West Meets East©

The Age of Ego is Over; Get Ready for Creativity to Find Your Way in this Recession!

Many of my clients are moving and changing their lives. Using Feng Shui to lift the Chi is necessary for support during these problematic times. Activating certain areas of your home, such as rearranging the desk and bed, will start things moving. My client who posed the question below is also a mentoring student who has some knowledge of dowsing, an ancient way of locating water, underground water, ley lines, or stress energy lines under the land. I asked her to practice her skills of this art by taking a map in the general area she wished to live. This will give an indication of what is good for her in terms of her energy matching the Chi of the land in that area. I have done this many times to locate the best areas of the country, world or place for living, working or building facilities. It is fascinating, and I find people’s pets are already in tune to nature’s best places to hang out in a home. Cats will lie on these energy lines, trying to heal a place while dogs refuse to sit in a “bad” place! Here are our current email conversations which give insight to finding the best location for her new life.

Hi Caroline,

I’m looking at the middle of February for my target moving date and so I’m getting more specific about planning it. Besides sending you floor plans to look at, I was wondering about geographic locations. In general, I’m wondering about living near a lot of water – or should I stay farther away from water? Since I’m an earth sign, would it be better to be surrounded more by dry land and hills? I thought the water might be good since I want to focus on career, but maybe it’s too much and with the earth will make mud and slow me down.

What do you suggest?

Answer:

Location can be very important. Knowing your birth Elements is also valuable. Earth and Water work very well together when in balance. But too much Water can “flood” Earth and too much Earth can dam your personal Water, causing anger and frustration and certain health problems. Each Element relates to several body parts and meridians. Western astrology and Chinese astrology are great tools to find out more about where you should live. For example, many cities, such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York, are Fire cities, while Seattle and Portland are thought of as Water Element cities. Then you have Wood cities in forest areas, and Metal influences with steel and Metal buildings and Earth cities in the Midwest and Southwest regions. If you aren’t interested in Chinese and Ayurveda theories and Feng Shui, move to where you are happy and healthy! Being happy and healthy in a place is the best gauge for finding your perfect location.

“Don’t build in the ‘Veins of a Dragon,’” the Chinese will tell you. Translation: don’t build a house in the canyons of a mountain, or your house will eventually get washed away! Be smart when choosing a living space. First, what do you want to happen in your life? You can’t live in the woods if you want to be a successful businessperson who needs to be seen. Maybe a writer can do well while writing a book, but in today’s market, the author must do talks and sign books to keep the Chi moving and bring Fire to their Reputation. Action-Fire Element-Lights of a space is located to the far back middle section of the house. If that area is a bathroom, cluttered, has broken windows or is dark and gloomy, you will have a hard time hanging onto Fame (fire) because there is no light! So when in balance, all Elements should work together in a productive cycle. This is why a good Feng Shui consultant is needed to show you how this formula applies to your home.

It is also best to choose a place that is not far from a main road, with a slight hill to your back. This is called the armchair position. Imagine your house sitting in the middle of a comfortable easy chair. Don’t live in a house below street level, or money, health and promotions will be lost; the same problem would be a cliff behind a house in the backyard. Corrections can be made to a property to stop this from happening. Living near a prison or graveyard is also not good Feng Shui. Graveyards emit too much Yin Chi. You want good Yang or sun energy with a mixture of Yin or darkness for sleeping and making love.

Hi Caroline,

Thanks again for the help with location information you gave me over the phone. It gave me some very good considerations to add to my criteria for my new home search.

I also took some maps and used a dowsing tool on them to help pinpoint the city or cities that might work for me. According to that I eliminated some cities and counties. The maps I used overlap in the areas they cover, so I narrowed it down to two that seemed to have a positive response. Since these are still areas that aren’t next to each other, and both maps cover surrounding areas, I wanted to narrow it down more. There are some city names listed on the cover of each map, so I looked for the ones that might be listed on both. I used the dowsing tool to ask if the possible cities were ones that were specifically listed on the cover of both maps and got a positive response. This area is not one that I was considering as I assume it would be too expensive for me to live, but I’m not buying property, so it may be much different.

Can you go ahead and see what you come up with?

Answer:

Hi, remember you are opening yourself up to any possibility! Nothing is impossible. You will need a new focus and must let go of old behavior and old ideas. I will be sending you the Heart Sutra Mantra CD as a gift, please listen to it at least once a day and hopefully more. Each time you listen, a part of the old ways and thoughts will wisp away, as the “body is burned away” and your new skin from the lotus will transform your sight, hearing, thoughts and thinking into a new channel. Prayers are sent to heaven by hands held together forming a triangle with finger tips pointing toward the heavens. Church steeples and other architectural structures which tower into the skies are all considered Fire energy. Cone shapes, such as steeples, A-frame houses, pine trees, flagpoles, lighting, candles, fire pits and the color red, bring warmth, Fame and good Reputation in Feng Shui tradition. All philosophies and religions bring the cone shape into play.

You can afford a new life. It may be offered to you free, for house sitting, pet sitting or something we haven’t conceived! Remember the “Age of Ego” is over. The human race must change their thinking to survive this latest recession and more. It is now officially “The Age of Creativity.” It is time to dig deep into that forgotten pocket of talents God gave each of us. We must think on a higher scale of spirit to bring harmony and balance to our planet. Take a hard long look at how you can help mankind. We have been called to service on many levels. Meditate, pray and listen to what your assignment will be. Be flexible and look forward to the way the wind blows you, like bamboo in the spring, strong but flexible. Add light to every space. You can use lighting from battery tea lights and good bright light over your desk, chair, couch, cooking stove and dining table. Add light in anyway possible to “light up” your new journey. It will bring clarity, joy, light to hidden situations, unclouded thinking, regret, dry up tears and burn up old ideas. It will clear up the clutter of your mind.

First use the Helpful People corner of your house (immediate right corner of the house) to put your note of what you want into a metal round silver-colored shiny container, such as an ice bucket or silver pot, to get the action of Heaven in “gear”! Then activate the Wealth Corner (far back left corner) for completion. We’ll talk more.

Join us for a lifetime experience in China with James Jay, September 21, 2009. The tour is filling up quickly! Email me at caroline@fengshuiartistry.com for details!

Caroline lives in the Northwest Region of the US, called the Puget Sound in Washington State and is an experienced Feng Shui Practitioner, writer, author and artist. She gives workshops in Feng Shui, Elements of Art, private mentoring for serious student, lectures, does book illustrations, art demonstrations for Daniel Smiths Art Supplies and writes a weekly newspaper column for the Benicia Herald in California and other publications. Call (360) 424-1501 for her availability for speaking, teaching and consultations in the U.S. and abroad, or email caroline@fengshuiartistry.com. Visit her websites: www.fengshuiartistry.com to view her special Feng Shui artwork designed especially for cures and corrections and enhancements of the 5 Elements (some for sale) and www.moongateschool.com for West Meets East archives.

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.

Note: Caroline Patrick BorNei (pronounced Bornay) is Caroline's Chinese name give to her by her Master Teacher His Holiness Grandmaster Lin Yin.