Feng Shui and Chinese New Year

After the excitement of the Christmas and New Year holidays January brings with it a time of quiet, stillness and dark in the Northern Hemisphere.  This is the time of 'Lesser Cold' January 6-January 20 and the time of 'Greater Cold'  from January 21-February 3.  These are the final two seasons of the Solar Calendar Year before the Earth starts to awaken from its winter sleep.

Rather than bemoan the weather, whatever it may be, enjoy each moment and remember that as well as celebration at the start of January there is another celebration at the end of the month; Chinese New Year.  Worldwide more and more major cities are embracing the Chinese culture of welcoming in a new year.  While most do not carry the celebrations through the 15 days of Chinese cultural tradition, which this year runs from January 30 to February 14, they certainly enjoy and participate in parades, Dragon dances, fireworks and firecracker displays arranged in and around the vicinity of Chinatowns in cities across the world.

Chinese New Year begins on January 31 four days before the 'Start of Spring' in the Solar Calendar and most of the celebrations are due to take place on February 2.  The date of Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival as it is also sometimes known, varies each year and is based around the Lunar Calendar.  The Lunar New Year in 2014 begins on January 30, which is New Year's Eve, with a new moon and the start of the first lunar cycle of the year.  The New Year is decided by the start date of the second lunar cycle after the Winter Solstice (December 22-January 5.)

Feng Shui is all about Qi; the energy that is our very existence.   A new year in Feng Shui is identified by one of the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals and one of the Five Elements with either Yin or Yang aspect.  In 2014 this will be the Year of the Yang Wood Horse.  Once the Year of the Horse begins so does a change in the Qi in our environment; both external and internal.  A location that has good and auspicious Qi in the current year of the Yin Water Snake can become bad and inauspicious depending on the quality of the Qi moving in. 

Using the numerology of Flying Stars and an interpretation of their movement it is possible to determine what is good and what is not.  Knowing your personal Kua number and your good and bad locations  as well as your Chinese animal sign at birth will help you determine how your fortunes will fair in a year that will be heavily dominated by Yang Fire.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

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Finish the Journey with Feng Shui

CLEARING CLUTTER – MAINTENANCE

Is your car regularly serviced?

Do you replace fuses and light bulbs as soon as they blow?

Do you check your tyre pressure regularly?

Have you got a regular maintenance check you perform without fail?

Avoiding these important procedures creates intangible negative Energy that gives you an unsettled feeling without knowing the reason why.

Where is your car parked overnight?

Your car is aggressive and predatory by nature so parking it with the front towards your home is inviting negative Energy indoors.

If you have an integral garage, backing the car in will ensure it is not ‘threatening’ your home in any way.

Parked on your driveway, your car is better parked with its back to the home and not towards it.  Not only will this ensure its predatory nature will not threaten your home, it will also act as a protector.

Your car is Yang Metal and depending on its colour its nature can be enhanced still further or calmed down.

A blue or a black car is a Yin colour on a Yang vehicle and will create a calming effect.

Red and white are Yang colours and how you drive your vehicle can reflect this.

Green is a growth colour and any Earth colour is a stabilizing and solid colour.

KUA NUMBER

What is your Kua number?

Do you know your good and bad directions?

You can match your car colour to your Kua number to enhance your personal strength.

If you travel with your work you can enhance your ‘Success’ direction with your car

If you are focused on your ‘Family’ your car colour can match your ‘Love and Family’ direction

If ‘Health’ and ‘Mentors’ are important to you, your car colour can reflect this

If you are studying or improving your knowledge base in your job you can match your car colour to this

INTERIOR

Just like the inside of your home, your car benefits from a harmonious feel.

Introduce some Yin elements such as a cushion or two in the back seats.

Having something blue inside creates a calming, focused space. 

Keeping bottled water with you will introduce the Water element, as well as provide a thirst quencher. 

 This is especially important when you are travelling long distances.

A crystal in your car, being the Earth element, provides grounding and stability and will help dissipate any negative Energy lurking around.

An air freshener will also invite a sweet smelling, pleasant interior.

If you travel long distances on a regular basis keeping six peacock feathers in the car will protect you and help keep your car safe when you are parked.

Birds are always positive and if you have the image of a bird in your car it will bring good omens and protect you when travelling.

The image of a Laughing Buddha on your dashboard can take away all the stress associated with travelling.

TRAVELLING

If you are travelling alone, listening to music is a harmonious accompaniment on your journey.

Remember, that the type of music, just like the colour of your car, will reflect how you drive.

If you listen to loud rap, or heavy rock music; your driving will tend to reflect that

If you listen to catchy, sing-along music you will be relaxed and happy

If you listen to slow, quieter music this could have the effect of making you sleepy

Your car is as much a part of your life as your home and your work, so the Feng Shui elements relating to your home are just as relevant in your car.

A free-flow of positive Chi Energy is important to both.

Spending a little time creating harmony is well worth it to ensure that any journey you take, short or long, is as enjoyable and relaxing as possible.

This allows you to arrive at your destination calm, focused and happy, whatever the experiences you have encountered along the way.

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FENG SHUI and EIGHT MANSIONS-West Group

“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking”

Buddhist Saying

Personal Eight Mansions is well-known in Feng Shui. Your date of birth identifies your Gua number which in turn identifies your four good and four bad locations.

 

Knowing the Eight Mansions of your home which takes into consideration the distribution of energy throughout the building will determine whether you and your home are meant for one another. 

Let us look this time at someone whose Gua number is 2 and who lives in a west group house.

The auspicious directions for a person with Gua Gumber 2 is northeast, west, northwest and southwest.

  

Their inauspicious directions are east, southeast, south and north.

When this person lives in a Kun house which faces northeast (22.5^o to 67.5^o) and sits southwest (202.5^o to 247.5^o) they are totally in harmony with their west group home.  During the current period of 8 this is a most auspicious combination and while not ideal can also benefit those belonging to the east group as long as the internal layout is designed based on their positive locations.

For someone with Gua number 2 this is an ideal layout as the facing direction matches their most auspicious direction; their health direction (west); longevity and relationship (northwest) and personal growth (southwest) harmonise perfectly. 

This also means their four inauspicious locations are in the same locations.

This sounds very good, however as with houses facing and sitting in different groups, the internal layout is all important.   The main door is obviously auspicious although it does not automatically follow that the living, sleeping and kitchen areas are equally positive.

  

Remembering that location is more important than direction, three of the four auspicious locations are the northwest, west and southwest.  The living and sleeping areas would ideally be located in one or more of these sectors.  The kitchen would be best located in the east or the southeast.  In Feng Shui it is generally recommended that the kitchen a) is not located in the centre of the home (this is said to signify damaging family harmony) and b) is not located towards the front of the home (the kitchen is a source of wealth to the family and is better hidden deep within the building to protect the good fortune of the family.)

Another consideration is the key things in your life at the moment.  If your career is all-consuming the front of your house is important to care for.  Do you have a bright hall outside your front door?  Do you have a clean, clear and bright space inside your front door making it welcoming and auspicious?

If health is important then you will benefit from a bedroom in the west.  If longevity, love and relationships are important then having your living room and bedroom in the northwest will bring positive energy to you.  Personal growth is an ongoing process whatever stage of your life you are going through.  We are always learning and growing.  If you have a home study or office the southwest will benefit you.

If the layout of your home is such that it is impossible to tap the ideal locations it becomes vital to ensure you face an auspicious direction in an inauspicious location.   Another thing to consider is the direction your living room, study or office, bedroom and kitchen doors face.  Having them face one of your auspicious directions is bringing positive energy into the room each time the door is opened and closed.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC

FENG SHUI and EIGHT MANSIONS-East Group

“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking”

Buddhist Saying

Personal Eight Mansions is well-known in Feng Shui.  Your date of birth identifies your Gua number which in turn identifies your four good and four bad locations. 

Knowing the Eight Mansions of your home, which takes into consideration the distribution of energy throughout the building will determine whether you and your home are meant for one another. 

Looking at an example of a person with Gua number 1; your personal east group locations and directions and how you can live in a home inauspicious for you based on its sitting direction.

Gua number 1 auspicious directions are southeast, east, south and north; the inauspicious directions are west, northeast, northwest and southwest.  Looking at the worst scenario of your house you would be living in a Kun House (facing northeast/sitting southwest.)  In effect your house is sitting in your total loss location.  Before you run away screaming let’s take a more in-depth look at the situation.

Remembering that location is more important than direction, the first thing to do is consider the internal layout of your home.  Can you arrange it such that you --- a) Have your living area in the southeast (your best direction); b) Have your bedroom in the east (your health direction); c) Place your kitchen in the southwest (your total loss direction)?

This allows you the luxury of choosing which of your four auspicious directions you face when sitting, playing and sleeping, which will in turn bring harmony and positive energy into your life.  Having your kitchen in the southwest will press down on your bad luck (total loss) associated with the southwest.  It is important to remember to have the stove facing one of your auspicious directions, depending on the aspiration important to you at this particular time in your life.  If bad health is an issue for you then having the stove facing* your tien yi (doctor from heaven) or nien yen (longevity) directions will benefit you.  *The facing direction of the stove means the direction the knobs are pointing.)

Another thing to consider is the direction your living room door (unless you have an open plan layout in which case it will mean the direction the entire space is facing), and your bedroom door, face.  It is beneficial if they face one of your auspicious directions.  This is inviting positive Qi into the space each time the door is opened and closed.

So although you may live in a house that is not in harmony with you and your personal directions you can see it is still possible to arrange the internal space such that it beneficial for you.

Looking briefly at Chinese Astrology, if you are born in the year of the Sheep (SW1) or the year of the Monkey (SW3) you will gain some benefit from the Southwest regardless of your Kua number.  Just be aware of the annual afflictions for each year and take suitable measures to avoid misfortune when it comes calling, in your animal location.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC

FENG SHUI and EIGHT MANSIONS

“Use awareness to make changes”

Are you and your home in harmony? 

Personal Eight Mansions is well-known in Feng Shui.  Your date of birth identifies your Kua number which in turn identifies your four good and four bad locations.  This gives you a head start when it comes to knowing which direction to sit or sleep.  Or which direction to face when you are working/playing/studying.

However this is only half of the picture.

To look at the bigger picture, knowing the Eight Mansions or the Natal Chart of your home, which takes into consideration the distribution of energy throughout the building will determine whether you and your home are meant for one another.  The Eight Mansions of your home is based on its facing and sitting direction. The facing direction of your home is the direction of maximum yang energy.  This is often, but not exclusively, the place where the main door is located and it is important to determine the facing direction before beginning.  The sitting direction is exactly opposite and benefits from more yin than yang energy.  The yang of movement, of positive chi, is best entering your home from the front and the yin of stillness, is best at the back of your home providing quiet, stability and support.

Ideally your front door will be located in the sheng chi (overall good fortune) location of your home.  Depending on the stage you are at in your life, your bedroom will be best located in your tien yi (health) or your nien yen (relationships) location.

Your kitchen, the third most important sector of your home, is different.  While it is a vital part of the overall picture in ensuring the health and wellbeing of your family, it is best located in one of your four bad locations.  In effect, it is best being in a location where it can press down and suppress the bad chi of a location.  The kitchen itself however, and in particular the stove, can be designed to bring good luck to the family.  The stove (the knobs) are most auspicious when facing the best direction of the breadwinner of the house.

So how do you deal with a less than auspicious layout?  Where do you sit?  Which direction do you face?

Location is more important than direction.  If you can sit, or work, or sleep, in one of your four good locations you then also have the option to face one of your four good directions thereby increasing the auspicious chi you are exposed to.  If you have to sit, work or sleep in one of your four bad locations you then only have the option to face one of your good directions within that location.  

It is never going to be possible to have the perfect configuration (unless you are building your own home and you have more control over the finished product) so the answer is to benefit as much as possible from what you can do and then get on with your life.  Being aware of Eight Mansions for the home, and knowing your good and bad directions based on your Kua number will definitely give you an advantage if you are house-hunting.  Taking along a standard western compass to determine the facing and sitting directions of a property, will definitely help you in your house search.  It will also allow you to find out whether the location of the master bedroom and the kitchen will benefit or restrict you.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

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Feng Shui and Your Gua Number

Your Gua (Kua) number is a personalised number based on your date of birth using the lunar calendar.

To find out your Gua number click this link http://tinyurl.com/Kua-Numbers.  This will show your favourable and unfavourable directions, your individual Gua number based on your date of birth and list your four favourable directions in their order of importance.

Your four inauspicious directions are shown below.

Kua Number	Bad Luck	Accidents and Mishaps	Six Types of Misfortune	Total Loss
1	West	Northeast	Northwest	Southwest
2	East	Southeast	South	North
3	Southwest	Northwest	Northeast	West
4	Northwest	Southwest	West	Northeast
5 (Male)	East	Southeast	South	North
5 (Female)	South	North	East	Southeast
6	Southeast	East	North	South
7	North	South	Southeast	East
8	South	North	East	Southeast
9	Northeast	West	Southwest	Northwest

The Eight Mansions (sometimes known as the Eight Houses or the Eight Palaces) Formula, is a personalised Formula of Feng Shui and once you know each of your auspicious and inauspicious directions you can use this information to arrange your living and working space to bring good fortune to you.

Before finding out more about the Eight Mansions Formula let us first go back to the source.  There is much to discover about the nine numbers of Feng Shui synonymous with the original Lo-Shu Grid or the Magic Square as it is also known.  When Feng Shui was first conceived the Lo-Shu Grid placed the elements in different locations.  For example the male and the female, the parents, were placed south and north respectively.  This signified heaven (9) and earth (1), male and female directly opposite one another, confronting, yet combining to create a balance of Yin and Yang.  This then determined the positions of other elements around the Grid. 

These elements combined to complement one another, to bring harmony.  Fire and water were thus located east (fire) and west (water.)  In perfect harmony these two create steam which is an important additional source of power even in our modern times.  In the Early Heaven Arrangement this also signifies water falling on the earth to feed and nurture plants, seeds and flowers with fire (sunshine) warming them to bring out their full height, beauty and growth.

 

This was known as the Early Heaven Arrangement or Yin Feng Shui and the grid was, and still is by some, primarily used to determine burial sites. 

However the Lo-Shu Grid now generally used is known as the Later Heaven Arrangement or Yang Feng Shui; Feng Shui of the living.  This arrangement takes a cyclical view of the seasons and their elements giving a more natural flow to the Grid, to show how the Yin/Yang symbol of harmony moves from spring (a time of growth and expansion) through summer (bringing all things to full beauty), autumn (the time to harvest fruits of the earth) and on to winter (a time of rest.)

The northeast represents late winter/early spring, a time of slow awakening, the east is the location of springtime in all its reborn beauty, the southeast signifies early summer and the south, the height of summer.  The southwest is the location of late summer/early autumn and the west is the place of the autumn season, a time of reflection and preparation for the cold, dark days to follow.  The northwest takes us from late autumn to early winter and the north brings the cycle to a close giving us the dark days of winter, a time of stillness and rest for the earth.

These directions affect us all regardless of our Gua number and for this reason all of the eight compass directions, plus the central grid, can be decorated to create overall harmony.  Balance in life and in the home is all important to ensure positive energy for everyone.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.fengshui8mansions.com

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West Group and East Group Houses

Your Kua number, is your personalised number based on your date of birth as identified by the lunar calendar, and once you know this you can practice the Eight Mansions Formula of Feng Shui.

 

This is a straightforward and personalised Formula of Feng Shui which determines auspicious and inauspicious locations in the home for each individual and in future blogs we will look at each of the nine Kua numbers found in the Lo Shu Grid and their characteristics in more detail.

However, additionally the Kua formula can be used to divide houses into eight types; it calculates the facing and sitting directions of a home which in turn identifies whether the residents are in harmony, or in conflict with their living space.

While we will concentrate mainly on the personalised Formula for individuals, what follows is a brief description of the eight types of houses and their attributes.

The eight types of houses are based on their facing and sitting directions and will either be east group or west group.  Whether they are auspicious for the residents is dependent on personal Kua numbers which will place them in either east group or west group.

 

As with all formulas in Feng Shui compass directions are important so the first step is to take the compass reading of the front of your house from the inside looking out, the place where the maximum of Yang energy is generated.  This is usually, but not exclusively, where the front door is located.  Once you know this direction, the ‘facing direction’ you turn to find the ‘sitting direction’ which is where the group, and the name of the house, is determined.

If your back door, or your sitting direction is not directly opposite the facing direction of your main door, the sitting direction takes precedence when determining the type of house you occupy.

Following is a list of all the facing and sitting directions, the type of home, and whether it is an east group or a west group home.

Facing NORTH	Sitting SOUTH	East Group	LI House	Fire
Facing NORTHEAST	Sitting SOUTHWEST	West Group	KUN House	Earth
Facing EAST	Sitting WEST	West Group	TUI House	Metal
Facing SOUTHEAST	Sitting NORTHWEST	West Group	CHIEN House	Metal
Facing SOUTH	Sitting NORTH	East Group	KAN House	Water
Facing SOUTHWEST	Sitting NORTHEAST	West Group	KEN House	Earth
Facing WEST	Sitting EAST	East Group	CHEN House	Wood
Facing NORTHWEST	Sitting SOUTHEAST	East Group	SUN House	Wood

It is the sitting direction that determines the group of the house.  It is the group that will determine whether a home is auspicious for its residents.

As an example:                 

If your house faces North it sits South.  This is a fire element home and is auspicious for an east group person. 

There are only two examples where the facing and sitting directions belong to the same group and that is the North/South axis (east group) and the Northeast/Southwest axis (west group.)  In all other cases compromises will be required because if the facing direction is east or west group, the sitting direction will be west or east group.

The sitting direction always takes precedence.

In circumstances when your home is in the opposite group to you (based on your Kua number) and it is not possible to change an east group house into a west group house, and vice versa, whilst not ideal, the answer is to arrange the internal layout in harmony with your auspicious directions.

In a family home, the Kua number of the breadwinner of the home takes precedence as without them the source of income and wealth will be lost.  There may have to be compromises in the home of a couple, both working on equal terms, if they belong to different groups.

These are basic principles of this method of determining your house type, however it does give some idea of things to look for when exploring the fascinating world of Feng Shui.  It can also be particularly useful to bear in mind if you are looking to move home.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC