Category: Feng Shui

Dry Earth

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

You don’t have to be a gardener, farmer or feng shui consultant to know that the earth in Seattle is dry right now. It’s drier than than I have ever seen it before.

This is the first year I have considered the usefulness of an irrigation system. Rather than relying on regular watering my garden depends on mostly native plants placed properly. Californians that can take care of themselves and look good while they do it are welcome too. What I mean by “placed properly” is that every garden has micro climates. For example maybe you have a sheltered area, an open area, sunny, shady, dry, wet…If you plant things in the micro climate they want it will be much less work to maintain them. This is also how feng shui works.

Even if your garden was planned with feng shui and drought tolerance in mind, water will have to be added at some point in the season. If you have new plantings, transplants or seedlings they are going to need regular watering during their first year at least.

As long as your soil drainage is good and you keep the soil at a fairly consistent level of moisture, water will sink right in. The moist areas of earth tend to stay at a cooler temperature. If you are planting, transplanting or starting seedlings this is the type of earth you need. In feng shui and ba zi this cooler and moister earth is called Ji or yin earth. The wettest, coldest soil arrives when the thaw of winter begins.

The warmest, driest earth is present as summer turns into fall. Dry earth feels warmer than wet earth. Annuals or any newly sprouted/planted things tend to shrivel up and die when the earth gets too dry but the perennials, shrubs, and trees can tolerate it. This year, however, it’s been so dry that even many of the mature trees in my neighborhood were drooping and dropped their leaves early, obviously due to a lack of water.

When the earth is dry it tends to get more compacted here in Seattle and is testy about accepting water again. Until you’ve softened it up with a few days of sprinkling, the water tends to puddle on the surface and take awhile to sink in. In feng shui and ba zi this warmer and drier earth is called Wu or yang earth.

Today marks the first day of the Xu month or the month of the Dog in the Chinese Calendar. The main qi of the dog is Wu or dry earth but not typically this dry. We are so there.

Yin Yang Garden Design

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Most garden design concepts can be explained in terms of yin yang and achieving a balance between the two. Applying the theory of yin yang correctly in your garden will result in a flourishing landscape that surrounds your home with good energy and enhances its value. Gardeners already understand this balance in the use of different sizes, shapes and colors of foliage, shrubs, trees and flowers. A garden where every plant has tiny leaves would be too yin or busy looking, yes?

A nice yin yang balance makes your garden a place where you will want to spend time. Balance provides areas to enjoy with groups of family or neighbors, and private areas where you could meditate or rest. If your lot is too shady, consider pruning or even removing trees and shrubs. If your lot is too hot and open or plagued by wind, plant some trees. Plant water loving plants in damp areas, drought tolerant plants in dry areas, and they will require much less maintenance. If the garden is so overgrown you can barely see the house sharpen those pruners and get to work. You get the idea.

Maintaining yin yang balance also enhances the security of your home. The houses that get broken into the most often have more yin qualities than the houses around them. I base that observation on professional and personal experience.

Here’s one more tip about your landscape: Keep the path to the front door clean, clear and inviting. Make sure the door (or the location of the door) is clearly visible from the street. If the door itself is not visible from the street or path use color, lighting, ornament or landscaping to indicate the location of the door.

Feng Shui for Gardeners 2012

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

For purposes of Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology calculations are based on the solar calendar. On February 4th, 2012 we entered the Year of Ren Chen or Water Dragon. Buckle up your seat belts, it may be a bumpy ride filled with unexpected events and reversals, good and bad. In Chinese folklore it is said that the dragon can surprise you because it is not possible to see the head and the tail at the same time.

As the energy started shifting I had a preview of what I think the Ren Chen year will be like. In the last month of 2011 into the second month of 2012 I personally benefited from a huge reversal that no one would have predicted. The situation involved a long slow collapse of power and revelations that created a stressful ride to a safe harbor. Many lies were being told by others involved in the reversal, and unethical deeds from the past surfaced at the worst possible time. Those who lied and manipulated others lost big in the end, while those who did not found a good place to land. Be careful and remember that the outcome of any situation can be changed through your hard work, free will and good deeds. What good is luck if you are not prepared?

As I have mentioned before, the zodiac animals in Chinese Astrology are really just representations of a particular phase of energy that provide a way for us to understand and talk about them. Those born in a Dragon year should take note as they will be the first recipients of the year’s offerings, both good and bad.

I’m a little late in getting this post out this year, but if you are a gardener, or thinking of renovating in 2012 please read on.

First of all, no digging in the SE, S, SW and NW and no renovating in the house in the SE area. Why? You must not disturb the energies of these locations this year.

Second, regarding renovation, if you are living in a house that faces or sits South this year do not renovate anywhere in the house. Period. Do not drill holes, pound nails or hang pictures. Don’t refinish the floors. If you are planning to renovate next year please consult with a Feng Shui professional to get the most out of your renovation and avoid any problems.

Here is how it works:

You can imagine these energies are like sleeping gods under the earth that do not want to be disturbed or awakened. If they are activated there will be negative results such as loss of wealth, accidents or health problems. The person of the household that is associated with the affected area will be the one most hurt by disturbing the sleeping gods. For example, the SE position correlates with the women of the household, the oldest daughter in a family, or a woman who is in that particular age phase of her life. Each compass direction (i.e. SE, NW, N) correlates not only with a family member or gender but also with “types” of energy. Tamper with the NW this year and you may hurt the father of the household, find yourself in trouble with your boss or even the law.

With the Water Dragon in the Tai Sui (Year God) position in the SE that means the Sui Po is Xu or Dog, sitting directly opposite in the NW. The Dragon is part of a trinity with Zi (Rat) and Shen (Monkey) which creates force against the South, specifically Si (Snake), Wu (Horse), and Wei (Sheep).

As a gardener how do you manage all of this? Each year I focus on the areas where it is okay to dig and work and think about what areas I won’t be able to touch next year. For example I made a point to finish the plantings for the SE area at the end of the season last year, so this year there will still be progress in that area with the plants in and growing. It’s not at all difficult to plan your projects this way. If you absolutely have to do repairs or other work in an area that should not be disturbed contact a Feng Shui consultant.

Using Science to Understand Five Elements Theory

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

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I saw this video of Richard Feynman explaining the physics and chemistry behind fire on Diane Kern’s blog and just had to share it. I don’t think most people understand that a scientific style of observation is the foundation of practicing Feng Shui.

Feng Shui, Chinese Astrology and other components of Chinese Metaphysics are becoming easier to understand and explain as science reveals what is really going on around us. You don’t have to believe in chemistry and physics in order to be able start a fire. You don’t have to believe in gravity for it to hold you down. You don’t have to believe in Feng Shui either but it is still affecting you.

Feng Shui for Gardeners 2011 : Year of the Metal Rabbit

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

On February 4th, 2011 we will enter the year of the Metal Rabbit or Xin Mao.  Some also call it the year of the Golden Rabbit. It’s fun to talk about the Chinese Zodiac and what animal represents your birth year, but did you know that the animals of the Chinese Zodiac are actually terms that were assigned to describe a particular type of energy?  It’s true. Darn, there go those generalizations about people born in the year of (your least favorite animal here).

During the Metal Rabbit year the Tai Sui is, of course, Mao or Rabbit. The Sui Po is You or Rooster. They are directly opposed to each other with Mao representing a Wood type of qi and You representing a Metal type of qi. In terms of five elements their interaction will break down the wood energy and weaken the metal qi. In this particular combination, we will see events similar to those of 2010 such as unusual and unpredictable weather and natural events, bankruptcies and civil unrest. Whatever you do, don’t use these predictions as an excuse to give up on 2011. Keep studying and working and you will be fine in the long run.

Now, for all you gardeners out there here’s the most important stuff:

For 2011 you need to avoid digging in the following areas: E, W, SW and NW. Disturbing the earth energy in these areas will bring bad luck and problems to the household.

Imagine a grid superimposed on your lot that divides the lot into 9 sectors. Use a compass to determine which sector corresponds with the compass directions, i.e. N, NW, W, SW, S, SE, E, NE. You don’t have to be exact, you just need to know where the areas are in general so that you know what to avoid. It’s okay to keep these areas weeded and cleaned up but don’t dig.

Don’t kid yourself that you can have someone else do the work and avoid the effects of awakening the sleeping gods. The person who creates the energetic disturbance will be most affected but there will be consequences for any residents of the house as well.

Each area on the grid represents a type of energy but also a family member. For example the outdoor position of Rabbit or Mao (E) represents the middle daughter, so if that area is disturbed it will have the strongest effect on the middle daughter, females, tween/teen females, or anyone born in a Rabbit year (1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023).

Using Feng Shui to Grow a Lemon Tree

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

You might be asking yourself what a lemon tree has to do with Feng Shui. My Feng Shui practice is inspired and informed by my garden. Living in the Pacific Northwest I have learned that you can grow just about anything in your garden as long as you find the right spot for it. If you study Feng Shui you understand that this is the same for people. What is good is relative to the particular needs of that plant or person. If placed correctly they will thrive.

I have always wanted to have a Meyer lemon tree in my garden. The sight and smell are a lovely reminder of the lemon tree my Grandma ‘Tona had by the back door of her house. Most people will tell you that maybe you can grow a lemon tree in the PNW, but you will need to keep it in a pot and bring it indoors in the winter. Being the stubborn kind of person I am, I took this as a challenge. I killed 4 small lemon trees before I finally found the right spot for one that is now in its second year in the front yard. Not being satisfied with that experiment, I planted two more that are now blooming. I’m still not taking it for granted that I will ever get any lemons, but even if it’s just the scented blooms and the sight I’ll be satisfied. In nature it is easy to see the cycle of yin and yang and accept it, knowing that there will be a spring to follow winter, or the sweet relief of fall after harvest time.

There is no perfect Feng Shui, not even in the most lovingly tended garden of the most knowledgeable gardener on earth. But that’s okay. We don’t need perfect Feng Shui to be happy in life. All we need is to understand the environment we are living in and its influence on us, study, work hard, do good in the world, and make the best choices we possibly can. And of course lots of time to do gardening.

It’s risky to try to grow a lemon tree outdoors and in the ground in the PNW. If you listen to everyone’s advice, you won’t even try. Would you like to try to achieve something that no one thinks you can do? Using Feng Shui lets me put you in the right place so that you can succeed in your endeavors – just like the lemon tree. Find the right spot for you and do the unexpected.

It’s All About Me (or You)

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

A teacher of Chinese Metaphysics I once studied with said something that has become a guiding factor of my study and practice of Feng Shui:  It’s all about me!

What she meant was that when your goal is to create the best balance of energy in a space you should orient everything based on your specific needs in that specific time in that specific situation. When you are the client, for your consultant it’s all about you and your relationship to the qi.  There is no general rule to apply for every situation.  For example, a bed in the master bedroom of a healthy 40-something CEO would probably not be placed properly in a corner but there are some adults who may benefit from placing the bed in the corner.

Each of us exists in a complex web of relationships with our environment and the people in our lives.  It’s useless to try to make generalizations about someone’s situation.  It does not happen that one consultation is exactly like another, although it is possible to apply something you learned to multiple situations. This is why when you describe a situation you may have encountered to your Feng Shui teacher and ask “Is that okay?” he or she will tell you “It depends…”.  The question can’t be answered without knowing all of the specifics.

Even if you gave a thorough description of the audit including birth information, photos, a qi map, a report, etc. to a Feng Shui consultant, in reality he or she is not able to accurately assess a site without going there, looking around, and meeting the people or person who hired him or her.  A consultant is like a CSI gathering evidence at a site to take back to the lab in order to study it and understand the story of the crime.  Although there can be copycat crimes, there is some detail or characteristic that makes each crime unlike any other.  The same is true of houses.  If everyone on your block is facing the same direction and has the exact same house plan, the same lot size and shape, the same grade to the land, that doesn’t mean you will all lead identical lives.

I know Feng Shui works.  You don’t need to believe in it.  I want more people to be able to enjoy the benefits of it and feel like it was worth the price they paid their consultant. Don’t believe people who say they can do “remote consultations” or who practice some “one-size-fits-all” method they learned from a book.  It’s simply not true.

The Freeing Power of Failure

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

I just had to share this article I read in the NY Times this morning about 81 year old Joan Dye Gussow.  Where do I begin?

I’m inspired by the life choices she has made and the way she has educated herself.  I’m inspired by the thought of being 81 and still able to lug around some bags of topsoil, but also having an elegance in knowing my own limits.

I have always known I don’t fully appreciate and understand the life-giving qualities of “destruction” – even after all this time studying Feng Shui.  I see the expression of this natural cycle every day when I look at the Tai Ji and tell myself I understand it, but it is in the garden where I’m finally getting it on a gut level.

Losing a tree, plant, or an entire garden is an opportunity to start over and make it what you really wanted this time.

My House Has Bad Feng Shui!

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

I’d like to share a story with you. The events in the story happened prior to my completion of my Foundation Studies in Traditional Chinese Feng Shui.

No one is happy to hear that their house has Feng Shui issues. I know I wasn’t pleased when a teacher explained to me how it was difficult for qi to make it into my house and, how it was too easy for qi to leave.  There is nothing mystical about the explanation for this, it simply has to do with Land Form.  The slope of the land, and living on the corner of the street on an elevated lot are only three factors in a list of Land Form issues that my house has. She also commented that the situation was “unstable”, in part due to the unevenness of the overgrown terrain, deck, porch and house.  There were too many different levels for the qi to flow smoothly.  I have to say from experience that she was right and I was especially crushed because we had just purchased the house about six weeks prior to her visit.  Site selection is the most effective way to make sure you have a Land Form that works for you and I have learned my lesson.

This is where being a stubborn person came into play and I realized that even if I could never fully correct the problems I could at least use my knowledge to have some influence over the situation.  Since then we have made quite a few changes to the entries and exits to the property as well as the landscape – all in an effort to receive and hold the qi better.  If you saw my lot and landscape changing you would never have guessed that Feng Shui was the driving factor of the design.  Authentic Feng Shui methods are not obvious or even noticeable to non-practitioners.  I want the garden and lot to be beautiful, the same as a designer would but I am going for something more.  Each plant must be not only thriving where it is placed (in terms of sun, shade, moist soil or dry, etc), it must also be helping to circulate or hold qi.  I know I can’t change the Form, but I can do small things to improve the situation.

So that leaves the question – what do you do if your house has bad Feng Shui?  Obviously you can hire a Feng Shui consultant to help you, but if you already have issues with Form you probably don’t have a lot of money to spend on Feng Shui.  Here’s some information that really helped me to stop worrying and do something about my situation.

In China from roughly 605 AD-1905, there were imperial examinations that were required for those who aspired to become a government official.  Passing the examinations (or not) had a profound effect on your status in the society, your family and your future prospects. Of course everyone wanted to pass the examination and worked hard to prepare.  I’m sure one thing that they worried about was Feng Shui and its influence on their success.

Scholar and astrologer of the Song Dynasty Su Tong Po was asked about the factors affecting someone who wants to pass the examinations.  He explained that there are 5 factors that would help anyone to succeed.  The five factors are Destiny, Luck, Feng Shui, Study, and Doing good deeds.  The Destiny and Luck are givens –  controlled by Heaven Qi, Feng Shui influence comes from Earth Qi, and study and doing good deeds are under the power of humans.  It is free will that lets us decide how much we study, how hard we work, and how many good deeds we will do.

If you are worried about your Feng Shui you can at least do your best in those things that are under the power of humans:  Study and work hard.  Do good deeds.  Remember that you can change things – sometimes just by changing what you choose to do.

See the Chi

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

If you are a student of Feng Shui, then you will see opportunities everywhere to further your learning.  If you are a student of Feng Shui who enjoys food and cooking, you start to think about food in terms of energy and qi.  A simple shopping trip becomes a lesson in selecting the produce that has the most qi left in it.  In the grocery store, this means looking through the heaps of apples and being able to see the ones that have retained the most energy, or to put it another way, which ones are the freshest.  If you practice, you will learn to see that some apples seem to have a little glow about them, their color is a little more vivid, and they stand out among the others. If you really pay attention to your five senses you will become good at this.  If you would  like a more extreme example, think of the difference between canned spinach (ugh!) and fresh spinach.

The people you identify as “really good cooks” are the people who look for and use the best and freshest ingredients.  If you start out with ingredients that still have a lot of the energy they had while still growing and alive, you are pretty much guaranteed a great result.

“When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is.” (Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food, p.3)

When people mention the best fish they ever ate, it is often in the context of camping or fishing, and the fish they are eating is the one they just caught some hours ago.

There is no need for fancy sauces and spices because the fish is so fresh and full of life that it is deliciously satisfying on its own.  Lengthy preparation methods and racks full of seasonings are simply unnecessary.

I’m convinced that the underlying principles of good cooking are the same everywhere.  These principles have less to do with recipes and techniques than they do with gathering good ingredients, which for me is the essence of cooking.  Whenever I give cooking demonstrations, I put everything I will be cooking on display, and the audience is always wide-eyed and amazed at how beautiful it all is.  They ask, “Where did you get that?!,” and I answer “At your farmer’s market – and you can get it too!” (Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food, p.5)

The sooner we consume produce after it is harvested, the more life is in it.  The life goes into us when we eat it.  We can easily see the chi in the produce that is offered at the Farmer’s Market because it is more recently harvested than the produce in the grocery store, and I’m not just talking about whether or not something looks “fresh” as opposed to wilted or colorless.  There is nothing “wrong” with those apples in the grocery store, but people who shop at the Farmer’s Market will notice more often than others that the apples in the grocery store look like they’ve been in storage for awhile, because they have learned what live food looks like.   Not only does the fresher apple look brighter and more enticing, it smells and tastes better, feels better in the mouth.  Fruits and vegetables that are in season give us our best memories of the taste and experience of eating them.

If I am working with a client who is having health issues, or if their house does not receive or hold much energy, I recommend that they do not try to store too much produce in their kitchen, but instead that they shop for the freshest produce possible and use it all up every day or two.  They will get more benefit from the food this way.  I have seen first hand how quickly fruit and vegetables wither if they are stored in an environment that is deficient in qi.

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