Mind, Body, Home by Tisha Morris

Body, Mind & Spirit / Inspiration & Personal Growth

Your Home is the Key to a

Successful,

Holistic Life Awaken to the energetic connections between you and your home.

When you make conscious changes to your living space, you can transform your life and uplift your soul.

Mind, Body, Home presents your home as an integral component for holistic living, correlating every room with its physical, mental, or emotional counterpart in you. Your home is a reflection of you, and being in tune with its energy allows you to create positive changes in your life. From foundation to roof, it holds the power to enhance your health, improve your relationships, and attract more prosperity. Open the door to the heart of your home and discover a whole new way of seeing and living within it.

“You can never learn too much about feng shui, and Tisha’s book ‘breaks it down’ cleanly and efficiently.”

—Karen Rauch Carter, author of the national best-seller, Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life

“[Mind, Body, Home] is useful for anyone who wants her home to be a reflection of what’s in her heart and mind.”

Zachary Goodyear

—Geralin Thomas, professional organizer featured on the A&E hit television show Hoarders

Tisha Morris is a feng shui consultant, interior designer, certified life coach, energy healer, and yoga instructor. She is also the author of Feng Shui Your Life (Turner Publishing, 2011). She is based in Los Angeles, California, and can be found online at TishaMorris.com. $16.99 US / $19.50 CAN ISBN 978-0-7387-3694-5

www.llewellyn.com • Facebook.com/LlewellynBooks • Twitter:@LlewellynBooks

More Praise for Mind, Body, Home “Cut the chatter and feng shui! This is the book to use if you are interested in just getting something done!”

—Karen Rauch Carter, author of Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life “There’s plenty of advice that’ll be especially helpful for anyone experiencing that, ‘Where do I begin’ feeling. It’s full of great practical tips and best of all, it’s useful for anyone who wants her home to be a reflection of what’s in her heart and mind.”

—Geralin Thomas, Disorganization Expert from A&E TV show Hoarders “Stuffed with practical wisdom, accessible advice, and soaring inspiration, Mind, Body, Home is the ultimate guide to taking responsibility for our lives by transforming our homes. Tisha Morris’s book invites us to create heaven on earth one room at a time.”

—Kris Waldherr, bestselling author of The Book of Goddesses “With both deep, intuitive understanding and sharply honed professional knowledge, Tisha leads us deeper and deeper into the heart and soul of our homes, helping us to understand the essential mind/body/home connection and giving us tools of transformation.”

—Lauren Rosenfeld, co-author of Breathing Room: The Spiritual Guide to Decluttering Your Home and Your Heart “Mind, Body, Home puts the fascinating art of Feng Shui into a context anyone can understand and work with.”

—Gail Larsen, author Transformational Speaking “For people who want to reconnect with their body, Mind, Body, Home is a beautiful place to start. Tisha offers down-to-earth, accessible ways to develop a truly holistic approach to mind/body connection by factoring in our most precious of environments outside our own bodies, our homes.”

—Anna Guest-Jelley, founder of Curvy Yoga

“You can never learn too much about feng shui, and Tisha’s book ‘breaks it down’ cleanly and efficiently—which is in itself good feng shui.”

—Karen Rauch Carter, author of the national bestselling feng shui book, Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life

Mind Body Home

About the Author Tisha Morris is a feng shui designer, space healer, and yoga instructor. She combines healing energy, feng shui techniques, and design aesthetics to turn challenging spaces into supportive environments that transform all those who live and encounter the space. Tisha is also the author of Feng Shui Your Life: The Quick Guide to Decluttering Your Home and Renewing Your Life (Turner Publishing).

Prior to entering the healing arts, Tisha practiced law and obtained a fine arts degree in Interior Design. Tisha works one-on-one with clients and facilitates feng shui workshops and trainings.

Visit www.tishamorris.com for more information.

Transform Your Life One Room at a Time

Mind Body Home Tisha Morris

Llewellyn Publications Woodbury, Minnesota

Mind, Body, Home: Transform Your Life One Room at a Time © 2013 by Tisha Morris. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Edition First Printing, 2013 Cover art: PunchStock.com/138546522/Rainer Elstermann/fStop Cover design by Lisa Novak Editing by Connie Hill Interior art by the Llewellyn Art Department Llewellyn is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data (Pending) ISBN: 978-0-7387-3694-5 Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public.

All mail addressed to the author is forwarded, but the publisher cannot, unless specifically instructed by the author, give out an address or phone number.

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to authors’ websites and other sources.

Llewellyn Publications A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 www.llewellyn.com Printed in the United States of America

Other Books by this author Feng Shui Your Life: The Quick Guide to Decluttering Your Home and Renewing Your Life Turner Publishing 2011 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home Turner Publishing 2010

Contents Acknowledgments / xv

Introduction . . . 1 My Life as a House 3 The Mind Body Home Connection 6 Sustainable Design 8 Evolving Into the 21st-Century Home 9 Relating Mind-Body Principles 10 Our Home as a Mirror 11

PART I: getting TO know YOUR HOME

Chapter 1: Your Home’s Origin: Location . . . 17 Harnessing the Earth’s Energy 19 What Is Chi? 20 Yin and Yang 21 Neighborhoods 24 What Is a Feng Shui Remedy? 28 Selecting a Home Site 29 Using Feng Shui to Analyze a Home Site 30 Incorporating Animal Totems in Your Home 33 Shape of the Lot 35 Poison Arrows 36 Roads, Driveways, Sidewalks, and Pathways 38 T-Intersections, Dead Ends, and Cul-de-Sacs 41 Using Intuition 44

Chapter 2: Your Home’s Personality: Numerology . . . 45 Sacred Geometry 46 Numerology 47 Numerology for Homes 47

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hapter 3: Your Home’s Body: The Shape of the House C and How it Shapes You . . . 57 Our Childhood Home 59 Too Little, Too Big, or Just Right? 59 Grounding In 61 What Architectural Style Is Best for You? 64 Old Home or New Home 70

Chapter 4: Your Home’s Path: Floor Plan of the House . . . 73 Flow of Energy 74 The Bagua Map 75 Missing Corners 79 Front Door 82 Front Entrance 83 Hallways 86 Stairways 87 Bathrooms 89 The Garage 92

Chapter 5: Your Home’s Past: Previous Owners . . . 95 Patterns of Energy 97 Foreclosed Homes 99 Ghosts and Other Entities 100 Ghost Busting 103 But My Ghost Is Friendly! 105 Space Clearing 106 Steps for Space Clearing 107 How Often Should You Space Clear? 108

Chapter 6: Our Energy, Our Emotions, and Our Stuff . . . 111 Energy or Aura Fields 112 The Chakras 115 Chakras and the Bagua Map 118 Inanimate Objects Have Feelings Too 121 Furniture 122

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Collections 124 Clutter and the Art of Detaching 125 “What About My Husband’s Clutter?” 128 Clutter Bug or Neat Freak? 130 Objects of Our Expression 130

PART II: YOUR HOME SPEAKS YOUR MIND

Chapter 7: The Language of the Home . . . 135 Chapter 8: Floors: Levels of Consciousness . . . 141 Foundation 142 “Settling” Into Your Home 143 Basement 146 What’s Really Down There? 147 You, Me, and Dupree 148 Basements and Flooding 149 Out of Sight, Out of Mind? 150 Main Level 151 2nd Floor 153 Where Should Your Home Office Be Located? 154 Attic 155

hapter 9: Structural Components: The Bones C of the Home . . . 159 Framework 160 Flooring 162 Ceiling 163 Roof 165 Walls 166 Stairs 168 Windows 169 Doors 170 Fireplace 173

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Chapter 10: Rooms: Our Many Parts and Personas . . . 175 Bathroom 177 Bedroom 179 Closet 181 The Urge to Purge 182 Den (or Living Room) 183 Garage 184 Transitional Spaces 185 Kitchen 186

Chapter 11: Mechanicals: The Functioning Organ Systems . . . 189 Plumbing 190 Electricity 193 Internet/Telephone 195 Heating and Air Systems 196

Chapter 12: Outdoor Spaces: How We Relate to Others . . . 199 Front and Back of House 200 Front Porch 203 Patio/Deck 204 Balcony 205 Fence 205 Gardens 206 Driveway 207 Swimming Pool 209 Trees 210

Chapter 13: Encroachments: What We Attract . . . 213 Ants 215 Flies 215 Cockroaches 216 Mice 216

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Burglar 217 Ghosts 218

Conclusion: Integrating Your Mind Body and Home . . . 221 Household Accidents 222 Repairs and Maintenance 223 Improvements 225 Renovation 227 Renting Your Home 229 Moving 229 Feng Shui for the Planet 231 Quick Reference of Mind Body Home Connections / 233 Bibliography / 241 Recommended Reading / 243

Eventually everything connects. —charles eames 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book has been a labor of love, relationships, and hard work that took six years and three months to write. It started in 2006 when I moved into a home that stole my heart. It was broken and needed love.

I passed up the brand-new penthouse condo to renovate this house. As I was renovating it, I realized I was also renovating myself. I started writing about these experiences, knowing one day they would be part of a book.

At the same time, I was also building a relationship. Over those six years, I lived in four homes, all of which I learned more from with regard to the energy of spaces than any books or trainings will ever teach me. My homes have been my guru. It was the last three months of writing this book, however, that became the impetus behind it.

Shortly after signing the publishing contract, I, oddly enough, found myself living in the same condo that I had almost purchased six years before. This time I am a different person, having been shaped by all my experiences, professionally and personally. That transformative energy is embodied within this book. Our home is truly a mirror of ourselves, our relationships, and a reflection of our current situations. And it is the love within the confines of the walls that make a house a home.

The writing of a book is much like the building of a home. I want to acknowledge all those who contributed in some way to the building of this book. As with any house, you must start with a strong foundation.

And that is what my parents and big sister provided. I want to thank my mom and dad for preparing the ground and laying the foundation for me.

It is not coincidental that some of my first memories as a child were of them building their home, which came to be my childhood home. I can’t imagine having a stronger foundation than what they provided. I am so grateful to have their love and support.

The next step is building the framework and walls. And for this I thank Allison. She gave me the structure, support, and strength to bring this book into manifestation, along with so many other aspects of myself.

Just like the walls of a home, she gave me a container for my emotions at each step of the way. She said, “Send it,� and for that has made all

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the difference. She has been a pillar of strength for which I am eternally grateful.

The mechanical systems of a home are what make it functional, operational, and able to run effectively. It is all of those who have helped me along the way that keep me, in effect, operational. I want to thank my earth angels Maryann and Ataana for stretching my heart and keeping me sane, along with an unending list of therapists, teachers, healers and friends. I also want to give a special thanks to all my clients for the honor of being part of your journey. You continually teach me new things.

I want to thank my team at Llewellyn for providing the door for this book. Doors are opportunities and that is what they have given me.

It is the windows of a home that give it light, vision, and perspective to see beyond our limitations. Only second to the people and experiences of a space, windows bring life to a space. As eyes are the windows to the soul, the windows of a home are the eyes into the world. Lindsley gave me the eyes to see bigger than I could see for myself.

The roof is our connection to the heavens. It is our closest connection with Source combined with a sense of protection from the physical world. I have been so led and blessed by my angels, guides, and the eternal Om God. I am continually amazed at our conversations. When I was a child, my prayers started with Thank You and ended with Thank You. And so it is. Thank you. —Tisha December 31, 2012

Introduction Places have power—not only the physical power of sheer presence, but the emotional clout to alter our moods.

Of course, the converse is also true.

We have power over places.

If we don’t take advantage of that fact, we’re squandering a major opportunity to bring positive energy into our lives.

—martha beck, o at home 

Throughout our lives, we live in many different spaces—our childhood home, dorm rooms, our first apartment, our first home, and many more spaces in between and along the way. Think back to the times when you moved into a new home. It most likely coincided with a major life change—marriage, divorce, new baby, new job, school, graduation, downsizing, upsizing, or simply starting over. We never forget the homes we’ve lived in, and energetically they never forget us. Our homes are a part of us and we are a part of them.

Soon after you move into your home, your energy and the energy of your home begin to merge. Just like settling into a long-term relationship, you each begin to feed off the other’s energy. Your home

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becomes a projection of you—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

These projections start to show up around the house in a variety of ways. The most obvious example is that a messy home symbolizes a messy or scattered mind. But what about a clogged toilet, leaky roof, or a fallen tree? Each aspect of your home correlates with an aspect of your physical, mental, or emotional wellbeing.

Consider the current state of your home. Is it a mess? Have you blown a fuse lately? Are there recurring problems with your home that you can never seem to get resolved? Is it in need of a renovation or just minor cosmetic touches? Do you have a water leak? Do you have problems with a certain type of insect invading your house? Any of these problems and many more are actually projections of what is going on in your life. By simply looking around your home, you can see the current state of your life. And by making changes to your home, you make correlating changes to yourself.

Our home consists of an array of swirling energies that affect us on subtle and profound levels of which most of us are not even aware.

Imagine for a moment an unseen world of energy in your home. This unseen, nonphysical world is made up of energy emitted from the earth, from the objects in your home, from previous occupants, and most importantly from your energy field. Understanding how the energies in your home affect you and, likewise, how you affect your home can profoundly change the way you view it. Furthermore, changing the way you live in your home can dramatically change your life.

Our home is more than a physical shell. It is the space with which we are most intimately connected. We cry, laugh, dream, make love, expose and express ourselves more in our home than anywhere else. It is the space in which we are the most vulnerable. Second only to our physical body, it is our shell from the rest of the world. It is a container for our thoughts and emotions. Our home is an energetic expression and physical extension of who we are. While other spaces we occupy,

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such as our car or office, along with public spaces, have a host of influential energies, none are we as connected with as our home.1

My Life as a House This interrelationship between our personal energy and that of our home became clear to me a few years ago and eventually led me to become a feng shui consultant. It was Summer 2006 when I veered off my usual dog-walking route and noticed a For Sale sign in the yard of the 1930s Hollywood-style, adobe bungalow that I had always loved. Sitting among craftsmen bungalows and Victorians in the historic east Nashville neighborhood where I lived, the house had a peculiar and unique charm. The next day I called my real estate agent. Upon walking in, I knew I was home.

However, I was quickly overwhelmed when I got the inspection report back. It needed a complete overhaul. It had never had central air and therefore needed new duct work. The electrical system was still on a fuse box. And the house was inundated by plumbing problems due to the outdated and brittle PVC pipes. This was not to mention the aesthetic alterations that would be required throughout—from the canary yellow kitchen (including the ceiling)—to every light switch installed upside down. After already making extensive cosmetic repairs over the last five years to my 1920s bungalow, I had been looking forward to a low-maintenance house, maybe even a brand-new house—but not a renovation. That’s when a dear friend of mine said, “You either do it all now or gradually over time.” She wasn’t just talking about the house.

She was talking about me—a renovation of myself.

During this time I was looking to downsize in order to transition out of practicing law into something more fulfilling. I had just received a fine arts degree in Interior Design, but still could not find anything that would satisfy me. I felt more lost than ever, but kept up my search 1. T hroughout the book, I use the terms “home” and “house” with intention each time. House refers to the building structure itself. Home is more personal and refers to not only the house but also the aliveness it contains as a result of our human energy.

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for a soul-fulfilling career. In moments of clarity, I knew I had a calling, so to speak, but I just couldn’t figure out what it was. I read every selfhelp and career-transitioning book available.

At the same time, my personal life was about as consistent as my professional life—in and out of relationships with seemingly poor decisionmaking. After a significant breakup, I knew I needed to make changes.

As a typical Cancer sign, I had become completely codependent with my home during this tumultuous time. It was my safe haven and a storehouse for all the emotions I had experienced over the previous five years. It was the same reason I knew what I needed to do: sell my home and start over. That’s when this charming bungalow showed up in my life also in need of an overhaul and fresh start.

With the reassurance of incredibly smooth real estate transactions, I knew it was time to start my next renovation project, except this one would go deeper than anything I had previously undertaken. For the next year this house and I underwent dramatic simultaneous transformations. As I peeled away the old layers and made some upgrades, I discovered that this house, along with myself, was a diamond in the rough that just needed some love.

As I made improvements, I could see the correlating changes occurring within myself. From upgrading the electrical system to putting in a new HVAC system to simply painting the walls, I noticed how each of these changes affected me—physically, mentally, and emotionally. For example, as the central air was installed, my own breathing was eased through yoga and meditation. As the electrical panel was upgraded from a fuse box to a 200-volt panel, my own nervous system calmed and I learned not to be so reactive. I painted each room a different color and, in doing so, a new aspect of myself came to life with each room.

As I expanded the renovation to the guesthouse, I tapped into new aspects of myself as a healer.

There was a particularly memorable moment during the time when I owned both homes for a two-week period. I was running on fumes getting the new house in order while moving out of the former house.

I was completely exhausted. Within a 30-minute window, the HVAC systems on both homes went down. The message was that I needed to

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take a break and take care of myself. I was literally and figuratively out of breath. It was moments such as this that I knew my subconscious mind was speaking to me through my home. During this time I was also having vivid dreams of homes, which brought forth even more information that I luckily did not have to experience through my home.

By the end of that year, I had fallen in love with this house, myself, and with my partner. The last touches I made on the home were painting the trim around the exterior windows. I had finished making the necessary repairs and upgrades and could now focus on the improvements to allow this home to express its unique charm and beauty for the world to see. In my own life during that year, I had been through the wringer with my own issues that needed repairing and I came out the other side no longer needing to repair anything, but simply improving. As I painted the windows with a turquoise trim characteristic of traditional adobe-style homes, I was expressing my own voice out into the world in a new way.

Just as angels and guides communicate to some people and dreams and visions come to others, homes speak to me. Specifically, this house taught me the subconscious language in which all our homes speak to us. Years later, I came across Carl Jung’s autobiography, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, where he recounts the powerful symbolism his house held for him as he was building it. This correlation was further explored in The House of C. G. Jung, a project spearheaded by Carl Jung’s grandson, Andreas Jung, who now lives in the home.

During my year renovating the house, I tapped into my soul’s work and met my soul mate. In purging so much of my past in my previous home, I opened up a vacuum of space for allowing new opportunities to come in. And did they ever. Within a month of moving in, I started teaching yoga and soon realized that I had a gift for working with subtle energies. After studying and training in various modalities, I started an energy healing and feng shui practice. Almost exactly one year later, I sold the house. That home will forever be a part of me, just as all of our homes are forever a part of us.

In hindsight I could see that I was never lost or had never made a “wrong” career or relationship decision. It was all part of the essential

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path that led me to where I needed to be. I experienced firsthand just how interrelated our energy is with our home. I also experienced how important our home is in living consciously. When you make changes to your home, you make changes to yourself. When you make conscious changes to your home, you can transform your life and uncover your soul.

The Mind Body Home Connection As alternative medicine and holistic living have become mainstream, so many wonderful modalities are offered in almost any community and city. Our home is an essential part of holistic living and right at our fingertips. Holistic is about bringing the whole into balance. If our home is out of order or balance, then it will be difficult, if not impossible, for our life to be in order. Our living spaces are integral to this balancing equation. Our body is a manifestation of our mind and our home is a further extension of the mind and body. The energy of the mind, body, and home are each interrelated and affect one another. This is the power of the mind body home connection.

For thousands of years in all cultures, traditions, and religions, the house has been closely connected to, or used as a metaphor for, the soul.

In Christianity, the body is referred to as the temple of the soul. In literature, it was Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of Seven Gables that made this connection. And Gaston Bachelard offered a poetic summation of this interrelationship in The Poetics of Space. In Hollywood, Life as a House depicted the stages of building a house as representative of the characters’ lives and relationships. For Jungian dream analysts, along with all prevailing dream interpreters, the house symbolizes the Self and the way we build our lives—with each room and component of the house representing aspects of ourselves.

The connection between a house and our body can even be found in architecture and often referred to as sacred geometry. Historically, the proportions of the body have been used in architecture to determine the basic proportions of spaces. This was the meaning behind Leonardo da Vinci’s well-known illustration, The Vitruvian Man, used by architect Vitruvius himself in designing spaces.

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The connection between spaces and how they affect humans is most widely known as feng shui. Originating in China and now used worldwide, feng shui is a science that relates how the energy in spaces affects the mind and body of its inhabitants. Feng shui is a science that falls under the umbrella of Chinese medicine, along with acupuncture and Qigong. It is not coincidental that these three sciences integrate the mind, the body, and the home and the importance of all three for a balanced and happy life.

The Hindu version of feng shui, called vastu shastra or simply vastu, may have been the first living science to make the mind body home connection. The Vedas, written in approximately 2500 B.C., is a treatise on Ayurvedic medicine, Yoga, and Vastu. In fact, in Vastu the body is renowned as a living example of perfect architecture. Just like Chinese medicine, the basis of health and wellbeing in Indian culture is also comprised of bringing balance to the mind, body, and home. While Western medicine has historically only focused on treating the physical body post-disease, Eastern medicine focuses on balancing the mind, body, and home for preventive and curative purposes.

As the West and East slowly merge, Western medicine is only beginning to touch on preventive medicine by borrowing from Eastern cultures. As such, more and more people are realizing how important their home and environment is on their overall wellbeing. As we awaken to this network of energetic connections of our mind, body, and home, we become more conscious within our own life and begin to open the door to the heart of our own home.

This energetic connection between our Self and our home is a living example of the connections within our Universe. Our home connects us to everything and highlights the universal truth that everything is connected—from our neighbors, to the land we live on, to the plants and animals, and across the globe everywhere. Second only to our physical body, our home is our primary connection to the Earth and is therefore a laboratory for self-exploration, growth, and transformation. With the evolution of the home and the human mind, we are now living in a time when the home is more than just a metaphor, but it is a reflection or projection of ourselves.

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Sustainable Design While the United States has been slow to fully embrace feng shui and other Eastern sciences about our built environment, it has been a preeminent proponent of green design. The green design movement is also referred to as sustainable architecture, sustainable living, environmental design, and environmentally sustainable design. Sustainable design is based on the philosophy of designing objects and spaces to comply with certain principles in order to reduce harm to the environment. Its inception arose from an acknowledged depletion of natural resources and damaged ecosystems. So while the purpose of feng shui is to live in harmony with the Earth, sustainable design’s purpose is reducing harm to the Earth and sustaining fragile ecosystems.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has been a forerunner in sustainable design. The USGBC is a non-profit organization that birthed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation system and is recognized in the private and public sector as the mark of sustainable design. LEED for Homes is one of the more recent accreditations available. A green home uses less energy, water, and other natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. A LEED home lowers energy and water bills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions and indoor toxins.

The desire and demand for green homes has risen in the last few years exponentially. Many builders across the country have shifted their entire construction business to green homes as a result of this trend. A large part of the increased demand is the result of increased awareness by the general public about the various concepts of green building. The economic advantages of going green have caught the attention of many homeowners particularly as energy costs rise. Although the incentive may begin with economics, people are slowly realizing the benefits of living in harmony with the Earth. As our homes become healthier, we do too. This trend reflects a growing awareness of nutrition and freeing our body of toxins.

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Evolving Into the 21st–Century Home As our home has evolved with modern times, it has become even more of an extension of ourselves. Homes are now used for more than just shelter, protection, and comfort. For the HGTV generation, the home has increasingly become an outlet for self-expression. Some people prefer buying or building a new home that is like a blank canvas, while others prefer buying a house that already has a similar ‘style’ as their own.

And, lastly, there are those who prefer renovating or building a home from the ground up to fit their vision.

Similar to buying a new shirt because it expresses who we are, we buy new curtains because the style, color, or pattern expresses who we are, in addition to its function. Or perhaps you purchase a red espresso maker because it expresses you and makes you feel good when you see it in your kitchen. Because of the increase in selection and affordability, home furnishings have become as consumable as our clothing. Now you can transform a whole room in a weekend with less than $200.

Interior design or decorating is no longer just for the wealthy. Interior design originated in art and then furniture design. The interiors and furniture represented the current movement, such as Colonial, Baroque, Craftsmen, Victorian, and, like art, only the wealthy could afford stylized furnishings. Since the industrialization of furnishings and furniture, design is available to the masses in old and new styles. Not only has design become more affordable and accessible, it has become a more personal expression based on form and function. Styles available vary from past period movements, a combination of periods, modern, or a combination of past, present, and future movements. Even a simple toaster comes in colors, shapes, and styles.

With technology advances, homes have also become more functional, whether for purposes of watching a movie with a home theater system or running a business. As a result, people are spending more time at home. With the Internet our homes are now a communication hub unlike ever before. We can check out a book at the library, research a school project, shop for Christmas gifts, have groceries delivered, and buy stock—all from our home. Due to technology, more and more people

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are also working from home, whether it be telecommuting or starting a home-based business.

Not only is the home more functional due to telecommunications, but it is also more physically and emotionally comfortable. We feel comfortable in our space and know that there is no bed more comfortable than our own. Whether it is expressing ourselves with conscious design choices, functioning with technology, or simply feeling safe and comfortable in our favorite recliner, our homes have become a personal extension of ourselves more than ever.

Relating Mind-Body Principles The relationship that the home has with its owners is very similar to the relationship the body has with its mind. The first breakthrough in the mind-body field was in proving that stress is a major contributor, if not the cause, of some physical ailments and diseases. Research now shows that many physical problems are psychosomatic. When I went to a medical doctor in the 1990s for chronic stomach problems, the doctor asked if I was under any stress. When I told him I was perfectly happy as I was planning my wedding, he questioned whether I should be getting married because of the physical results my body was showing.

At the time, I thought the doctor was not only crazy, but also rude and inappropriate. In hindsight, I should have looked closer, as it was not until my divorce when my stomach problems suddenly stopped.

At that time, the relationship between the mental and emotional body with the physical body was not widely known and as accepted as it is today. Years later, when I made the connection, it became the inspiration behind my studying and training to become an energy healer.

Nowadays, it is nearly impossible to have a conversation about chronic pains and other dis-eases without some questions about stress and emotions. There are now many mind-body books, pioneered by Louise Hay’s Heal Your Body, that relate each common disease and body part ailment to its mental or emotional root cause. Even Western doctors are prescribing yoga and meditation to their patients to combat many psychosomatic illnesses.

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When our subconscious mind cannot reach our conscious mind, it often uses our body through which to send its messages. Pain almost always gets our attention. Repressed emotions, trauma, negative emotional or thought patterns, or anything that is not processed in real time is stored in the body. Ideally, mental or emotional stressors are dealt with and released before reaching the physical body. If not, however, over time the root cause will seek outward manifestation in the form of pain or illness. Pain is information or a ‘red flag’ that there is something mentally or emotionally out of balance. This information may present itself in our home instead of, or in conjunction with, our physical body.

Our Home as a Mirror The home has been used as a metaphor for the body for thousands of years. However, there is also an energetic connection between the mind, body, and home. Just as the body is an extension or manifestation of the mind, the home is as well. In the physical world, we take up residence in our physical body with our home being the next layer.

Although no two bodies or homes are the same, both take on a rather typical structure: a framework and skeleton; windows and eyes; nervous system and electricity; central air and breath; and so on.

On a subconscious level, we have formed houses to fit the same mold as our own physical structure. Just as a computer was built to replicate the human brain, our homes are built to replicate our energy.

Birds build their nests to form the curvature of their bodies. We have built homes to not only fit, but mirror ourselves. We take comfort in a space that matches us physically and energetically.

While homes started out as a cave, or a roof for shelter from the elements, they have evolved just as we have evolved. Our homes have become sophisticated beings that match where we are on our journey—be it a dorm room, a mansion, or a cozy dream home. Just as our soul, or spirit, is housed in the physical body, our mind and body take up space and refuge in the home. While the home is separate or detached from our body, the unseen energy connection is not.

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Introduction

In Part I you will begin to understand the energy of your house.

Before you ever set foot inside, your house has its own energy that will affect you from that day forward. While living there, your life will be affected by your home’s energy. The shape, structure, floor plan, and even street address make up your home’s unique fingerprint. The energy of your home begins to shape areas of your life. Simultaneously, your personal energy patterns made up of your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions also take up residence in your home. These energies merge into an energy soup that is unique to you and your home. This starts to manifest throughout your home and into your life.

Part II decodes the most common symbols of the home from the ground up. Each aspect of the house symbolizes some aspect of one’s self, including rooms, mechanicals, components, and outdoor areas of the home, extending to the exterior of the home. You will be able to access all of this information and bring to light your own subconscious mind. Being more in tune with the energy in your home will allow you to make conscious changes in your life. When you make changes to your home, you make changes to your life.

PART I

Getting to Know Your Home [T]hey are beautiful, ordered, harmonious—yes, all these things.

But especially, and what strikes to the heart, they live.

—christopher alexander, the timeless way of building 

Before you ever set foot into your home, there is a reality going on within the walls and under the roof that has little to do with you. Your home has its own distinct path, personality, and future. It has its own soul. A building is made up of walls, windows, doors, cabinets, stairs, and other components that are repeated throughout. The configuration of these components and materials will determine to a large degree the pattern of events that take place within that space.

The soul of a space is conceived when the site has been selected and the blueprints are drawn up in tandem with the intention of the homeowner, builder, and/or architect. In Places of the Soul, the author describes the process of how a building is ‘ensouled’ from the viewpoint of a Western architect: “Soul can incarnate progressively into a building as it progressively gains substance from wish, through idea, planning, constructional design,

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building and occupation. Each stage develops, deepens, and extends that which had come before. They are stages which alternate from aesthetic to practical but, with these aspects inseparable throughout, are stages of continuous process of incarnation into substance until we architects complete our task, leaving a shell for life which will continue to grow.”2 Every stage of a house being built has an effect on the soul of a home. Christopher Day further explains the importance of the energy of the construction workers: “Even before occupants breathe life into a building, even before it is finished, the process of ensouling can be well advanced.”3 The energy of each stage of the home is crucial, starting from the very beginning. The stages in which the home is built are akin to the nine months a baby is forming and growing in the womb. It is said that babies are aware of the energy of the mother and those around it while in the womb. Homes are the same way. If construction workers are energetically mistreating the home in any way, unfortunately that energy is within the home. In the case of one of my clients, in building her home she placed signs throughout the home directing the workers where to put their trash and cigarette butts. Being in the construction business, she had witnessed too many homes being constructed where the workers threw their trash in the foundation and simply built over it.

Once homeowners move in, a new stage of the home’s life begins.

This puts into motion a whole new array of energy that continues to build, homeowner after homeowner. Because of the initial energy of the home, patterns will emerge and repeat over time in the home and in the lives of the occupants. However, before this happens a home forms its own personality. Similar to each person having their own individualized fingerprint or astrological chart, a home embodies its own essence prior to its occupants ever moving in. In fact, an astrological

2. C hristopher Day, Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as a Healing Art (London: The Aquarian Press, 1990), 106.

3. Ibid., 136.

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chart of your home can be conducted for the year it was built using Western astrology and/or feng shui astrology.

The parcel of land the home is built upon, its property address, its shape and floor plan, along with every occupant who has ever lived there, all have an effect on the energy of a space prior to you ever walking through the door. Like a first date, you are meeting this home and will over time get to know all of the baggage it comes with—for better or for worse. To make the energy soup even more interesting, we then move in our energy, emotions, and furniture with our own baggage.

In Part I you will have an understanding of your home on a whole new level. You will see your home for what it is, how it can best support you, and ways in which it could bring up challenges for you and your family as well. Along the way, I will provide remedies and feng shui cures for challenging spaces. You will also be equipped for the next time you are looking for a home. While we always end up in the space we need, the process of finding your ‘soul home’ can be easier if you have the knowledge and awareness to know what is the best fit for you.

In doing so, your home will be a supportive environment that will bring you an abundance of health, wealth, and happiness.

Part I looks at your home from a macro perspective first, starting with the location in Chapter 1. The spot of Earth that is chosen as the building site is the first energetic consideration that will determine the destiny of the space and its occupants. From there, Chapters 2 through 5 will take a closer look at the individual characteristics of your home.

Finally, Chapter 6 will explore what happens when your energy moves in, along with your furniture and personal items.

c h a p t e r

1

Your Home’s Origin: Location

Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground.

—william shakespeare, the tempest 

If there is one principle that all disciplines and professionals from the East to the West, from feng shui practitioners to realtors, can agree upon it is this: Location, Location, Location. It is common knowledge in the real estate market that the Number 1 rule is location. You can change just about anything about a house, but not its location. It is not coincidental that feng shui was founded upon this same principle.

Feng shui was originally used for the purpose of locating the best burial sites for Chinese royalty. Feng shui practitioners were originally considered ‘doctors’ accessible only to the Imperial Palace and were held to secrecy punishable by death. Feng shui secrets slowly made their way to the people and were later used to locate the best sites for living spaces. Four thousand years later, these principles still apply, even in our man-made world of subdivisions and lofts. It was actually much later that feng shui moved inside the home and was used for the interior spaces. Historically, feng shui has predominantly been the practice of locating auspicious places and spaces.

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The words feng shui translate to wind and water. Feng or wind represents chi or energy, while Shui or water refers to fortune. In essence, feng shui means being in alignment with the energy of fortune. Fortune not only applies to financial abundance, but also to health, relationships, family, and overall happiness. It is for these rewards that the art and science of feng shui has continued to be practiced worldwide.

Almost everyone has experienced the feng shui of a space without even realizing it. Have you ever moved into a space and immediately bad things started happening—job loss, divorce, illness, or a combination. Or perhaps you were in alignment with the energy of fortune and were blessed with good things—a pregnancy, job promotion, or meeting your soul mate. Even if your experience wasn’t as dramatic, you can look back on your homes and see a pattern while living in different spaces. While we can’t completely blame our home for bad things happening, often the timing of events cannot be overlooked.

You might be wondering just how important of a role your home plays in your life. This question happens to be the basis of Chinese metaphysics and referred to as the Cosmic Trinity. The Cosmic Trinity consists of three types of Luck: Earth Luck, Heaven Luck, and Human Luck.

Earth Luck: Earth Luck refers to the land and your environment or, in other words, feng shui. Our environment consists of everything from the land we live on to the clutter we live with. It includes the visible and invisible energies with which we have chosen to surround ourselves. Our Earth Luck is within our control and can be changed and manipulated with feng shui principles.

Heaven Luck: Heaven Luck refers to the cards you are given, so to speak, for this lifetime at birth. Whether based upon Western, Vedic, or Chinese astrology, it is your destiny or fate. This includes past karmas, past lives, and the ancestral stamp you are given. While we don’t have as much control over Heaven Luck as the other two, we are not victims of our own fate either. Working with modalities, such as energy work, astrology, meditation, or Qi development can work through challenging aspects.

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Human Luck: Human Luck consists of our will, drive, intentions, outlook, and efforts. It is our free will made up of the choices we have made and will make. It is how we choose to run our energy, our thoughts, and intentions. Do you see life half full or half empty? This one question will determine a large portion of your life as it underlies all of our thoughts and intentions in life.

Each of these three aspects makes up 33 percent of our luck or destiny. It is important to note that all three work not in isolation, but together. Each one affects the other. For example, you could be born a gifted painter, but choose not to invoke your human luck to pursue your talent. Someone else with mediocre talent could take full advantage of their human luck and become a successful artist through much training and hard work.

When I come across clients who want to blame their home for all the things that have gone wrong in their life, I try to help them with using more positive intentions. At the same time, many people, particularly in the West, underestimate the power of the Earth Luck and the effect their living space has on their life. By understanding the Cosmic Trinity, you can best invoke all three to optimize your life, destiny, and fortune. In my feng shui practice, I encourage clients to incorporate intention when making feng shui changes as this will bring about a more powerful impact on the desired change.

Harnessing the Earth’s Energy The Earth’s terrain, directions, earth elements, and colors are all visible expressions of the Earth’s energy. There are also invisible lines of energy below the Earth’s surface that affect life on Earth. Consequently, some areas are more auspicious and prosperous than others. The Earth’s energy below the surface is often expressed on the surface through its topography. This is the essence of feng shui and other environmental sciences that have been studied and passed down for centuries.

One of the primary methods of studying the Earth’s energy below the visible surface is geomancy. It resulted from a translation of feng shui in the 19th century by Christian missionaries in China and is still

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commonly practiced, primarily in Europe. Geomancy is a method of divination used to interpret the visible topography and invisible ley lines of the land. Many sacred sites are located on auspicious lines that lie below the Earth’s surface detected and made known by geomancy.

It is theorized that Stonehenge, among other sacred sites, lie along ley lines connecting a powerful underground energy grid.

A great importance was placed on locating sites for churches, temples, and mosques. For example, geomancy was used to locate power spots. Christian cathedrals were often built on old pagan sites because they were considered power spots. Priests would also use geomancy to locate sites and harness the power of the sites. The direction was also an important consideration with Eastern-facing being the preferential siting of most temples and churches.

While these deliberate location techniques are not commonly practiced today, the importance of location cannot be underestimated. Living and functioning in an environment with positive energy, or chi, emanating from the Earth will have a profound effect on one’s health, wellbeing, and overall prosperity. There is a reason why feng shui has been highly revered for thousands of years and continues to be practiced with steadfast results.

Although feng shui, vastu shasra, and geomancy have been some of the more notable studies and practices of harnessing the earth’s energy, these are by no means the only ways. Entire cultures, such as Native Americans, Celtic Shamans, and Aborigines, have lived in harmony with the Earth simply as a way of life. Their respect and stewardship of the land should serve as a model for living in harmony with Mother Earth.

What is Chi? The goal of feng shui is to harness the beneficial chi from the earth and avoid inauspicious chi. In Chinese medicine, chi is the word used to describe energy. Chi is simply energy. Energy is the all-pervading universal life force that flows through all that is. Although there is ultimately only one source of all energy, there are many ways, or venues, for energy to filter into our life, body, and spaces. Think of a prism that refracts

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light in a myriad of different shapes, direction, textures, and colors. The same is true with energy and the energy soup in which we live.

The ultimate source of all energy has been given many names, such as God, Universal Energy, Source, Divine Love, Universal Love, among others. Like a crystal prism, this energy flows and refracts through everything—galaxies, Earth, humans, food, plants, electronics, and even a manufactured vinyl chair from the 1970s. Everything—from a child to a curtain rod—is a derivative or projection of the prism of energy. In other words, everything is energy and is a derivative of primary source of energy. The Sun is our primary source of energy in the Milky Way galaxy and has even been considered a God, or deity, in its own right.

For without the Sun, there would be no life on Earth. But even that which we consider our Sun is an offshoot of universal energy, sometimes referred to as the Central Sun. From a scientific perspective, chi or energy is electromagnetic energy. Electromagnetic energy waves are emitted from the core of the Earth, through the layers, up to the surface, and into our atmosphere.

This energy is actually a byproduct of the Sun. Planet Earth receives the Sun’s energy, keeping what it needs to maintain its equilibrium and reflecting back that which it doesn’t need via the atmosphere. We humans are the beneficiaries of this amazing process.

Since Earth acts as our host through gravity, she is our benefactor of energy from the sun. It is this strong magnetic pull through electromagnetic energy that keeps us grounded, literally and energetically, to Planet Earth. This energy is referred to as chi in Chinese metaphysics and prana in Vedic studies. Earth maintains the thermostat so that we can exist and live under habitable conditions. When thought of in these terms it seems absurd that we would want to live any other way than in harmony with Mother Earth, let alone jeopardize Earth’s built-in HVAC system.

Yin and Yang If chi were to be subdivided into two major categories, it would be Yin and Yang. Yin energy is thought of as feminine energy, while Yang energy is considered masculine energy. Yin and yang energy can be seen in a

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myriad of forms and visibly depicted in the Earth’s natural terrain. The most obvious example would be mountains and valleys. Valleys represent and emit yin energy, whereas mountains vibrate yang energy.

Areas with water have more yin energy, while volcanic areas and those related to fire, such as deserts, would be yang energy.

The Earth’s natural terrain is the most direct point through which the Earth’s energy makes contact with our atmosphere and therefore is an important consideration in enhancing energy in our living spaces.

In Sedona, Arizona, known for the high energy of its red rocks, you can experience firsthand the vibrations of yin and yang energy emitted from the Earth. Located throughout Sedona are energy vortexes. Each vortex is associated with a yin or yang energy, or a balance of yin yang, depending on the land formation. For example, the mountain peaks emit yang energy, while the valleys and water areas emit yin energy.

Land formations with both peaks and valleys emit a yin yang balance.

Energy Yin (feminine) Yin Feminine Night Cold Dark Passive Moon Still Earth

Yang (masculine) Yang Masculine Day Warm Light Active Sun Moving Sky

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Once you sit down and tune into your body, you can feel the energies. The yang energy vortex is energizing, while the yin energy is relaxing. These particular land formations are enhanced by the iron oxide mineral composition that helps to channel the Earth’s energy even more so. These energy vortices provide us with an exaggerated example of how Earth emits electromagnetic energy into the atmosphere across the globe and into our homes.

Yin and yang energy shows up everywhere in our life and in our homes. We are consciously or unconsciously striving to strike a balance between yin and yang energy. This is the foundation of most relationships. Regardless of gender, almost all relationships are seeking wholeness—a balance of yin and yang energy. Within our own body, we are striving to balance our right (masculine) side with our left (feminine) side. Yin and yang can also be seen within our brain as we use our right brain (feminine) for intuitive functions and our left brain (masculine) for analytical functions.

So is the case with our homes as well. Those rooms with a balance of yin and yang energy will feel the best. They will also be the rooms that most people gravitate toward in your home. The most prevalent way yin and yang energy is expressed in our living spaces is through lighting. Rooms with little or no natural light are more yin in nature and rooms with bright sunlight beaming through the windows have more yang energy.

Lighting can be drastically altered from the inside or outside of a space. Trees and shrubs can be trimmed if a house is too shaded. On the other hand, if a home gets too much Southern exposure, planting a tree for shade is a great remedy. From the inside, window treatments can be used. For rooms that are too yin and need more light, then try using light, opaque window coverings, or none at all if privacy is not an issue. Adding heavier window treatments can help bring more yin into a space if needed. Artificial lighting can also be used to enhance the yang energy if a room doesn’t get enough natural yang energy.

While lighting is the predominant indicator of yin and yang energy in a space, every aspect of a home’s décor has a yin or yang quality.

Colors, types of furniture, window treatments, flooring, ceiling height,

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and even the shapes of décor items affect the yin and yang balance of a room. The chart below gives examples.

YIN Energy in Interiors Black, brown, gray, dark, and monochromatic colors Heavy curtains and drapery Large, heavy furniture Rectangular, square, and flowing shapes Hanging items drawing energy from the ceiling down Carpets, rugs Low ceilings Collections, knicknacks

YANG Energy in Interiors Bright, white, light colors, and multi-colored patterns Light or sheer window coverings Open space, light furniture Circles, triangles, and vertical lines Linear items drawing the energy up from the ground Hardwoods, tile, and laminate flooring High ceilings Minimal, contemporary

Neighborhoods Now that you have a basic understanding of how chi weaves its way through the Earth and into your home, let’s consider the first step in selecting a home. Although not common in our modern world, feng shui principles can be used in selecting the regions or cities we choose to live. The energy of spaces starts with the land and threads its way up into our individual spaces and lives. This can be seen on even a much larger level with cities. I recently visited Vancouver, which sits in an auspicious location with a yin yang balance of water and mountains. It is no wonder it is an abundant and thriving city. In cities or regions not blessed with Earth’s auspicious feng shui, you often see oppression.

Not every spot of land on Earth is meant for inhabiting. This is clearly the case with deserts and mountaintops, but also on certain lots in suburbs and neighborhoods. Just because a builder puts up a house on a lot doesn’t mean it’s suitable for living in or that it will be a supportive environment for a prosperous and happy life.

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For most of us, our home site selection usually starts with deciding what neighborhood we want to live in. Again, location, location, location is the mantra in not only selecting a home, but a neighborhood too.

This was a hard lesson I learned a few years ago. I was wooed by a gorgeous new-construction home. It was on the very edge of a great neighborhood, but what a difference a few streets over can make. Because of its less-than-desirable location, we were able to afford it. We thought the beauty of the house would be enough to override the neighborhood. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

For the first year, we enjoyed our beautiful new home. As we entered the second year, the modern aesthetics started to wear off as the undesirable qualities of the neighborhood became more and more apparent.

Although it was a seemingly quiet, residential street, it had lots of traffic because it was on the bus line. The street was long and straight with no breaks, which allowed cars to speed up and down the street. I witnessed several animals being hit by cars, which was heartbreaking.

Running along the back of our home was a train track and a less than desirable street beyond there. Due to its accessibility, the street experienced a high rate of break-ins. Needless to say, the street had bad feng shui. In fact, it had everything you should avoid in selecting a neighborhood, which is why I am sharing this story. When we realized we couldn’t take it any longer we put our home on the market. We joked that we needed a neighborhood stager rather than a home stager. Here are some things to consider when choosing a neighborhood:

Route In and Out As you drive the route in and out of your neighborhood or potential neighborhood, notice what types of homes, businesses, and services you pass. Avoid homes or streets where you have to pass a large cemetery, junkyard, cellphone tower, or a service business that is inherently toxic, dead, or has a high concentration of yin energy. Also avoid living in spaces with a view of such sites. Do you pass by uplifting homes, businesses, or parks, or do you pass by abandoned buildings, suffering businesses, or any sites that seem oppressive to you?

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In my previous home, the quickest way in and out of the neighborhood meant that I had to pass through a run-down part of town in order to quickly get to the interstate. The longer route took me through a more desirable area, but there was a particular hairpin intersection that I always dreaded. Either route was unpleasant and depleted my energy.

Our subconscious mind is constantly picking up on our environment and taking notes. If you pass a cemetery every day to and from work, it will bring your energy down whether you are aware of it or not. Compare this with passing through a beautiful and abundant parklike setting or thriving businesses. Not only does your visual surrounding affect your mood but your overall energy as well.

Rhythm of a Block Have you ever lived in a house or multistory unit with a great view until a new structure was built next door or across from you? Suddenly the whole feel of your home is changed, perhaps even wiping out your ocean view. In urban neighborhoods, it is common for cheaper homes that are either dilapidated or in disrepair to be torn down and replaced by newer and bigger homes. This is referred to as infill housing. If there are no building restrictions in the neighborhood, then builders will usually build as large a house as they can fit on the lot, regardless of the size of the other homes on the block. This creates incongruence in the rhythm of the block. The disparity of home sizes also creates inauspicious chi for the smaller homes nearby and for the large home as well.

Subdivisions that have been well-planned will have slightly curved streets, sidewalks, and homes that are similar in size with a varying degree of styles and shapes of homes. In subdivisions where all the homes look exactly the same, the block lacks a rhythm. Think of music with one note. In urban areas with mixed-use spaces, be mindful of large buildings nearby. It is best not to live in a building that is dwarfed by another building. This can lead to feelings of inferiority, being blocked or stunted in your endeavors. Likewise, living in a home that towers over others can lead to feelings of superiority or arrogance.

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Other Homes It is important to take note of the homes around your home site. Are the yards taken care of ? If pets are in sight, do they look cared for? Are neighbors walking the neighborhood with ease or are they hurried? Is there a park nearby and, if so, is it well taken care of and used appropriately? Whether you are renting or buying, these are all questions to consider before moving into a neighborhood.

Notice the number of For Sale signs and even research the amount of turnover on the street. Is there an inordinate amount of foreclosures on the street or in the immediate area? Have homes been on the market for a longer-than-average amount of time? While a neighborhood may look pretty, if there is a lot of turnover or difficulty in selling homes, then that is a possible sign of a deeper, energetic problem going on with the land.

For example, a few years ago I did a feng shui consultation for a family that started experiencing a series of negative events as soon as they moved into their home. They were so disenfranchised with their home and situation that they were ready to move. The only problem was that there were so many other homes on their street that were either for sale or had been foreclosed upon that the value of their home was reduced to the point they couldn’t afford to get out. So they decided to try feng shui. During the consultation, I discovered that the problems with their home were a combination of a faulty floor plan and an energetic toxicity that ran through the neighborhood. These issues combined with the occupants’ overall negativity further spawned more negativity.

When I tapped into the land, I intuitively picked up that the land had been the site of slavery, abuse, and perhaps even massacre. There was a darkness that pervaded the area. What looked like any other suburban subdivision in America was the site of a darker energy that was still affecting residents centuries later. I cleared the home and land on which the house sat and instructed the occupants about what they could do to continue healing the home and the land.

In those cases where we find ourselves in a home containing a darker energy, it is our obligation to transmute the energy to a higher vibration.

Even if you are without the knowledge or don’t feel equipped to do it

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yourself, consider hiring a feng shui consultant or energy clearer. In doing so, you will help heal the home, the land, the planet, and yourself.

History of the Neighborhood Just as it is important to learn as much about the history of your home before purchasing, so is the case with the neighborhood. In the example above, you can see how history continues to impact the neighborhood for decades, if not centuries, later. Patterns become set into the land and have a tendency to repeat themselves. Find out as much as you can about the area in which you live or desire to live.

Does the area have an affluent history? Was it the site of a Civil War battle? Is there a history of flooding, tornadoes, or other natural disasters? Have there been any incidents of toxic spills or higher rates of cancer? Was it the former site of a dump? I know that sounds extreme, but it happens. There is a large office park in Nashville built on top of a former landfill. According to rumors, discarded appliances will rear their heads on occasion.

Neighbors Neighbors are a great indication of a neighborhood. Do neighbors seem happy? Is there an aliveness about the street or neighborhood? Are there positive indications, such as people strolling with babies, walking dogs, or riding bikes? Or do you hear loud music, cars, or, god forbid, yelling?

Regardless of your neighborhood, you will most likely find yourself with less-than-perfect neighbors at some point. If you find yourself in a situation where neighbors become a major thorn in your side, there are feng shui remedies you can try before resorting to moving.

What is a Feng Shui Remedy?

One of the great things about feng shui is there is a remedy or feng shui cure for just about anything. Whether it is a floor plan flaw, maligned energy, or stagnant chi, it can be remedied in feng shui. Energy cannot be destroyed, but it can be transformed. Some feng shui cures are simple and cost nothing, whereas others may require a financial investment depending on the severity of the situation.

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Many people associate crystals, toads, and red tassels with feng shui.

And, yes, that is correct. For example, hanging crystal prisms are frequently used in feng shui to help circulate and balance the energy in a defined space. Mirrors are commonly used tools to activate or redirect energy when needed. Other tools, such as tassels and totems, are used in rituals and blessings to invoke an intentional energy into the space.

All of these feng shui accessories can be purchased in a metaphysical shop or online, if desired.

Feng shui cures can also include moving furniture around, painting a room, a blessing, or simply shifting your intention. In extreme situations, a feng shui cure may be remodeling, landscaping, or even moving. Throughout the book, I will suggest feng shui remedies and cures as they come up. However, in cases of severe issues in a home, calling in a feng shui consultant may be advisable. Similar to your body, sometimes you can heal yourself, and other times you need to see a doctor or other professional.

Selecting a Home Site Once you’ve found a general area or neighborhood that resonates with you, the next step is to find a house, lot, or unit that speaks to you. There are many feng shui considerations to take into account when selecting a home site. How the wind and water shaped the land, the quality of soil, and movement or proximity of water was the original focus of feng shui.

These considerations were taken into account more than two thousand years ago in selecting sites for farming, abodes, rituals, burials, and even wars.

Although conquering and settling new lands and territories isn’t part of our modern-day life, selecting an auspicious site for new construction is still an important consideration, not to mention selecting a pre-existing home site. After the 2010 flood in Nashville, locals appreciated the concept of carefully choosing a home based on how the wind blows and the water flows as certain neighborhoods were completely submerged by raging rivers and floodwaters.

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Being conscious of our lot or home site often translates into dollar signs. While people may not think of it in terms of feng shui, there is definitely a monetary price on lots depending on the feng shui of the land. Generally, homes in flood-prone areas are priced less than average.

Homes sitting among rolling hills are generally considered favorable and come with a higher price tag. In most cities, it is the most affluent neighborhoods that are located in areas with the best feng shui, such as the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, West Hills in Portland, and the Artist Road in Santa Fe. Even within a high-rise condo, the prices escalate the higher the floor a condo is located.

In my neighborhood, prices are fairly consistent per square footage until you come to one particular street that is extremely oppressed. The street drops into a deep ravine, inherently decreasing the property values. In a historical neighborhood that has gentrified over the last twenty years, these homes are the only ones that have not been renovated or rebuilt. Even the original homes are smaller and built of lesser quality than the original homes surrounding this street in the neighborhood.

Using Feng Shui to Analyze a Home Site From a feng shui perspective, there are many factors to consider in selecting a home site. For example, does the site sit above or below street level?

Do surrounding roads point directly at the home or does it sit along a meandering roadway? Do neighboring rooflines point down onto your house? Is the home energetically protected? Are there beneficial trees and landscaping around the home, or are they blocking beneficial chi?

In considering the land and exterior of spaces, the Form School is the premier source most feng shui practitioners look to. The Form School is considered to be the original type of feng shui practiced, originating in China six thousand years ago to locate burial sites. When feng shui secrets began leaking out, offshoots of the practice began taking off in different directions. As a result, there are a number of different schools, or theories, of feng shui. While the Black Hat Sect Tantric Tibetan Buddhism (known as Black Hat or BTB Feng Shui) is the most

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commonly used feng shui theory in the West, the Form School is still the predominant theory used for the site or the exterior of a space. This is also referred to as Landscape Feng Shui.

According to the Form School, the ideal terrain for a home would be slightly elevated, protected from the North wind, set among rolling hills, with a view of meandering waterways, surrounded by lush, green vegetation. Does this sound like your home? Most likely not. For most of us, this sounds more like a fantasy than reality. While it may seem impractical with where you live, it is attainable when used as a template.

Instead of rolling hills behind you, you could have a protective row of trees, another structure, or shrubs. Instead of a moat or babbling brook in front, you could have a birdbath or fountain. And instead of having rows of orchard trees, you could have a vegetable garden in your backyard or a container garden on your balcony. The same principles apply regardless of where you live and what your existing site provides.

Black Turtle

White Tiger

Green Dragon

Red Phoenix The Four Animal Totems of Form School Feng Shui

The overall goal is to harness the beneficial earth energies around you and to strike a balance of all of the amazing elements that are available on our planet. For example, living near a rushing waterfall in an already damp, moist ecosystem and adding a swimming pool would be too much

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water. Living at the base of a rock mountain with no trees or greenery would be too much rock.

The metaphor used in selecting a site or enhancing your existing lot is that of an armchair. Imagine your home sitting in the seat of an armchair with a protective back behind you, lower armrests on each side, and a wide-open space looking out from the front door. This configuration comes from the Form School that uses animal totems to represent the four cardinal directions of a site.

Although each animal represents an energy of one of the cardinal directions, it is the armchair shape of the animal totems that is most important in selecting a site. If your home happens to face South, then the animal totems will be consistent with the four directions on your home site. But for Eastern, Western, or Northern-facing homes that will not be the case. Instead of using the animal totems in relation to the directions, you will use the armchair configuration as your guide.

If you are not aware of what direction your home faces, I would encourage you to get to know your home in relation to the Sun. We are usually attuned to the sides of the home on which the sun rises and sets.

It is also usually apparent which side of the home gets the warm, Southern exposure of the sun versus the darker, Northern exposure of the wind. When purchasing a home this is an important consideration for the purpose of orienting your living spaces to the sun. Whether you live in a hot or cold climate will affect how important it is to access the sunlight in your home. Regardless of how your home sits in relation to the compass direction, the general shape around your home should ideally be that of the armchair, represented by the following animal totems.

The Black Turtle The Black Turtle hill sits behind the house. It supports the back of the house similar to the back of an armchair. The shape of the Black Turtle can be accomplished by a natural hill, a building structure, a row of trees, a built-up garden, or a line of evergreens or bamboo stalks. This gives the home and its occupants a protective and supportive energy and represents longevity. You never want a turtle hill in front of the house as this will present obstacles for the occupants.

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The Green Dragon The Green Dragon represents the energy of the East and makes up the higher arm of the armchair shape. If you were looking straight on at your home, the Green Dragon would lie to the right side of your house. It is slightly higher than the White Tiger, left side of the house.

In feng shui mythology, it is important that the dragon stay higher than the tiger, or else conflict within the home could ensue. The Dragon’s breath brings in good fortune, abundance, and prosperity. The energy of the Green Dragon is most easily implemented by landscaping. A generous row of shrubs along the right side of the house is ideal.

The White Tiger The White Tiger brings in the energy of protection. It represents the energy of the West. The White Tiger would be depicted with some height on the left side of the home, but not as high as the dragon side.

The ideal representation would be some low-growing flowers. Incorporating the color white or a lighter color is auspicious as well. According to feng shui mythology, it is the cosmic union of the White Tiger and Green Dragon that forms the Yin Yang balance around the home.

The Red Phoenix The Red Phoenix represents the energy of the fiery South. The phoenix brings opportunities to the household and is depicted by wide-open spaces to allow the chi to flow into the space. For this reason, it is best to have the front door facing out the front of the home unhindered by walls, large trees, overgrowth, or any other structures blocking the chi flow. A water feature is advised at the front of the home because water collects the beneficial chi and brings it through the front door.

Incorporating Animal Totems in Your Home The four animals—Black Turtle, Green Dragon, White Tiger, and Red Phoenix—are the prominent animal totems used in feng shui. However, people associate feng shui with other animal totems, such as fu dogs,

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dragons, lions, turtles, toads, mandarin ducks, and the list goes on.

While this is a tiny fraction of the art and science of feng shui, animal totems are often used to enhance the practice.

Animal totems are also commonly used outside of feng shui in other traditions and cultures as symbology in art, sculpture, trinkets, and photos. Each animal carries its own medicine that we can use to our benefit.

According to Ted Andrews in Animal-Speak, “we can use animal totems and their images to learn about ourselves and the invisible world.”4 Andrews explains that these images have “an archetypal power that resides behind, oversees, and manifests through these creatures.”5 This archetypal energy of animals can be incorporated into your home or garden decor. For example, I intuitively placed a stone turtle in my flowerbed, not realizing until years later that turtles represent protection. Take a look around your home and garden to see if you already have animal totems in and around your home. Below is a list of other common animal totems and their meanings. Because archetypal meanings can vary depending on cultures, some may have multiple meanings.

For animals not listed, consult a dream dictionary for their archetypal meaning.

Birds: In general, birds bring new opportunities. It is therefore not advisable to have imagery of birds being caged. Birds connect us to the spirit world and are therefore often associated with omens and signs. Each type of bird has its own particular medicine.6 Cranes: Cranes are symbolic of longevity and happiness in the East. In Western cultures, cranes represent poise and balance.

Dragon: Considered the most important symbol in feng shui and Chinese mythology. It represents fortune and good luck.

Dragon and Phoenix: A balance of yin and yang energy.

Fish: The Chinese word for fish—yu—literally translates to abundance.

4. Ted Andrews, Animal-Speak (Llewellyn Publications, 1995), 8.

5. Ibid.

6. A complete list of types of birds and their meanings can be found in Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews.

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Fish ponds and aquariums are auspicious so long as they are kept clean and healthy.

Frogs: Frogs and toads are said to bring luck to the family. To the back of the home, they provide protection. A three-legged toad attracts wealth and money into the home. They are best placed at the front of the home, pointing inside the home. You will often see statuary of the three-legged toad with an I Ching coin in its mouth for purposes of attracting money.

Fu Dogs: Fu Dogs appear in a pair and are protective guard dogs. They are usually placed outside in the front of the home, but are not to be placed on the ground.

Geese or Ducks: Geese mate for life and both share in the raising of their offspring. For this reason, a pair of geese or mandarin ducks symbolizes a happy couple with no separation and is often used as a gift for newly married couples.

Horse: In feng shui, a horse is used to bring wealth and is usually placed in the foyer facing inside the home. In the West, horses are symbolic of power, courage, and freedom. Imagery of a horse or horses is great for your personal office to invoke such energy.

Turtle: Turtles symbolize protection, longevity, and represent motherhood. Turtles are often thought of in relation to Mother Earth with the shell representative of heaven and earth. In fact, the indentations of a turtle’s shell is said to be the inspiration behind the Bagua Map in feng shui. Turtle figures make great outdoor adornments to provide protection to the home.

Shape of the Lot When looking at houses, the first thing that catches our attention is usually the front of the house. We might notice the size and slope of the lot, but usually the overall shape gets overlooked. The shape of a lot is an important consideration. A square or rectangular plot of land is the most common and is preferable. A trapezoid-shaped lot is common with the smaller side facing the street or behind the house. If the

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lot is narrower in front facing the street, it can restrict the homeowners’ opportunities. To remedy this, form a curve using flowers and/or landscaping so that it creates a pocketbook-shaped lot. It is also advisable to create a flow of energy coming into the front door with lighting, landscaping, and a welcoming front entrance in order to attract chi in to the home.

If the narrower side of the trapezoid is at the back of the house, this creates what is known as the “dustpan” shape. This shape can be good or bad depending on the energy of the home and homeowners will collect either the good or bad chi. The dustpan shape will either result in an accumulation of money and fortune or a stagnation of energy.

A triangular-shaped lot should be avoided at all costs. Other irregularshaped lots could result in imbalances within the home. Consulting a feng shui consultant prior to purchasing land is advisable to help remedy an existing site.

The slope of the lot should also be considered. As previously mentioned, it is best for a house to sit amid rolling hills. Within the hills, it is best to be situated on a level plot of land as opposed to on a slope. Living on a sloped lot is considered inauspicious as there will be a feeling of being unsupported and not adequately grounded. Also avoid homes at the very top of a mountain as the conditions are too harsh and unbalanced. A home situated just on the edge of a cliff, particularly an ocean cliff, is also considered inauspicious. Siting the home farther away from the cliff ’s edge while maintaining the view would be a better option.

Otherwise, occupants will have the feeling of always being on edge, or feeling edgy. On the other hand, homes situated at the base of a large mountain will feel overwhelmed or threatened.

Poison Arrows Another consideration in choosing a home site is the occurrence of poison arrows pointing at the house or lot. When I first started learning about feng shui, there were certain principles about which I had some skepticism. Poison arrows was one of them. I wouldn’t consider myself a skeptic; I just like proof. Maybe it was the word poison, or maybe I was

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just in denial that my rectangular West Elm coffee table was bad energy.

There was a particularly poignant moment when all that changed.

I was space clearing a friend’s home when suddenly I experienced what felt like a laser in the palm of my hand. I was energetically feeling around her table to see if it needed clearing given that it was an antique. Each time I came to the corner of the table, I felt the laser-like projectile in my hand. I realized what I was feeling was a poison arrow.

The energy emanating from the corner was particularly strong because the corner was made of granite. Different materials emit energy differently. For example, wood is softer than stone and therefore the poison arrow will not feel as strong as that coming from stone or metal.

While some people have to see it to believe it, I have to feel it to believe it. From that point on, my skeptic’s mind was put to rest. I am now super-conscious of poison arrows on the interior and exterior of spaces. Poison arrows, also known as shar chi, occur when there is a high concentration of energy pointing in a specific direction. The corner of a table is the most common example. I often see poison arrows in lighting fixtures, such as sconces, and décor items. I was in one client’s home where they had spent thousands of dollars on hand-blown sconces imported from Italy. The homeowner couldn’t figure out why being in the room never felt good. Unfortunately, it was because the beloved fixtures were emitting poison arrows all over the room.

When purchasing furniture, avoid pieces with sharp corners.

Rounded or beveled corners are preferable. If your favorite piece has sharp corners, the good news is that you don’t have to get rid of it.

Instead, notice where the corners point to in the room. Avoid having them point in the direction where people commonly sit or sleep in the home to avoid the harsh energy emanating from the poison arrow.

Plants can be used to buffer a poison arrow. Also be mindful that having décor items with points on them can form poison arrows and make a room feel uneasy and unsettling.

Poison arrows also show up on the exterior of homes. This is most commonly seen with the corners of rooflines coming together. If a home on either side of you or across the street sits higher or has a higher pitched roof it is possible for the corner to form a poison arrow

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that is shooting right at your home. The proximity of the poison arrow to your home is a consideration in how the harsh energy affects you and your home.

Poison arrows can form as a result of electrical lines, tree branches, street lamps, or even mailboxes. Stand at the front of your home looking out. Look around and see if any sharp points are directed toward your home. Pay particular attention to neighboring rooflines, especially if your home sits lower than others around you. Walk all the way around your home to check for poison arrows pointing toward any side of your home. If you notice a poison arrow protruding toward your home, the good news is that there are feng shui remedies for this.

The best way to cure a poison arrow is through landscaping. Trees and large bushes can be planted between the poison arrow and your home to deflect the harmful chi from reaching your home. This is the most natural way to cure a poison arrow to maintain a positive flow of energy. If that is not an option for your situation, a Pa Kua mirror can be purchased and placed on the outside of your home to deflect the chi away from your home. This cure should be in conjunction with positive intentions and only as necessary. It is a powerful tool that manipulates the energy away from your home.

Roads, Driveways, Sidewalks, and Pathways In the same way that poison arrows are formed above the ground in space, they can also be found on the ground in the form of roads, driveways, and sidewalks. How a home or building sits in relation to these man-made pathways is an important consideration. When feng shui was originally used to site homes, waterways were one of the most important considerations. As the population has grown since then, waterways are not so prevalent and instead roads, driveways, and sidewalks have taken their feng shui place.

Look outside your home and imagine the pathways around you— driveways, sidewalks, and so forth—as rivers and streams. What do you see? Do you see gushing water coming down the street into your home?

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This would be the case with a home sitting at the end of a dead end or T-intersection. Or do you see waterways meandering throughout your neighborhood and around your home?

Roads are equivalent to rivers, while sidewalks are more energetically akin to streams. And just as waterways should meander for best energy, so should these man-made elements. Subdivisions and neighborhoods with streets with slight curves resemble waterways that naturally meander. Roads that are completely straight with no slight curves create a rushing chi.

You can think of this in terms of cities as well. Consider the streets in New York City. They primarily run in straight lines, parallel and perpendicular to one another. This creates an extreme yang, rushing energy, which is characteristic of the city itself. Compare this with the energy of San Francisco, which is known for its meandering streets and gently sloping hills. This creates a balanced energy and lends itself to a more laid-back environment.

Well-planned subdivisions and communities generally have streets that curve slightly throughout, creating a natural meandering shape.

In fact, this shape is simply an unconscious reproduction of the sacred geometry of rivers. The geometry of a river is a side-to-side meander that has precise geometrical configurations to allow for currents moving downstream appropriately. Many rivers have been altered by man in order to create a faster flow, not too unlike man-made roads that are built straight in order to drive faster and get places quicker. Unfortunately, this has led to floods and other ecological problems.

The street on which my former home was located was an extralong, straight residential street with no stop signs or intersecting streets to otherwise create a break in the energy. This created an extreme rush of chi that manifested in driving well over the speed limit, even car racing at times. The energy was at least racing parallel with my home as opposed to coming at it, which would be the case of the house that was at the end of the street at the T-intersection. Nevertheless, it was an inauspicious location that was minimized somewhat with a large, hardy oak tree that partially blocked the energy from the street.

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In order to not completely block the home’s energy, I placed wind chimes in the tree and on my front porch. Unfortunately, I was not able to escape this rushing energy by retreating to the backyard either, because a train track ran parallel to the home as well. A natural row of trees helped block the rushing chi, but unfortunately did not block the train’s startling horn. Needless to say, I was not adept at feng shui when we purchased the home, but certainly was by the time we moved.

Streams and rivers show up on your immediate property as driveways, sidewalks, or pathways. If you have a driveway, notice if it points directly to your home or whether it winds around to the side or back of your home. On some lots the driveway will make a large curve in front of the home to easily drive in and out, similar to what you would see at a large castle. This arrangement creates the best feng shui for a driveway. Because the cars curve around, the poison arrow energy from the driveway or even the cars is never directly pointing at the home.

The same goes for the sidewalk or pathways around your home, often leading to your front door or out your back door. In my current home, I had a standard sidewalk that led from the neighborhood’s sidewalk that brought the chi up the front porch and into the front door in a standard fashion. However, the concrete was full of cracks and even broken in some places. This was unsightly to come home to every day, not to mention being a heavy weight on the subconscious mind. We replaced the sidewalk and then added a curved path following the landscaping leading around the home to the side gate door.

It was important that the pathway was curved as opposed to a squared off straight line. Not only was it aesthetically more pleasing, but the curved sidewalk created a meandering stream-effect around the front of the home. The same is true with any pathway around your home. Even with a simple stone pathway to your garden, it is best to place the stones in a meandering arrangement as opposed to a straight line. This meandering curve mirrors sacred geometry, which can be seen in the natural curvature of rivers, streams, and even the spine.

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Meandering Pathway versus Poison Arrow Pathway

T-Intersections, Dead Ends, and Cul-de-Sacs There are certain road configurations within subdivisions and neighborhoods that are inauspicious due to the lack of flow that is created.

T-intersections create a poison arrow of energy pointing at the house where the two streets meet. The same is true for dead-end streets. The best way to know whether this applies to you is if car headlights beam into your home at night. This rushing chi can lead to health issues, depletion of resources, and lethargy.

Since this situation in effect creates a poison arrow, the remedy would be the same as curing a poison arrow. A tree or landscaping that blocks the point where most of the chi enters the home is the best solution. While trees blocking the front door are generally not advised, this situation would be an exception. Hanging a wind chime over or beside the front door is also recommended as it helps disperse the chi. Another remedy is to place a Pa Kua mirror over the front door or outside the home where the rushing chi reaches the home. This reflects the energy away from the home, protecting it from the harmful energies.

Homes located at the end of a cul-de-sac or dead-end can experience similar issues that should be remedied accordingly. Cul-de-sacs and

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dead-ends should ideally be avoided altogether as they tend to collect stagnant chi. There is no flowing chi. Instead the energy stops—coming to a “dead” end. If you live in a cul-de-sac or on a dead-end street, it is important to generate a flow of energy into your home. Using fountains, wind chimes, or birdbaths can stimulate the energy and help invite it into your home. Be sure to trim overgrown shrubs and avoid any yard clutter whatsoever. Ample outdoor lighting, colorful flowers, and a welcoming front door are also recommended.

Poison Arrow at T-Intersection

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Poison Arrow at Cul-de-Sac or Dead End

The energy around your home cannot be underestimated in just how dramatically it can affect your destiny while living in your home.

I have had many clients (including myself ) who absolutely loved their home, but couldn’t stay there because of issues surrounding the home.

Usually, the issues will be compounded. For example, an underground disturbance on the land will set in motion certain patterns within the neighborhood, which then affect the types of neighbors and activities that occur.

In one client’s home, electromagnetic energy registered extremely high in a certain area of her bedroom when tested with my trifield meter. There were no apparent electronics, wiring, or lines in or around the area, and I never got to the source of the high level. Nevertheless, it is no coincidence that on that same side of the house she experienced rude neighbors, which forced her to move.

In another case, a client purchased a foreclosed home in a desired subdivision. From Day One, there were problems with the house. It got so bad that she and her husband referred to the home as “cursed.”

When I came to their home for a consultation, I noticed many feng shui problems, all of which were remediable. However, when I looked out back, I instantly knew the major source of the problem. The drainage

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system for the entire neighborhood ended in their backyard—the problem was the land or lot itself. From the land, the problems trickled up into the home, manifesting into feng shui issues and eventually wreaking havoc on its occupants.

Using Intuition One of the best determinants in knowing whether a site or location will work for you is intuition. Intuition most often comes in the form of a sign, a feeling, or a visceral knowing. My client, Susan, walked up to look at a house and immediately noticed a dead black bird in the yard.

She noted it to her husband as a bad sign about the house, but he dismissed it as nothing. They signed a rental agreement on the home, but never finished out their lease. They were forced to leave the space early because it was completely contaminated and uninhabitable due to black mold underneath the house.

These situations are a great example of importance of watching for signs and trusting them. Omens or warnings would include dead birds or any type of dead animal around the premises, an unpleasant smell, a sudden headache or upset stomach, a rude neighbor appearing, or simply an odd or negative incident with someone walking by the house. I once went to look at a home and had a sneak peak of what life would be like if I lived there. The house shared a driveway with the neighboring house. We drove up the driveway and parked at the respective house. The neighbor came out and was extremely rude in regard to our parking. It was clear that this was not the house for me.

Positive signs might include finding a feather in the yard, feeling goose bumps as you enter the home, or simply a knowing that you are home. Just like meeting someone for the first time, your immediate first impression of a home is the most important. Just driving up to a house or setting foot inside, you either know you are home or you know you want to leave. Trust your first impression. We often end up discounting our intuition because the home seems like such a good deal or it just makes sense.