Red Front Doors: The Feng Shui Cliche for a Reason

even without the Christmas cheer, this door is cheery!

Oh, the famed red front door.  I can't count the times that, when I told someone I was a feng shui consultant, they respond with, "Oh, isn't that where you paint your front door red?"

My response?

"Actually yes it is.  Sometimes."

The truth is, if it's not aesthetically pleasing, it's not feng shui.

Period.

So don't go painting your front door red if it doesn't suit the look of your home.  Please, don't do that.

However.............

If your home can handle a red front door:  get ready because it's one of the most powerful feng shui cures that you can do!

I'm such a sucker for this color combo

The color red in feng shui is considered the good luck color.  It holds a TON of energy.  Think of it as the super-charged attractor color.  Yet it's also protective.  It's an activator of sorts.

And when I say "get ready," I mean it.  Because once you paint that front door red, you really should be prepared for some sort of (possibly major) shift in your life.  How big the shift is depends on how big of a shift you need in your life.  I've had clients paint their doors red, and suddenly all their wishes are coming true.  But I've also seen folks who implement this cure go through a sort of rocky period while things "shake out."  For example, if you are in a bad relationship but just haven't comes to terms with that....the red front door will bring a lot of it to the surface.  If you don't like your job, then expect a change there.

this pop of red is scrumptious with the plant life

You get the idea.  If you've been ignoring some aspect of your life, the intense chi of the red front door won't really let you get away with it any longer.

And that's a good thing!

Of course, if the rest of your house has some wonky feng shui going on (missing bagua sectors; clutter; mis-use of interior spaces; etc.), then it would serve you to tend to those.  After all, the front door is a powerful aspect in feng shui and represents what kind of opportunities you bring into your life.  So once you get the door dailed in, you want your space to be able to "hold" the good and let it circulate and stay a while.

an awesome example of how a red front door can help your interiors as well

All in all, in my experience, I've seen the power of the red front door, and even if it's uncomfortable for the client for a while, it's all good in the end.  And even if you can't paint your front door red for whatever reason, having some red near it (a door mat, potted flowers, even a ribbon on some wind chimes) is a also a simple but powerful cure that is sure to bring some good chi your way.

the yellow is still chi-raising, but look at these red flowers with it

Source:  First 4 photos from shelterness.com with thanks!  
Source:  Last 2 are from organizeyourstuffnow.com also with thanks!  

play with different shades of red...look how dreamy this entrance is with this softer shade

Hey!  Here's an article I wrote for-evah ago that was appeared in a Sun Valley, Idaho publication.  Ezine.com found it and posted it on the Internet, so I decided I would too.

Enjoy!

What Feng Shui Reveals About YOU

By Katie Rogers

"A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life." --His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The above statement may seem simple at first reading, but upon consideration, it is really quite powerful. I believe that the Dalai Lama is emphasizing the importance of the state of one's living space.

Too many people are careless with the space in which they work or dwell. In terms of the Black Sect Tandtic Buddism school of feng shui (which is a derivative of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism), when a person is thoughtful (or thoughtless) in regard to his or her living space, it spills out into his or her life.

So why does feng shui have all those strange and curious "cures," you might ask, if all one has to do is create a "loving atmosphere"? The fact is most of us have forgotten what a loving atmosphere is. Sure, we may recognize it when we see it, but making it happen is a different story. This is a result of a mass disease that has taken over our world: that is the disease of not knowing how to love our selves completely. Otherwise, creating our lives according to our deepest desires and most lofty dreams would be a cinch.

I like to tell my clients to imagine reading a short story where the author describes the space. This a quick way to notice the "symbolism" that occurs in your own home. After all, the subconscious sees everything. It constantly absorbs messages from our environment and processes these messages. In turn, these messages are sent into our energy fields, creating the very lives we are experiencing. Imagine the difference of a home filled with unwanted gifts, dying plants, and cluttered closets compared to one with healthy flowers, treasured objects, and neatly organized closets with (gasp) extra space! The first home feels slightly neglected, even if the rest of the furnishings were pleasant, while the second space feels freer, lighter, and, cherished. Even the smallest of details have an impact. Our subconscious mind takes images without a filter.

symbolism goes a long way in feng shui--
interior design by Liz Williams

A wonderful start to a loving atmosphere is to first discard or give away any objects that you do not love in your home. Clutter is a sure way to block your highest potential as the subconscious sees it as a symbol of things that we don't love or need in our lives and creates accordingly. It is amazing how letting go of a thing as simple as a candle from an unfaithful ex-lover or a blanket that you have never used because it is too scratchy can lighten your load! The subconscious gets the message that you'd rather have something (or someone) better in your life.

Next, play with ideas, and find out what it is that want to invite into your life. Then consciously bring it into your home symbolically. For example, you've always wanted to travel to Italy. Then stick a postcard of Rome on your refrigerator. Would you like to amp up your love life? Figure out your own personal "romance symbol" and drape it, plant it, or play it on your stereo everyday. The key to creating a great life is to get creative!

With every object in our homes, we are sending a message to ourselves and to the Universe. Wouldn't you want your message to be one of pure and uplifting love so that you could receive that, and only that, back? Use your conscious mind to transform your subconscious mind, and then witness the shifts in your life.

5 Really Simple Feng Shui Cures You Can Do Right Now

1.  Tidy up, organize, and clean.  (Even if it's one drawer, it counts!)

2.  Just move something -- anything -- if you're feeling stuck in your life.

3.  Get rid of the things that are holding you back energetically.  (i.e. a gift from an ex; clothing that doesn't fit; the bedspread you haven't used in 7 years; stuff, stuff, and more stuff.)  (Even if it's one thing, it counts!)

4.  Set an intention.  (Light a candle, paint a wall, dance a dance -- all while focusing on what you want.)

5.  Make a list of things around the house (and otherwise) that are "irritating" you.  Choose one to take care of this week.  For the rest, imagine that a magical helper is going to take care of all of those other things for you, and thank him or her for that.  And watch these things get "magically" done!  Be sure to cross them out when so!

How's that for simple?

Now, go!

Money and Feng Shui: Potty Talk

Money is good, right?  Money brings us opportunities, stability, and all sorts of lovely things if managed, spent, given, and saved wisely.


In feng shui, water is one of the symbols of money.  When I'm at a client's house, and they talk about leaks or clogs, then I am sure to tell them to do whatever it takes to fix these...as in turn, it will "fix" their money woes.

But to narrow all of this down, today, we will talk about the toilet.  Here's a video going around now:  

It's Matt Damon.  He says that the toilet is the number one lifesaver in the world...  Hmmmmm...  So, hail the toilet???


Regardless of Damon's take on potties, it is known in feng shui that toilets have a downward energy, and if not given some attention, could represent money being flushed away.  In other words -- unexpected, possibly large expenses or the feeling that money always seems to be draining out!  Toilets are especially important to cure if bathrooms are situated in the Money section of the bagua.

So how do you "cure" a toilet?
1.  Keep it clean.
2.  The Red Ribbon cure:  Cut a red ribbon.  Make sure it's in increments of 9 (9, 18, 27 cm or inches) as 9 is the lucky number in feng shui.  Tie this red ribbon around a pipe behind the toilet, especially the outgoing pipe if possible.  You can also put a red ribbon or a red piece of tape around the bottom of the toilet bowl if you feel like REALLY doing it up.  (If it's too garish for you to use red, then do the other cures.)
3.  Use "upward-motion" plants or art work to counteract the downward motion of the toilet.
4.  If necessary, put a mirror on the floor behind the toilet or underneath the lid of the toilet, or on top of the back of the toilet bowl, FACING UP, to counteract the downward motion.
5.  Hang a medium to large round-faceted crystal from the ceiling above the toilet from a red cord (increments of 9, please!).
5.  Keep the toilet lid closed!

Feel free to do all or only some of these.  Remember, intention is the key!  State: "My finances are protected, and I enjoy great abundance," while implementing the cures for that extra special something.

bamboo for upward motion & abundance.  red tape and ribbon for protection.  even the shower curtain's pattern helps with the downward flow.  and of course, the lid is shut!

P.S. You can also use the red ribbon cure for other drains (sinks, etc.) around the house.

Have fun (smartly so) with the extra money you're going to find in your bank account as a result!