West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick

West Literally Meets East

I love to get mail from other countries concerning Feng Shui. The United States is beginning to catch up on the how and why placement of objects in a flowing manner is more auspicious! Most countries have been practicing a form of Feng Shui for thousands of years. From landforms to acupuncture and medicine, this science has finally arrived on our shores to bring us ideas to build peaceful dwellings; retreats to relieve stress; and using art to further visual bliss is my passion. I first came to Feng Shui through the arts, as color, direction and shape are crucial to a good painting.

Meeting TERAH KATHERYN COLLINS at the International Feng Shui Conference several weeks ago was indeed a privilege, as Terah founded The Western School Of Feng Shui in San Diego many years ago and has written best-selling books to help westerners learn this ancient Chinese art. Her humor and teaching methods are compelling. I was invited by Terah and her assistant Liv, to do her weekly Feng Shui radio show on Feng Shui Art, its importance and how it is created. We had a great hour of airtime to talk about this subject. If you would like to hear the show via internet, log on www. WorldTalkRadio.com in the archives. Or check the site for live radio instructions. You can also read Holly Ziegler's new book on Feng Shui and real estate where she has included a page on my artwork and reference to my new paintings which contain all the elements for balance and harmony.

This recent email from Hong Kong includes many questions which include the correct placement of artwork.

Hi,

I need your help to clarify my doubt. I am from Singapore. My main door is facing one of my bedroom doors as shown on the floor plan with an arrow. I am considering putting a "Bagua" inside the house above the bedroom door facing the front door. According to my findings and reading of many books, they are not advisable. Please help me to see what solution can be done.

Thank you & best regards,

A Reader

Dear Reader,

Hello, thank you for sending the floor plan as it is always better to see a visual rendering before making a judgment. I can see from the drawing that the bedroom is lined up with the front entry. You probably feel as if you can't sleep with all of the Chi rushing toward your bedroom. I would suggest you place a beautiful, clear-sounding wind chime with hollow metal rods half way between the front door and your bedroom. Hang a 50mm clear lead faceted crystal from the bottom of the chime, as both will work their magic, giving you clear thinking while the racing energy is pulled up through the hollow rods and dispersed throughout the living space, while the crystal activates the area and balloons the energy outward into all of the spaces. Mirror the outside of the interior doors in question, which will reflect the wind chime and crystal and double your luck!

It is best not to use a Bagua mirror with the I Ching trigrams painted on the frame of the mirror, inside a home. It is very powerful and used for special situations. The Center of the home is known as the Tai Chi and is an Earth section or Gua. If there is room for a painting, use an Earth scene with a lot of yellow color in the picture, as yellow and earth tones contribute to better health. Don't hang Water images or use other colors in this part of the house, as they disturb the balance of the other Guas. Square is the shape of the sign for Earth, so a yellow square rug or a design using squares is a great way to Feng Shui the Center of any dwelling.

You didn't comment on any other problems in your life. Are you experiencing any issues which need attention?

I visited China for three weeks this April and found it fascinating and lovely. Thank you for writing. Please let me know how this advice works for you.

Sincerely,

Caroline

Hi, Caroline,

Thank you for your advice. I will try and find the wind chime to hang in between the front door and the bedroom. How many pieces of the metal rod are advisable?

The room which is directly facing the main door is painted in violet, where we predicted that room belong to Fire. (I don't know whether this is correct.) My dining and living room is painted yellow. Only one side of the wall near the living room window is painted brown.

I intend to put a waterfall with trees and birds painting in the dining room just outside my the other room which serves as our study room (the room which is away from the two rooms side-by-side.) Is this okay? The room was painted white. Inside the room I intend to put another small painting of the waterfall. I read on the books before that if you hang a waterfall painting behind or in front of where you want to sit to study, it is good. Am I right?

Please advise me on all this. Sorry for all the inconvenience.

Thanks, A Reader

Dear Reader,

Hello again! A wind chime with five rods is good Feng Shui. There are some chimes that are considered sacred such as ones blessed by those who have reached a higher vibration, such as a priest, Abbot or other person whose energy is light and healing. Most chimes are delightful and using sound is a natural way to direct the flow of wind into your home. Sound alone is considered a correction within itself. Just the symbolic placement of a chime can alter Chi, but as I pass my chimes inside or outside the home I ring them for the uplifting energy they provide.

I'm a bit confused by your questions concerning the house, as you didn't mark or distinguish the rooms by name. Did you apply compass school or form school to determine your floor plan? Career Zone and other Guas? What books are you using?

To answer your question without understanding the placement is just guessing, but the Fame - Fire - and Red section is directly opposite the Water- Career area. The color of purple or a violet should be used in the Wealth zone, or the far back left corner of the house from the front entry. This is the Black Sect Method.

If you have used compass school, that is also acceptable, but why violet in the Fame or fire Gua? To answer your art questions, I would suggest you study my website for correct placement of the Elements. I would be careful using any water scene in a Fire location, as you will drown out the Fire of your Reputation or Fame. Yellow is a great color to use in several places as it represents Health and creates golden sunlight and yang energy. Many birds are good, especially in the Fame section, but two lovebirds are especially good for the bedroom. Many single women crowd their homes with pictures of lonely scenes, and single women. The viewing of art in the home and workplace can change your life. So be careful what you are saying with these images.

I will be teaching modules on the Power of Art for some schools this year and 2005. Most workshops will be hands-on so the student can actually learn the placement of the Elements, color and shapes. Feng Shui Art is an enhancement to any space.

The paintings I have created for Feng Shui are on my site for understanding - but - in one week there will be a big exciting change on the websites. One new page will introduce prints, reproductions of my new 5 ELEMENT SERIES, plus foldout pictures joined together with all 5 ELEMENTS to be used in living and working spaces. They are approximately 26 inches long by 7 inches high and can be placed on a table for viewing. All of the originals have been painted in a special manner, with the atmosphere of sacred music, scents, and essences. The "DNA" of each peace is sacred as special messages are painted behind the work to imprint time and space as they are manifested.

The second change on the website is a travelogue to bring you pictures of my latest adventures.