West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick

Pool/Jacuzzi on the Penthouse Terrace

Dear Caroline,

We have just purchased a penthouse apartment (11th floor only) with a terrace of 80m2 overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We would like to either build a small swimming pool (just 3 feet high) or a Jacuzzi, but as we are getting more and more into Feng Shui, we realized that there might be some considerations that we have to take into planning (i.e. the water should not run over the edges, etc.).

Could you give us some hints on what we would have to do and what we should definitely not do to be in line with Feng Shui principles?

Many thanks in advance for your kind response.

Panama City, Panama

Dear Reader,

Hello, thank you for viewing my website. I feel it is a valuable tool for Feng Shui enthusiasts to learn about the Bagua, or the eight-sided octagonal grid which is placed over the home, land, plots of property and business properties. The Bagua contains nine equal sections which contain all of the aspects of your life and those living in the structure. What a busy energy

source! My job as a consultant/practitioner is to determine where the mouth of the Chi or energy enters your dwelling. Sometimes the location of the entry is confusing because of the owners using a back door or a garage as an easy way to enter a house or business.

Mapping the Home is a workshop that I offer my students to help locate these nine areas and to learn why the five elements of nature need to be placed in the proper Gua or section of the Bagua. Water, Wood, Fire, Metal and Earth, when in balance, move energy in a proper sequence throughout the living or working space. Choose a school of Feng Shui which appeals to you. Please read my last question-and-answer column on direction for more advice on Feng Shui schools, written on October 20, 2003. It is on my website. Click on moongateschool.com and newspaper columns to find the story.

I practice Black Sect Feng Shui, a popular form of Feng Shui introduced by Master Lin Yun in the early 1980’s at Berkeley University, California. Using the Bagua form, or the eight-sided octagonal-shaped grid, line the architectural front door with the Career zone with the middle front of the home. Your doorway should be to the left, middle or right in the Career zone or wall on which your entry door is placed. If your front doorway is slanted or recessed, a consultation with an experienced practitioner is advised.

Let’s assume we have established the Career area, which is governed by the element of Water, which could merge into the Knowledge (to the left front); or the doorway might be to the right of the structure looking toward the house from the front yard, or steps or an elevator entry, located at the right far corner section, of the front of the house, called Helpful People and Travel.

Now open the front door. What do you see straight across the other side of the home? Sometimes there are walls built between, so pretend you are Superman and visualize the opposite wall (through the rooms or other walls) or check your floor plan drawing for defining Fame or a Fire Element Gua, located at the middle back area of your house which extends into the backyard. Is this where you are planning to place a pool? Mixing Fire and Water is tricky if the plan is to place a swimming pool or Jacuzzi in this area. Your reputation or Fame could be “drowned out” in time. When water falls, swimming pools, hot tubs and ponds have already been installed in this section before I am called to do a consultation, I would suggest placing a Fire cure into the water. The symbol of Fire is represented by a cone-shaped designed work or possibly six tall flagpoles at the back of the pool and property or terrace. I would use the colors which responded to the six true words in the correct order. Read Feng Shui Design by Master Lin Yun and Sarah Rossbauch to understand this correction.

Red flowers in square terra cotta pots, placed between you and the pool, is also a way to introduce the Earth, Wood and Fire Elements to “soak up” excess water. A better location for placements of a water feature on your 80m or approximately 260-foot terrace space is the back left section or Wealth Corner of the yard area. Purple is the color to invite prosperity into your Wealth Qua. A fountain with lavender flowers surrounding the area would enhance the money section, or a fish pond with eight gold and one black fish as leader would bring abundance to the home. Be careful in placing excess Water features in the back right Qua or the Marriage and Partnership area, as this triad is an Earth-related section and can not stand too much Water, as it “erodes” Earth. By the way, choosing an 11^th-floor number shows you are going through a spiritual learning phase. I hope this has helped your decision-making.

My apologies for the delay in getting back to you. 'This summer was very busy but fun. I took two trips to Victoria, BC, once with my children and grandchildren, and last week by myself to enjoy a week’s painting class with world famous Lian Zhen, an artist of Chinese paintings, using a combination of watercolor techniques, which were exciting. Next week is a face-reading workshop near Seattle and the following weekend I will be in Los Angles with my Master teacher, Professor Lin Yun, for his workshop. I did a lot of Feng Shui intention work to accomplish these things and manifest their birth, which I will share with you and other readers in a future column. Some cures and corrections seem too simple and are ignored by clients and students. Please reread your notes and use the ones I advised for your individual situations, during your private consultations. Or better yet, schedule a “tune-up” by phone and email. It is very affordable and will give you luck, confidence and health.

Caroline lives in the Northwest Region of the US, called The Puget Sound in Washington State. She is a Feng Shui Practitioner, writer, author and artist. She gives workshops in Feng Shui, Elements of Art, private mentoring for serious students, lectures and writes for newspapers. She combines teaching and traveling to other locations, here and abroad. Her 2007 schedule includes workshop and classes in the Northwest, Southwest, Midwest and Alaska. She is available speaking, teaching and consultations.

Please consult your physician for physical problems as this article only gives ideas and suggestions. Caroline is not responsible for anyone using these suggested plants or advice for cures or healing any problem either medical or Feng Shui claims. This column and article is for entertainment only. Please seek help from a qualified physician, naturopath, herbalist or other certified person for treatment.

Caroline Patrick Caroline's Feng Shui Concepts Mt. Vernon, WA 360-424-1501

caroline@fengshuiartistry.com www.fengshuiartistry.com www.moongateschool.com