Monday, January 21, 2008

FENG SHUI - Setting Intention

The importance of setting your intention when making corrections and enhancements is very important. It is said that feng shui without mysticism is like a body without a soul and setting intention adds that mystical element.

This means first that you have a clear intention of what you seek to accomplish when making the change. It’s a good idea to take a few minutes to clear your mind, relax and visualize the results you’re seeking. For instance if you are placing a tabletop fountain in your wealth position you’d want to set the intent that money is flowing to you and be thinking that as you place the fountain.

This would be true of other “symbolic” items. If you place a fish (for success) in your career position you’d want to set that intent and so on.

It is also important that you instill your personal “CHI” on items when placed along with the intent. This is especially true when hanging mirrors or crystals as corrections. This also serves as a form of blessing you give before placing the item. All you need do is exhale on the item, thus instilling your chi while setting the intent for the result desired.

One of the most empowering ways to set intent for feng shui purposes is to create an affirmation box.

The directions are simple and are as follows:

1) Select a box that you’re attracted to. Preferable one that is symbolic (i.e. angels would symbolize blessings)
2) Use a NEW pen (black or blue ink) and select paper that appeals to you (if seeking a love relationship you might choose a pink paper)
3) Write your desires while visualizing what you seek. (i.e. if seeking a mate ...list the qualities you’d want. Be as specific as possible) Note: don’t be vague and say “I want a mate”...you may get one but not one you really want!
4) End the list with one or more positive affirmations, a blessing or a prayer.
5) Fold the paper up tight, blow on it (instill your “CHI”) and place it in the box.
6) Place the box in the most appropriate position (i.e. marriage/partnership)
7) Leave it alone...don’t look inside again until you’re satisfied it’s been fulfilled.

Seeing the box daily will be a visual affirmation that your wishes have been stated and given to the Universe.

This method is often recommended for people selling homes. Doing an affirmation box with the the qualities you wish for the new purchaser’s family along with the realtor’s card should be placed in the helpful people position in the living room or entry.

Setting intent is one more way to empower your feng shui applications!

© Sharon Kasmira

History of Feng Shui

The founding history of Feng Shui is lost in time.

The first historical documented reference to Feng Shui was in an ancient Chinese text dating back to around 200 AD. However artifacts bearing Feng Shui symbols go much further back. Such symbols have also been found in a grave excavated in 1988 that dates back to around 4000 BC. So Feng Shui may have a timeline that date back 6000 years!

There are also claims that it is derived from Vastu which is a ancient Indian art of architecture that dates back thousands of years. This is however not proven.

history of feng shuiFeng Shui continue to be developed through centuries of research, analysis and experimentation and new findings were recorded and old theories refined.

The Tang dynasty (618 - 906 AD) mark the coming of age of the Form School which place emphasis on environmental features such as mountains and water (e.g. lakes, river).

Later on, saw the development of a system that is more mathematical and largely based on the numerology of the I-Ching. This system is favored in areas where the terrain is flat and featureless and saw tremendous developing using the Sung dynasty (960 - 1279 AD).

Feng Shui remained popular during the Ming (1368 - 1644 AD) and Ching (1644 - 1911) dynasty.

However after the fall of the Ching dynasty, China attempted to catch up with the modernization and industrialization of the west and many non-scientific practices like Feng Shui were marginalized.

When the Communist government took power in 1949, more efforts were made to discredit such practices. Despite this, practitioners continue to practice their trade. However the Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976 took its toll on Feng Shui and many such books and paraphernalia were destroyed.

Many practitioners fled with their knowledge to Hong Kong, Taiwan and other overseas Chinese community. It is today alive and widely practiced in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia (which has a significant Chinese minority), Singapore and the other expatriate Chinese communities such as London, San Francisco and Vancouver.

Interestingly, it is experiencing a revival in China with the more open and liberal policies of the current Chinese government.

(History of Feng Shui Trivial: Feng Shui was previously known as Kan Yu or the study of Heaven and Earth)

What is Feng Shui?

In Chinese, 'Feng' means Wind while 'Shui' means Water.

It is an ancient Chinese metaphysical study that looks at how mankind is affected, for better or worse, by its surroundings.

Surrounding include the external environment as well as the internal layout of the home. External features include the mountains and rivers and in an urban setting includes buildings, roadways etc. Internal features include the completion date and orientation of the house, location and facing of the main door, stove, beds etc.

what is feng shuiA right combination can influence the luck of the occupants positively while an incorrect combination can bring about misfortunes.

For example, a house is generally better if it supported by a mountain at the back rather than facing one in front. Or a house should ideally be higher than the road rather than the other way around.

Over the years, practitioners have researched, analyze, documented and refined a set of rules and formulas that define a compliant dwelling or office.

Occupants of such compliant dwellings are more likely to enjoy good fortune and have better luck with money, good health and more harmonious relationships.

Feng Shui is also called Fung Shui, Foong Shway, Fong Sui etc. China is a huge country with different regions and many dialects. The different spellings are a result of translation from the different Chinese dialects!

I hope you have a good understanding now on what is Feng Shui?

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Your Fortune & Luck for the year of the Earth Rat 2008



Rat
You can look forward to a good year and benefit from what is known as “heaven luck”, where many opportunities come your way. Wealth luck will be there and with the support of the ‘Tai Sui’ you will make the most of it. Although luck is on your side, you face competition from those who cannot take coming second to you. Don’t view this negatively; instead endeavour to turn competitors into supporters. Display a Pi Xie in the north to avoid troublemakers. The year starts well, with success coming as early as February with excellent relationship luck. To benefit from heaven luck, activate the north of your home with plenty of metal energy by hanging 8 Immortal coins. Activate good networking luck by displaying your allies and secret friend, the Dragon, Monkey and Ox in the north of your living room or on your work desk. There will be times when you are severely stressed out. Carry a Good Health Amulet if you are susceptible to high blood pressure.




Tiger
You can look forward to a much better year ahead as the star of romance and scholastic excellence pays you a visit. While 2008 promises plenty in the way of love your intrinsic element of wood may cause you to be overly aggressive in your pursuit of success, leading to some problems. It is important to keep your emotions in balance. Display the Ksitigarbha Fireball in the northwest to keep a stable temper. The Tiger also enjoys the small auspicious luck from the 24 mountains; this means you will come into small packets of good fortune. Tiger people will benefit greatly from wearing metal this year, such as the “Om Mani Padme Hum” or Kalachakra pendant. It is a year to tap into the luck of your allies by carrying the Ally Coin or displaying figurines of your allies and secret friend, the Dog, Horse and Boar. It is also a year for learning new skills; carry the Education Amulet to further knowledge. A suitable Dzi for the Tiger is the 4-eyed Dzi to enhance wisdom and bring clear thoughts. For career luck, display one of the 5 Famous Generals such as General Kuan Kung in the center of your home. For wealth, display a Jambhala water feature in the east.




Dragon
This is a non-stop year for the Dragon. Your creative energy is at its peak and you find yourself pulled in many different directions. Refrain from being too impulsive. Devote more time to considering your options before starting on new projects. The Completion Star combined with the Earth Seal, together with your natural drive to succeed, is a potent cocktail indeed. Make sure you get your feng shui correct as you have the most potential to take advantage of good earth luck this year. Wear the 3-eyed Dzi to attract supporters and to keep you healthy. A potent symbol for the year is the Earth Seal; keep the symbol of earth on the cover of your important files for excellent luck. Alternatively, wear the “Hum” Pendant in gold . Activate recognition and promotion luck with a Monkey on a Horse on your office desk. Energize your intrinsic energy by lighting incense in a 9-Dragon Incense Burner in front of your home altar or hang the 9 Dragon Screen in the southeast of your home.




Horse
Horse born people are in for a tough year as the stars in 2008 are not in your favour. Your luck forecast indicates a year filled with, obstacles, mishaps and general bad luck. You are in direct conflict with Tai Sui, suffer from the #5 misfortune star, the Three Killings and the star of natural disasters. With so many afflictions in your chart, it is paramount that you apply the required cures. Display the Flying Dragon Horse with a Pi Yao in the south facing north and carry the Tai Sui Amulet to appease the Grand Duke. Curb that impulsive trait of yours as it will not serve you well this year. It is even better to appear indecisive than to jump headlong into something you will regret. Remedy the #5 by wearing the Kalachakra Pendant or carry the Five Element Pagoda . Display the Trinity Pagoda in the south of your home. Tap into divine luck by display the 3 Generations of Sheep in the south. Activate the luck of allies by carrying your Ally Coin . To counter the Three Killings, display either 3 Chi Lins or the 3 Divine Guardians facing south.




Ox
2008 will be a better year compared to 2007 as obstacles from the previous year dissipate and things run comparatively smoothly. Love luck is particularly good this year. The single Ox looking for a mate will find their match, while those who are married will rejuvenate their relationship. Display a pair of mandarin ducks in the southwest or wear a 2-eyed Dzi bead to actualize marriage luck. Carry the Four Heavenly King Protection Amulet to strengthen relationships with peers. There is promise of promotion at work accompanied by an increase in income. Wear a mantra ring with lapis lazuli to tap the luck of the 24 mountains. The year is beneficial for those who have exams, and the Education Amulet will bring you additional luck. 2008 keeps you busy both socially and at work. This will suit some Ox people, but could also lead to your feeling weak and burnt out. Protect your health with a Herbal Wu Lou and wear a Medicine Buddha Bracelet.




Rabbit
A good year in store for the Rabbit with plenty of opportunities to make money and achieve success; the only setback is the declining energy star which weakens the Rabbit. This results in you having to put more effort and be more tenacious when going after what you want. To strengthen your intrinsic energy, display a horoscope water feature in the east of your home. Tap the energy of ‘tien-ti-ren’ by placing figurines of the Boar, Sheep and Dog on your work desk. Make the most of your luck by displaying a figurine of a Monkey Sitting on an Elephant on your desk to bring promotion luck. For wealth, display the yellow Jambhala holding a mongoose in the sheng chi direction of your living room. Carry the Guardian Amulet to safeguard your wealth. Protect your home by hanging the Kalachakra Mantra Plaque above your front door. Single Rabbits can enhance peach blossom luck to find suitable mates this year by displaying a figurine of the Rat in the north of their bedroom. A suitable Dzi is the 7-eyed Dzi as this brings smoothness and good luck to all your endeavours.




Snake
The Snake comes out from under the shadow of the Tai Sui with improved health and energy. Obstacles faced in 2007 dissolve in 2008, with the Snake gaining strength and luck from March onwards. There is good improvement on the career front. Recognition luck is greater than wealth, which means most of your gains come in the form of your bosses realizing your worth rather than in material gains. To enhance for promotion luck, display a Monkey on an Elephant or a Ru Yi on your work desk. While there is money luck indicated, you are prone to getting robbed/cheated. Carry the Four Heavenly King Protection Amulet as a remedy. Protect your home by displaying figurines of the Door Guardians near to your main door. Keep your money in a Nine Dragon Wallet for empowerment. If you run your own business or are in sales, display the Pak Choy in the Southeast of your living room to bring plenty of sales or customers. To ensure smoothness in all that you do, wear the 10-eyed Dzi . There is great promise of romance for single Snakes. To enhance relationships, carry or wear the Infinity or Mystic Knot Symbol.




Sheep
This will not be an easy year with predictions of unfortunate luck at work and in business, love and health. There is risk of being cheated by people you trust, and losing money through theft or robbery. You can expect obstacles to pop up causing disruption to the flow of projects and tasks at hand. You are also indirectly in conflict with Tai Sui bringing the possibility of further mishaps. Carry the Tai Sui Amulet and display the Flying Dragon Horse with Pi Yao in the south facing north. Hang a Blue Rhino Amulet in your car and keep one in your briefcase to fend off robbery. Carry the Bodyguard Amulet in your wallet for protection. Place a Herbal Wu Lou beside your bed and wear the Medicine Buddha Bracelet. To protect your wealth, place a Lock Coin in a red packet with some money in it and put underneath your pillow when you sleep. To enhance for wealth, activate your ally the Rabbit by displaying a Jambhala Water Feature in the East corner of your living room. Strengthen your luck by displaying the Black Precious Elephant in the Southwest. A suitable Dzi for you this year is the Tiger Tooth Dzi as this will bring you much-needed protection against the bad luck of the year.




Monkey
The Monkey will not have an easy year compared to last year. But while the financial loss star will affect your luck this year, you also have some measure of protection with the Golden Deities star. Helpful people will rescue you out of any predicament. There is a tendency for the Monkey to lose his cool this year and this could lead to problems with relationships. So watch your temper. Carry the Four Heavenly King Protection Amulet and wear the Dragon Eye Dzi for protection. Activate Golden Deities luck by inviting a Golden Kuan Yin into your home and display her in the Northeast corner of your living room. Protect your house against burglary by displaying the Black Precious Elephant in the Southwest. For personal luck, wear the “Om Ah Hum” Pendant in gold . To enhance for better income, display a Dzambhala Water Feature in the Southwest of your living room. To enhance for relationship luck and good networking, place glitter lamps in the Southwest 3, Southeast 1 and North 2 corners of your home as this completes the ‘Tien Ti Ren’ formation which is very auspicious.




Dog
The Dog is plagued by poor health and mishaps as the illness star afflicts his sector. Elderly dogs should display the Medicine Buddha Mandala in the northwest and wear the Medicine Buddha Bracelet to stay healthy. It is also recommended to display the Herbal Wu Luo on both sides of the bed. On the upside, there is good luck in the form of the ‘Small Auspicious Star’, which brings small packets of joyful occasions. Celebrating birthdays, weddings or the birth of a new baby will improve your overall luck this year. All Dogs benefit greatly by hanging the Kalachakra Mantra Plaque above the main door. Young Dogs should carry the Education Amulet for better exam luck. Luck is average when it comes to your career. This is not a year to be changing jobs even if you feel you are not getting the recognition you deserve. If you persevere you will see the results of your efforts in the 3rd quarter of the year. Display a Ling Zhi Ru Yi or the Monkey on Elephant to improve career prospects.




Rooster
2008 will be a noisy year for the Rooster as the argumentative star flies to your sector. This makes you difficult to get along with. This year your emotional temperament hits new highs. Make every effort to calm yourself, otherwise relationships may be strained. Your career continues on to greater heights and money luck is promising. Carry Ksitigarbha to nullify the aggressive energies that inhibit you this year. Display the Ksitigarbha Fireball in the West of your home. There may be legal issues this year, so protect by displaying the 4 Heavenly Kings in your study or living area. To enhance wealth, place 9 Dragons next to a Dzambhala Water Feature in the east. Improve relationships by wearing the 12-eyed Dzi on your left wrist and enhance health by wearing the Medicine Buddha Bracelet. Activate the ‘Tien Ti Ren’ formation, by displaying a Snake in the southeast, Rooster in the west and Ox in the northeast. The 24 mountains bring the General Star, which bestows power and authority. To enhance, place an image of General Kuan Kung in the West of your home.




Boar
The Boar experiences a mixed year in 2008. Ill health may upset plans. However you enjoy the Star of the Heaven Seal, which brings good fortune that is both unexpected and meaningful. Things proceed smoothly at work and others favour you in any confrontation as you have the luck of friends and allies on your side. Carry the Ally Coin to enhance this kind of luck. Control illness by displaying the Herbal Wu Luo beside your bed and hang the Medicine Buddha Mandala in the northwest. Display the Heaven Seal on your work desk or in the northwest of your living room for luck. For wealth luck, place a water feature with figurines of the Rabbit, Boar and Sheep in the East. You may encounter financial loss on the stock market or through getting cheated. Protect yourself by hanging a the Kalachakra Mantra Plaque above your main door. Boars in school do well in their exams this year, and can carry the Education Amulet for additional help. A suitable Dzi for the boar is the 3-eyed Dzi , which brings prosperity, health and wealth. Wear on your left wrist.

2008 - The Taisui and the Suipo

The Tai Sui (literally Great Year) is the controlling influence for the current year. It corresponds to the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness for the year. Each year it relates to a different direction depending upon the current year. In 2008, it is to the Zi direction or North. Zi relates to the year animal, or in 2008, the Rat. Did you know that each animal sign had their own direction?

As such there is another qi energy called the Sui Po or Year Breaker. This is an unfortunate energy and is located opposite the Tai Sui. In 2008, the Sui Po is in the South or the Wu (Horse) direction.

These are two important directions to be aware of, especially because you do not want to disturb the earth in these directions. Doing so can lead to inauspicious results.

In Feng Shui, the directions are as specific as 15 degrees. For each of the eight compass directions, there are 3 sub-directions. Thus, there are a total of 24 directions on a Feng Shui luopan (or compass.) In 2008 the Tai Sui is to Zi or the middle third direction of North. The Sui Po is to the Wu or middle third direction of South. On a Sang’s Luopan, the direction for Li is referred to by the A direction and the Wu direction is referred to as M. Another way to look at this is from a Western compass perspective in that the Zi direction is from 352.5 to 7.5 degrees on the compass. The Wu is from 172.5 to 187.5 on the compass.

We are specific to the 15 degrees, but to be on the safe side, avoid digging, break ground, or otherwise disturb the earth in not only the 15 degrees, but the entire 45 degree segment of North or South for this year. That way you are assured that you are safe. Additionally, you should not have major reconstruction to your home. Lastly, you should not bury anyone to these directions this year.

If you would like to read more about these directional influences, please see the 2008 Astrology and Feng Shui guide by Master Larry Sang.

2008 Flying Stars

On February 4th at 7:03pm, the new Solar Year begins. This brings in the new qi for 2008. This new energy has both good and unfavorable effects. The key is to knowing which directional energy you need to watch out for and which are areas in which you should spend time.

In 2008, the ruling star is #1 white (tan lang). This is a fortunate star with positive effects that include wealth, fame, and romance. It is the star that provides the flavor of this year. While this is a good star, there are some negative issues too. It is a water star, so be careful of water related dangers.

The other key star to be aware of this year is the #5 yellow star (lian zhen). This is a troublesome character who brings misfortune wherever he lands. This year he is in the South. The number 5 yellow can bring money delays, accidents, and other misfortune. It is especially important that you do not dig in the South direction (in relationship to your house) this year. Additionally, in the south section be sure to add the metal element to reduce the negative qi. Try not to spend too much time in a southern room. If your bedroom is in the South section of the house, use metal to reduce the negative qi and spend a minimal amount of time there.

The #8 star (zuo fu) arrives in the East this year. This is an auspicious star and can bring money prosperity. But being in the East, it is weakened by the wood qi of the East. Adding the color red can give strength to this wonderful #8.

These are a sampling of the key energies you need to be aware of.

If you would like to read about all of the flying star influences for 2008, be sure to read the Chinese Astrology & Feng Shui Guide 2008: The Year of the Rat.

Feng Shui Tip - Help on Clearing up the Clutter

Clearing the clutter is the first thing you should do to improve your environment around you. After all, Feng Shui is about creating beautiful and supportive environments in which you can thrive. Organization and neatness are important to keeping your home environment supportive and beautiful.

We ran across this site that focuses on all sorts of home improvements. At this site, you can download household planners, including calendars, checklists, to-do lists, phone message stationery, and more at Household Notebook, a web gallery with almost 100 different types of forms that make task management easier. The site also showcases a pantry and freezer inventory for keeping track of your wares, a packing checklist for the occasional trip, address lists to pin on the fridge door, and birthday calendars, among numerous other forms. Don’t bother to create a template in your favorite word processor for your to-do list; the Household Notebook already has one created for you.

Additionally, this site has an entire section devoted to cutting clutter. This includes closet decluttering, kitchen organization, how to hold a garage sale, and a slew of other things. You might want to check out this cutting clutter section.

By clearing out a lot of junk from your environment, you can get on with focusing in to the future and having a beautiful, comfortable and supportive environment.