Number of bedrooms
Transport links
Close to the school
Close to work
Has a garage
Good sized garden
Etc.

The majority of us have a checklist when we are looking for the right property and it often determines whether we even bother to get the details or go to view it.  However, many people often discard the same checklist if the house ‘feels right’.  I believe in estate agent speak it’s called ‘compromise’.

Of course the practical checklist is important but life, and being happy and healthy in your environment, is about much more than being practical.  In fact, to ensure that any house is capable of being the right home to support you and your family, you need to go beyond the practical and venture into the impractical.

Feng Shui practitioners may not like to be considered impractical but they can help you see the world in a very different way.  Their services can be used for many things including finding the right home (whether it’s a purchase or rental), deciding between two properties or even the right business or retail premises.

If you want to bring Feng Shui into your home buying process there are four additions you need to add to your practical checklist:

Predecessor Chi
Form school
Compass school
Geopathic stress

Predecessor Chi is the energy that the building or land has accumulated or inherited throughout its existence.  This could come from the inhabitants that have lived there, the people who built it, its use before it was a dwelling or the use of the land before the house was built.

Healthy Chi is fluid and vibrant but, in the same way it can have an effect on living beings so living beings can have an effect on Chi.  Any negative emotions such as fear, hate or anger can, if repeatedly experienced, clog the Chi causing it to become stagnant and heavy.  The walls of any building can literally soak this up and hold it there.

Think of walking into a church and sitting down.  In most cases it’s a calming experience.  It’s quiet and meditative.  It’s you soaking up some of the church’s collective Chi.

Think of walking into a room where two people have been arguing.  You become tense and sense the atmosphere.  Again you’re soaking up the Chi of the room.

It’s important to consider Predecessor Chi because it will have an effect on you, whether you consciously sense it or not. 

Form school is all about how the building fits into the environment and whether the environment supports it or not.  An ideal building would have an open Phoenix which brings beneficial Chi to it for nourishment.  At the back it would have a strong Mountain for support and to stop the Chi from the Phoenix escaping.  It would also have a beneficial Dragon and Tiger on either side sweeping round to the Mountain to balance the male and female aspects of the Chi.

Although Form School originated in the natural landscape, using real mountains and rivers and wide open plains, in this modern world a Feng Shui practitioner will understand the urban environment and adapt it to Form School principles.

Compass School considers both the orientation and layout of the building.  The main door of the building is considered a mouth that receives Chi and the nature of that Chi differs depending on its direction.

In addition Compass School attributes different types of Chi to different areas of the building so missing sectors (where the building blueprint is not square or rectangular) will mean that the building will be missing certain elements.  This doesn’t always translate into a problem because, as people we are all different and have different requirements.  However, circumstances change with time and any missing sectors should be considered.

Compass School also shows us the placement of auspicious areas enabling us to choose the best place for cooking, socialising and sleeping and it can guide us on colour and furnishings that will enhance good Chi and calm down not so good Chi.

Geopathic Stress is activity taking place underground that causes areas on the surface to vibrate at a level that is not beneficial to humans and a lot of animals and plants.  If you spend too long in an area of Geopathic Stress, such as sleeping or working, it will have a detrimental effect on your immune system which could lead to chronic health problems.

Feng Shui practitioners are often dowsers and will use these skills to pinpoint where Geopathic Stress may be having a detrimental effect. 

These four areas are very worthy of consideration and, if you get it right, can make the difference between buying a house and buying a home.  If all four boxes can’t be ticked, and it’s a very rare property that could, there are lots of ways to improve, cure or negate the effects.  So, what may put off potential buyers because they don’t ‘feel comfortable there’ leaves the market open for you if the building ticks everything else on your checklist.

My twelve page Feng Shui House Buyer’s Guide goes into this in a lot more detail: how to recognise good Chi and not so good Chi; what’s important and not so important, remedies and cures.  Study it careful and you will pick up a lot of tips and information that you can use in every aspect of your life.

This information is free by request through my website or by email.

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About the Author:
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant, dowser and e-commerce retailer based in beautiful Wiltshire in the UK.
This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific environment. 
 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk
WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE? You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
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Nothing can replace a survey by a qualified consultant to give you a unique insight of how you relate to your home or work environment. However, there are some simple things that anyone can apply to bring about improvements to their environment. Here are a few:

Make it easy for good chi to find you

Imagine a stranger visiting your house for the first time. Is it easy to get to the front door? Is the house number clear? Does the door bell or knocker work?

If you make it physically difficult for anyone to find you then good chi will have the same problem. So, mend the doorbell, clean up the house numbers (or replace them with big, bold clear ones) and clear the front path.

A generation ago women cleaned their front door steps regularly. It’s a tradition that we could update and use to our advantage.

Open your door to opportunity

Your front door is the mouth that feeds energy into your home. Does your door open properly or does it creak and stick? Do people feel welcome when they step over the threshold? Or are they happier to leave than to arrive?

The experience of our front door reflects our relationship with the outside world. If you feel distant and shut off from people, or are missing out on opportunities, have a look at your front door and hallway.

Is your hallway dark and dingy? Is it cluttered? What does it feel like when you walk into your home at the end of the day?

Making your hallway light and airy is not just dependent on its physical size. Using colour, light, artwork and minimising furniture or clutter in your hallway will open it up.

Also remember your doormat. It’s where people wipe their feet and it’s where they drop off their ‘stuff’ energetically too. So change the doormat regularly.

Focus on the centre

The centre of your home, and any room, is known as the T’ai Chi. This is the pivotal point around which chi flows and is considered of great importance in Feng Shui practise.

Always keep this area clear and clutter free.

Reflections are important

Do your mirrors work for you? Check out each mirror you have to see exactly what it reflects. Mirrors oppo-site doors, especially the front door, will bounce chi back out again so should be repositioned.

Some decorative mirrors are made up of more than one piece such as mirror tiles and bathroom cabinet doors. Be wary of mirrors that break up your reflection. A fractured image can have a fracturing effect on your energy.

What mirrors do you check your appearance in? Are they small and show only a part of you or large and visual? The way you see yourself in a mirror is the way you present yourself to the world. Use a large mirror that’s well lit and in an easy position to use. You’ll be amazed at how much it boosts your confidence.

What’s going on in your bedroom?

The bedroom is a key area of focus in Feng Shui because it represents relationships, you spend a lot of time there and you are also at your most vulnerable when you’re sleeping and need to feel secure.

Key things to consider are:

A solid headboard. This is classic Form School Feng Shui. The headboard acts as a Mountain to support your back giving a traditional sense of security.

Also part of Form School, position your bed in the middle of the wall where possible so there is space on either side. These areas represent the Tiger and Dragon, again providing a feeling of security.

If possible position your bed so you can see the door, or anybody coming through the door.

What do you see when you wake up in the morning? Is it a pleasant view through a window or an inspiring piece of artwork? Whatever you see will set the tone of the day for you.

If you begin a new relationship change your mattress for a fresh start.

Keep the area under the bed free of clutter. Do you really want to sleep on a load of junk?

Remove as many electrical items as possible. Not only are these stimulating in what should be a relaxing environment, they also emit electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) which have been shown to be harmful to health.

Behind closed doors

The amount of water and water systems present in a bathroom can be very draining to the house’s energy and yours. Build the habit of keeping bathroom doors closed. This is especially important if you sleep in a room with an ensuite.

I have seen some houses with door-less ensuites so, if this is you, consider adding a door to close the area off. I have also seen houses with master suites that have a bath in the bedroom! I’m not even going to go there….

What is your artwork saying to you and about you?

Look at the pictures, paintings and posters that adorn your walls. What do they do for you? If what you’re looking at doesn’t inspire you, uplift you or make you smile then you shouldn’t have them on your wall.

Don’t worry about upsetting whoever gave it to you, take it down and replace it.

Another way to consider your artwork is the message it is saying to the world about you. For example, do the paintings of battles on the wall have anything to do with the constant arguing that goes on in your house?

Or, if you’re looking for a partner, do the pictures of single people really say you want to be alone? Think about it.

Clutter, clutter, clutter

Without doubt, levels of clutter are a personal choice. Few of us feel comfortable in a Zen like minimalist home and often the effort required to keep a house or room in that state is so stressful that it negates any energetic benefits.

However, clutter can quickly get out of hand so review your space regularly. If things have been lying around for a while and you’re not using them then consider storing them. After all, if you are holding onto things from the past you’ll have no room for new opportunities to come along.

And finally…

…your home is an expression of you: your desires, your opinions of both the world and yourself. So, take care in what your house is saying about you.

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About the Author:
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant, dowser and e-commerce retailer based in beautiful Wiltshire in the UK.
This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific environment. 
If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk
WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE? You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
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A recent news article featured a man who had won over £175,000 on a William Hill jackpot game.  Just ten months before he had won £95,000 on the same jackpot game.  ‘Lucky guy’ you might say but he put it down to implementing changes to his home after a Feng Shui consultation.

The purpose of this article is not to advocate gambling you understand.  The purpose of this article is to consider how Feng Shui might improve your wealth and to offer some tips to get you started.

You’ve probably seen lots of things advertised that guarantee abundance: money trees, three legged toads and pyramids are just a few.  But there’s a huge difference between hanging up a charm hoping Lady Luck will notice you as she passes by and using Feng Shui intelligently to improve your life and let abundance in.

Feng Shui works by considering the energies of your home or workplace and how they interact with you as an individual.  But it’s not just about space.  Timing is also important.  Each one of us is living our own unique cycle.  So, where you are in your life will have an effect on your interaction with your environment.

Confused?  No need to be.  Feng Shui is not complicated, just multi-faceted.  Once you know the nature of the energies around and within you, the key is to live with those energies – enhancing the good ones and minimising the not so good ones.  And a good Feng Shui consultant will be able to advise you on how to do this.

However, there are some general things that you can do to attract the good stuff:

There are two wealth areas in your home or workplace that you need to be aware of.  The first is the south east sector and the second is the top left area as viewed on a floor plan of your space with the main door at the bottom.
Clear clutter from these areas.  Clutter causes energy to stagnate which makes it thick, heavy and depressing.  What self respecting wealth would want to turn up in such a place?  Tidy things up and you make space for new energy and new opportunities.
Keep the areas light.  There are a number of ways you can do this: remove anything outside the window that is stopping the light coming in (such as overgrown trees or shrubs); clean the windows; change the curtains if necessary; if natural daylight is limited consider a permanent source of artificial light; use a light, bright colour scheme and furnishings.
To stimulate the energy in this area use a wind chime, aquarium or plants.
If using plants choose the traditional money tree/jade plant (crassula argentea) and keep it healthy.
If using an aquarium keep goldfish.  Their bright colours attract abundant energy.  Have at least three fish and, if more, keep them in multiples of three.  Keep the aquarium clean and the fish healthy.

Finally, you may be wondering what changes the guy who won the jackpots made which brings me to my final tip:

Keep the toilet seat down and the bathroom door closed.  This rule applies to bathrooms anywhere in the building but is especially important if the rooms are in the areas mentioned above.  Energy is drained very quickly in the bathroom as water is flushed or washed away and you don’t want to get rid of it before the magic has happened.

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About the Author:
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant, dowser and e-commerce retailer based in beautiful Wiltshire in the UK.
This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific environment. 
If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk
WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE? You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
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The title itself reveals a few things which we will read here. The design of built structures have a fundamental influence on man, his health and overall well being. Let us all see how each step helps us to clearly assess the present state of our living space, brings abundance through improvements and brings us in harmony with nature.

Talking about women, aren’t we all looking to make and create happy homes? I am sure we have stuck pictures of dream homes on our soft boards, gone to the local library to borrow the odd ‘Feng Shui’ book and read about the art of ‘Zen’, the gesture of hanging a sweet sounding wind chime and inspiring paintings on the walls and fresh flowers from the supermarkets. Would really like to know many men actually buy flowers apart from anniversaries, valentines and mother days? Don’t know if its only a woman’s thing or not but it does appeal to us. I remember my mum having this itch every 6 months to alter the layout of the lounge and rotate the paintings and change the colour of the curtains to bring a change in moods and a feeling of festivity! We do that a lot in India – esp when its Diwali time and its customary to at least clear out all the junk and redecorate the walls—just like the spring clean here –only difference is in different continents and different seasons!

The whole process and the connection of women with it as being the prime caretakers of the home and family has made me ask some questions many times. Are there some underlying themes or laws which govern this?

We all have heard and applied Feng Shui in our own ways.. Consciously or unconsciously. I would like to add here the word ‘Vastu’ – the basis of Feng Shui. Originated in India as a building science but cudnt make its way as fast and swift as Yoga and Ayurveda (the art of natural healing) did.

We all want happiness and vitality around us. So, lets go backwards each word by word in our topic – Spaces >> Happy >> Homes >> Healthy

Spaces here don’t mean buildings and monuments. They can be the most basic shapes- a circle or a corner in your house where you can always feel relaxed and rejuvenated sitting there for even 5 mins. There are actually hidden energies around us which make it happen. And I am now going to describe how it happens for most people. Such spaces make us happy and happy people make it a home!

Spaces bring us together and also separate us from each other. They are crucial to the way our relationships work and are a very fundamental and universal form of communication. When a person pushes in front of you in a queue, you feel offended not just because you are one place further back but also because they failed to respect the rules. When we talk to each other, the space between us is part of our communication. We probably all know a friend or colleague who habitually stands too close when conversing or touches you just too much for comfort and we feel uncomfortable. The stranger who comes and sits at your table in a café even though other tables are empty; the newspaper boy who fails to shut the front gate after him, the neighbour who habitually parks in front of your house rather than hers and many more instances like these – we call them a personal space invasion. Spaces within buildings speak the same language of space as much as people can – only in the recent past many buildings have failed it to do it more properly.

Happy spaces…

Vaastu and Feng Shui both intend to create a harmonious unity to place living and building into a finer order of nature. Feng Shui developed from the Taoist tradition and puts emphasis on the life energy ‘Chi’. Vaastu was recorded in the thousand years old Sanskrit works such as ‘Vaastu Shastra’ and ‘Matsya Purana’. Both systems are valid, justified, however there are differences in their strengths, weak points and emphasis.

Vaastu considers every existence is made of 5 elements – water, fire, earth, air and space but Feng Shui uses wood and metal instead of earth and space. Feng Shui mainly focuses on the flow of the life energy in the house.  Vaastu establishes a relation between the house and its inhabitants depending on the directions of the compass. East and North are the universal energy providers in Vaastu which never should be blocked unlike Feng Shui which considers local climatology and geography as deciding factors.

Home…

Vaastu means the abode or the home and Shastra means the technology or method. Vaastu Shastra translates to the method to construct a (good) house = home.

Vaastu Shastra is normally applied on a bounded premise i.e.: a house, a building, a shop, factory etc. The main objective of applying the Shastra is to create a balance between the place in question and the outside environment. Vaastu Shastra in the Indian context assumes significant importance at the time of construction. It is believed that if a house is built as per the Shastra, then that particular house will never face serious health & money problems and the family members will live in harmony. TIME or the OCCUPANT does not bound Vaastu Shastra. It means the Vaastu principles can be applied at any time or any year for any person living in a particular place.

Healthy Homes….

And then I come across Building Biologists. Bau-biologie, a term coined in Germany, is a word used to describe a movement promoting the use of construction or modification of homes and workplaces. It studies the interwoven relationships between people and their homes as well as their homes and the earth.

For over 40 years Bau-biologists have researched the effects of indoor environments, identified the major causes of indoor pollution and documented the most effective strategies for reducing your exposure and lessening the toxic burden on your health and the earth. Healthy building principles as a means to improve living and work spaces and the health of people who occupy them. Bau-biologie literally means, “building biology.” Both terms are now used interchangeably and both have exactly the same definition -

“how buildings impact life and the living environment.”

Building Biology considers your home or work space to be your third skin: ideally a breathable, flexible and indigenous structure that is organically built to support, shelter and nurture the body, mind and spirit.

Bau-biology translated from German is “building biology” or “building for life.” It specifically refers to the study of the impact of the built environment on human health and the application of this knowledge to the construction or modification of homes and workplaces. It studies the interwoven relationships between people and their homes as well as their homes and the earth. This new field of education is characterized by the terms biological, ecological, sensitive to nature, healthy, vital, human, organic, high quality, cultural and holistic.

My question is should “recommendations” vary from individual to individual for a given place and a given time? The answer is Yes. ‘Vasati’ – the modern form of holistic concept of architecture has been developed for the west and more geared to the European continent. We will soon look at the task of aligning these sciences and integrate them as a composite science for the benefit of the modern generation.

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About the Author:
Yamini Kumar is a Designer, Architect, Visualiser with a passion for ancient cities, regeneration and sustaining built environments. Learning and experimenting each day to define and create abundant and happy lives with energizing, happy homes.
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Have you ever been into a house that felt so peaceful and serene? Have you ever wondered why at times everything ran so smoothly as if an unseen hand is moving obstacles away from you? It is not just luck that most people would say it is. All these are due to good feng shui.

Feng shui is energy or “chi” and is an ancient art of placement of energy to improve harmony, health, longevity, wealth, career, etc. In fact, almost everything revolves around energy. Nowadays, feng shui is practiced by people worldwide.

Here are 10 good feng shui basic tips that you can easily practice to bring harmony and stability to your home:

Do not enter your home with your shoes on. Shoes are considered to have bad “chi” (energy).
Shoes are not to be openly placed at the main door of your house. Keep them in a shoe cupboard with its door closed.
Do not sleep next to the toilet wall.
Keep your bathroom and toilet doors closed and keep the toilet lid down.
Do not sleep with your feet facing the bedroom door. This stemmed from the practice of taking dead bodies out of a room with the feet first. Live people should be taken out with the head first.
Do not occupy or buy a house which faces the sharp edge of the roof of a house. The sharp edge represents a knife pointing towards you and your home, denoting unrest and instability.
Feng shui baguas are placed outside your house to ward off evils and bad “chi’. They should never be placed inside the house as the effects could be devastating to those in the house.
Keep your knives out of sight. This also serves as a security measure
Have a meal together with your family at home at least once a day. This symbolizes harmony in the family and home.
Windows, whenever practical, should be opened for at least twenty minutes daily to allow energy to flow into the house.

Practice the above basic info and you will notice how your life will change for the better.

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About the Author:
Ken Soh has been practicing feng shui for many years. He has used this ancient Chinese art of placement of energy to enhance his personal and financial life as well as that of his friends. For more amazing feng shui secrets, go to http://fengshuireview.com
 
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Feng Shui is both an art and science. Originated from ancient China about some three centuries ago, a part of Feng Shui, known as symbolism Feng Shui is the knowledge of placing and arranging good fortune symbols in correct and proper position or direction so as to exert concealed positive Chi powers of a setting to benefit the lives of people. Symbolism Feng Shui is very easy to apply and potent too. Feng Shui enhancers consciously placed in the right Feng Shui orientation of your home can help to harness the Chi or energy which harmonizes the area of its influence, bringing about good fortune, good health, prosperity and happiness to the practitioner.

Health is unarguably the most important thing in one’s life. Without health, one can’t seek to achieve other life’s aspirations. Without health there is no point having a good career and plenty of wealth. Only with good health one can obtain wealth and get to enjoy the many good things in life to the fullest. There are many symbols used in Feng Shui to enhance health and longevity luck, the luck to live a long and fruitful life. Here are some of them:

Wu Lou – Wu Lou or the bottle gourd or the “calabash” is the most powerful symbol of good health which also brings an abundance of divine blessings and can be found in many Chinese homes today. Displaying a Wu Lou in and around the home is a good thing to have to enhance one’s Feng Shui. In ancient times, the Wu Lou is used to store water or potions used during traveling and expeditions. Because of the Wu Lou’s role in keeping the travelers alive, it was given the name the “giver of life” and hence became a symbol of good health. The Wu Lou is also believed to contain the elixir of health, vitality and immortality. This symbol is most widely used in Feng Shui to protect oneself against unnatural death and serious illnesses.

Sau – The God of Longevity or Sau, is probably the most popular deity out of the three star Gods Fuk Luk Sau. He represents good health, longevity and a quality and smooth life. He is often depicted carrying a peach, itself an auspicious symbol for long life and excellent health and a Dragon staff with a Wu Lou.

Peach – The Peach has long been regarded as a traditional symbol for good health, longevity and immortality. Legend has it that the Eight Immortals will be invited by the Goddess of the West for a feast when her peach trees bear fruits, which is how they attained immortality. The most famous folk tale related to the peaches would probably be Journey to the West, where the Monkey God stole and ate the peaches of immortality from the garden of the Goddess of the West and hence attained immortality.

Bamboo – Bamboo is a symbol or icon of longevity, good health and also endurance in Feng Shui because of its ability to stay evergreen all year round and flourish almost everywhere, especially during the winter months.

Crane – The Bird of Immortality, the crane is a very popular symbol that heralds longevity, marital harmony and wisdom and is believed to live a thousand years. The crane is the most favored of all bird symbols of good fortune in Feng Shui next to the phoenix.

Tortoise – The tortoise is sacred and much loved by the Chinese as a symbol of longevity, stability, strength, support and endurance. The Crane is said to live a thousand years but the tortoise is believed to live up to three thousand years and therefore is extremely popular with Feng Shui practitioners who seek to live a long and healthy life.

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About the Author:
Jenny Lin is the author of Feng Shui Products for a Better Life, an online Feng Shui Store of over 2000 Feng Shui Health enhancers and cures.
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All of us work hard to ensure we get the promotion that we feel is overdue; most of us also try to ensure that our paycheck can meet our monthly financial obligations. Some are fortunate to take on a second job to make ends meet. For the less fortunate ones, they often ponder over this “imbalance”. They blame it on the fact that those “lucky” ones were in the right place at the right time. While this may be true to a certain extent, this did not happen by chance or fate. These “lucky” ones had the elements of feng shui money on their side.

It is an open secret that money or success is a result of work. For this obvious reason, you should place prime importance on your work space or work area.

The following tips will improve your feng shui career or business:

1: You must never sit with your back to the main door of the office.

2: Include some plants in your work area. Plants are full of life. They help to promote growth in your career and business, but do remember to water them frequently as a dying plant is bad feng shui. Real plants are better than the artificial ones.

3: Decorate your work space with pictures and painting that inspire positive feelings. Use images of different elements to prop up any imbalance.

If you work from home, feng shui office rules are still applicable even though there will be some apparent differences.

There should be a separate entrance into your home office. Make use of plants, shelves or partitions to separate your office from the rest of your house.

Whether you are in the office or from home, remember the important feng shui business financial freedom rule, and that is to keep your office desk as clean and clutter-free as possible.

It takes more than mere hard work to achieve financial freedom but with amazing feng shui secrets your journey to wealth will be much faster and easier.

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About the Author:
Ken Soh has been practicing feng shui for many years. He has used this ancient Chinese art of placement of energy to enhance his personal and financial life as well as that of his friends. For more amazing feng shui secrets, go to http://fengshuireview.com .
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When it comes to tragedies, prevention is always better than cure. So even if you are currently involved in a happy relationship, it won’t hurt to take some feng shui precautions to guard against infidelity. The most important direction to take note of is the Northwest. The Northwest represents the patriarch (father) of the household, or the man in the relationship.

To determine the northwest direction of your home or room, stand in the middle of your home with a compass, and mark the northwest direction (do not use rough estimates using the direction of the sun; get a good compass!). The washroom, kitchen, or storeroom should never be located in the northwest. This will not only bring bad luck to the patriarch of the family, but also bring agitation, restlessness and sometimes even misfortune to the man of the house. Here, the house will no longer a sanctuary for the man, and this may become an aversion, causing him to stay away from home. If this is the case, there is no alternative but to relocate the kitchen or bathroom to a different area of the home.

In an irregular shaped house, it is possible that the northwest corner may even be missing. If this is so, the patriarch of the man of the house will seldom be at home. This is one factor that may lead to infidelity. To remedy this, place a bright light in the northwest direction of the house. This is just a temporary solution. If possible, extend the area of the house towards the northwest direction.

The northwest area of your home is dominated by the metal element. Strengthen the metal element in that area with lots of metal decorations (such as wind chimes or metal sculptures). Having lots of earth elements in this direction will also be beneficial as the element of earth produces metal. The lucky colors for this direction are reds, white, metallic colors, and yellows. Don’t forget to fill the northwest area with symbols of love and fidelity. Hang family portraits, or pictures of you and your partner this area. A pair of mandarin ducks figurines is also an excellent marriage energizer.

By having good feng shui in the northwest, it will ensure that the man of the house will always stay close to home. If you are single, activating the northwest will attract a lot of Yang energy that will in turn attract a man into your life.

The southwest direction is also very important as it represents the matriarch of the family, or the mother of the family. The southwest should also be filled with symbols of fidelity. The predominant element of this direction is earth, so keep this area brightly lighted as often as possible. Place a lot of decorations made of crystals, clay or stone in this area to strengthen the element of earth.

If the southwest is poorly energized or missing, a single man will encounter difficulties in the search of a good wife; and a married man will not get enough support and affection from his wife.

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About the Author:
For more practical Feng Shui Tips visit: http://www.fengshuitipstoday.com
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Most of us spend a lot of time in office for work. Regardless of whether it is in your employer’s office or your home office, the office environment can at times be very challenging. Relationship with your colleagues or business partners is a very important factor to unpleasant office politics.

While you are working hard and smart to be a better employee and making yourself more valued at the workplace you should enlist the help of Feng Shui to enhance your career success. Feng shui is about balancing the chi or energy around your surroundings. By balancing the energy in your environment, your own energy will be in harmony, and you will draw to you, people and opportunities that reflect this balance.

Here are 10 great feng shui tips to help create harmony at the workplace and to make your career advancement smooth sailing:

1. Good Support Behind The Back Of Your Sitting Position

The most important feng shui tips in the office is to make sure that you are seated with a good support behind your back. It is extremely important that your back faces a wall or some solid surface. You must never sit with your back facing a door or windows as this makes you vulnerable to “backstabbing” and “betrayals” in the office. If the back of your sitting position is a window, it is very inauspicious as it represents a lack of support. Close the windows behind you or hang a painting of mountains behind your back to provide you with good support.

2. Clearing The Clutter In Your Office

Clutter like unfinished projects, unused papers, unresolved works, disorganized office stationery and files are extremely bad feng shui to you. Your career will become a mess and you stand no chance of any career advancements. Clutter is like emotional constipation – it bogs you down. By clearing your clutter and arranging your office desk nicely, you create space for new things and your energy and creativity will increase.

3. Choose Your Office Desk In Your Success Position

Place your desk in your success position. Your success position will bring you great success and awesome career advancement in your career. You can know your success position by calculating your KUA number (or Star Number). Our feng shui website teaches you on how to calculate your person KUA number and how to apply feng shui in your work and career to bring great income luck and success. In addition, the ideal placement for your computer and desk is in a position that allows you to see the door of your office. If this is not possible, you can restore good Feng Shui by placing a small mirror on your desk that gives you a clear view of the door.

4. Place A Healthy Small Potted Plant On Your Desk

A plant will bring life into your workspace and will also absorb toxins in the air. My recommendation is to place a Money Plant on your office desk to attract career luck and income luck. The money plant can also help you ward off office politics and unpleasant things in your working environment. A plant on your table is also able to boost you creativity. Research has shown that you will be happier when there is greenery on your table.

5. Avoid Sitting Directly Facing Someone Else

Do try to avoid sitting at a work desk that is directly facing someone else at your opposite. This is bad feng shui as if you are seated in a position where you constantly face another person, there will certainly be accumulation of bad and confrontational Chi enery between the both of you. Consequently, this will definitely lead to conflicts and unpleasant arguments.

6. Do Not Sit Under A Strong Exposed Beam

You will be working under great pressure if there is a structural beam or bright light above where you are working. The bright beam or light will make you irritable and do your work impulsively. One good way to overcome the situation is to renovate the ceiling so that it is flat.

7. Separate Your Workspace In Your Bedroom

Feng shui do not recommend having a workspace in your bedroom as the bedroom is a place of rest. If you must have your workspace in your bedroom, try to partition it off with a screen. You can place a curtain or a screen to separate your work desk with your bed. In feng shui, work and sleep are two conflicting energies: Work is very yang and sleep is very yin, hence both must not mix together. In addition, a relaxing sleep will enhance your work productivity.

8. Display Crystals At Your Work Desk

In feng shui, crystals are great tool to absorb negative energies at work. If you want to avoid office politics and to make sure your career is smooth-sailing, you should display small crystal balls on your desk to ensure that everything goes smoothly at work.

9. Use Only One Door In Your Office

Do use only one door in your office, if there are more, keep them closed. This is because you only want your wealth and money luck to come to you in the only door and will not escape from other doors. Use only one door in your office if you don’t want your money to escape.

10. Carry A Jade Cicada With You

If you want to block off any office politics in the office, buy a jade cicada and carry it in your bags or hide it under your files and documents so that it would not be seen. Jade Cicada is a powerful feng shui tool to help you avoid confrontations and conflicts in the office. It is also able to bring good luck to your working environment.

For more Feng Shui Tips and Guide, visit www.101fengshuitips.com.

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About the Author:
Swanton Mah is a freelance Feng Shui consultant. Along with his love partner, Celeste Tanne, they own and operate 101FengShuiTips.com which offers feng shui cures and remedies. For more Feng Shui tips and guide on home living and arrangements and how to learn and apply Feng Shui yourself, go to => http://www.101fengshuitips.com

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Before the Wedding

On Wedding Day

Modern wedding customs and traditions have their origins in the past, many coming from the Middle Ages. In ancient Rome, the bride wore a girdle fastened with many tiny knots. The groom had the pleasure of untying all those knots before he could bed his new wife.

Up until the 1400′s, the bride usually wore her best dress regardless of the color. It was Queen Victoria (1840) who began the present day fashion of wearing white as the wedding dress. It is also considered unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress.

The idea of having bridesmaids, pages, a best man and ushers originated with the belief that evil spirits, envious of the couple’s happiness, would be out to harm them, but would be confused by so many similarly dressed people.

The custom of the best man probably goes back to the days when the groom took a friend with him when he went to kidnap the bride from her home. Bells were originally rung at weddings to frighten away the evil spirits, and noisy celebrations were held beforehand to try and drive them from the community. These were the ancestors of our stag and hen parties.

Some Interesting Traditions

The giving of an “engagement” ring was first practiced when the groom “purchased” his bride. By giving a token, such as a ring, he pledged to marry her in return for her dowry and social status, among other things. The tradition of giving a diamond began with the Italians. It was believed that diamonds were created from the “flames of love” and represented everlasting love.

The Wedding Kiss dates back to Roman times. The kiss was to seal the marriage legally between the couple and must be witnessed by another person. In addition to the groom not being allowed to see the bride before the ceremony, the veil was also used to protect the bride from being seen by evil spirits and jealous suitors. To this day, it is considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride on her wedding day before the ceremony.

The rowdy bachelor parties were the invention of the Spartan Soldiers. It became customary for the groom to feast with his friends the night before the wedding, often celebrating his last night of freedom by getting severely drunk (not much has changed it seems). In modern times, women have decided they also want their night of fun, so now it is traditional for women to have Stagette or Bachelorette parties as well.

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About the Author:
I’d like to introduce and display an excellent selection of China fine art products and gifts – www.123giftfactory.com to you, also give you great suggestions about gift ideas and the latest fashion art trends in China.
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