Tag Archives: Feng Shui

Chinese New Year Rituals. Renew Abundance.

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“We not not only nurture our sacred relationships through ritual, but we are nurtured by them as well, in ritual, we move and we are moved.”
– Alison Leigh Lilly

Here we go again! Another turn of the wheel to begin anew. Chinese New Year is around the corner. This significant event has the agency to deeply move our Ch’i and elevate our life force. Customs, practiced over thousands of years by millions around the world, reset our homes and renew our abundance for the coming year. It’s a hopeful moment when create an advantageous start with Chinese New Year rituals. You and your family will certainly enjoy the delectable foods, fireworks, laughter and fun. Host a reunion dinner and invite friends to bring a good fortune dish that everyone may take home good luck.

The Year of the Yin Water Rabbit begins January 22, 2023. January 21 the rituals begin. Chinese New Year rituals include color, plants, fruit, foods, good luck clothing and auspicious decorations to enliven home and human Ch’i. These rituals’ power lie in the repetition and sincerity in which they are performed. They are simple and most of all easy. Choose as many or as few as you like. There are some that are new to the list this year.

Begin with your front entry. Design it for success and good health. What you display here influences the entire house so add a red item. Red in the Feng Shui metaphor means: happiness, courtesy, respect, power and strength. Your front door represents career and reputation. With that in mind visualize the red object activates your Fame Ch’i.

Traditionally Chinese knots were expected to ward off evil spirits and act as good luck charms. At Chinese New Year Chinese knot decorations are seen hanging on walls, doors of homes and as shop decorations to add some festival feel. Their significance is deeply rooted in Buddhist and Taoist tradition. The Pan Chang knot, for example, is inspired by the Eternal Knot, the Buddhist symbol of the ultimate unity of everything, and one of the “Eight Auspicious signs.” Just like the Eternal Knot, Chinese Knots are made with one single thread; are symmetrical in all directions and have no distinctions between head and tail. Though they are often consider folk art, they embody the fundamental principles of Chinese’s aesthetic and philosophy: symmetry, balance, unity, and interconnections. These qualities are auspicious to bring good fortune into your life.

Display a bowl of oranges in your home and money will come easily. The word for orange (Chengzi) sounds like gold (Jin) in the Chinese language.

Place a platter of tangerines on your dining room table for the saying, “Da ju da li” translates as “May you enjoy an abundance of fortune and profits.” In Asian countries it’s auspicious to place two tangerine trees at the entrance of a home or business but adding the tangerines to your dining room table stimulates your income for the table is the secondary source of your income.

Surround yourself with colorful fruit so that you will have a fruitful year. Pomelos are large pear-shaped grapefruits which mean “to have”. Pineapple sounds like wealth but its real strength is fame, promotion and excellent fortune. You can display the fruit at the front entry, the dining room, even the kitchen.

Brighten your home and your luck with narcissus (daffodils). The Chinese affirm that daffodil and Narcissus bulbs when in bloom during the New Year, bring good fortune and luck to a home. They enliven our Ch’i through the sense of smell. This adjustment calms the nervous system. With a clear mind we gain clear access to our decision making center (intuition).

Prepare a reunion dinner on Chinese Lunar New Year’s eve. The image of the circle is used in food dishes like fish balls. The circle is associated with family. This creates unity, support and continuity. This sense of family unity is called Yuan and underlies all festivals. Yuan means roundness and it suggests the attainment of the Five Fold Happiness (good luck, prosperity, happiness, wealth and longevity). Veggies embody the freshness of “evergreen” and store good fortune in their roots. Support your vitality in the Year of the Water Tiger when you include them in your first meal of the new year. Make a feast and have left overs because left overs symbolize that you’ll have money rolling into the next year. Add a little laughter! Shrimp in the Chinese language sounds like Ha, Ha, Ha and translates as merriment and well being. Joyfulness brings a future of limitless possibility. Cook a whole fish and leave some. Serve longevity noodles and eat them in one long strand (try not to break one or it will shorten your life). Add lettuce for it translates as “growing wealth”. Dumplings, jiao zi look like golden ingots. They promise wealth and prosperity. Serve nian giro, a sticky rice pudding cake which is symbolic of helping people “advance toward higher positions and prosperity step by step”. Make the evening uplifting and happy; include music and play games with your children, tell jokes and laugh.

Serve an even number of dishes (like eight) to bestow “double happiness” on the family.

“Avoid cutting the luck of the year” by putting your knives and scissors away before Chinese New Year eve evening, January 21. Schedule a hair trim or mani/pedi before Chinese New Year’s Eve.

Refrain from cursing on New Year’s Day because letting your tongue fly will affect your luck for the entire year. One day of restraint could mean you’ve mastered your impulses and that can bring more opportunities than you might realize. However if you do inadvertently curse say “Tong yen woo chi!” to reverse the affect.

Slumber not before midnight on Chinese Lunar New Year’s eve to ensure good luck will cross your threshold. The sound of sleepiness in Chinese is similar to trouble. Sleepless means no trouble in the coming year.

Keep the Goddess of Poverty away  “Fu” means “good fortune” or “happiness” and is represented both as a Chinese ideograph and its homophone, a bat. Placing the image of a bat (Lan Su Garden in Portland, Oregon was constructed with five bats roof tiles) or the image of “Fu” at your front entry clearly sets the intention to invite good fortune into your life.

Bring one new item such as furniture, décor or art into your home and business to stimulate prosperity Ch’i and to compound your sheng Ch’i (beneficial energy). In addition give away one item or more. This leaves both physical and symbolic space for good fortune.

Throw away china, crockery or glassware that are broken, chipped or have hairline cracks, these augur bad luck.

Break a cup or plate (or anything) during New Year say “Fall to the floor and burst into bloom!”

Dress in “up-beat” clothing or buy new clothes for the first day of the New Year.

Carry newly circulated bills: whatever your pocketbook will allow, either nine new one dollar bills or nine new twenty dollar bills.

Purchase a new bill fold for man or a new pocketbook for a woman. In BSTB tradition, black symbolizes water which is equivalent to money. Red is also auspicious to carry. Add a bit of green that stays in the item so your money doesn’t burn up.

Benming Nian – meeting your zodiac year.
One would think that your zodiac year would be a good one. On the contrary, Chinese traditional belief is that your benming nian is going to be full of bad luck. So if it’s your year (Rabbit. Dragon and Rooster are in offending positions to the Year God so they will benefit too), you need to take a few precautions to ensure that your year  is not a bad one.

To ward off any dangers that might befall you in your benming nian, it is traditionally believed that it helps to wear the color red. Red is one of the luckiest colors in Chinese traditions, standing for loyalty, success and happiness. You’ll see red all over the place during traditional Chinese festivals and particularly Chinese New Year: red lanterns, red envelopes, red paper hangings. When it comes to decorations, just about everyone is red and ornamented in gold.

If you believe in this, wear red every day, all year long. You can go big: add red accessories to every outfit. Or you can play it simple, wear a cute bracelet made of red interwoven Chinese knots around your wrist tow ward off bad luck.

Make amends with anyone with whom you’ve had a row or falling-out.

The first New Year Day everyone dines on a vegetarian meal to honor one’s ancestors. Then the family dresses in their finest clothes and visits older family members, paying respect, taking along gifts of Mandarin oranges and sweets of all kinds generally offered in a “tray of togetherness”. It is also customary to hand out hong bao (red envelopes with new bills or coins) to family members and friends of any age, who are single and unmarried.

The devoted Dog is the Hare’s secret best friend. In the Year of the Yin Water Rabbit it is auspicious to carry a three dimensional Dog with you. “Chinese folk culture believes that when Rabbit and Dog meet, it will bring forth wealth and nobility.”
– Khadro Crystal Chu
The ardent Dog favors jade, boxwood or bone. Enjoy the inspiration this match brings!

Allow me to help you arrange your home where you feel fully supported. I am available for a full consultation service or for an hour telephone conversation. Details are at this link Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Building Design Affects The Human Body

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“Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.”
– Victor Hugo

Our home’s building design is an active participant in our homeostasis. It affects our health and mental outlook on a daily basis. When a client comes to me with a health condition, depending on the ailment, I will look at anyone of the following systems of the house and inquire into its condition.

An example of how the mechanical, electrical, plumbing – all the building design works together. If you are sick or a family member, look at the mechanical, electrical, plumbing – all the systems of the house. Draw an outline of the body onto the house and put the head (face down) at the front door then locate the heart in the house. Where the heart lands in the house correct that system, not just the plumbing which is associated with the circulatory system. Address  flooding in the house, even the basement because these will affect the circulatory system.

• Main Entrance and foyer correspond to the head.

• Electrical wiring corresponds to the nervous system.

• Plumbing corresponds to circulatory system, circulation of the blood.

• Sewage System relates to the urinary tract, guts, digestive system–stomach, large intestine.

• Respiratory corresponds air conditioning, ducts, chimneys, sky lights,

• Roof and Beams correspond to the spine.

• Four corners of the house or lot correspond to the four limbs. Front corners would be the arm, the back corners would be the legs and feet.

Free International Health and Wellness Summit, Saturday May 9, 2020
“Healthy Home. Healthy Body. Keys To A Better Mind, Body and Life.”
Sign up for my blog and you will receive an invitation link via Eventbrite.

I will throw open the doors and speak truth about health and Feng Shui. Journey with me through a home’s arrangement and discover the unfolding story of how placement can radically influence your well-being.

The International Health Summit was generated to showcase natural, leading-edge processes to grow a healthy you. Chosen from the best in their field, the presenters’ expertise include: Dowsing, Huna (ancient Hawaiian spiritual practices), Psych K (Psychological Kinesiology; methods that change your subconscious beliefs), Restorative Hypnosis, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming improves communication skills), Aromatherapy, Nutritional Counseling, Feng Shui, Body Code (energy balancing system that uncovers root causes of discomfort, sickness and suffering), Herbs for our times, Reiki (a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing) and more. Check out details on Facebook

Covid-19
Thank you for stopping in. I am open during shelter-in-place. I have added via Zoom besides on-site consultations.  My services are Feng Shui a La Carte, one hour or Your House Is Talking, full consultation. I wish you well and calmness during this extraordinarily difficult time. I look forward to having a conversation with you.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Photo credit: Getty Images

A Feng Shui Money Cure To Make The Season Bright

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“Our beliefs, mindset and emotions are the keys to an abundance mentality and attracting wealth effortlessly”
–Juliana Park, CFP

There are people who stay afloat in the most difficult of financial situations. They are not subject to the whims of a bear market nor a real estate slump. Money always seems to be within reach. How they maintain the flow of positive experiences in their lives is they practice wealth consciousness. Wealth consciousness is a belief immersed in abundance–an abiding affirmation that beauty, meaning and relationships exist in the world and surround them. They do not dwell on loss nor lack. They let go of the anxiety that seeds scarcity. They vanquish fear because they understand the law of attraction: what their mind attunes to, expands and becomes manifest.

To live at this level of certainty requires a shift in perspective and money will come. Evelyn Lim explanation of wealth in terms of money sums it up: “If you think of wealth in terms of money, then you will need to believe that there is plenty of money to go around and you have a share in that too. To be conscious of all the abundance that is available to everyone, to be aware there is plenty of money for everyone, is to have wealth consciousness.”

If you’ve been less than happy with your finances, managing your money affairs, even seeing results from your Feng Shui wealth cures, maybe doubt is flooding your consciousness. A closer examination of your beliefs about wealth, monitoring your thoughts about abundance and directing your attention away from lack can produce extraordinary results.

Envision there is plenty of money for everyone and this mythical Feng Shui money cure will surely put extra cash in your pocket to enjoy the holidays. Because sometimes all it takes is one decision, one adjustment, one cure to create lasting, positive change.

Three Legged Toad To Gather Wealth
Ch’an chi, the Money Frog
A fortune frog or money frog, is a mythical three-legged frog with red eyes and blazing nostrils. It carries a coin in its mouth and sits upon a pile of gold coins or Chinese cash with a string of coins at its feet or a crown around its head. The coin has a good fortune symbol and faces up to attract wealth and the crown or string of coins around its feet offers protection from misfortune. The coin in the mouth of the toad, specializes in calling forth wealth and it is said to be calling out to other coins. Legend says the creature emerges on the full moon to sit by the door of people with wealth and good fortune headed their way. The myth goes on to say the toad loves money and treasures.

Look for the following characteristics when buying the Lucky Money Toad:
Red eyes
Three legs
Seven star formation on its back
Five-Luck Coin of Emperor Qianlong in its mouth
Sitting upon coins or golden nuggets

You can place the Three Legged Toad either in your home or office. Either place it in the Wealth gua of the home or office, or you can place it in the Wealth gua of your office desk.
Here is the secret within the secret:
Every day during the day, place the toad facing the main door. Visualize that the toad is going out during the day to seek wealth and bring it home. Every night at night, face the toad into the home or office. Visualize that the toad is returning with lots of money. It is important to commit to this secret movement every day. Otherwise, you lose money (Professor Thomas Lin Yun). Adding a ruby (or red stone) in the middle of the ancient coin in the toad’s mouth symbolizes “kissing the stone”, a homonym for “sure profit.”

I have not purchased from these sources but the images and description meet the criteria for the Three Legged Money Frog.
Feng Shui Supply, King Money Frog – Golden
Feng Shui Supply, King Money Frog – Bronze

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to share Feng Shui secrets and cures from the Black Sect Tantric School of Feng Shui. May your holidays be filled with love, good ch’i and abundant blessings!

If you are looking for some insights for Thanksgiving dinner, have a look at “Take Back The Holiday…” And if you want to get a start on Christmas decorating, read my “10 Feng Shui Decorating Ideas…”

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”… start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Sacred Space Is Where You Find Yourself

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“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.”
– Joseph Campbell

Beginning of June I made a reentry into the world of pigment, canvas and brush and I love it! It’s an online course from a remarkable painter. Listening to her I feel my excitement mount over the possibilities that lay before me as she extolled in her video, “The best painting, no, the most joyful painting, comes from a soul that is nurtured from the inside.” Her gentle encouragement has blown confidence into my heart and I feel a release of trepidation. In one short week I have learned, painting is not just what you put on the canvas but what you surround yourself with too. Who you are and what you love is right there in your composition of discovery, “Before you even pick up a brush, welcome what nourishes your soul into your space and you will find this nurtures your ideas and what flows from your brush onto the canvas.” Sounds a lot like Feng Shui? We are all creative, it’s what we have come here to enjoy. In a space that expresses all that you love, you foster your creative impulse. Your space is the threshold to your inner sanctum. Assigning time to cultivate what your soul desires, you champion what you came here to be.

You are the creator of your life, however life does not come without challenges. Oftentimes life changing events obscure your heart, your desires and what you love. They pull you off course and off balance: the death of a beloved; losing a pet; moving to another state; missing a promotion….These will and do come to you in life yet they need not define how you live the rest of your life.

Upon first meeting some of my clients they inform me they cannot let go of life changing events and are puzzled when they find clutter piling up when before there was none. Or they find they argue with their spouse, children, friends and coworkers for no apparent reason. Opportunities for career advancement passes them by. They may spiral into depression, lethargy and illness. If any of these resonate with you, if you are feeling disappointed, disconnected and distressed, it may be your soul’s S.O.S. to find yourself again.

I urge you to create a sacred space to renew your connection with your inner self, especially if your life is chaotic. Claim an area of your home, make it just for you. Size does not matter, it can be a room, a nook, even a chair in the corner of your bedroom. This space is for you to explore, to write, draw, paint, chant, sing or listen to Nature. It is your time to connect to the sacred and in doing so imagine a clear vision of your future. I encourage you to get started. To make it easy here are six insights for creating a sacred space.

Lighting The choice of lighting can set the tone for a room. More light is energizing, lower light is relaxing.

Mood This is your special area to invite stillness, to be silent, to be contemplative, meditate and pray. These methods engage an inner dialogue with your soul. Add pillows or a comfortable chair. Your body needs to be supported.

Decor Plants’ life force bring you into balance in an natural way. Flowers invite beauty. They add color, Ch’i and oxygen. Choose soft fabrics to hang or drape. Create an altar with candles, incense burner, essential oil diffuser and natural objects like feathers, rocks and shells. Choose what is meaningful to you. Consider placing an object that is related to your spiritual practice.

Color Purple transforms on a higher level. It relaxes the nervous system and has a calming mental effect. Pink opens the heart. Green refreshes your body and spirit. It can help you feel grounded, creative and calm. Yellow enlivens your health. 

Wall Art Display an image or images of the ocean, mountains, lakes, meadows, gardens, spiritual teachers, mentors, deities or angels and you’ll create an ambiance for harmony and reverence during this time of inner engagement.

Music Choose whatever inspires you. You want it to be soft and low, in the background so it is supportive of going inward. Select authors who arouse a sense of mystery such as Rumi, Hafiz and Emerson. Their words invite transcendence. And remember be selective with the words that live in your sacred space. You want them to summon contemplation and divine connection. 

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” (Joseph Campbell) Each opportunity to create reciprocity with your soul bathes your mind in clarity and rallies you to live the life you were meant to live.

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”… start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Feng Shui Design For Your Best Life

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photo credit: Paintzen

“Recent discoveries in Western Science now add to a growing body of evidence suggesting Beauty is a transformational power… Through our experience of Beauty, we’re given the power to change the feelings that we have in our bodies. Our feelings, in turn, are directly linked to the world beyond our bodies.”
– Gregg Braden

Moving a bed to take command in the bedroom, painting a front door crimson red to expand opportunities, positioning a desk so a voice will be heard…these mini experiences create beauty and offer peace of mind but they also are thresholds that beckon something extraordinary to happen. When we correct the structural deficiencies in our home’s design Feng Shui’s subtle positive power not only releases restrictions in our life but reflects a bigger vision of who we might become.

That vision begins at the front door. To discover who we might become we need to uncover the story our entry tells. The Feng Shui design metaphor of the front entry reaches into our career, reputation, the people who help us and the health of everyone in the household.  “…so place something attractive here so when you first enter your home you enter through beauty.” Louise Hay’s perfect action step is a great reminder to appreciate Beauty because we all have storms in our life. 

Plagued by headaches? Do you feel confused or lose stuff? You can open your entry to vitality when you place plants just inside the front door. They embody life force and generate a positive impulse. Green is soothing and can be viewed for a long time without causing eye strain. If one of your family members has an illness, place nine potted plants in the front entry. 

Discord in your family could mean there is a split view when you walk into your home. A split at the front door can stimulate the brain unevenly, you may think more and act less or act more and think less. There is a potential for illness along the midline from the head to the kidneys. When your eyes cannot focus on one object, you may feel confusion and it becomes difficult to make decisions. Everyone in the house may become impatient, anxious, out of sorts and not accommodating to one another. You At home you want to feel relaxed not harassed. Hang a beautiful chandelier to lift your eyes upward. If your stairway is causing the split, mount a crystal finial on the stair’s post, it will draw your eyes to it. Or hang a faceted lead crystal from the ceiling.

Conflict in your heart that you can’t put your finger on and is difficult to express suggests your stairway leads straight out the front door. This feature not only affects all the eight guas, especially health and wealth, but it can create conflict that is burns your heart and never gets expressed. Anger could take over your life. But there is hope. A planter outside the front door will catch the Ch’i that is escaping out the door.

Lack of risers can steal the Ch’i from everyone who enters your home. You may feel tired all the time and just can’t handle your responsibilities. As simple as it may look, it’s impact is debilitating. Plants underneath delivers vitality or uplight the stairs.

Restriction in your career might be mirrored by a blocking wall as you enter your home. Hanging a mirror or a beautiful landscape can expand your entry and give you a wider entrée. But here is an additional piece not widely known–sound–hang a wind chime on the door will open up the space. It’s lyrical quality can awaken your senses and clear your mind.

Need a boost to your career? A bright light at the front door is good for the career of everyone in the household so the brighter within reason.

Accent your entrance with a splash of red directly across from it. This design treatment can improve your reputation where you work. Red symbolizes happiness, virtuosity, power and inspire you every time you walk through the door.

Spring is a pioneering time, a time of great energy, tender shoots are breaking through the hard ground. I feel inspired by the vernal season and I am excited that winter has ended. It’s time to take up a paint brush, hammer, ceremonies, cures and start designing my own reality. Hope you’ll join me!

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”.. start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Live Your Dream In 2018

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“The greatest gift you were given was the gift of your imagination. Within your magical inner realm is the capacity to have all your wishes fulfilled.”
– Dr. Wayne Dyer

I want you to attain your dream in 2018. With these few days remaining it’s a perfect time to close the days with gratitude and start the new year with one wish. Write down your dream on a beautiful piece of paper. Add color, stickers, make a drawing, paste a cartoon, use your creativity and imagination. Or it can simply be the words but most of all let it be fun. When it’s the way you want, place it where you will engage with it everyday. It could be the bathroom mirror as you get ready in the morning; the breakfast nook where you read the paper and drink coffee; the garage wall when you come home after work; or the night stand before you go to sleep. When you read your words, touch them too, feel your body smile and let your mind expand into the possibility of this wish as you conjure corresponding mental images. Give the ritual your heart/mind attention for 27 days (multiple of nine, the number of completion and peak accomplishment). Let me know what happens!

My dream is to talk about the importance of our homes. And it’s happening! I would love for you to join me, Tuesday, January 2, 2018 for a live interview conducted by All Business Media FM. The general theme is Health and Well-Being with emphasis on Home and the Environment. We’ll talk about how Feng Shui enhances not only our home but lifestyle too.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018 9:52 a.m. PST, 12:52 p.m. EST.  It’s an eight minute segment, click on this link, All Business Media or this link, All Business Media Radio.

Please share with your family and friends if you would. If you can’t make the live show, I will post the recording on my professional Facebook page, Your House Is Talking!

“Keep The Days Merry And Bright” Winter Special
From now through February 28, 2018, when you schedule a residential Feng Shui consultation by that date and complete the consultation by April 28, 2018, you will receive $25 off of your consultation fee. This applies to new clients or new residence to former clients. Onsite consults only.

Dandelion Symbolism
Healing from emotional pain and physical injury both
Intelligence, especially in an emotional and spiritual sense
The warmth and power of the rising sun
Surviving through all challenges and difficulties
Long lasting happiness and youthful joy
Getting your wish fulfilled
–Flower Meaning 

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”. start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Highly Sensitive? Keep Your Holiday Sparkle With Feng Shui

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“Being highly sensitive is a gift that fosters peace. Help create a kinder, gentler world by embracing it.”
– Amy Leigh Mercree

Some holiday stress is expected but if you are particularly sensitive to family gatherings you may be a highly sensitive person. Licensed social worker, Melody Wilding, defines a highly sensitive person as acutely aware of their environment. They notice details and are conscientious to a fault. They agonize over their decisions because they are concerned how it will impact those in their sphere. They have a clear intention to create harmony, yet often it comes at their expense.

Don’t get swept under the table by family stress. Well before guests arrive, please peruse this check list (below) and see if the Feng Shui in your home could be, in part, contributing to your angst. I’ve included adjustments too! Smoothing the Ch’i in our homes helps us hold strong to who we are and enjoy family, friends and festivities with all the trimmings.

A home that is too close to the street (not in balance between the front and the back yards) may create difficulties in all areas of your life, including family. One of the cures for this placement is to hang a wind chime or place a mirror, on the front of the house to deflect the ch’i.

When the corner of a house points at the house next door and if both point at each other, the families may constantly bicker. This can escalate into hostility and possibly a lawsuit. One effective cure is to install a spinning element between the two houses.

A path has an important relationship to the house. If less than the width of the front door, those who live in the house will have difficulty expanding their mind and heart. If there are opportunities they won’t be able to take advantage of them due to feeling inhibited and closed off.

Feng Shui problems in the bedroom will affect the feelings, actions, and speech of the entire family. A round mirror in the bedroom can help eliminate tension and rough talk.

Lack of command position in the bedroom and at the desk and stove affects self image. Someone can feel less than. If that is the case place a plant in the bedroom where the leaves reach upward. This will lift the person out of their circumstances.

If family members are headed in different directions, check the center of the house. Does it appear empty or is there too much going on? A strong center can stabilize a family, holding everyone together. Hang a crystal ball or wind chime in the center of the house.

Doors represent a mouth and an adult’s voice. All doors need to work suitably for our voice is what speaks of our longings and passion. “Arguing Doors” bump up against one another when they open. The bumping creates contention. When they are at the front door conflict may spread throughout the house. Re-hang the door or doors so they do not touch. Or Perform the Arguing Door Cure (red envelopes requested).

“Biting Doors” are misaligned doors. When they are misaligned by one half, may cause verbal and physical fighting. A family member may leave and not come home. Hang a crystal ball between the doors to lift the Ch’i and the hearts of the family.

An “Empty Door” is a door without an actual door. This strongly suggests lack of communication. If an empty door is in the Family gua, there may few loving words or meaningful conversations. Install a door or paint the trim with color.

Many doors in a small space can be “noisy” because all the doors are talking at once. Listening may be difficult at best. Hang a crystal ball or a light fixture with crystals on it in the center to quiet the voices. It will help harmonize the guests at the holidays.

“Piercing Heart Doors” are three or more doors through which you could walk in a straight line. This design is like an invisible obstacle through the house which creates separation between parents, parents and children and between siblings. Over time communication breaks down as each family member is focused on their own desire and achievements. A different color in each room along the path works well to dissolve the obstacle.

A highly sensitive person may be prone to stomach ailments. When a door is at the end of a long hallway there can be digestive upset and distress. A simple comment from family or a friend may having the HSP recoil and demonstrate behavior that is out of proportion to the situation. Place a mirror on the outside of the door.

A dining room too close to the front door may send friends and family out the door. The colors pink, green and blue stimulate the appetite and may invite guests to stay longer for dinner parties. Or hang a crystal ball between the front door and the dining room.

Interested in more design suggestions for the holidays? Savor Thanksgiving Dinner With Six Feng Shui Trimmings. How to mix tinsel and soul and magic: 10 Feng Shui Decorating Ideas That Can Stay Up After The Holidays.

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”…start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Feng Shui Miracles

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“Always throw split salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck and fall in love whenever you can.”
– Unknown

Eighteen years ago Feng Shui opened my eyes to a world of energy that lies below our awareness yet has the power to impact our environment, our relationships, our attitude and our future. It also produces miracles when nurtured. How do I know? Barbara’s story tells it best.

Barbara had fallen in love with a craftsman style home here in Portland and wanted to get started right away on aligning the energy with her lifestyle. Before the sale was finalized she requested a Feng Shui consultation. I gave her ideas about her home’s design but before I left we stepped into the backyard. I saw the entangled Ch’i from the previous owner’s neglect: the dark, overgrown vegetation; broken, rotting fence and the presence of hungry ghosts.

Aware of how it looked she wasn’t aware of what it meant and when I shared this, her eyes got very big. Instead of reacting Barbara dug in (literally for ten months) to do what she needed to create the paradise she envisioned. Once she moved she asked me to return to perform space blessings. I brought my ceremonial bowl, rituals, mantras, prayers and she supplied the high proof liquor, the rice, the special powders and the intention to bless her property. Together we made what we call in BTB Feng Shui “sacred food” to feed the “hungry ghosts” because Barbara was determined to start on the right foot.

We walked the property, chanted blessings and offered sacred food all the while asking the spirits to be well fed and leave, or stay and be helpful friends. Pretty uneventful until we stepped into the backyard where I tripped on “air”, the bowl flipped out of my hands and the rice went flying. A trickster hungry ghost had no intention of leaving. Fortunately we retrieved most of the rice, I got my composure back and we persevered. It nearly happened a second time. This was definitely a tenacious spirit. After we completed the ceremonies, I suggested that Barbara perform this same one over the next two days to strengthen the work we had done.

Before I continue I believe it’s important to share a synchronous moment prior to my arrival. As I was driving to Barbara’s home a crow flew alongside my car at my head height for a good distance. After I left the consultation, I consulted the I-Ching and shared with Barbara what I had received: Hexagram 27, what Willhelm Baynes calls“The Corners of the Mouth” (Toltec I-Ching calls it “Trusting Intuition”)
The Judgement explained:
The corners of the mouth.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Pay heed to the providing of nourishment.
And to what a man seeks
To fill his own mouth with. 

Crows are shape shifters, their presence helped us shape shift the land. Barbara replied. “There was a really big energy shift right after I finished the last ceremony yesterday and in the morning crows were in in my front yard eating the rice! I got the sense they were taking it to another dimension, helping to shift and transform the energies.”

Over the months Barbara and her husband nourished the land with blessing ceremonies, cleared gnarly areas, removed invasive species, installed a new fence, met with the neighbors and planted their dream garden. Throughout they resolved to keep their hearts in the right place, be good stewards and be a positive influence for the neighborhood. 

And it worked!
Ten months later here are a few of what Barbara calls her “miracles”and what Feng Shui  would call “good fortune”. “We felt a huge shift once we put the plants in the area where the blueberries are. We met the owner of the apartments and it turns out we have a lot in common and he’s very much on board for cleaning up. During the time we were out of town, he removed the trees along the fence line and cleared out the brambly mess. He thought he might put up a storage shed but also mentioned selling the property. He told us it was his health that has kept him working on it. Another miracle: is before we moved here I wished that a yoga studio would be walking distance from my house. A new yoga studio opened nearby! And so far, I’ve liked every teacher. And it’s a few minutes walk from my house!”

I never underestimate the power of Nature to communicate and that all we need to do is open our hearts to Ch’i and listen with my eyes to discover miracles.

Happy Summer Solstice! May summer hold miracles for you.

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”.. start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Take 15 Minutes Of Self-Care Everyday And Journal

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Winter is the Water element when Nature goes dormant. Seeds are nestled in their moist, dark beds dreaming of becoming big strong trees. This is the perfect time for you to be like Nature, still, quiet and listening to your inner muse. Reflection builds life force. In “water time” your resources are charged preparing you for the right moment when the Spring of opportunity ignites your senses. You can call upon your strength and burst forth with vitality to meet the challenge.

“We write to taste life twice. In the moment and in retrospect.”
– Anais Nin

If stress becomes part of your holidays have you considered creating a 15 minute self-care routine to turn down the volume? There is no better therapy than expressing your emotions. Journaling is a kinetic form of dialogue where you wash your mind with pen and paper. Studies show that writing down your thoughts lowers your blood pressure. It also forms a protective shield around your heart and connects you to the essence of who you are. It’s the number one self discovery tool that activates your self love button. 

Design time for you. Recipes For Living Coloring Journal is the perfect comfort and joy companion guide to get started on journaling. I, along with seven other authors, poured our hearts into this banquet of eight impassioned essays because we know how important it is to feed your soul. Experience the power of dreams, movement, sound, Feng Shui, auric healing, art, food and soul healing tips to express what is in your heart. It’s a great excuse to get out your Crayolas and favorite writing pen and express your way to personal wellness in this first volume sponsored by the Holistic Chamber of Commerce.

Some of what you will experience.

Feng Shui: Feeling rested you enjoy the deliciousness of living in the moment. Learn a color scheme that activates the life force centers in your body and a visualization to clear your mind before going to sleep at night.

Dreaming: a dream is most effective and has a lasting impact when it inspires you, the dreamer, to take action. Dialogue with the symbols in your dreams and they will guide you. Learn how to prepare for “capturing” your dream.

Movement: breath and movement create a dynamic synergy to detoxify the body and create positive physical changes. Learn the 7 primal movement patterns to maintain a balanced mental and spiritual state.

Art: unlock your imagination by freeing your feelings. Learn that a scribble drawing is a fun way to release stuck thoughts and emotions. Erase the “creative speed bumps” from your mind when you put them down on a page.   

Food: learn about foods that create “fire in the body”; how inflammation is connected to events in your life and how to change them. A wonderful Turmeric Tea recipe is included.

Sound: your every thought, word and action is recorded in your body. Learn how to use your voice to send soothing vibrations to every cell. Discover how to write about an issue and create its unique sound to heal it. Reflect in silence then journal about the experience.

Auras: an aura is an electromagnetic representation of your Soul that contains valuable information about who you are. Learn that you can write about a current life issue and understand how to use the body temperature changes around you to resolve your problem.

Soul Healing: step into your power and find the deeper meaning in your life. Learn the importance of recognizing your needs. “Me First” helps you to be happier and it helps you to be compassionate towards others. Journal about a time when you didn’t choose “Me First” and what you did to resolve it.

Welcome the light within you when you take 15 minutes of self care. Dialogue with your inner muse using the prompts to write out your thoughts plus give yourself permission to doodle with color to ease your mind. Each chapter ends with a “recipe” to help you integrate the experience.

There is no better time than now, let Recipes For Living Coloring Journal take you there.

Journals are soft bound, 120 pages, 4-color cover, b/w contents. Cost: $16.95 + $6.45 shipping and handling for within the continental Unites States. Go to PayPal bettesteflik@centurylink.net and make a payment “friend to friend” $23.40. Include your mailing address in the comment box. Buying more than one journal? Email me at bette@shenmenfengshui.com for shipping cost.

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”…start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Sacred Space: Incubate Your Dreams In 2016

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“Sacred space is an absolute necessity for anybody today. You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.”
– Joseph Campbell

Contrary to belief that winter is a season of sleep, there is evidence it is a transformative time. While plants and wildlife slumber in dormant bliss, celestial events conspire to help us prepare for the deep well of opportunities coming this year. Winter Solstice the light returns to the Northern hemisphere. The days lengthen and swell with the increasing light. January 1, our inner light is ignited with the entrance of the a new year. Midpoint between Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox, February 4, “Lichun”, the light of Spring arrives. Bursting through the frost, the hearty, winter plum blossom exemplifies forging ahead and so we tackle our plans. The timed cues between Heaven and Earth remind our spirit to renew our vow to ourself and the year ahead. 

Our spirit is the mystical, intangible part of our nature and important because it knows precisely when to act and what makes us happy. If we fail to recognize its value, joy remains beyond our grasp. This is reason alone to honor its place within us and create a space of its own. The highly respected Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth, says of sacred space, “To live in a sacred space is to live in a symbolic environment where spiritual life is possible, where everything around you speaks of the exaltation of the spirit….This is the place of creative incubation…Your sacred space is where you find yourself again and again.”

If you’ve always written out your resolutions it might time to blend them with a spatial solution. Here are some basics to help you create a sacred space that will give you the support you need to incubate your dreams in 2016. You want it to be comfortable and away from noise. It can be a bedroom, study, workspace, a corner of a room, chair or your backyard. Keep in mind it is an intentional space that quiets your mind, frees you from stress and provides peace and healing. 

Create an altar or area where you can place special items to heightened your awareness of withdrawing from the world and honoring time alone. You may place fresh cut flowers, life force such as a plant or plants, an aquarium or a water fountain. Sights and sounds should be pleasing and meaningful. Scent is also a powerful tool to follow a path of awakening. A diffuser or dish of orange or lemon essential oil bring clarity or place a bowl of nine oranges. These add color and good fortune. Burning incense is a form of prayer. These methods engage your five senses and enhance the purification of your mind. If your space only has room for a table with a candle, add natural elements such as a shell from a favorite beach, a rock from a lakeshore or a special piece of wood that you picked up from the mountains. If there is a deity that is near to your heart, a statue or a painting is appropriate. If it is a Buddha statue like Quan Yin, Green Tara or Amitabha Buddha honor it with water offerings, food offerings, incense and candles that are placed on a tier below. Devote 5-30 minutes a day to meditate, journal, read or draw. At first you might feel resistance to getting started but if you select a time each day you can commit to, the demands of the world will vanish as you fall in love with this quiet, still time in your day. And when you leave give gratitude to your space for giving you sustenance and joy.

Have questions about your home? Want to feel more vitality and joy?. There are tried and true Feng Shui design principles that my clients share have garnered them success. I want you too to receive the same opportunity so I created Feng Shui A La Carte to get you there.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.