West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick

Feng Shui Emails...Career, Classrooms, Children's Health

Computers are here to stay. Most Feng Shui questions come to me from emails. I like to add these to the column every so often, as the answers can help readers test the ancient system in their own living and working spaces.

Q: Hi. My Career and Knowledge areas are both in the garage. How can I enhance or ‘cure’ this? Thanks.

A: Welcome to my world! It seems my husband and I choose this floor plan a lot. The symbolism is, of course, unless you keep everything under cover, this catchall room reflects how people respect your Knowledge. Those familiar with the nine areas of your home which can be used to make changes happen in your life aspects know that the front left corner of the house is called Knowledge or Wisdom. I usually hang bamboo curtains to cover tools and containers, giving the impression that this area is a car room instead of the “messy zone.” Now walk out of the garage and enter through the front door of your home, and you will be in a better mood instantly. But do try to rid yourself of excess in this car room. Check my website at fengshuiartistry.com for more advice and moongateschool.com for my newspaper column.

Q: My bathroom and utility room (washer/dryer) are both in the center of my house (Health area). How can I cure this? Thanks!

A: Grab that paintbrush and buy some yellow paint. Read my advice to the person with the staircase in the center on the home. Think Mexico, square pottery or paintings of harvest. As an artist I have created paintings for each Gua or section of the home to help cure and enhance all nine Guas. Place an up-growing or bamboo plant above each toilet. Hang pictures of herbs for health. Place a small mirror above the toilet, reflecting into the toilet lid, which, of course, is kept closed at all times. This Earth area needs all the Earth materials it can handle. Have fun!

Q: How can I find a qualified practitioner in my area to help me design my home and landscaping according to the Feng Shui principles? Thank you for your help.

A: Finding a Feng Shui designer is not impossible. I advise people on their new homes and remodels by fax and phone. You fax me your existing floor plan so I can see your good and bad habits within the current structure or dwelling, then I help you with the design according to Feng Shui principles. The shape of the land and address are also things to consider. Call (360) 424-1501 for a phone consultation.

Q: Please help me with some ideas about setting up my first-grade classroom next year. I want an environment set up for optimal learning.

A: I gave Feng Shui instruction for the Santa Clara Reading Council’s Convention in 2000, 2001 and 2002, which are over 4000 schoolteachers and leaders coming together each year near Monterey, California to take classes on updated education for their schools and classrooms. The main topic for instructors is to place yourself and desk in a power position, with your back to a solid wall. Seating of children is also a special way to help hard to control kids in a comfortable position by learning their needs, such as family problems. Place them in the Family Gua or the middle left side of the room, but not with an open doorway behind any student, as they will be in the pathway of a fast wind tunnel of energy. If there are doors behind the student or teacher, hang a metal wind chime between doors and desks. Using a wind chime above your desk is also a way of keeping your energy high!

Last, but not least, is to hang a Chinese animal zodiac pendant in your Helpful People Gua or immediate right corner wall from the main entry to your classroom. This little object reminds everyone to “get along.” I have seen this done in stuffed animal versions; they are delightful.

Q: We moved to our house two years back. We usually have a lot of visitors and houseguests, which we like a lot. After we moved to this house, we don’t have either the houseguests/visitors/friends coming to our house. Even if we plan something, we or the people we invite have to cancel the appointments for some reason or the other. Is there something I can do to rectify this behavior? Thanks.

A: When Chi is blocked, it doesn’t flow properly. Who had the home before? What went on in the house before you purchased it? Clear it first, remove any excess furniture. What pieces are at the entry? Do you love everything in the house? What is happening outside on the property, shape, etc., to the front, the right front, and middle right? This Helpful People section invites people to come into your home. Is it “missing”? Making corrections to these Career or Water zones, Children and Creativity, which live in the middle side area of your home, welcomes fun. Does the land flow upward from the street or downward? Where is the barbecue, dog run and fountains? All of these things have an impact. How is your personal Chi? Are you in a down mood?

Q: My floor plan is very open. I’m not sure how to divide the spaces using the Bagua.

A: Map your home or floor plan by placing the Bagua or template in the center of the dwelling. Holding the Bagua in the center with an invisible thumbtack, rotate the grid until the Career section is lined up with the front door of the house. Look at my site fengshuiartistry.com and click on the floor plan section for more tips.

Q: On the bottom floor, the staircase, pantry and closet are in the Health area. What do I need to do, if anything?

A: If all of this is in the center, your Earth section, add yellow and earth colors, square objects made from the earth, rugs, pottery, silk, paintings, use square tiles and textiles to decorate. Please remove anything suggesting water in this Qua. Place a large square wall hanging in the staircase with earth colors. Place a metal wind chime halfway inside staircase to lift Chi. Make sure it is well lit.

Q: I am an holistic practitioner in Ft. Lauderdale. I will be opening a new office and would like to design it with someone familiar with Feng Shui and animal hospitals. Does anyone have any recommendations? This is probably a first, so this could be very challenging.

A: I have Feng Shui’d many offices, doctors, dentists, etc., with over 3500 consultations for individuals and corporations. I see no problem. Most all spaces can enjoy success when the owners practice Feng Shui in their home environment. I also like to meet with the staff, with floor plans of their present living spaces. It helps if everyone in your staff brings their holistic understanding to the unit. I am currently Feng Shuing a holistic building, built in an environmentally safe way.

Using murals in healing facilities in a great way to bring in cheerful Chi. Color, objects, mobiles, crystals in the correct places, sound, water fountains, rocks, statues, lighting, children’s books and games are a great way of bringing life to a dull area.

Q: We just moved into a new house. I’m trying to explore Feng Shui. From reading the posts, I just found out that our street address (1649) is not an auspicious number. How can I remedy this without, as one poster said, confusing the mailman (or going to jail for some misdemeanor or something). Also, my son has autism. His room is at the end of a 3’x12’ hallway. The hallway is made of wood flooring. His room is carpeted. Ever since we moved to the new house, my son has exhibited a tad bit difficult behaviors in school (although he loves the house very much). I just moved his bed around last night so his head is no longer at the same side as the window. What can I do with the hallway? On the longer sides, we have one door (the den) and three doors (the master bedroom, my son’s bathroom, and the closet), and on the shorter sides we have my son’s bedroom door and the door leading to the living room. The hallway tends to be dark with the wood floors and no windows, and putting plants (I read it can slow down the Chi) can crowd the hallway. Should I put plants in my son’s room? (I wasn’t sure if this was proper as I also read plants can be full of energy and bedrooms have to be restful.) I am in desperate need for some good advice. I look forward to receiving it! Thank you and happiness to all!

A: First calm down; try using flower essences from a knowledgeable health food store. These non-invasive formulas are wonderful for babies, pets, plants and adults. Spray the room or other troubling areas of the home with the suggested amount. Follow instructions after finding the best-suited ones for your problems. Rid yourself of clutter, air out the house, play music, clap to stir up the stagnant areas. Now what part of the home is the boy’s bedroom? Which side of the house from the front entry? I have worked with learning institutions to help with the seating of children to support their energy. Where is he sitting at the dining table, to the right or left of you? Using yellow bedding and nightclothes strengthens the health of children and adults. The vibration of yellow food, pictures of herbs in the hallway, with a mirror to reflect and double the visual aspect of the healing process of the liver function, helps any illness. No blue room for this child, mostly yellow with green trim.

Read Feng Shui and Health by Nancy Santo Pietro for fantastic information on using Feng Shui to disarm illness and compelling information for strange illnesses. Too many doorways in a hall can cause problems, especially with the bedroom at the end of the hall catching the “too fast” moving energy. It is essential material to investigate when dealing with “unseen illnesses.”

Q: It has come to my knowledge that sloping ceilings are not good for master bedroom. What can I do?

A: Go to my website at fengshuiartistry.com for my weekly newspaper column, West Meets East, and click on moongateschool for past columns. There are several on bedrooms. My question to you would be, which way do they slope? Where is the bed in relation to the low side? You will want to raise the energy on one side and lower it on the other for better sleep and communication. Use an up-raising light or torch style on the low side corners and lamps which shine down on the high corners. Are you still sleeping on an outdated mattress from another relationship? Some people hang on to old mattresses from old relationships. Big no-no!

Next time you purchase a bed go to www.h3environmental.com for information on healthy beds. Bedsprings can become magnetized by all of the electromagnetic frequencies in a modern bedroom. Another site worth check for Feng Shui items is www.fengshuishopper.com, and ask Marina to help you with her special products. Tell her I sent you!

Caroline Patrick, Feng Shui consultant/practitioner, teacher/speaker, Feng Shui artist and writer, lives in the San Juan Islands, off the coast of Washington. Her weekly newspaper article called WEST MEETS EAST is a popular Feng Shui advice column. She enjoys answering your questions, when possible. Some questions will be chosen for publication with the permission from the reader. Enjoy her new 5 Element attached-folding cards which can be used as a Feng Shui enhancement or correction in any space. Larger prints of several selected paintings are also available. For consultations, speaking/teaching engagements and art evaluations contact her at caroline@fengshuiartistry.com or visit her websites at www.fengshuiartistry.com and www.moongateschool.com.

Any suggestions given in this column are only for entertainment. Please contact your physician for any medical or herbal advice or diagnosis. Caroline Patrick is not responsible for any misuse of her advice or suggestions.