want to note if you have an overabundance of one element so that it needs to be "controlled" a bit.

Too, our own personal make-up and elemental balance is going to affect what we want to surround ourselves with, so YOUR choices may not be my choices.

And you're welcome. I'm delighted when people find it of value in some way. I really love FS, even though I don't spend much time with it these days. I love everything about it -- the overarching philosophy it stems from, its ability to help us nurture ourselves and our homes and possessions and lives (which ya'll will see later), the way it augments and expands our own ability to sense ch'i, the tools, tips and techniques, etc. I also love that this school of FS empowers anyone who chooses to study enough of it to put it to use for themselves. I love ANY viable system that puts power in the hands of everyday people as opposed to "the professionals" and "experts." And already people who have been reading this thread have information that they can use to start enhancing their own environments and lives immediately. If they never learn more, it would still be (IMNSHO, LOL) an improvement over where they had previosuly been in terms of their awareness.

[LWolf]

95. Okay, I did a quick survey this morning.

I have some trouble dis-associating from the 4 elements that I know; I had to keep running back to the screen to confirm what I was looking for. Not surprisingly, while all the elements are represented, some are all over the place while others are sparce.

I have plenty of Wood, Fire, and Metal to go around. Everywhere you look. I would have thought I had more earth, but some of the things I associate with earth are actually fire or metal or wood in this system. I do have planting soil in the atrium, earth colors, and some squares and rectangles.

The biggest lack is in the hallway. My hallway is nearly square, with 5 doorways. It sits in the center of the house, and is a small central point leading to every room in the place but the kitchen. I have an earth colored carpet, cream colored walls, and one picture of my family. There is a small wood and metal wind chime hanging over the door to the office, which is just an opening, no actual "door" to close. There is an evaporative cooler vent in the ceiling, and a white metal wall heater, and linen cupboards. And a light fixture that is missing a bulb, on purpose; you can't turn on the living room ceiling fan when the hall light isn't on. That's it. No more wall space to hang anything.

Water is sparse. Of course there is water in the bathroom and kitchen. Outside of that, almost nothing is in a dark color, except the wood stove. I have one free-flowing asymmetrical rock in the atrium, a picture of my first husband rowing a canoe on a lake in my office, along with a black computer, and a wall hanging in my bedroom that has a large puddle or small pond. My guest room has 2 big mirrors, and my livingroom along with the wood stove, has one painting that shows mist.

I used to have a fountain; the water here is so alkaline that it quickly becomes clogged and encrusted with lime and calcium that is difficult to scrub off, so I got rid of the fountain. Two different people gave me table fountains last year, and I donated them to a local fundraising garage sale. I'm decluttering and don't really want any extra "stuff," so I'll have to consider how to address this. Does the evaporative cooler count?

[TNOE]

89. Acquariams

Hey Eloriel! I read quite a bit on this subject YEARS ago - but now can't remember. Where is it that you're supposed to put an acquarium for "prosperity"? Some corner - just can't remember which one. Thanks.

[Eloriel]

91. Well, we're going to cover that later

But since you're so impatient... :-)

Far left hand corner.

[silverlib]

92. I'm anxious for more, too.

I've added plants to my previously drab entry way and replaced the vertical blinds that open from the dining room to the entry way, bent by the cats, with horizontal blinds that let more light in. The back porch is swept and the back windows have been cleaned.

I've started writing down the fire, wood, earth, etc in my office, which is my special place. I'm anxious to find out how my "mix" stacks up. I'll continue on with the other rooms.

Of course, there is still plenty of de-cluttering to do in the meantime.

Thanks again.

[Eloriel]

93. Sounds great!

I love just hearing about the changes to the entry way. How do they feel to you?

And I hear ya on the decluttering. :-(

Okay, I'll try to add some more on Elements soon -- probably not tonight.

[silverlib]

94. question

I have a question about two pictures of people in my office, matted and framed in a nice cherry wood. One is of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Hussein and the other is of Bush and his male cronies signing the bill to ban partial birth abortions.

I look at them as "never forget" pictures, but how does this compute with Feng Shui, yin/yang and the five elements? Am I perhaps working against myself here by insisting that I love these pictures? A friend walked in my office and told me I had a strange sense of surrounding myself with peaceful things. (I have a nicely framed Peace poster, a framed painting with a saying by W.H. Channing and a framed award - oh, yea, and some framed quotes from Bush. It is an odd mix. Is it counter productive?

[Eloriel]

100. Do you love them?

Do they make you feel wonderful, inspired, uplifted -- or just eager to exact a political price (see them defeated, etc.)?

Would you feel better (more uplifted and inspired) with imagery of what you'd like to see instead -- something that reminds you of world peace, or sane government, or some other imagery?

What you surround yourself with draws that kind of energy IN and tends to empower (send energy TO) what they represent, if only your oppositional energy (which strangely enough can be empowering and eneergizing for them at an anergetic level).

I can understand you find these photos motivating and even energizing -- but is the motivation and energy of the highest and best kind? I can't think that it is, but really you're the one who has to make that decision.

Here are a couple of ideas (aside from the suggestion to do some soul-searching on your own real feelings when you look at those photos):

* Try removing them for a day (or longer) and see how the room feels. Remember that I mentioned that when you have someething in the right place, or remove something that was best not there, that the room "clicks," or looks/feels like the thing has always been there (or never been there)? See what you notice along those lines.

* Try replacing them with something else (again for a few days), if you have something else available. (Look for the same "click" etc. as in previous suggestion.) If not, or if you can't think of any alternative more positive images that would sufficiently inspire and motivate you, just form the intention of being open to have something come into your life that might replace them.

* If you think you'd like to remove and/or replace them, consider how it would feel to throw the pictures in the trash or burn them -- see if that symbolism (their total ouster/political destruction) works for you. You could make it a ritual (rituals are great FS).

* If you DO decide to keep them up, consider adding some symbolism to the photos or right next to them representing their political defeat. We could talk some more about ideas for that later if you want.

BTW, it looks like I missed your question earlier. If so, I apologize.

[silverlib]

101. Great answer!

I've thought about your reply and you really give me a lot to think about. Yes, they give me energy - and I think for the most part, it WAS good energy and helped me stay focused. Now, though, I feel a drag and it is time to put something different in the frames.

I hope you haven't given up on this thread. I'd love to see more, but I do realize you have other interests, too.

[Eloriel]

102. Sounds about right to me --

that you've moved on from what it had meant to you. Glad I could stimulate your thinking along those lines.

And no, I haven't given up on the thread. Not at all. I was offline for a bit because of computer issues, now back on, but a little busy elsewhere. I WILL get to part 2 of Five Elements, and soon -- maybe even tonight (I know, promises, promises).

Thanks.

[BensMom]

103. Kick

.

[Eloriel]

104. Just a word of explanation --

I haven't given up here. I've just been heavily "mired in duality" (as some might put it), working on the vote fraud issue, to wit:

VOTE FRAUD Links - a DU Compendium
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=201&topic_id=1984#

[BensMom]

105. Saltwater

What does the salt water do? And how do you use it?

What should I use to clean with? When I had disposable money I used Melaluca products to clean with and it seemed to have a calming effect where I those tea tree products.

My first step is to declutter - it just gets to be a merry go round for me. So maybe I will check out fly lady, too.

I really appreciate Eloriel and everyone sharing. I can use all of this!

[arcos]

106. Just spent an hour on this thread...

I find it absolutely amazing... I had heard lots of things about Feng Shui but never got interested enough to get informed about it. Obviously I'm not finished with this thread yet, but I will definitely start the decluttering later today!

Thanks a lot Eloriel! :hi:

[NMDemDist2]

109. maybe we can move this to a new thread in the new ASAH group

ASAH = Astrology, Spirituality & Alternative Healing Group

[silverlib]

110. Great Idea!

I've been very interested in following this and thought it was lost in the new format. I'm glad I found it again.

I think it would fit very well in the ASAH group.

[DemExpat]

111. kick

:kick:

[NMDemDist2]

113. kick n/t

[silverlib]

115. Just another wishful kick

[NMDemDist2]

116. great re-read and a hopeful kick for after the holidays n/t

[silverlib]

117. Another wishful kick...

for after the coronation.

[kimchi]

118. Thanks, Eloriel.

I've read about half this thread, most of FlyLady's site, and a little of the book leaving site. Now I simply MUST sleep.

My life has been a series of "coincidences" this past month, and here is another. I've had an urge to declutter my house and I think I'm driving my husband crazy. I know it has to do with the life changes/rite of passage I am facing, and I look forward to the challenges.

You have always been one of my favorite posters, Eloriel. I look forward to delving into Feng Shui more deeply.

Namaste.

[arcos]

119. kick nt

[silverweb]

120. A fascinating thread!

I just discovered it and have learned so much already....

:hi:

[Pallas180]

121. Sounds like Eloriel should put this in a little

book of her own to be published . ....

[silverweb]

122. I think you're right.

Hey, Eloriel... Pallas here has a great idea for you!

:hi:

[Pallas180]

124. good knowledge here...kick it

:kick:

[bettyellen]

123. Great thread!! and it's CONTINUED HERE................

thanks Eloriel!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=245x4747