The nature of chi is that it is continuously in a state of change. And so the chi of any living space is subject to small, but imperceptibly shifting, forces. The key to feng shui success is therefore to arrange your space as best you can, given the physical constraints of your home and the budgetary constraints of your pocket, and then to take careful note of the time taboos – the change of chi patterns that affect the energy of your home from year to year.
In Chapter 8 I have simplified the application of time dimensional feng shui forces that change each year (see Tips 182-188.) Overcoming the afflictions of time on your feng shui is not difficult to do. You simply have to observe certain annual taboos, and place specific antidotes to the afflicted sectors of your home, paying particular attention to those areas that feature strongly in feng shui manifestations of good and bad luck.
An attitude for success
At all times you should have a very relaxed attitude and enjoy the practice of feng shui. Do not conjure unhealthy and ridiculous expectations in your mind. Feng shui cannot create instant miracles. It cannot make you win the lottery – it won’t bring immediate wealth or a new love relationship overnight. But yes, good feng shui works pretty fast in that it often takes only nine days for you to notice a difference in the chi within your home.
Also, take note that feng shui accounts for only one-third of your luck – our “earth luck.” The other components of one’s destiny is the “heaven luck” that you are born with – one’s fate, karma, or fortune as written in the stars (that part of our luck over which we have little control,) and what I term our own intrinsic “mankind luck” – the luck that we create as a result of actions and attitudes. This, like feng shui luck, is the type of luck over which we have control. So, when you practice feng shui with a healthy, positive attitude, the possibility of fast, direct benefits increases tremendously.
I have to say that I have always practiced feng shui with the kind of motivation which I believe enhances its power even more – in that for me, feng shui is merely a means to an end. I use feng shui to improve the quality of my relationships, to bring happiness to members of my immediate and extended family, and to make my life more meaningful and fulfilled by being able to make a positive difference to the everyday lives of others. So for me personally, feng shui has brought a fulfillment way beyond my wildest dreams.
Today I am doing what I truly love – which is writing good, successful books on subjects with which I feel an affinity, and which I know have the potential to bring great measures of delight and happiness to others. Feng shui is one of my favorite subjects simply because it is both fascinating and potent. What has been quite amazing to me is its stunning depth. Feng shui can be approached from so many angles and in such a variety of ways. I am continually learning and, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know in the vast world of knowledge that feng shui represents.
Like an onion, feng shui represents a wonderful sphere of knowledge; its philosophy, rituals, and symbols represent layer upon layer of marvellous new horizons. The scope of the practice is truly remarkable. So with this book I invite you to take your first tentative steps into the world of feng shui or, if you are already a practitioner, to benefit equally from the Tips contained within.
I want you to taste the potency of feng shui and enjoy healthy, friendly, and auspicious chi in your space before going deeper. I hope that this book brings you many moments of enjoyment as you improve the chi of your space. More importantly, I ask that the Tips in this book will answer the prayers of those most in need of feng shui help.
You can write to me at my email address, [email protected]. I can’t answer all my letters, but I do read them. Please ensure your letter is not more than fifty words, and I will try to reply.
Lillian Too, Kuala Lumpur October 2000
1 – a feng shui view of the living space
As the world becomes increasingly familiarized with feng shui, this ancient Chinese practice brings ever-growing benefits to those who apply it in their homes.
Feng shui, which literally means wind and water, promises a way of arranging space so that it brings residents good fortune while simultaneously reducing misfortune. Feng shui has gained popularity because many people are discovering that it works, and that it does not have to be difficult to bring fast results. It is easy to use at different levels, and many people are now convinced that at least some working knowledge of feng shui is necessary when setting up home, buying a new home or simply assessing one’s existing living space. It is becoming so sought after that people are finding themselves wishing that they knew exactly how to get started without having to plough through reams of books and, more importantly, without getting confused by the proliferation of feng shui literature now available.
This book on easy and practical feng shui deals with feng shui that is within the control of the average person. Solutions to feng shui afflictions usually take account of practical considerations – after all, we must work with what we’ve got. So space limitations, general immovability of doors, the presence of overhead beams, of missing corners and so forth, which often represent afflictions one cannot do much about, have a lower priority here than those aspects of the practice that can be more easily applied, thereby enhancing your feng shui overall.
Start by understanding that there are four different aspects to the practice of feng shui: exterior feng shui, interior feng shui, the importance of orientations, and time dimension feng shui, which are dealt with separately in the next four Tips.
With your floor plan and the orientations of important rooms, you can improve your feng shui.
Note some impressions – look at the size, shape, and flow of chi, or energy, within the home.
Take the orientation of the main door and see if anything is hurting it.
Get yourself oriented correctly. Use a compass to mark out the different sectors.
Superimpose the directions onto a floor plan of your home, and note the compass sector of important rooms.
Feng shui at home begins with a floor plan.
2 – the first aspect: exterior feng shui
This is the feng shui of the outside environment that surrounds an office building or your home. Different factors are considered that can affect whether the site is considered auspicious.
Exterior feng shui involves assessing a landscape in order to study the effects of mountains, hills, rivers waterways, roads, shapes, and the configuration of contours.
The external view gives you a bigger picture of feng shui, but your surroundings are usually way outside the average person’s control. Even when you know how to detect good and bad landscape feng shui, you are seldom in a position to do much about it. In modern-day living, especially in towns and cities, the practice of landscape feng shui often presents insurmountable physical and budgetary constraints.
Old traditions
The Chinese believe that every site is surrounded by four protective animal spirits: the black tortoise, the phoenix, the green dragon, and the white tiger. When