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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
Benefit from the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui Take a look around you. What do you see? Whether or not you're aware of it, your environment profoundly affects your health, wealth, family life, relationship, and yes, even your destiny. Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway), which means wind water, is the ancient Chinese study of harmony and energy flow between you and your physical surroundings. Now, Feng Shui For Dummies, 2nd Edition shows you how you can apply Feng Shui principles to your home (inside and out) and workplace (from window office to cubicle) in order to achieve a better life. * Principles are explained in an easy-to-understand language * Practical tips show you how to incorporate the traditions of Feng Shui to your everyday life * Before-and-after illustrations and full-color photos of real-life Feng Shui makeovers in an all-new 8-page color insert Free of technical jargon and brimming with practical tips and advice, Feng Shui For Dummies shows you how to feel and access the energy of your environment and create harmony and happiness in your life. P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you're probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Feng Shui For Dummies (9780470769324). The book you see here shouldn't be considered a new or updated product. But if you're in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We're always writing about new topics!
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019
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Feng Shui For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2019945793
ISBN: 978-1-119-64316-6 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-64313-5 (ebk); 978-1-119-64317-3 (ebk)
Feng Shui For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Feng Shui For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
What You’re Not to Read
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started: Feng Shui Made Clear
Chapter 1: Discovering the World of Feng Shui
Demystifying Feng Shui
The Meaning of the Term Feng Shui
Ancient Chinese Secrets: The Big-Picture View of Feng Shui
Unearthing Basic Feng Shui Principles
Understanding the Schools of Feng Shui
Looking at Feng Shui Factors That You Can Use to Your Advantage
Finding Life Solutions with Feng Shui
Getting Additional Help
Chapter 2: Mastering the Principles of Feng Shui
Chi: The Energy of Feng Shui
The Types of Chi
The Flows of Chi
Cultivating Chi
Positioning: Your Place in the Scheme of Things
Presenting the Three Life Pillars
The Psychology of Feng Shui
Basic Pointers for Feng Shui Success
Chapter 3: Unveiling the Secrets of the Octagon
Discovering the Magic of the Octagon
Orienting the Octagon
Troubleshooting Octagon Placement
Changing Your Life with the Octagon
Chapter 4: Picking Up Your Feng Shui Tools
So What Is a Feng Shui Cure?
Using the Three Phases of Your Cures
Opening the Feng Shui Toolbox: Creating Your Cures
Making Minor Additions to Bring about Major Changes
Chapter 5: Harnessing the Energies of the Five Elements
The Energies of the Five Elements
Placing the Five Elements in Your Environment According to the Octagon
The Cycles of the Five Elements
Using the Five Elements in Different Cure Methods
Applying Five Elements Cures for Life Change
Chapter 6: Tapping the Inner Power of Feng Shui
Introducing the Outer and Inner Aspects of Feng Shui
Discovering the Magic of Intention
Applying the Power of Intention to Cures
Revealing the Secrets of the Three Secrets Reinforcement
Frequently Asked Questions about the Three Secrets Reinforcement
Part 2: Energizing Your Home’s Exterior
Chapter 7: Harnessing Nature’s Power to Enhance Your Outdoor Spaces
Looking around the Neighborhood
Investigating and Curing Potential Nearby Negatives
Eliminating Home and Lot Problems
Sitting Pretty: Ideal and Not-So-Ideal Home Positioning
Enlivening Your Lot with Healthy Trees and Plants
Using Color to Empower the Life Areas of Your Property
Engaging the Power of Water
Positioning Outbuildings
Chapter 8: Making the Most of Your Lot and Home Shape
Discovering What Shapes Mean to You
Enjoying Balance: The Positive Effects of Symmetrical Shapes
Defining Projections and Missing Areas
Locating Projections and Missing Areas
Enhancing the Benefits of Projections
Curing Missing Areas
Fixing Irregular Home and Lot Shapes
Chapter 9: Open Sesame! Creating a Welcoming Entry
Recognizing the Importance of the Front Door and Foyer
Dealing with Driveway Issues
Clearing the Way to the Front Door for Natural Chi
Making the Most of the Mouth of Chi
Moving On In: Mastering Interior Entryway Problems and Solutions
Being Aware of Continual First Impressions
Part 3: Feathering the Nest: Nurturing and Nourishing Indoor Spaces
Chapter 10: Reinventing Your Home’s Layout
Looking at Your Home: Front and Back
Finding the Center of Your Home
Addressing Neighboring Rooms
Curing Opposing Doors
Chapter 11: Maximizing Results in the Bedroom
Putting Your Bed in the Commanding Position with Four Important Principles
Exploring Additional Bed Positioning Secrets
Recognizing the Critical Importance of a Good Bed
Improving the Power of Your Bed
Placing Your Master Bedroom in a Powerful Position
Considering Your Bedroom’s Shape and Layout
Enlivening the Entryway into the Bedroom
Remembering the Purpose of the Bedroom
Chapter 12: Now You’re Cookin’: Feng Shui for Your Kitchen
Understanding the Energy of Food
Maximizing Kitchen Location, Layout, and Stove Placement
Looking at the Stove: Your Home’s Energy Generator
Solving Miscellaneous Kitchen Problems
Chapter 13: Home Is Where the “Shui” Is: Enhancing Your Family Areas
The Living Room, Family Room, and Den
The Dining Room
Kids’ Bedrooms
The Bathroom
The Garage
The Basement
Utility Rooms
Chapter 14: Sprucing Up the Bits and Pieces
Doors and Doorways
Windows: The Eyes of Your Home
Angled Walls
Ceilings
Beams
Hallways: A Home’s Main Energy Arteries
Stairs
Pillars, Columns, and Posts
Fireplaces
Chapter 15: Power-Boosting Your Home’s Energy
Lighting Up Your Life to See Positive Results
Adding Life with a Splash of Color
Keeping Things Shipshape and in Working Order
Chapter 16: Improving Your Apartment with Feng Shui
Addressing the Common Fate Principle
Examining Your Building’s Structure
Optimizing Your Living Space
Delving into Details That Make a Big Difference
Chapter 17: Using Feng Shui in Your Office to Enhance Your Career
Using the Feng Shui Octagon and the Five Elements in Your Office
Working with Your Office Layout and Floor Plan
Putting Yourself in the Commanding Position at Work
Making Sure You Have a High-Quality Desk
Part 4: Going to the Next Level: Using Feng Shui for Life Change
Chapter 18: Hitting the Ground Running: Your Fabulous Feng Shui Action Plan
Avoiding the Road to Confusionville
Gathering the Information You Need for Success
Honoring the Importance of Focus
Addressing the Three Life Pillars
Analyzing the Energy of Your Lot and Home
Chapter 19: Taking Care of the Big Three: Your Money, Honey, and Health
Generating Cash Flow
Putting Pizazz Back into Your Partnership
Maximizing Health and Vitality
Enhancing Wealth, Relationships, and Health All at Once
Chapter 20: Looking Before You Leap: Selecting Your Next Home with Feng Shui
Understanding How Feng Shui Can Help You during the Home-Selection Process
Starting Off the Feng Shui Home-Selection Process on the Right Foot
Evaluating a Home’s Feng Shui Features
Assessing and Addressing Predecessor Energies
Chapter 21: Creating New Energy with Feng Shui Blessing Ceremonies
Dealing with Unseen Occupants in Your Home
The Advantages of Feng Shui Blessing Ceremonies
Frequently Asked Questions about Feng Shui Blessing Ceremonies
Tips for Performing Feng Shui Blessing Ceremonies
Out with the Old, In with the New: The Rice Blessing
The Citrus Water Blessing
The Fresh Flowers Home Blessing
Chapter 22: Unleashing the Genie: Personal Feng Shui Empowerment
Putting Bad Luck to Bed
Getting Personal with Feng Shui
Letting the Sun Shine In
Feeling Clean, Clear, and Refreshed with Meditations
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 23: Ten Principles for Success with Your Feng Shui
Retain Your Energy
Pay Attention to Life’s Feedback
Follow Your Intuition and Act with Urgency
Fine-Tune Your Feng Shui
Keep on Keeping On
Work on the Mundane as Well
Continue to Increase Your Knowledge
Keep the Faith
Enlarge the Team
Employ Special Timing for Stronger Cures
Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Finding the Right Consultant and Sticking with the Plan
Gauge Your Commitment Level
Set a Working Budget
Nail Down Your Intentions
Find a Real (Professional) Consultant
Discover What’s Involved in a Consultation
Make Sure the Vibe Is Right
Get Specific Action Items
Just Do It — All of It!
Track Your Cures and Keep Your Eyes Peeled: Change Is A-Comin’
Document Your Life Changes
Chapter 25: Ten Tips for Selling a Home with the Help of Feng Shui
First Things First: Taking Care of Business
Activating Your Helpful People and Money Energies
Enter Buyer, Stage Right
Sending Out Your Message with Sound
Enhancing the Visibility of Your Entrance
Removing Obstacles from Your Entryway
Letting the Good Times Flow with Fountains
Cleaning Like Your Sale Depends on It — ’Cause It Does
Start Moving Now
A Little Birdie Told Me: The Birdseed Cure
Chapter 26: Ten Unique Calligraphies to Bless Your Life
Appendix: Feng Shui Resources
David Daniel Kennedy
Yun Lin Temple Feng Shui Cures
Index
About the Author
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
TABLE 1-1 Life-Assessment Exercise
Chapter 4
TABLE 4-1 Key Colors and Their Attributes
TABLE 4-2 Beneficial Angles for Hanging Bamboo Flutes
Chapter 5
TABLE 5-1 The Five Elements’ Corresponding Physical Representations, Colors, & S...
TABLE 5-2 Creator & Offspring Elements of the Five Elements
Chapter 7
TABLE 7-1 Influence of Home Position on Occupants
TABLE 7-2 Trees and Their Energetic Effects
TABLE 7-3 Using Color in the Yard to Empower Life Areas
Chapter 15
TABLE 15-1 Colors of the Feng Shui Octagon’s Life Areas
Chapter 17
TABLE 17-1 Meanings of Octagon Life Areas for the Office
Chapter 20
TABLE 20-1 Negative and Positive Reasons for Moving
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: The interaction and harmony between yin and yang.
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: Energy flowing within the body.
FIGURE 2-2: Energy circulating in the home and land.
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: Feng Shui Octagon showing the nine Life Areas.
FIGURE 3-2: Octagon showing three front door possibilities.
FIGURE 3-3: Octagon on a home’s floor plan.
FIGURE 3-4: Octagon on a floor entered by a staircase.
FIGURE 3-5: Octagon on a lot plan.
FIGURE 3-6: Octagon placed on each room of a home.
FIGURE 3-7: Octagon on a home with an unusual entrance.
FIGURE 3-8: Octagon on a home with an angled entrance.
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: Various cure tools.
FIGURE 4-2: Flute positions.
FIGURE 4-3: Correct and incorrect ways to hang bamboo flutes.
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: The Creative Cycle of the Five Elements.
FIGURE 5-2: The Destructive Cycle of the Five Elements.
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: Sacred hand gestures.
FIGURE 6-2: The three steps of visualization.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: Cures for T-intersections (a), cul-desacs (b), and one-way streets (...
FIGURE 7-2: A Ba-Gua mirror.
FIGURE 7-3: Oppressed home with Ba-Gua mirror cure on roof.
FIGURE 7-4: Train near home with windmill cures.
FIGURE 7-5: Ideal home position in center of lot, with protective hill behind.
FIGURE 7-6: Home too close to front of lot, with light cures.
FIGURE 7-7: Land sloping away from home with cure (a) and home below road with c...
FIGURE 7-8: Neighbor’s projecting roof ridge with Ba-Gua mirror cure over door.
FIGURE 7-9: Octagonal gazebo in Wealth corner of lot.
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: Using the 50 Percent Rule to identify projections and missing areas.
FIGURE 8-2: Spotting projections and missing areas by using the 33 Percent Rule,...
FIGURE 8-3: Using the 33 Percent Rule, Part 2, to identify projections and missi...
FIGURE 8-4: Missing area of home with statue cure.
FIGURE 8-5: Interior cures for missing areas of a home.
FIGURE 8-6: Missing lot area with light cures.
FIGURE 8-7: Boot-shaped home (a) and cleaver-shaped home (b), with cures.
FIGURE 8-8: Dustpan (a) and money purse (b) lot shapes, with cures for dustpan s...
FIGURE 8-9: Triangular (a) and angled (b) lot shapes and cures.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Steep drive leading down to home below road, with light cures.
FIGURE 9-2: Hidden front doors with convex mirror and light cures.
FIGURE 9-3: Walkway cure for no path from front door to street or garage blockin...
FIGURE 9-4: Upwardleading stairway facing the front door, with cure.
FIGURE 9-5: Mandarin duck stairway with ivy cure.
FIGURE 9-6: Split view upon entering, with mirror cure.
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10-1: Dividing your home in half from front to back.
FIGURE 10-2: Mirror cure for bed (or stove) in the front of the home.
FIGURE 10-3: Cure for bed and toilet on a common wall.
FIGURE 10-4: Cure for a back door in line with a front door.
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11-1: Three placement options for achieving a Commanding Position for you...
FIGURE 11-2: Problem bed positions with cures.
FIGURE 11-3: Commanding Position areas for the bedroom within the home floor pla...
FIGURE 11-4: Treepainted- onwall cure for a bedroom over a garage.
FIGURE 11-5: Feng Shui Octagon placed on the bedroom to show the nine Life Areas...
FIGURE 11-6: Problematic bedroom layouts with cures.
FIGURE 11-7: Master suite with cures.
FIGURE 11-8: Cure for an empty door in a bedroom.
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: Powerful cooking position allowing the cook to see the kitchen door...
FIGURE 12-2: Mirror behind stove enabling the cook to see the door.
FIGURE 12-3: Wind chime or faceted crystal sphere cure for a door behind the coo...
FIGURE 12-4: Wind chime cures for a passthrough kitchen.
FIGURE 12-5: Special bamboo flute over kitchen door that leads outside.
Chapter 13
FIGURE 13-1: Positive versus negative living room furniture placement.
FIGURE 13-2: Positive bed positions for a child’s room.
FIGURE 13-3: Negative bathroom layout showing cure (a) and positive bathroom lay...
FIGURE 13-4: Mirror above toilet/ drain cure.
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: Common door alignments with cures.
FIGURE 14-2: Heartpiercing arrow passing through four doorways.
FIGURE 14-3: Door opening to tight space with mirror cure.
FIGURE 14-4: Angled door with cures.
FIGURE 14-5: Skylight showing a crystal cure.
FIGURE 14-6: Angled wall with light and plant cures.
FIGURE 14-7: Slanted ceiling over bed with wind chime cure.
FIGURE 14-8: Bed under peaked ceiling and beam with flute cure.
FIGURE 14-9: Multiple doors in hallway with mirror cures.
FIGURE 14-10: Spiral staircase with green vine cure.
FIGURE 14-11: Fireplace with nine green plant and mirror cures.
Chapter 17
FIGURE 17-1: Placing the Octagon on a scale drawing of your office.
FIGURE 17-2: Cubicle with plant, fountain, and mirror cures.
FIGURE 17-3: Commanding desk positions (a, b) and mirror cure (c).
FIGURE 17-4: Door behind desk with wind chime cure.
FIGURE 17-5: Full and partial front desk panels.
Chapter 21
FIGURE 21-1: Rice Blessing ingredients and mixing procedure.
FIGURE 21-2: Rice Blessing tossing methods.
FIGURE 21-3: Rice Blessing path around perimeter of property.
FIGURE 21-4: Sprinkling method for Citrus Water Blessing.
Chapter 22
FIGURE 22-1: Marriage Cure steps.
FIGURE 22-2: Great Sunshine Buddha Cure.
FIGURE 22-3: Supreme Yoga Stage 1.
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
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Foreword
From the time I was about 15 or 16 years old, I began studying with Black Sect Tantric Buddhist masters Hui Chieh-fu and Cheng Kuei-ying. In addition to spiritual studies, meditation, calligraphy, poetry, painting, secret cures, holistic healing, and divination, I was most captivated by the study of Feng Shui. In later years, I spread the teaching of Feng Shui to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe, the United States, and other parts of the world. In the last 40 years, I have combined the knowledge of modern architecture, space design, psychology, medicine, spirituality, healing, folkloric cultures of China and Taiwan, Chinese philosophies, Buddhism, and the knowledge of traditional and modern Feng Shui schools and theories to establish a new school in the study of Feng Shui, which is the Black Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui school*. From 1973 to the present, I have been lecturing, teaching, and providing Feng Shui consultations and spiritual guidance in Asia, Europe, the United States, Australia, and Africa.
Many books are now available on the study of Feng Shui, and each one has its own specialty and value. Now that I have read David Daniel Kennedy’s second edition of Feng Shui For Dummies, I feel that this guide is like an instamatic camera, readily usable and easily understood by anyone and everyone without the need for a teacher.
I am truly happy to see that the second edition of Feng Shui For Dummies is coming out. That proves the wide circulation and popularity of this book. From reading this book, the reader can completely understand the true meaning, explanation, techniques, and applications of Feng Shui through the Octagon, Five Elements, Methods of Minor Additions for Adjustments, and the power of the Three Secrets Reinforcement. This book also places special emphasis on the visible elements of Feng Shui, namely the chi (or energy) of the land, the shape of the land and/or lot, the shape of the house, the floor plan, the interior factors, and the exterior factors. Furthermore, the reader can understand the Five Elements and how to apply them to the Feng Shui adjustments, how to use the Methods of Exterior and Interior Chi Adjustments to bless a house, and the Method of Minor Additions to make modifications and improvements to his or her living and working environments. There are more features adding to the second edition of the book, which makes the book even more instrumental, such as Feng Shui for multifamily living; Feng Shui adjustments and transcendental cures for wealth, health, and relationship issues in our daily lives; an action plan for Feng Shui in your house; information on selecting a new home by using Feng Shui principles; and tips for finding a qualified Feng Shui consultant.
The publication of the second edition of Feng Shui For Dummies is much anticipated. The author, Mr. Kennedy, has a smooth penmanship and clear, precise ideas. His writing style and concepts are concise, refreshing, and easy for the reader to understand and accept. This book contains the theories from the Black Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui perspective as well as meditation methods to improve one’s spiritual powers, practical applications, and both mundane and transcendental solutions. Through this book, the author has made great contributions to society. These contributions can help many people who feel at a loss, and they can strengthen the stability of society, increase the well-being of the nation, and create happiness in mankind. Therefore, the publication of Mr. Kennedy’s new book is indeed a great and joyous event for the Black Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui school.
By His Holiness Grandmaster Professor Lin YunTranslated by Crystal Chu and Mary Hsu
* Referred to as Grandmaster Lin Yun’s Feng Shui school in this book.
Introduction
Take a look around you. What do you see? Whether or not you’re aware of it, your environment is profoundly affecting your health, wealth, family life, relationships, and even your destiny.
Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is the ancient Chinese art of improving every part of your life by enhancing your environment according to principles of harmony and energy flow. Since the mid-1990s, Feng Shui has rapidly gained popularity in the West. Today, more and more people from all walks of life are practicing Feng Shui and experiencing the positive benefits of auspicious placement. Many successful individuals now create harmony and happiness in their relationships; increase their prosperity; and dissolve chronic patterns of failure, difficulty, and stress by rearranging their living and working environments according to Feng Shui principles.
Implementing the practical and effective Feng Shui methods in this book allows you to see your surroundings in a new light and notice how your home influences your job, your relationships, your personal health, and every other aspect of your daily experience. You’re able to make new connections between obstacles in your physical space and recurring difficulties in your financial, professional, emotional, or creative life. By following Feng Shui principles, you can have a home environment that helps you achieve success, happiness, and prosperity. In short, through Feng Shui, you can experience how a harmonious environment allows more positive energy to flow through your whole life. And most important, you can understand why Feng Shui has been practiced for thousands of years — because it works!
Feng Shui is neither superstitious magic nor a passing fad. The Chinese have known for millennia that your physical surroundings affect both your inner and your outer life. They recognize the relationship between good Feng Shui and success, prosperity, and happiness. For example, the location of your bed affects your marriage, and the position of your desk affects your attention and work performance — which can mean the difference between a job promotion or demotion. Used by emperors and sages of the East for thousands of years, the Feng Shui principles I present in this book are as effective today as ever. And now you can find out how to make them work for you, too!
About This Book
Although many Feng Shui books crowd the bookstore shelves, finding the right one for you can be a real challenge. Some of the books are more suitable for advanced practitioners and scholars; others contain valuable yet highly complex details of historical, cultural, and theoretical significance. Trying to determine which ones actually work for you can sidetrack you from the pressing goal at hand — changing your home and life for the better.
Enter Feng Shui For Dummies, 2nd Edition, your do-it-yourself guide to no-kidding, cut-to-the-chase, hit-the-ground-running Feng Shui. I wrote this book with you, the on-the-go reader, in mind. In it, I guide you through the fascinating, mysterious art of Feng Shui and give you the practical information you need to improve your environment and life — starting now. I’ve shoehorned and packed every page with the most effective tips and techniques available — methods that address the issues and concerns you encounter in your daily life (don’t worry; I explain them clearly throughout this book). I’ve used these methods in my own life and have seen them work for many. So roll up your sleeves and prepare for action!
The easy, practical steps to effective Feng Shui involve
Feeling and assessing the energy of your home. (It’s easier than you may think!)
Recognizing specifically how your environment is affecting your life right now — and is it ever. Your jaw will drop in amazement as you recognize amazing correlations between home features described in this book and the reality of your daily life.
Properly implementing specific solutions to change your environment so you can feel the before-and-after differences as soon as possible.
For each feature of your home environment that I address, I describe the ideal state and function of that feature. (When I use the word environment in this book, I mean your personal environment, not the rain forest or the ozone layer.) I then show you how your situation may vary from these ideal principles and explain the potential negative consequences. But I don’t leave you high and dry. Instead, I provide you with practical solutions for each problem and tell you which parts of your life benefit when you perform these solutions.
Conventions Used in This Book
I use the following conventions throughout the text to make things consistent and easy to understand:
Key words and phrases in bulleted lists and the action parts of numbered steps appear in
boldface.
New terms appear in
italic
and are followed closely by an easy-to-understand definition; I also use italics for emphasis.
All Web addresses appear in
monofont
.
Some additional important conventions are as follows:
The Feng Shui method I present — called Grandmaster Lin Yun’s Feng Shui school — is unique in several respects. First, it combines ancient Eastern concepts and modern Western approaches. Second, it’s very practical and emphasizes easy-to-implement solutions that require as little time and effort as possible. For more on this type of Feng Shui and how it differs from traditional Feng Shui (which is also effective and valid), see
Chapter 1
.
When I use the term
Life Area
throughout the book, I’m referring to specific areas of your physical space (such as the Wealth Area), not areas of your life (such as your financial situation). Life Areas are sections of the Feng Shui Octagon that you place on the plan of your home or lot; see
Chapter 3
for more information.
The Three Secrets Reinforcement I present in
Chapter 6
is an important part of all cures. It should always be performed in conjunction with the physical part of a cure, even when a particular cure doesn’t explicitly say to do so.
All hanging cures (such as faceted crystal spheres and wind chimes) should be hung from a red ribbon or string cut to a multiple of 9 inches in length, even if this step isn’t specifically noted within the description of such a cure.
What You’re Not to Read
I like to think that you’re going to read every single word I’ve written in this book, but I also know that you’re busy and eager to start applying Feng Shui’s secrets right away. If you’re short on time, feel free to skip the sidebars (those gray-shaded boxes sprinkled throughout the chapters); they’re full of interesting information but aren’t essential to your understanding and application of Feng Shui.
Foolish Assumptions
In this book, I make several assumptions about you, the reader.
You’re interested in finding out how your surroundings affect you and how you can affect them — and improve your life by doing so.
You want to make your home more harmonious and beautiful, improve your luck, nurture your relationships, and increase your prosperity.
You don’t want to be overwhelmed by overly mysterious or complex theories and methods that require years of study.
You have an open mind and are ready to discover new and interesting ways to understand the world and improve your situation.
You’re eager to act, get moving, and make things happen.
Feng Shui is action-oriented; you get as much out of it as you put into it. When you prime a pump, it takes a bit of initial effort before the water starts to flow. In the same way, after you prime your Feng Shui pump by arranging your spaces according to Feng Shui principles, the energy of harmony, creativity, and abundance starts to flow into every part of your life.
How This Book Is Organized
Like all For Dummies books, Feng Shui For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is organized to make tons of useful information easily accessible. This book includes five main parts. Here’s how I divvy it up.
Part 1: Getting Started: Feng Shui Made Clear
Part 1 explains the basic Feng Shui principles you need in order to apply the practical methods found throughout this book. I explain what Feng Shui is — and what it isn’t. I also explain how the main schools of Feng Shui differ from each other and where Grandmaster Lin Yun’s Feng Shui school — the one this book uses — fits into the general scheme of Feng Shui. In addition, I define core concepts of Feng Shui, show you how to map the energy of your personal space by using the Feng Shui Octagon, and help you harness the energies of the Five Elements.
Part 2: Energizing Your Home’s Exterior
Part 2 deals with the great outdoors — the outside of your home, that is. Just as you live in your home, your home lives in the land or property it sits on. From your neighborhood to your street and right up to your front door, I show you how to align the energies of nature to assist your personal progress. In addition, this part explains how to recognize positive and negative home positions on lot and landscape, counteract nearby negative features, and use the beneficial effects of vegetation and flowing water.
In this part, I also delve into the vital matter of shapes. The shapes of your lot, your home, and even the rooms within your home powerfully influence your life path in that residence. Additionally, I show you how to make the most of your approach — the path by which energy (and money) either flows in to nourish your dwelling or is blocked, creating a lack of vitality.
Part 3: Feathering the Nest: Nurturing and Nourishing Indoor Spaces
Part 3 takes you indoors to consider your home’s interior. I show you how to read your home’s floor plan to see how the layout is benefiting or harming your life. I walk you through each room and give you practical tips for improving its energy. In addition, I explain the importance of features such as doors, stairs, windows, and beams. I also explain how to improve your home’s energy with lighting, color, and everyday maintenance. If you live in an apartment, condominium, or other multiunit structure, I provide special guidance for you in this part, too.
The last chapter in this part includes suggestions for creating the unfair advantage just about everyone can use at work. Whether you work at home or in a cubical on your office building’s 23rd floor, I show you how to apply easy Feng Shui cures to make the most of your work environment.
Part 4: Going to the Next Level: Using Feng Shui for Life Change
In Part 4, I start with a quick and effective action plan for using Feng Shui; then I provide tips for getting what you want with Feng Shui in the areas of wealth, relationships, and health. I also give you tips for selecting your next home with the help of Feng Shui.
Also in this part, I present ceremonies that help you clear unwelcome energies from your home and increase your good fortune. (And no, this isn’t a recipe for getting rid of your significant other!) In addition, Part 4 deals with a unique and effective branch of Feng Shui: performing special cures directly on yourself, instead of on your home, to enhance your personal energy.
Part 5: The Part of Tens
The Part of Tens provides ten key principles for getting the most out of your Feng Shui cures. I also include ten hints for choosing a qualified Feng Shui consultant and ten pointers for selling a home with the help of Feng Shui. Closing out Part 5 is a special treat: ten calligraphy blessings for your home created by my mentor, Grandmaster Lin Yun.
Icons Used in This Book
In the margins of this book are several helpful icons that can make your Feng Shui journey easier:
If you want to tackle more-involved Feng Shui tips, follow the special cures given next to this icon. These remedies are some of the most potent solutions around.
This icon indicates a real-life Feng Shui story that illustrates some aspect or result of using Feng Shui. I share such stories because you can discover a lot from the experiences of others.
This icon sits next to key details you need to keep in mind in order to have success with your Feng Shui cures.
Text marked with this bull’s-eye icon gives helpful Feng Shui pointers and information.
This icon tells you when to sit up and take notice. Something in your environment may be harming you, and changing it can save you a heap of trouble down the road.
Where to Go from Here
You may not choose to read this book from cover to cover, although you can read it this way if you want. For first-time Feng Shui-ers, Chapter 1 answers the question: “What is Feng Shui?” Its overview gives you the understanding you need to implement the practical suggestions found throughout the book. If you’re familiar with the basic concepts of Feng Shui, you can use the table of contents or the index to jump directly to the chapter that provides the information you’re looking for. Also, be sure to follow the references I provide within the book; they lead you to related material located in other chapters.
The helpful illustrations throughout the text clarify key points and demonstrate how you should perform specific cures. If an illustration differs from your particular situation, simply adapt the suggested remedy to fit your circumstances. On the other hand, in many cases, specific details can mean the difference between an effective solution and one that produces less-than-adequate results. For instance, if I recommend using a bamboo flute, don’t use a chopstick and expect to get the same result! When I emphasize particular details as being critically important, I recommend sticking with them to the best of your ability.
Part 1
Getting Started: Feng Shui Made Clear
IN THIS PART …
Feng Shui is the study of the interaction between you and your environment. Feng Shui in action is jumping out of your current mold and applying tips, tricks, and techniques to reform your living environment, forge a new relationship with your space, and become happier in the process. Intriguing, no?
To get started practicing Feng Shui, you need some of the basics. Then you can move on to the really heavy Feng Shui firepower. In this part, I give you the lowdown on Feng Shui and the key principles that make it work. You’re then fortified to move on and discover how to map the energy of your home (trust me, it’s easier than it sounds). You can also grab an armful of effective Feng Shui changes (also known as cures) that you can apply anywhere you want. Last but not least, I let you in on one of the biggest Feng Shui secrets around: how to use the inner power of intention and motivation to make your Feng Shui solutions zing!
Chapter 1
Discovering the World of Feng Shui
IN THIS CHAPTER
Orienting yourself to Feng Shui
Getting grounded with some basic principles
Grasping the differences between Feng Shui schools
Uncovering solutions to your life problems
Everyone appreciates the benefits of beautiful, comfortable living environments. America’s flourishing landscaping and decorating industries attest to this fact. But Feng Shui says your interior and exterior surroundings affect not only your material comfort but also your physical and mental health, relationships, and worldly success. Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) examines how the energy of your environment (including your neighborhood, property, and home) intimately interacts with and influences your personal energy. Your personal energy flow determines how you think and act, which in turn affects how well you perform and succeed in your personal and professional life. Feng Shui affects you every moment of the day — whether you’re aware of it or not.
The purpose of this book is to help you perform effective Feng Shui corrections. In this chapter, I present a brief overview of Feng Shui methods and show you how Feng Shui can bring increased abundance, improved relationships, and better health to your life.
If you’re new to Feng Shui, try to keep an open mind as you read. (A closed mind is bad Feng Shui!) When you’re ready, select the methods and techniques that are most appropriate for your particular circumstances.
Demystifying Feng Shui
If you’ve read other Feng Shui books, you may find seemingly contradictory advice a bit confusing. Before I delve into the essence of Feng Shui, I want to help clear up some common Feng Shui misconceptions. Feng Shui isn’t
A method of Oriental design that guarantees get-rich-quick results from mystically rearranging your furniture.
A superstitious, New Age belief system that’s disconnected from the reality of your daily life.
A simple home and garden makeover.
A magical quick fix to be tackled in one afternoon.
A luxury only the rich and famous can afford.
A method chiefly concerned with the interior of your home. (In Feng Shui, your interior and exterior environments are equally important.)
Now on to the million-dollar question: What is Feng Shui?
On the surface, Feng Shui is simply the interaction of humans and their environments. Taken a step further, Feng Shui allows you to strategically influence these interactions to achieve specific life improvements by positioning or designing your surroundings in harmony with principles of natural energy flow. As a result, you can achieve harmony with your surroundings. Feng Shui helps you right where you live and work.
Feng Shui is the study of the relationships between the environment and human life. Feng Shui principles were discovered by the Chinese, and Feng Shui has been practiced for centuries to design environments that enhance conditions for harmony, well-being, and success in life.
Feng Shui is often referred to as the art of placement. How you position yourself on the globe and in your particular region, and how you orient yourself to your surroundings, help determine your life experience at every level. Feng Shui offers a unique way of looking at yourself and your environment. It also provides ways to bring balance, comfort, and harmony into your environment in a manner that’s difficult to achieve by other means.
Interesting bits of historical Feng Shui confirmation are starting to emerge. For example, recent scientific research indicates that more than 28,000 years ago, Neanderthal cavemen (located in present-day Croatia) chose which caves to live in based on three criteria: The caves held the high ground in the area, the surrounding area was easily seen from the entrance of the cave, and the water source was easily accessible. Interestingly, all three criteria are in harmony with the basic principles of Feng Shui, which has evolved and become more sophisticated along with humankind. The survival of these early humans significantly depended on how well they adapted to their surroundings — a fact that shows that even our primitive ancestors were aware of the effects of placement in their environment. Well, trust me when I say that Feng Shui is as relevant and beneficial to humankind today as it was more than 28,000 years ago.
The Meaning of the Term Feng Shui
Feng Shui is a term composed of two Chinese words: feng (wind) and shui (water). Wind and water are natural elements that flow, move, and circulate everywhere on Earth. They’re also basic necessities for human survival. Wind — or air — is the breath of life; without it, you die in moments. Water is the liquid of life; without it, you die in days. The combined qualities of wind and water determine the climate, which historically has determined mankind’s food supply and in turn affects people’s lifestyle, health, energy, and mood. These two fundamental flowing elements have always profoundly yet subtly influenced human individuals and societies.
The essence of these life-giving elements is chi, or life force. Wind and water are important carriers of chi, and their flowing quality reflects their essential nature. Feng Shui is the art of designing environments that attract and harness the beneficial flow of chi, and this flow supports and enhances one’s personal chi or life force. (Find out more about the energy called chi in Chapter 2.)
THE ENVIRONMENT RULES! FENG SHUI FACTORS HAVE DETERMINED THE PATH OF HUMAN CULTURE
Many respectable, successful, and highly intelligent Western individuals are recognizing and applying in their own lives the basic premise behind Feng Shui — that your immediate environment affects you on a daily basis and can influence your long-term destiny. One individual who’s deeply aware of these ideas has written a great book on the topic. Jared Diamond, biologist and author, won the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction for his book Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (W.W. Norton & Company). Written after years of research, Diamond’s book explains why some societies and peoples developed farming, then writing, then steel, and finally higher technologies, while other societies remained in hunter-gatherer mode.
Previous theories that attempted to explain this difference of cultures included racial factors, intelligence differences among peoples, and an evolutionary head start (or the lack of one). After examining all of these factors, Diamond decided that none of them satisfactorily explained the puzzling differences in human cultural and technological progression. Though his book doesn’t discuss Feng Shui, he finally comes to this conclusion: Throughout human history, the dominant factor that has determined the evolutionary destiny and rate of progress among human societies has been the quality and types of environments in which they’ve lived. Feng Shui strikes again!
Ancient Chinese Secrets: The Big-Picture View of Feng Shui
Feng Shui is rooted in a holistic worldview. It sees all things and creatures as part of a natural order, a vast environment that’s, alive and in flux, ever moving and changing. All things in this natural order are equally alive and possess an energetic value or component. Everything — plants, animals, people, and things — exists in a vast landscape that swirls with vital energy.
The same energy that flows through the world flows through you as well. In fact, according to this view, your essence — the part of you that makes you alive, unique, and vital — is this energy. And your body is the vehicle or environment through which this energy flows.
Feng Shui divides the vast environment or landscape that is the universe into more manageable units — like human beings and their homes, property, living rooms, and bedrooms. You can’t control the Feng Shui of the world at large, but you can design your personal environment according to the same universal principles of energy flow by which planets spin in their orbits and galaxies wheel through space. I delve deeper into this energy, which is the basis for Feng Shui, in Chapter 2.
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF FENG SHUI
Feng Shui has been practiced in one form or another for several thousand years. Its origins reach back to China’s ancient shamanic practices and nature-based religions. The earliest Feng Shui comprised a mixture of divination, ritual, magic, and ancestor worship. It was practiced as a means of integrating one’s earthly life, embedded in nature, with the world of chi or energy. In ancient times, gravesites were carefully selected according to energetic (or Feng Shui) principles with the thought that happy ancestors were more likely to promote favorable fortunes for their descendents. Eventually these principles were brought into common use and applied for the benefit of the living to improve the quality of their daily lives.
Feng Shui energy principles were also used to predict the weather; to determine the best times to plant crops; and to fix dates, times, locations, and positions for building sites. These principles were even applied to decide when to wage war and where battles should be fought.
Systems similar to Feng Shui have evolved in other cultures throughout the world. In India, practices used to create harmony with the environment are called Vastu Shastra and Sthapatya Veda (both methods of aligning human spaces with the natural forces of the universe). The Japanese use a related method. Going back in time, Celtic and medieval European cultures used magical methods such as geomancy (literally “earth magic”) to influence their relationship with their environment, align themselves with the power of the land, and improve their earthly lives.
Unearthing Basic Feng Shui Principles
Examining a few basic Feng Shui concepts, such as yin and yang and the Three Realms of Influence, can help get you started thinking in Feng Shui terms and help you better understand your environment and its effects on you. (Note: If you’re already aware of the basics of Feng Shui, you can skim the rest of this chapter and go straight to Chapter 3.)
The ancient Chinese not only determined that the universe was composed of two complementary energy principles — yin and yang — but also assigned three categories into which these two essences flowed — Heaven, Earth, and Human. The ancient philosophers made an intensive study over many generations to discover how these interconnected categories could be manipulated or influenced in order to improve one’s personal life, fortune, and destiny. Feng Shui was developed out of this prolonged and profound consideration. Read on to further examine these primary elements.
Yin and yang
Everything in the universe is made up of two opposite yet complementary principles or qualities: yin and yang. Yin symbolizes the passive side of nature, and yang represents the active side. But yin and yang don’t exist independently; they simply describe the two primary qualities in which all existing things partake. Therefore, nothing is 100 percent yin or 100 percent yang; all things contain relative amounts of both yin and yang energy.
Figure 1-1 shows the symbolism of yin and yang interacting. The white fish symbolizes yang, and the black fish shows yin. Note how each quality carries the color of its opposite within itself, showing that within all things is the seed for potential change.
FIGURE 1-1: The interaction and harmony between yin and yang.
Things with characteristics such as passivity, receptiveness, silence, darkness, and inwardness represent yin. In contrast, things with active, hard, projecting, loud, and bright characteristics represent yang. Neither is better than the other, and both are necessary for life and the universe to exist. As philosophical concepts, yin and yang poetically describe the dualistic world. Nothing is completely good or pure, just as no one is totally evil or without redeeming qualities. Everything that exists is in some way a mixture of yin and yang. This is an important basis of Feng Shui thinking.
In Feng Shui terms, a too-yang environment is disturbing and leads to the loss of peace and harmony. For example, a bedroom facing a noisy street can rob you of the quality rest you need because there’s too much disturbance or yang energy present for restful sleep. On the other hand, an overly yin area — like an office looking out onto a dark narrow alley — can cause you to become overly subdued and lethargic and can limit your energy and efficiency. Similarly, an overly yin entrance to a residence — one that’s hidden and dark — may not attract enough money or energy. Note that the yin and yang levels are relevant to the specific envirionents; each environment has an appropriate balance of yin and yang energies.
Yin and yang can also describe activities, events, and even emotions. For instance, a funeral is usually yin in nature (think quiet, sober, and subdued). On the other hand, the Super Bowl is the epitome of yang energy (think active, colorful, noisy, and intense). If you’re overly yang, your emotional state is angry or explosive. But if you’re overly yin, you can become withdrawn or depressed. To help you counteract or enhance certain qualities and tendencies, you can design your environment according to Feng Shui. At their essence, all the Feng Shui cures you discover are ways of balancing the yin and yang within you and your environment.
The Three Realms of Influence
Another important Chinese model for looking at life is called the Three Realms of Influence. This concept relates to Feng Shui because Feng Shui excels as a way of influencing the destiny with which a person starts. Three realms of the universe influence you — Heaven, Earth, and Human. These areas are both literal (they actually exist) and figurative (they symbolically influence you). To get the most out of your life circumstances, you want positive conditions in each of these Realms. On the other hand, a powerful way of improving your circumstances is to pay close attention to these Realms and begin to move into alignment with the best that they can offer.
Through the centuries, the Three Realms of Influence have become associated with three types of luck, one for each realm. According to Chinese belief, aligning your life — your activities and thoughts — with the natural order of all three Realms brings you improved luck and success. Feng Shui is a fundamental method that follows this principle. The following sections help you better understand each of the Three Realms of Influence.
HOW THE EAST CAME WEST
During the latter half of the 20th century, the Oriental mindset infiltrated the West in several different waves. In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Beat Generation discovered Zen Buddhism, meditation, and haiku poetry, and in the 1970s, Oriental martial arts (including karate and kung fu) started to gain popularity. In the 1970s and 1980s, acupuncture, acupressure, macrobiotics, yoga, and tai chi also became very popular; their use and influence continue to grow by leaps and bounds. In the 1990s, Feng Shui burst onto the scene, and its popularity has grown enormously. More than just a passing fad, the main reason for this surge in Feng Shui awareness is that people in the West started to experience amazing and exciting results from the applications of Feng Shui in their lives. Many Westerners have experienced the positive life benefits that come from arranging their homes and offices according to the timeless principles of Feng Shui. And all the Oriental systems I mention (martial arts, acupuncture, tai chi, and so on) are based on the same fundamental insights into the energy (chi) that flows everywhere, in the environment, in your body, and throughout the universe.
Analyzing the Western approach to life in light of the Three Realms of Influence shows that most people rely first on themselves and their associates or family (Human luck), then on providence (Heaven luck), and very little (if at all) on environmental circumstances (Earth luck) — that’s Feng Shui to you and me — mainly because they don’t know it exists. In reality, all three Realms are equally important. By waking up to the power and influence of Feng Shui, you can increase your luck and grow into your fullest potential.
The Heaven Realm
Heavenly energy physically influences you daily through the climate, atmosphere, and air quality. Miracles and other unexpected interventions from above are considered to be the workings of heaven. (Perhaps you’ve heard someone exclaim, “The heavens opened!” when describing an inspiration or a narrow escape from danger.) The Heaven Realm is also connected to you through the place and time of your birth.
Positive timing, which is somewhat easier to control than heavenly help, also falls under the category of the Heaven Realm. To have Heaven luck is to have proper or auspicious timing for your endeavors. To realize your greatest chances for prosperity and good fortune, plans should be started at the best possible times (the times with the most favorable chances for success).
The Earth Realm
The Earth Realm provides humans with all the materials needed to sustain life: food, shelter, clothing, and so on. According to Feng Shui, the way humans position and orient themselves relative to their surroundings affects their welfare and destiny enormously. Applying Feng Shui to your environment maximizes the positive influences and minimizes the negative influences of the environment on your life. Early Chinese thinkers described the good fortune achieved by powerful and positive positioning as Earth luck. (Of course, humans affect the Earth as well. The best practice of Feng Shui helps humans live in harmony with the environment.)
The Human Realm
The third Realm that affects your life is the Human Realm. In addition to auspicious timing (Heaven luck) and proper positioning (Earth luck), you
