Mind, Body, Home: Transform Your Life One Room at a Time (7 page)

For example, a few years ago I did a feng shui consultation for a fam-

ily that started experiencing a series of negative events as soon as they moved into their home. They were so disenfranchised with their home

and situation that they were ready to move. The only problem was that

there were so many other homes on their street that were either for sale or had been foreclosed upon that the value of their home was reduced

to the point they couldn’t afford to get out. So they decided to try feng shui. During the consultation, I discovered that the problems with their home were a combination of a faulty floor plan and an energetic toxic-ity that ran through the neighborhood. These issues combined with the

occupants overall negativity further spawned more negativity.

When I tapped into the land, I intuitively picked up that the land

had been the site of slavery, abuse, and perhaps even massacre. There

was a darkness that pervaded the area. What looked like any other sub-

urban subdivision in America was the site of a darker energy that was

still affecting residents centuries later. I cleared the home and land on which the house sat and instructed the occupants with what they could

do to continue healing the home and the land.

In those cases where we find ourselves in a home containing a

darker energy, it is our obligation to transmute the energy to a higher vibration. Even if you are without the knowledge or don’t feel equipped to do it yourself, consider hiring a feng shui consultant or energy

28 Your Home’s Origin

clearer. In doing so, you will help heal the home, the land, the planet, and yourself.

History of the Neighborhood

Just as it is important to learn as much about the history of your home before purchasing, so is the case with the neighborhood. In the example above, you can see how history continues to impact the neighborhood

for decades, if not centuries, later. Patterns become set into the land and have a tendency to repeat themselves. Find out as much as you can

about the area in which you live or desire to live.

Does the area have an affluent history? Was it the site of a Civil War

battle? Is there a history of flooding, tornadoes, or other natural disasters? Have there been any incidents of toxic spills or higher rates of cancer? Was it the former site of a dump? I know that sounds extreme,

but it happens. There is a large office park in Nashville built on top of a former landfill. According to rumors, discarded appliances will rear

their heads on occasion.

Neighbors

Neighbors are a great indication of a neighborhood. Do neighbors seem

happy? Is there an aliveness about the street or neighborhood? Are there positive indications, such as people strolling with babies, walking dogs, or riding bikes? Or do you hear loud music, cars, or, god forbid, yelling?

Regardless of your neighborhood, you will most likely find yourself

with less than perfect neighbors at some point. If you find yourself in a situation where neighbors become a major thorn in your side, there are

feng shui remedies you can try before resorting to moving.

What is a Feng Shui Remedy?

One of the great things about feng shui is there is a remedy or feng shui cure for just about anything. Whether it is a floor plan flaw, maligned energy, or stagnant chi, it can be remedied in feng shui. Energy cannot be destroyed, but can be transformed. Some feng shui cures are simple

Your Home’s Origin 29

and cost nothing, whereas others may require a financial investment

depending on the severity of the situation.

Many people associate crystals, toads, and red tassels with feng shui.

And, yes, that is correct. For example, hanging crystal prisms are fre-

quently used in feng shui to help circulate and balance the energy in a defined space. Mirrors are commonly used tools to activate or redirect

energy when needed. Other tools, such as tassels and totems, are used

in rituals and blessings to invoke an intentional energy into the space.

All of these feng shui accessories can be purchased in a metaphysical

shop or online, if desired.

Feng shui cures can also include moving furniture around, painting

a room, a blessing, or simply shifting your intention. In extreme situations, a feng shui cure may be moving altogether, remodeling, or land-

scaping. Throughout the book, I will suggest feng shui remedies and

cures as they come up. However, in cases of severe issues in a home,

calling in a feng shui consultant may be advisable. Similar to your body, sometimes you can heal yourself and other times you need to see a doctor or other professional.

Selecting a Home Site

Once you’ve found a general area or neighborhood that resonates with

you, the next step is to find a house, lot, or unit that speaks to you. There are many feng shui considerations to take into account when selecting a home site. How the wind and water shaped the land, the quality of soil, and movement or proximity of water was the original focus of feng shui.

These considerations were taken into account in selecting sites for farming, abodes, rituals, burials, and even war over two thousand years ago.

Although conquering and settling new lands and territories isn’t

part of our modern-day life, selecting an auspicious site for new con-

struction is still an important consideration, not to mention selecting a pre-existing home site. After the 2010 flood in Nashville, locals appreciated the concept of carefully choosing a home based on how the wind

blows and the water flows as certain neighborhoods were completely

submerged by raging rivers and floodwaters.

30 Your Home’s Origin

Being conscious of our lot or home site often translates into dollar

signs. While people may not think of it in terms of feng shui, there is definitely a monetary price on lots depending on the feng shui of the

land. Generally, homes in flood-prone areas are priced less than average.

Homes sitting among rolling hills are generally considered favorable

and come with a higher price tag. In most cities, it is the most affluent neighborhoods that are located in areas with the best feng shui, such

as the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, West Hills in Portland, and the

Artist Road in Santa Fe. Even within a high-rise condo, the prices esca-late the higher the floor a condo is located.

In my neighborhood, prices are fairly consistent per square footage

until you come to one particular street that is extremely oppressed. The street drops into a deep ravine, inherently decreasing the property values. In a historical neighborhood that has gentrified over the last twenty years, these homes are the only ones that have not been renovated or

rebuilt. Even the original homes are smaller and built of lesser quality than the original homes surrounding this street in the neighborhood.

Using Feng Shui

to Analyze a Home Site

From a feng shui perspective, there are many factors to consider in selecting a home site. For example, does the site sit above or below street level?

Do surrounding roads point directly at the home or does it sit along a

meandering roadway? Do neighboring rooflines point down onto your

house? Is the home energetically protected? Are there beneficial trees and landscaping around the home, or are they blocking beneficial chi?

In considering the land and exterior of spaces, the Form School

is the premier source most feng shui practitioners look to. The Form

School is considered to be the original type of feng shui practiced, originating in China six thousand years ago to located burial sites. When

feng shui secrets began leaking out, offshoots of the practice began taking off in different directions. As a result, there are a number of different schools, or theories, of feng shui. While the Black Hat Sect Tantric Tibetan Buddhism (known as Black Hat or BTB Feng Shui) is the most

Your Home’s Origin 31

commonly used feng shui theory in the West, the Form School is still

the predominant theory used for the site or the exterior of a space. This is also referred to as Landscape Feng Shui.

According to the Form School, the ideal terrain for a home would be

slightly elevated, protected from the North wind, set among rolling hills, with a view of meandering waterways, surrounded by lush, green vegeta-tion. Does this sound like your home? Most likely not. For most of us,

this sounds more like a fantasy than reality. While it may seem impractical with where you live, it is attainable when used as a template.

Instead of rolling hills behind you, you could have a protective row

of trees, another structure, or shrubs. Instead of a moat or babbling brook in front, you could have a birdbath or fountain. And instead of

having rows of orchard trees, you could have a vegetable garden in your backyard or a container garden on your balcony. The same principles

apply regardless of where you live and what your existing site provides.

Black Turtle

White Tiger

Green Dragon

Red Phoenix

The Four Animal Totems of Form School Feng Shui

The overall goal is to harness the beneficial earth energies around

you and to strike a balance of all of the amazing elements that are available on our planet. For example, living near a rushing waterfall in an

already damp, moist ecosystem and adding a swimming pool would be

32 Your Home’s Origin

too much water. Living at the base of a rock mountain with no trees or

greenery would be too much rock.

The metaphor used in selecting a site or enhancing your existing lot

is that of an armchair. Imagine your home sitting in the seat of an armchair with a protective back behind you, lower armrests on each side,

and a wide-open space looking out from the front door. This configura-

tion comes from the Form School that uses animal totems to represent

the four cardinal directions of a site.

Although each animal represents an energy of one of the cardinal

directions, it is the armchair-shape of the animal totems that is most important in selecting a site. If your home happens to face South, then the animal totems will be consistent with the four directions on your

home site. But for Eastern, Western, or Northern-facing homes that

will not be the case. Instead of using the animal totems in relation to the directions, you will use the armchair configuration as your guide.

If you are not aware of what direction your home faces, I would en-

courage you to get to know your home in relation to the Sun. We are

usually attuned to the sides of the home on which the sun rises and sets.

It is also usually apparent which side of the home gets the warm, Southern exposure of the sun versus the darker, Northern exposure of the

wind. When purchasing a home this is an important consideration for the purpose of orienting your living spaces to the sun. Whether you live in a hot or cold climate will affect how important it is to access the sunlight in your home. Regardless of how your home sits in relation to the compass

direction, the general shape around your home should ideally be that of the armchair, represented by the following animal totems.

The Black Turtle

The Black Turtle hill sits behind the house. It supports the back of the house similar to the back of an armchair. The shape of the Black Turtle can be accomplished by a natural hill, a building structure, a row of

trees, a built-up garden, or a line of evergreens or bamboo stalks. This gives the home and its occupants a protective and supportive energy

and represents longevity. You never want a turtle hill in front of the house as this will present obstacles for the occupants.

Your Home’s Origin 33

The Green Dragon

The Green Dragon represents the energy of the East and makes up

the higher arm of the armchair shape. If you were looking straight on

at your home, the Green Dragon would lie to the right side of your

house. It is slightly higher than the White Tiger, left side of the house.

In feng shui mythology, it is important that the dragon stay higher than the tiger, or else conflict within the home could ensue. The Dragon’s

breath brings in good fortune, abundance, and prosperity. The energy

of the Green Dragon is most easily implemented by landscaping. A

generous row of shrubs along the right side of the house is ideal.

The White Tiger

The White Tiger brings in the energy of protection. It represents the

energy of the West. The White Tiger would be depicted with some

height on the left-side of the home, but not as high as the dragon side.

The ideal representation would be some low-growing flowers. Incorpo-

rating the color white or a lighter color is auspicious as well. According to feng shui mythology, it is the cosmic union of the White Tiger and

Green Dragon that forms the Yin Yang balance around the home.

The Red Phoenix

The Red Phoenix represents the energy of the fiery South. The phoe-

nix brings opportunities to the household and is depicted by wide-open

spaces to allow the chi to flow into the space. For this reason, it is best to have the front door facing out the front of the home unhindered by

walls, large trees, overgrowth, or any other structures blocking the chi flow. A water feature is advised at the front of the home because water collects the beneficial chi and brings it through the front door.

Incorporating Animal Totems

in Your Home

The four animals—Black Turtle, Green Dragon, White Tiger, and Red