West Meets East©

You Deserve the Best – Choose Wisely!

I get several calls and emails about mirrors. I decided once again to give my advice on mirrors near the front door. Here is a one-line question that can’t be answered in one paragraph. A woman had been surfing the Internet and found a site that offered much advice about many things. If a site offers you too much information, about too many things that aren’t related, such as plastic surgery and tree trimming service in one easy visit be very skeptical. Be careful also who you take advice from. What are their credentials? I used to give classes on business success. The first thing I wanted to see from my students was their business card. It is a big turnoff when the card claims you are a doctor, lawyer and merchant chief, even if you have a degree in every one. Also, please be honest and professional when presenting yourself. Don’t call yourself a Feng Shui consultant after a weekend seminar. Feng Shui, done correctly, takes years of experience and study. Decorating and Feng Shui are not the same! Decorating a space with nice colors and style is like a beautiful painting, but knowing land sites, taking soil samples, checking out Yin forces and Yang directions, using the ancient Bagua template to map the dwelling and property surrounding, consider the family ages and Elements, is another thing. Watching a town or city file bankruptcy because they have “blocked” the vital flow of Chi to the city is also hard to watch, when using The Art of Placement or Feng Shui to correct the street flow or Chi back to the city buildings. Please consult an experienced consultant if you want solid information.

A mirror may seem a simple thing, but it gives new views of a surrounding. It opens doors, closes doors, or brings a breath of air to a situation, which seems hopeless. What is going on in your life? Is your child unhappy, sick, fighting with their teachers and friends, seeing ghosts or failing in school? Just last week I helped a “child” of 17 who was in despair and failing shift his whole attitude by covering up some large mirrors in his room and adding a small one on a slanted door wall, that gave him “a voice.” He was not being heard because of some definite detail designs in the house and his room. I have over 1200 pages of material gathered from my Master Teacher of Feng Shui, Master Lin Yun, just on design details that cause undiagnosed illnesses. It has taken me many years and many workshops to learn Feng Shui, and I will be traveling once again to China to learn more with a wonderful teacher, James Jay, in September. (Call if you want to join us!) Learning never stops. You wouldn’t want to take advice from a FRED’S BANK or fly with ROCKS IN MY SOCKS, airline. Chose experienced people for guidance. Here is the simple question that started me on this tirade.

Question:

Which way should the mirror be facing? Can I put it above the front door? Thanks.

Answer:

It scares me when people give out information that can cause worse problems. Yes, the mirror can be considered Water in some cases, and the Water Element brings in opportunities, but putting it anywhere near the front door is not the same thing as putting it in a front entry. There are corrections, and there are pretty arrangements. You can place mirrors anywhere near the front in any size, and they could bring in opportunities; but if you could only see your nose in a small one, then the opportunity could only result as an opportunity where you couldn’t speak up or think, as your whole face isn’t reflected, only certain parts. For example, if you could only see your nose in the little mirror, it could mean you are a “nosey” person or you don’t “see” what’s happening, as your eyes are blocked, and the mouth is cut off and no one “hears” what you are saying!

To get good results for future opportunities, mirrors are placed inside the front door when there is a wall “blocking,” or when the front door is opened, there is limited space between you and the wall you are facing. The length or measurement, to see if a mirror would help your Career, is determined by how many times the “head of the house”, or person who brings in the bigger paycheck, could lie down on the floor before his/her feet touched the wall. So for me, with a wall immediately in front of me when I open the front door, I would multiply 5'2" x 2= 10 feet 4 inches. If the facing wall is less than 10'4" from the entry door, a mirror should be used to expand my possibilities. This is a controversial issue, as some schools of Feng Shui don’t use mirrors. But I have always used mirrors to push, pull, expand and open spaces, give “voice” to a “dead” door with fantastic and sometimes instant results. So, I would place a large mirror inside the entry in the foyer to reflect and include the height of the head of the house, and a mirror that is big enough to reflect down to the waist of this person. This doesn’t mean a vase, flowers or a statue could be added to the decor at this juncture. A large skinny mirror would not work as a cure, because it would only squeeze the reflection. This could symbolize that he/she would not be able to expand and use all of their knowledge in this Career or opportunity. Don’t forget that sometimes backdoor cures are needed as well for the Wealth, Fame and Partnership sections. This way, all sections of the house are in harmony. Just fixing the front door and letting a leaky hose drip in the back of the house can leak away all the corrections you put in action throughout the whole house!

Again, different schools of Feng Shui have different ideas about mirrors. Some schools say no to all mirrors, but I have found them to create miracles, such as the phone ringing with news of an opportunity for my client while the mirror is being hung. Anywhere a large mirror can be hung which reflects the outside world will bring new people and things to your life. As my teacher explained to me once, “Yes, BorNei (Caroline), hang a mirror at the end of the bed, and upon awakening sit up and take a look at yourself. Then you might see who is the problem in the house!” he advised with a smile on his lips and love in his heart.

Since I am familiar with the house of the person who emailed me, I further advised, “You don’t need a mirror at the front door, as your door opens into your living room, a large space. But a large metal wind chime with hollow tubes hung at the front door inside and outside would suck Chi upward and inward. Nine potted plants outside along the pathway would help, and getting rid of 27 things large and small gets things moving. Make sure all inside doors remain open as much as possible so Chi can nurture every space. “By the way, I hope your desk is still turned facing the front door. If you are working with your back facing the main front door, it will be an uphill battle to attract new clients or work possibilities.”

A person could put mirrors everywhere in all sizes and shapes, but a cure for bringing new opportunities needs to be placed with accuracy and intention.

I have done at least ten new cures recently for my own homes and thrown away things from the past such as Benicia’s papers, furniture, books and more. Old life, old stuff! “ Why are you still using a folding table for a desk?” I asked. “ That could mean your business could collapse if you got too much business. Treat yourself to a great desk large enough for your new clients and projects. You are wise, brilliant and a fantastic teacher. I learned a ton of stuff from you. Please treat yourself to a desk which could change your life and don’t put anything under the bed! Chi gets stuck and can cause sickness. Actually, if you are still sleeping on the mattress from when you were really sick, toss it. Energy sticks and stays in them. Maybe this is why you get better and then have relapses.” I cautioned. “I’m going to send you some pictures of cures I have done at the condo. Some of them can be put into place in your house. Then we’ll talk. I think you get things going in one area, but your house doesn’t support your efforts as the other Guas or areas are not “cured. Let’s get things moving in the direction of Career with the bed, desk and stove adjustments. You need to be helping tired cancer victims and those who have little hope. Write your story about how you healed your heart without a heart transplant. Do the adjustments and you will be recognized again for the great teacher and healer I know you to be.”

PLEASE NOTE: I am extending the phone consultation price of $299, due to its popularity, during the current economical our country is experiencing. Support yourself using Feng Shui methods!

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.