West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick

Good Luck Checklist

I can't believe a year has passed since I visited China. It seems like yesterday that I was trying to fit 52 lbs. of necessities into a very small traveling bag. The memories are just as present and potent as if I had arrived in Beijing yesterday. Traveling with Master Lin Yun's tour for three weeks in this ancient world was the chance of a lifetime and to learn more about The Art of Placement from the Master of Black Sect Feng Shui. Sometimes it was only what you saw and didn't hear that was important. Having The Master point out the difference between the mundane and the transcendental environment and its buildings was a privilege and honor.

Although it takes a lifetime to learn the principals of Feng Shui, being "onsite" where harmony and balance were practiced over 4-5000 years ago gave the study of heaven and earth new meaning. I can still smell the earthy aroma of rain falling on new green tea leaves as the tiniest of sprouts gave way to the first harvested crop. Green tea and the benefits of drinking the magic elixir are just now becoming popular in the West. In the Western Culture we must analyze everything "new" until it looses half of its cure. Just as in Feng Shui, the action of Wind and Water making "Chi," or that unseen energy of life, can shift and change bad luck to good luck. Analyze yourself to see what action or direction can head you in the right direction of success.

Here are nine tips for helping you to move forward toward bringing energy to your home or office:

1. Make sure your bed, desk and cooking stove are in a commanding position. If you are unsure of these positions, check the book Feng Shui Design by Sarah Rossbauch and Master Lin Yun. Refer to my website archive of newspaper columns for many question and answers. Check your floor plan for "missing pieces" as when a design problem exits, it feels as if something is missing from your life. Such as trying to have children, when the middle right section of your home's wall is missing. Corrections are advised by the Feng Shui practitioner such as adding mirrors to inside walls or planting beautiful pastel flowers on the outside of the house to "fill in" the space. Call or email me for an appointment if you are unsure as to your specific problem. It could be money, family or marriage situations which need fixing.

2. Place a running water feature near the front door, inside or outside, and/or one in the far back left corner inside or outside the house. Fish tanks with one black and eight gold fish are the most auspicious and can be placed in the center of the home. (This is a new one for me.) BUT the water must be kept running and the tank and fish attended to, as you don't want your health and wealth to become "cloudy." A bathroom in the Center of the house "leaks" health and money away from the home. Don't despair, as most every aspect can be "cured."

3. Have a doorbell and light installed at the front door to welcome opportunities. The door should be solid and new or new looking and open easily. Hang a wind chime for clarity to entice the Chi to your dwelling. Make sure the path to your home is neat and beautiful with colorful flowers year round. A winding path is best if you are getting ready to remodel or create a new walkway. Use silk flowers in the winter months outside near the doorway if necessary, but real plants are always best.

4. CLEAR THE CLUTTER. Take a weekend or more if necessary! It is so important to "clear the decks" for new projects to manifest. If the desk is loaded down, there is no room for the powers-that-be to give you any more assignments and profit. I have seen hallways and stairways closed off with papers, gum wrappers, books and trash, bathrooms not fit to use and no sheets or pillowcases on children's bed! What is going on??? We are overwhelmed with possessions and fast food toys. I get crazy over this, as it does cause insanity in parents and children. It overloads the brain. The excess of EMF's alone in your bedroom can lead to brain damage and tumors. I have had two consultations in two weeks with this problem.

5. Take time to rest and meditate. It is a must. Pray and listen. Chant or play balancing music, use pure scents to shift the home. Orange peels in water raise the Chi, burn good incense. Open the doors and windows when possible. I do this once a month in the winter months.

6. As I have advised before, the best way to cultivate your Chi is to accumulate good deeds. Have you offered your place in line to an elderly person, or have you listened, instead of giving unwanted advice? Is your anger misplaced? Give each child in your home separate moments to tell you about his/her day. At our home each child is given a few moments to tell about their day, then they must listen as the adults share also. Dinner is NO time to discipline and yell.

7. Wear colors in your dress, or make sure you carry the five Element colors. I have ribbons cut in nine-inch increments and attached to my purse to make sure I have a rainbow on energy on me wherever I go. Use Color in your home to activate the different Guas or sections.

8. Check design of floor plans before building and the shape of the plot. Is the shape of the land and surrounding buildings auspicious? A taller building next to your business could overwhelm your profits.

9. Choose neighborhoods away from freeways, graveyards and industry. Create a peaceful home and use Feng Shui as a lifestyle and tool for jump-starting new ideas, good health, travel plans, romance and, above all, GOOD LUCK!

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.