Feng Shui & Money: Promoting the FLOW (or Why Not All Fountains Are Created Equal)

There are so many ways to facilitate money flow in feng shui.

And there are also so many ways to block it.

My friend and client, Dave Romanelli -- yoga & meditation teacher, Momenteer, and author of Happy is the New Healthy -- texted me for a session the other day:

our text conversation

The last time we had spoke, we assessed the Money area of his home and his office, which is usually the back left corner of the space.

If you line the brown/black/gray areas to the front door of your floor plan, you will see that the Prosperity/Money area falls in the back left of your space.

Originally, on a prior session, he had a huge metal bookshelf in his office that he did not like.  This was a problem for many reasons.

1.  It irritated him, as it was darn ugly, and it overwhelmed the space.  

2.  It was a place for collecting bits of clutter, which is a no-no anyway BUT especially in the Money area, where this shelf happened to be,  and... 

3. It was big and metal, and the element for the Money area is Wood.  In the destructive cycle, Metal "chops" Wood, so Metal is the least favorable element for that section of the bagua map!

I suggested getting rid of the shelving unit and replacing it with a small table with perhaps a fountain, which would symbolize a flow of money.  Also because Water "nurtures" Wood in the constructive cycle of the elements, a fountain would be nice, and it would add a lovely natural sound to the office.

We had not followed up until he sent me that text.  In our Skype session, he showed me the great little black table he had found and the new fountain he had purchased.  

This:

Source, Amazon

Harmless enough, right?  In fact, it's quite nice in the photo...

However, in our session, I noticed it was not on.  The fountain that was supposed to promote flow was not flowing!  

"Dave, what's up with the fountain?  Why isn't it on?"  

"Oh, it is just so noisy honestly.  I didn't want it to interrupt our call."

I raised my eyebrows.

"How often do you have to turn it off and on?"

"Well, I forget to turn it on a lot.  Really I have to unplug it.  Even then, it really doesn't work that well, to make sure it's working, I have to...etc. etc."

So now, readers, you see what is going on here.  He had the best of intentions, but this fountain that he chose was symbolizing his subconscious notions about money:  that it takes a lot of effort to even get a trickle out of it!  

Not all feng shui cures are created equal, indeed!

I'm happy to say that Dave was actually relieved to hear this and he said, "This makes total sense!"   I suggested he get rid of that fountain altogether and use some lucky bamboo (8 stalks) and a red silk cloth (red is a power color) and perhaps a deity of some sort, such as Lakshmi or Ganesha (which coincides with his yogic traditions) or a happy Buddha.  

I must say, I've seen this with fountains and water features a lot with clients.  Basically, if maintaining the feature is a huge pain and takes more effort (cleaning, fixing, etc.) than it is worth and causes you more stress than tranquility, then that fountain is NOT the way to go for you.  Think of the symbolism, always!  You would be better off with a picture of money flow or a nice, sturdy plant or any of the suggestions I gave Dave.

So...get flowing!  

If you'd like to take Feng Shui to the next level, (and learn all you can about Money and Feng Shui), considering Katie's 9-week Feng Shui Journey, a tele-course beginning July 20th, 2015!  

The 3 "Biggies" in Feng Shui

Every room is important in feng shui, but if I had to pick three areas that impact us the most, it's these:

1.  Front Entrance

2.  Bed

3.  Stove

(...and I must mention...4. Desk, especially for a home office!)

Why these?

1.  The Front Entrance.  The main door to your home represents how you allow the good into your life.  So when spiffing up the front of your home think: Inviting.   If this part of your home isn’t up to par, (i.e. cluttered, dingy, broken, or dull), then you may be repelling the good from coming into your life.

Source: This Old House 

You must welcome it!  Imagine chi to be like a genie who will bring you whatever it is you desire, but that genie needs to be honored and invited in in order for you to get it.

2.  The Bed.  You spend 1/3 of your life in your bed.  (And you should!)  Your quality of sleep is affecting everything from how well you eat, to how well you exercise, to how well you think, and interact with people.  So yeah.  Bed needs to be up to par too.

Make sure you are sleeping on natural materials and that there is absolutely no clutter under the bed.  Electronics in the bedroom should be at a minimum, and yes, that includes the TV.  The bed should also be positioned so that you have a view of the door, but absolutely not so that your feet are aligned pointing directly out the door.  Basically, if you aren’t sleeping well, please consider the feng shui of the room!  It’s huge.

Source: Dana Casey Design.  Few too many pillows for my feng shui taste, but all and all, this is a calm, clean bedroom that should promote good sleep.

3.  The Stove.  The stove represents how you nourish yourself and your family.  If you are cooking with intention and love, it goes far!  Plus, when you have food on the stove, it means you are experiencing some abundance.  Therefore, your stove represents your finances too!  

Be sure to keep the stove clean and use each eye to bring more opportunities into your life.  Here, you should also have the “command position” so that you can see the entrance to the kitchen as to not be “surprised” while you are engaged in cooking. 

Source  The shiny surface provides a cure so that the cook can see what is behind them.

4.  The Desk.  Again, command position and a desk that is fully functioning will affect your position at work as well as your finances.

So, if you only do the minimum in feng shui, give attention to these 3 biggies -- and clutter too -- and you'll start to see the shifts immediately!  


Check out Katie's on-line Declutter & Feng Shui courses!  

9 Feng Shui Things You Probably Already Do

1.  Cleaning.  Yes, cleaning counts A TON.  A clean house welcomes in the good chi and allows the energy to circulate happily.  You will feel healthier and happier in a clean house, because guess what, it promotes health and happiness!

2.  De-cluttering.  We all know that AHHH feeling when we get rid of clothes, toys, and anything else that is just taking up precious space in our homes.  In feng shui, new and good opportunities can better enter our lives when we "create a vacuum" and let go of that which no longer serves us.  Here's to "out with the old, in with the new!"  It works!

3.  Creating a lovely front entrance.  The ever-powerful Mouth of Chi.  That's what the front door is referred to in feng shui.  It's where "the breath of life" comes in (hence, "mouth").  When it's pleasant and inviting with a nice cheerful welcome mat, again, it symbolizes saying to the Universe:  "Hello, please come in and bring good things with you!"  Wouldn't YOU want to walk into the doors below???  So does Good Energy!

Source

4.  Using the front door.  Yes, even the very practice of using your front door is good feng shui!  Think about it -- you can't eat with your mouth shut all the time, right?  Neither can good energy come into your home if you never use your front door.

Source

5.  Making up your bed.  The subconscious loves ritual.  So even the easy ritual of making up your bed every morning sends the message to your Self that sleepy time is over and play/daytime has begun!  Plus it makes your bedroom feel good.

Source  

6.  Straightening up before you go to bed at night.  When the things are put away, the dishes are done, the curtains are closed, and the desks are cleared off, you have a better chance for a good night's sleep because these little tasks are not tugging on your subconscious.  Double duty:  when you wake up to a clean, tidied home, your psyche is ready for more important things so that your energy can go towards the fun stuff.

7.  Putting flowers around the house.  Fresh, wonderful flowers add color, life, scent, and beauty to the home.  Definitely good feng shui!

Source

8.  Lighting a candle.  Don't you just love the warmth of a great-smelling candle.  You are promoting good energy by bringing in light, movement, color, and again aroma....especially if the candle is in your Self-Expression or Romance section of the bagua!


9.  Closing the toilet lid.  Okay, so maybe this isn't something you already do, but you should!  The toilet represents a downward energy into no-man's land that could just be sucking all that good energy down if you leave the lid open.  Plus, it's just more pleasing to have the lid closed.  So keep a hold on your money and good luck by making this simple act a habit in your household.

Move Your Stuff, Make a Wish!

Bippity, boppity, boo!  If your fairy godmother were to descend upon you right now, what would you wish for?  While feng shui is not exactly “magic” per se, it can help you to manifest your deepest desires.

You may be saying: “Yeah right!  How can moving around objects in my house do that?”  

Perhaps an example would better explain.

One client wanted a boyfriend.  She was in her mid-twenties, friendly, attractive and successful, yet she seemed to be “blocked” on finding a guy.  When I went into her bedroom, I noticed about ten to twelve bouquets of roses lining some high shelves.  The catch:  these bouquets were dead! 

First, no matter what is in vogue with so-called dried flowers, the fact is that they are dead flowers, and therefore lacking in positive life energy, and therefore not considered beneficial feng shui.  Second, when I asked this client about the roses, she claimed that they were all from ex-boyfriends over the years, and she just didn’t want to part with them! 

Would you rather have these?

These flowers were a symbolic “block” in her life.  I explained to her that these dead roses represented a fear of letting go of the past.  On a subconscious level, was she afraid that she wouldn’t find love again?  Having anything from past lovers can negatively affect future relationships.  Especially roses, the quintessential symbol of love!  Dead roses equal dead love in feng shui. 

I asked her if she was ready to move on.  She immediately said, “Yes!” and we found a huge garbage bag and threw each and every bouquet into the trash.  We were even laughing at the absurdity of it all!  The change in the room was profound.  She couldn’t believe the difference!  It turned out that she was more than willing to let go of the old to make room for the new.

...or these?

Sure enough, within a month’s time, she was happily dating someone new!

Feng shui, of course, is not always so obvious.  Our homes are full of symbols, subtle or not, that are affecting our lives. 

Ask yourself the following questions about your own home:

1.     Is there anything that I have hanging or showing that is from an unhappy time in my life?  i.e. photos from a family trip gone awry or artwork from a friend that betrayed me?

2.     Am I able to find things when I need them?  Every object should have a “home,” or a place just for it.  Hire a professional organizer if you find organizing a challenge.  It’s worth it!

3.     Are my clothes representing me today rather than a past identity?

4.     Is there anything I greatly dislike in my home that I’m keeping because it was a gift from a loved one? 

5.     Are there a lot of broken items or unfinished projects laying around?  If so, make a promise to yourself to get them fixed or get rid of them!

Many times, when we discover what is preventing our wishes from coming true, our desires then come to us easily and effortlessly.  Remove the obstacles and the rest will take care of itself.  It’s like lifting a dam from a river – the good just flows in!