The Chinese New Year 2019 begins on Tuesday, February 5th and ends on January 25, 2020. It’s the year of the Yin Earth Pig. The Pig occupies the last (12th) position in the Chinese horoscope.

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese science of creating balance and harmony to living and work spaces so that your life force energy (Ch’i) flows and increases your health, happiness and prosperity.

The Five Elements

Feng Shui works with the five elements – wood, earth, fire, metal and water. Take a moment to consider the balance in nature – the colors of the earth, fragrance of trees and flowers, the sensation of breathing fresh air and feeling alive and healthy. Feng Shui can help us achieve this sense of nature within our own surroundings.

Feng Shui is about using common sense. Clearing out clutter, getting rid of old and unused items, creating a more peaceful environment. Getting rid of clutter opens up space. It makes us feel lighter, and we actually start to think more clearly because of fewer distractions.

Feng Shui alerts us to visible and invisible energies – the floorplan of our home, the land and buildings surrounding our home or office, furniture placement, and the alignment of doors are just a few examples of Feng Shui issues.

How Feng Shui Works

Feng Shui uses an eight-sided pattern called a Ba-Gua. Each section represents a certain area of our life, such as career, benefactors, children, money, marriage, etc. By overlaying the pattern to the floorplan of your home, you can identify the sections affecting the different areas of your life. Remember: When applying the Ba-Gua symbol to the layout of your home, the front door is always considered the main entrance, even if you don’t use it. If the garage is attached to the home, you need to include it in the layout. Each side of the Ba-Gua also represents a different element (water, earth, etc.), as well as color. These are things to keep in mind when decorating our home.

Bad House Feng Shui (Sha)

• Clutter
• Dusty, unused or broken items
• Bed directly under a window
• Broken windows, screens, door
• Exposed nails on walls
• Water leaks or leaks in the roof
• Exposed beams
• Door at the end of a long hallway
• Aggressive corners
• Slanted walls
• Stove under a window
• Staircase which faces the entrance door.

Once you identified any Sha, you can apply Feng Shui remedies and cures which will eliminate negative energy flow. Clean out the clutter, throw out junk, get rid of stuff you’re not using, fix broken windows, etc.

The Three Secrets

Once you put your cures or solutions into place, they need to be reinforced by the Three Secrets, which is using the body, speech and mind while putting the cure in place.

For example, after hanging a mirror, use your mind to visualize a clear picture of the improvement you’d like to occur. While doing this, use your body by holding your hands together in a prayer position. And, use your speech by chanting a prayer or affirmation nine times as the number 9 is important in Feng Shui.

In 2019, hanging pictures of water, such as the beach, lakes, rivers, helps honor this element. By hanging a bamboo flute over the front door on the inside, it will bring blessings to you and your guests each time you enter or leave your home.

The outside of the home is also very important to consider. Homes which are on a bay are said to drain the energy of the occupants. Homes at the end of a dead-end street or cul-de-sac can negatively affect your abundance, financially, physically and spiritually. Dry plants or dead trees on your property are bad for health.

Bottom Line: Feng Shui is a sacred philosophy and should be practiced in a respectful way.
Start simple. Tackle the area which represents what is most urgent in your life right now, taking it a step at a time, and as you see results, your energy is elevated. You are inspired to tackle more areas of your home or work space.

Related Links:
Chinese Numerology: The Way to Prosperity and Fulfillment, by Richard Webster
The Complete Book of Chinese Horoscopes, by Lori Reid
Year of the Pig: Celebrating Chinese New Year