Basic Feng Shui Cure #3: Living Objects Bring Good Fortune

Note: This series explores the 9 basic Feng Shui cures.

Few things are more full of life chi, vitality and rejuvenating power than living objects. Living objects that represent Feng Shui cures include:

- Plants (living or artificial)
- Flowers (potted, fresh cut, or artificial, which symbolically represent life chi)
- Aquariums and fish
- Trees

Plants
Plants can be used in Feng Shui indoors and outside to activate a specific section of the Ba Gua, help circulate chi and provide hope and good fortune to a home's residents. Used in a business, plants and flowers attract clients, good business, opportunities and positive chi.

Within the home, you can use plants to:

- Resolve shop corners that create “poison arrows” leading to illness and unrest
- Mask pillars that may make the inhabitants of a home or apartment feel “blocked”
- Help the flow of a chi in a space with an awkward step, such as in a sunken living room
- Complete the corner of a room

Flowers
Flowers can also be used indoors or out to activate a segment of the Ba Gua -- especially if they represent the elemental colors that correspond to that section of the Ba Gua. In other words, white flowers in the children and creativity section of a Ba Gua may help with fertility, while purple flowers in the wealth corner may help improve your finances. Learn more about how to attract positive people and wealth into your life with flowers in this article.

If you use fresh cut flowers, be sure to replace them before they die. Dead flowers are not ideal in a home.

Trees
Trees are powerful Feng Shui cures that can also create Feng Shui problems by blocking the flow of chi if not properly placed.

A tree in front of your door may create a sense of feeling stuck or blocked. But a tree placed behind your home, but not so close that it touches your home, will create a sense of security and protection. Learn more about how to protect your health, wealth and family by planting trees.

Fish bowls and Aquariums
In Feng Shui, water and water symbols (including the color black or pictures of water) equate to wealth and prosperity. This is why a Chinese place of business often has an aquarium with living fish in the wealth corner of the Ba Gua.

Fish are also believed to absorb negative chi. When a fish dies, it has absorbed all the bad chi it can stand, and the dead fish should be replaced immediately.

Living objects can help the flow of chi and bring good fortune in a number of ways. Besides, doesn't any home feel happier and healthier with living plants and flowers?

Is Your Home “Making” You Spend Money?

There are many reasons people spend money -- even money they don't have. J. Money offers fantastic budgeting and financial tips on his blog at Budgets Are Sexy.com. But if you've been following financial advice and still can't seem to attract wealth into your life -- there could be other factors at play.

Feng Shui is an ancient eastern art and science that helps people harness the chi (life energy) of their living environment to help them achieve their goals and live a more fulfilling life. Unfortunate home layouts, floor plans that prevent chi from moving smoothly through a space, “missing” areas of your home and other “Feng Shui don'ts” may contribute to your financial issues.

The Universe is energy (chi). We are energy. Even money -- and the things money can buy -- is made up of energy. By making sure all the energy in your space is aligned to work together, you'll see greater success in all areas of your life.

Feng Shui Results
I recently visited the home of a client who is an aspiring musician and actress. She confessed she hadn't been writing much music and hadn't seen much success in her career recently. We moved her piano to the “wealth” corner of her living room, and encouraged the flow of chi around that space. This video of my audition for a Feng Shui televison program on Oprah's new network, OWN-TV, reveals the amazing results she experienced.

Feng Shui Factors that Block Wealth -- And How to Fix Them

Let's look at some common factors in people's homes that may be blocking their financial success. Do any of these situations sound like your home?

Staircase leading directly to your home's main entrance - A tall, narrow staircase that begins at your entryway causes chi to rush out of your house rapidly -- and with it, your opportunities for income and, quite often, your cash. If you find yourself spending money beyond your means, getting hit with emergency expenses regularly, and if money seems to leave your hands as quickly as it enters, the staircase could be contributing to the problems.

To slow the flow of chi down the staircase, hang wind chimes  from the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs, between the staircase and your front door. The best wind chimes have five tubes, representing the five elements in Feng Shui.

Bathroom in clear view of entryway - If your bathroom is in the clear view of your entryway, you may experience wasteful spending. Your money may literally get “flushed down the toilet.” Keep your bathroom door closed, and hang an octagonal mirror on the bathroom door to deflect the chi.

Dirty/unused stove - Your stove, along with your home's entryway and your master bedroom, is one of three most important areas of your home, according to Feng Shui principles. Your stove represents your wealth, career, and how people view you in the world. If your stove is dirty, broken, or you don't use it frequently, you may find your career and income adversely affected.

Keep your stove clean, and make an attempt to use all four burners regularly -- even if you're only boiling water.

You can also place a mirror behind and to the side of your stove, in order to “multiply” your wealth.

Missing “wealth corner” - Feng Shui consultants use a plan called a “ba gua,” which divides your home into nine separate sections. If you lay out the ba gua over your home's floor plan, the Wealth corner will be in the left back corner if you are standing at the doorway and looking into the room. If chi can't flow freely through this corner -- or if this area of the room is cluttered or missing -- it can lead to money problems. Placing a water element, such as a small fountain or a fish tank with live fish, in this corner will encourage the flow of chi and help improve your financial situation.

Use Your Intention to Attract Wealth
Feng Shui consultants use a combination of practical means and Feng Shui cures to help clients improve their situation. Mindful spending and following the principles outlined by J. Money on this site, combined with following these easy Feng Shui tips, can help you improve your financial situation.

Is Water Near Your Home Making You Sick?

Water in the Wealth section of the ba'gua within your home or business can help bring you greater opportunities to increase your income. Water, as a moving form of life chi, typically represents positive fortune. But sometimes ponds and pools on your property may not be good Feng Shui and can even adversely affect your health.

Let's look at five common problems with water and some easy Feng Shui cures.

1. Water too close to the house: This can cause skin diseases or lung problems. Cure: Place a meandering path from house to pond or pool.

2. Pond too small or too large in relation to the home: Skin diseases or lung problems. Cure: Install a light or a rock garden near the water or plan a tree on the opposite side of the house from the body of water.

3. Body of water curves away from house: This can drain your finances. Cure: Install a spotlight shining up to the roof.

4. Swimming pool at a sharp angle to the house: Can cause illness and poverty. Cure: Install a fountain or plants between the pool and house to block the “poison arrow” created by the angle.

5. Stagnant water: Standing water breeds mosquitoes, which carry disease, and adds humidity to the air, which can cause respiratory ailments. Cure: Do not allow standing water near your home. Always filter pools. Watch out for places that water may collect (such as upturned garbage can lids or empty buckets).

5 Fast Feng Shui Cures to Improve Your Fortune

Do you believe Feng Shui is difficult? Do you think it will take a lot of money to improve the flow of chi in your home to bring you greater health, wealth, fortune and happiness? Are you afraid your home is so bad, it would be easier (and less expensive) to move?

Feng Shui doesn't have to involve redecorating your entire space, knocking down walls or adding extensions to a home. There are simple things you can do today to improve the flow of chi and introduce more positive energy into your apartment or house. This is especially important in apartments, where tenants may not be able to make extensive modifications.

1. Replace burnt out light bulbs. - Light (natural or electric) is a powerful form of chi. Dead lightbulbs indicate neglect and can create negative energy. Replace burnt out bulbs with new ones to introduce positive chi into a room.

2. Fix broken doors. Small annoyances such as broken doorknobs, squeaky hinges and even broken doors can nag at us every day. Spend a few minutes on the weekend fixing these things and your life will feel as if it's moving more smoothly.

3. Hang a mirror to make a space feel more open. We often call mirrors the “aspirin of Feng Shui” as they can help with chi flow in nearly any space. If an area feels closed in or cramped, hanging a mirror will open the space -- and it costs even less than painting or installing a new light.

4. Add living plants and fresh flowers. Reconnect with nature by bringing nature indoors. Many times when I visit a clients home, it feels like winter. The chi is very low and everything is dead with no life or color representation. One of the most effective and cheapest ways to make a space feel like a home is by adding plants, flowers or fresh fruit. Try it and let me know how it feels.

5. Display fresh fruit and vegetables. The saying is that first you must have health then you can get wealth. Take time to invest in yourself by purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables and display them in a nice bowl that makes you feel abundant. This simple act impacts how you’re seen in the world and the opportunities that you receive.

How to Use Feng Shui to Get Out of Debt

According to recent studies, Americans are deeper in debt than ever before -- and their credit scores are hurting from it.

FICO (the Fair Isaacs Company) is the organization that calculates the credit scores most widely used by lenders -- including banks, credit card providers and mortgage companies. FICO recently released a report showing that 43.4 million Americans, or more than 25%, have a credit score of 599 or less. This score is considered “poor” and makes it difficult to get a loan, buy a house, or maybe even find a job or apartment.

But it doesn't have to be this way for you (or for anyone else).  

When I surveyed 3,000 of my clients and contacts to discover the 10 reasons why people seek help with Feng Shui, the number one reason was: “to increase money and overall wealth.” You can use Feng Shui and the power of intention to get out of debt and create a new sense of financial security. Begin with a single question:

What feeling do I hope to achieve once I am out of debt?

You might think about a sense of inner peace when you go to bed at night. Perhaps joy when the day's mail arrives, rather than dread at the thought of the collection letters you now receive in the mailbox everyday. Maybe it's a feeling of security that comes from having no debt and a substantial savings account for when emergencies or unexpected purchases pop up.

From there, set your intention to achieve that feeling. The next step is to write down a plan to achieve your goal.

What is Your Goal?

A goal without a plan is just a dream, the saying goes. First, decide on your financial goal. Maybe you want to pay off all your debt and have three months of living expenses set aside for an emergency. Of course, you'll need to calculate a budget... If you're like many Americans, you may not know exactly how much money you need to live each month.

After you write down your goal, set a plan to achieve it. Maybe this involves consolidating your debt onto one or two lower-interest credit cards, and then paying $100 more (or whatever you can afford) than the minimum payment each month.

Each time you pay more than the minimum on your credit card, know that you are one step closer to achieving your goal.

Is Your Home Made for Money Management?
With your intention and a plan in place, you can use various Feng Shui cures to strengthen your intention and tip the scales in favor of achieving your goals even more quickly.

For instance, you might consider activating the wealth corner of your home (the far left corner when you stand at the front door and look into your house), with a water feature, such as living fish in a tank or a waterfall.

Some people like to put a bowl of loose change in this corner. As you watch the change pile up, you'll begin to feel more wealthy and, with that feeling, attract more wealth to you.  

Remember, too: always keep your toilet seat down (to avoid “flushing wealth down the drain”) and keep your stove clean and maintained, as your stove represents your career and how others view you in the world.

You can also follow these 7 Feng Shui tips to increase your wealth with moving objects.

With strong intentions, a solid plan to get out of debt, and the power of Feng Shui, anyone can rise above the financial pack and get out of debt.

What could you accomplish with just a little bit of planning and forethought?

Four Easy Steps to Instant Wealth

This isn't a get-rich quick scheme. But there's a way to feel wealthier instantly: Take inventory of everything you already own. This easy process lets you assess exactly what you have and, as you do so, recognize how grateful you are for your material and cash assets. (You really do have more than you think!)  

Step 1: Write down all your assets.
Stocks, bonds, savings accounts, checking, life insurance policies... The ideas is to get a clear view of exactly how much you have in assets. It doesn't matter if you can't touch the money (or would suffer penalties if you did.) The point is, it's yours and represents your wealth.

Step 2: List the money you expect to come in.
This includes your salary, money you may be owed, potential money you could get for side jobs or freelance work (are there any moneymaking ideas you've been thinking about?), and residual income, interest from investments, even tax refunds. Recognize how grateful you are that the universe sends you money from so many sources.

Step 3: Inventory your belongings.
Spend some time going through each room of your house to inventory your belongings. As you do so, recognize how grateful you are for all your material blessings.

The beauty of this process is it shouldn't take long. Use only 10 minutes per room and write down the value of everything you believe you could sell for more than $50. Yes, this includes your own home, if you own it. Your car. Jewelry, antiques, fine artwork, and even your furniture.

I'm not suggesting you liquidate all your assets just to have cash in hand. After all, the point of having money is to buy all the things you want and be able to do what you want to do -- when you want to do it. That is true financial freedom. But this exercise causes you to consider the wealth you already have.

Step 4: Make room for greater wealth.
Now, go through everything on the list you just made. What doesn't bring you pleasure anymore? What haven't you used in years? What no longer fits in with your home decor, personality, or personal beliefs? Consider selling it at a garage sale, on eBay or Craig's List, or even donating it to your local Goodwill store. Getting rid of the things we own that no longer fit in our life or represent the person we want to be opens the space so we can attract more of the wealth we do want.

Envision Yourself Wealthy

So many people, in the pursuit of wealth, focus on what they don't have. As they live paycheck-to-paycheck, they reflect on what their needs are. Their thoughts may sound like this:

“I hope he pays me the money he owes me.”
“Will I have enough to pay the rent this month?” and
“If only I could win the lottery, everything would be easier.”

To attract true wealth to you, focus on the feelings having plenty of money will bring you. Focus on feeling:

- Secure
- Relaxed
- Carefree
... and whatever else true wealth means to you.

Even without the money that will supply these things, you can make up your mind to feel this way. As you change your mindset, you'll find the money drawn to you.

A Vision Board
You can create a vision board with pictures of things you'll buy with the money you have. But don't focus on “wanting” these things. Instead, envision them as already being yours.

Feng Shui for Wealth
You can also use Feng Shui for wealth. Add a water element, such as a fish tank or water fountain to the wealth corner of your home or office, based on the bagua. Whenever you look at it, let feelings of wealth, happiness, health and security wash over you.

1 Simple Step To Financial Empowerment

“Where does all my money go?” 

Have you ever uttered these words at the end of the month, when the bills are paid but you feel as if you should have a little bit left -- and you never do?

There are several Feng Shui cures you can implement to increase your income and improve your financial situation. But if you are seeking true financial empowerment, it's available in one easy step: Track all your spending.

For one week, carry a small notebook around with you. Write down every purchase you make, from that bagel and coffee at the local deli to those Broadway play tickets. You'll notice three things happening:

1. You'll become more aware of your spending. You may not like the answers, but you'll no longer ask, “Where does all my money go?”

2. You may begin thinking twice about purchases. Seeing those numbers add up on paper can be quite sobering.

3. You'll most definitely gain a sense of financial empowerment.



Knowledge is power, and knowledge about your own financial situation is the first step on the road to wealth.

How Missing Areas Could Be Impacting Your Cash Flow & More

When you lay the bagua over the floor plan of your home or apartment, you may discover your home is not a perfect square or rectangle. This creates “additions” or “missing areas” in the bagua, which can affect many areas of your life, including your:

- fortune
- finances
- family life
- career advancement
- relationships with others
- marriage or love life
- relationship with your children
- health
- status
- ability to receive help from others... and more.

Every area of the bagua affects an important area of your life. If that area of the bagua is missing, your life will suffer in that area. On the other hand, an addition in the area can lead to increase wealth, health, social status, great relationships and more.

How Can You Tell If An Area is Missing or Enhanced?

If a segment of your floor plan extends beyond the main rectangle or square of a home and is less than 1/2 of the total length or depth of the house (depending on where the extension lies), then this is an “addition.” You will find this area of your life enhanced. You don't need to do anything about an addition, other than enjoy its effects.

You may also lay out your home to take advantage of the addition. For instance, an addition in the wealth or creativity and children area would be a good place to set up a home office. Consider placing a library or study room in an addition in the knowledge area.

You may be missing an area of the bagua if the extension on your home is greater than one half the total length or width of the house.

If the distances are equal, you can use your intuition to determine whether you have an addition or a missing area -- does the house feel like it has an extension that goes beyond the main area of the house, or does it feel as if part of the main floor plan is missing?
Also consider some of the tribulations or successes you are facing in your life. Do they point to a missing area of the bagua (for instance, are you having money problems?) Or is an area of your life enhanced?

Cures for Missing Areas

There are several Feng Shui cures for a missing area. You can hang a mirror on the wall to project into the missing area. You can shine outdoor, all-weather lights on the missing area to “fill in” that space on the bagua.

You can also enhance the living chi of that space by planting shrubs or flowers that correspond with the elemental colors of that section of the bagua. For instance, a purple lilac bush in the wealth area will “complete” that segment of the bagua and help improve your financial situation.

Do you have missing areas or extensions in your floor plan?

How To Attract Positive People & Wealth into Your Life with Flowers

Have you begun planting your garden for this year yet? Even though April showers supposedly bring May flowers, it's not too late.  If you live in an apartment, you can use flower boxes for the same effect as a full-fledged garden. Fresh flowers enliven a space and activate the chi in a given area.

You can also use flowers of different colors to improve different areas of your life. When you lay the Feng Shui Bagua over your plot of land, you will see how different areas of your yard or home relate to different areas of your life. Similarly, different colors relate to the sections of the Bagua. To activate a particular sector, say wealth or helpful people, plant flowers of a corresponding color in that corner.

You can use this technique of adding colorful flowers to your property, home or even inside your apartment to:

- increase your wealth
- do better in school
- advance your career
- attract helpful people in your life

The Power of White Flowers
How do you achieve these results? Use the color that relates to the section of the bagua you wish to activate. For instance, if you desire to expand your social network with people who have the skill -- and desire -- to help you in your business, plant white flowers in the helpful people section of your yard, place them in a room of your home or apartment that corresponds with the helpful people section of the bagua.

White also corresponds with children, so planting white flowers in the section of your yard that corresponds with children can help a couple increase their fertility to conceive a child. White flowers in that corner of your home or yard can also bring good fortune to your children and improve your relationship with them.

Increase Your Wealth with Flowers
Similarly, violets or other purple flowers in the wealth corner can help you increase your income, as blue, purple and red are colors for wealth. Imagine the results of planting red roses, violets and lavender bushes in the wealth corner of your home, or in a flower box or placing in the wealth corner of your apartment? Not only do these colors look beautiful together, but you'll attract wealth to your home with positive living chi.

Attract Love with Flowering Plants
A single person hoping to attract love can activate the marriage corner of the home or apartment with white, pink and red flowers. If you want year-long positive results when you plant flowers, keep blooming seasons in mind. You may need to plant different flowers at different times of the year in order to ensure year-round success.

Will you be purchasing flowers this week? Is so, what colors?