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The Navajo believe that
everything is inter-related and inter-connected, and that it is our duty
to maintain the balance between the forces of Nature.
Feng Shui translates as "wind-water". By arranging and decorating the rooms of your house
you maintain balance in your life.
The difference between Western
thinking and Eastern thinking comes down to the individual. In the West,
we create laws, rules, and consequences to maintain our spiritual
balance, and we are concerned with the outer peace. If we have that,
then we can all get along.
In the East, it is through the
meditation of the individual that balance is achieved and maintained. If
each individual has inner peace, then we will not war anymore.
In each case the goal is the
same, but the methods of achievement are different. For me, Feng Shui is
the bridge between the two. With Feng Shui, I can arrange my living
space to reflect the serenity that I would like to have in all parts of
my life.
I am not saying that Feng Shui is
a cure-all for any ill. But it has been proven that color can play an
important part in psychology. Everyone knows that the color red is
energetic, and people just don't relax in a completely red room,
although it is great for dining rooms or spaces where you like to
entertain. And who hasn’t heard of the "red-light" district?
Interestingly enough, in Feng
Shui, red is the color of certain spaces in your home. It is related to
the Fame / Reputation area, as well as the Wealth / Prosperity and the
Love / Marriage areas.
Of course, in most places, we
live in apartments and condos. Painting the dining room red is a nice
idea, but what do you do when there are painting restrictions and carpet
requirements? How do you achieve a serene sanctuary when there are kids
screaming in the hallway, horns honking, and you can hear your
neighbor's stereo as plainly as your own tv? So, how do you implement
good Feng Shui?
Well, some of these things we
really can't address. We can't change your neighbor's taste in
music, but we can enhance the Fame / Reputation area to reflect the
change you would like to see in yourself. Then it might be possible to
knock on the door and politely ask him to turn it down.
If you can't use paint, you can
still enhance the Fame / Reputation area by placing objects in prominent
places. For example, the jade running horses depicted above would be
perfect on a cherry wood buffet or stand. Jade can represent
communication, and horses reflect fame luck or recognition. The reddish
color of cherry wood enhances energy, and wood itself promotes growth
and stature.
Of course, if you crowd your home
with running horse statues, you probably won't enhance your reputation
much. You will just be living with a lot of cold statuary that you
don't care about. That doesn't go very far towards creating a
sanctuary, and in Eastern thinking, if the individual is unhappy, it
will be reflected in all parts of that individual's life. Part of the
key is to surround yourself with things that you love.
I love to play chess, and I do
have a chess set that lives in the Creativity / Children area. I have
friends that come over once a week to play, usually on Friday, and we
make spaghetti while we relax from a long workweek. I can't say that
the jade necessarily gives me an edge on my game, but I certainly do
enjoy the relaxation, and the carved pieces do enhance the experience,
more than the usual plastic and cardboard would.
The unicorns would be a lovely
addition to the Knowledge / Self-cultivation area. In this case, they
are also fierce guardians, perhaps guarding against deception, whether
it is self-deception, or someone else's attempt to deceive you. Again,
surround yourself with things that you love. This pair would be
beautiful in a mirrored display case. If you prefer a more muted
setting, then they could sit on top of a dresser or desk.
These are only some ways that
Feng Shui can be implemented to create your sanctuary, wherever it might
be, and however big or small your space is. For more specific questions,
you might want to click on the link to the Feng Shui Distant University.
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