Some styles of feng shui use a compass, some don’t. Some consider your birthday, some don’t. Some say your door must face East, some say South, and some don’t care which direction it faces. None are right, none are wrong.

The style of feng shui that I most speak of in my book is the Black Hat Sect Style of feng shui. It happens to be one style that does not use a compass or birthdays or “care” what way your door faces. But that does not say that the other styles are wrong – just different! And my advice for those searching for the right style for them is to:

Get an intuitive feel of a style, and if it resonates with you, use it. If it feels creepy or funky for some reason, don’t. Some people’s homes are so already set up for one style, it would be a shame not to choose the style that it is so close to mimicking already. But if you only know of one, no big deal. Just give it a go. My personal advice is to not mix and match styles unless you know what you are doing.

I have studied many styles of feng shui, and I use bits and pieces of many of them as I feel the need, or if the house is totally set up for it, but for the most part I work with the Black Hat style because I get the best results from it here in North America where most of my practice is located. I will quote the 1917 Encyclopedia of China’s definition of feng shui to help you understand why I made this comment:

“FS is the art of adapting residences of the living and dead to cooperate and harmonize with the local currents of the cosmic breath.”

Professor Lin Yun, the Grand Master of the Black Hat Style, literally created this version of feng shui to work with the “local currents” here in the West. So, with that said, use what style feels best for you.

Perhaps you come from a culture where a particular style of feng shui was used. I might consider using that one for you since you may already have a resonance with it. You won’t go wrong. If you’ve got nothing going for you culture-wise, you might consider doing a bit of research on the styles to start you on your path of choosing. I will tell you this though, if it is your intention to heal a particular environment using feng shui (or whatever name the style you choose calls itself,) your energy attached to that intention will make it work for you, you have to just trust that this is so.

The state of your kitchen is the state of your health - and especially the state of your liver. And the liver is the main detoxifying organs in the body! So do your liver and your health a favor and clean that kitchen! Think about it. The food you eat which turns into your body is stored, cleaned and cooked in the kitchen. It is the place where the external energy of food is prepared for its journey into becoming energy that will serve your physical body.  You don’t want it to hang out in a dirty refrigerator or on crumb filled shelves in the pantry before it gets to be inside you, right? I hope I’ve painted a literal enough picture here to get you into gear!

1.  De-clutter the refrigerator – wiping off all shelves and tossing out old condiments and foods.
2. Definitely clean the stove and all the pots and pans that you use to cook. Scrub the pan bottoms until they feel fresh and new! Now this fresh energy will be close to your food during its cooking time instead of old rust and stains.
3. Remove chemical cleaners from the kitchen. Hummm, chemicals and your body’s fuel…not a good mix.
4. Clean out the junk drawers, silverware drawer, pantry, countertops, refrigerator top, floors, ceiling – oh heck, give it a top to bottom scrub to loosen up any stuck and “weighty” chi.

Well, without knowing ANYTHING about your home, the first thing that comes to my mind is – what happened in your environment before you were laid off? Was something changed that may have supported you getting laid off?  If you can think of something specific here, I’d go about trying to counterbalance that item, renovation, or thing that has changed.

What if you can’t think of anything specific like that?  Then my guess on what is happening in your home is clutter. If things are stagnant – like five months without employment – you’ve got stagnation in your house.

1. I’d start by moving stuff. Just moving stuff from one place to another can get things moving.
2. Then, I’d highly suggest seeing if anything can move out  – as in cleaning out anything that isn’t needed in your life at this time. If you understand that space equals opportunity, you’ll judge your stuff in a whole different light. Do you need that pile of old magazines more than you need a new job? Do you need that collection of depression glass more than a tip on an opening in your field? Do you need that garage full of old sporting equipment more than a job interview? I’d drastically sift through your stuff and release as much as possible.
3. After you’ve got your stuff ordered as best as you can, then I’d consider perking up your space with a little fire. I have seen a lot of action come out of the simple act of placing a little fire element in each room. That could mean red flowers on a table, a red throw or pillow on a couch, or a lit candle in each fame and reputation gua of every room in the house! I just saw a lava lamp plugged in the fame and reputation area at a consultation I did today that the owner said was working wonders for her. Do the construction paper cure if you need to! The important thing is that you are consciously choosing fire element in your home. This helps to get you noticed in your current job if you have one and are looking for recognition or a promotion.
4. Next, take a look at the front door. I’d just start by washing it, and hosing down the porch while you’re at it. This time of year, the porch can get a little overlooked. Keep the porch light on (that’s your fire element out there!) with the intention of attracting opportunities. If you don’t have a chime out there, this would be a good time to test it to see if it works! Hang it on the non-hinged side of the door and see what happens.
5. Then, I’d sit quietly and visualize how it would feel to have the perfect job. What’s your salary? What’s the office like? Write it down to make you get it clear in your mind.
6. Finally, there’s a traditional cure for just such a situation if you’re up for it. Get out and meet 27 new people for 27 days in a row…miss a day, start over. Introduce yourself to the person behind you at the grocery store or stop to chat with the mom picking up her kid at the same time you are picking up yours. It’s not about finding a job through these people (although that might actually happen.) As a matter of fact, make sure you don’t ask these people for anything. It’s about stirring the energy of “introductions and connections” in your life which will eventually be mirrored back to you. If this seems overwhelming take a look at why and try to counterbalance it in your home. I usually find that this is a lack of fire element and too much clutter again.

Try these and let me know how it works for you!!!

The first semester my student loans were declined due to a couple of “derogatory” remarks on my credit report.  I had no money, no job, no food, no money for bills, and no money to even purchase my books.  My printer cartridge was out of ink and I could not even purchase one to get resumes out to get a job.  I sent in for a cosigner which was also declined.  I found a second co-signer and asked to have a new cosigner sheet sent to me…they told me I would have to reapply without the cosigner, be declined again and then submit the second cosigner. So, I reapplied.

While waiting for the response, I fixed my Prosperity corner, putting purple candles (to light the fire under my prosperity), a mirror (for water to turn fire into steam), and a plant (moving water).  In my Helpful people section, I wrapped my loan application in tin foil.

While waiting, a friend of mine asked me to make two quilts for him and I gladly accepted as he offered to pay me.  I was planning on using that money to purchase a printer cartridge for the resumes.  But of course my luck, my sewing machine broke and I could not make the quilts.  Freaking out, I called my mom, she told me to take my machine in and have it repaired and she would pay for it, and also deposited some money in my account so I could get a cartridge.  I printed up resumes and sent them out. When I got a call back, I put his name in the Helpful people section…and said my prayers!

THAT week….I got TWO jobs, my boss in California (I was in Michigan) sent me an unsolicited check for $500 with no strings attached and no required repayment, my student loan funds were approved – WITHOUT the cosigner!!!, and my sewing machine repair was completed.

Now, I didn’t come into a ton of money, but I came into enough to make sure my bills were paid and I was taken care of.”

What I like about this story is the fact that she worked with (she had to!) what she had, and that she used several cures with specific intentions for each. Things started to loosen up once she gave it her attention and intention. And the fact that she got the loan without a cosigner after being declined before says something is working for her beyond the norm! That’s feng shui, baby!

3. Choose art that does not have snow or other cold scenery in it. It’s usually too cold for the heat of romance.

4. Choose art that does not have eyes in it. I prefer to have art that does not have people looking at you all night while you are trying to sleep or make love. I usually defer to the client, and what is going on in their lives bedroom-wise before giving the thumbs up or down on existing art of this type. If you are buying new art, I’d try to avoid it just in case it feels too “overpopulated” in the bedroom once it is hung or set (like a sculpture or figurine.)

5. It fits the size of the wall. Sometimes I see people hang an 8 x 10 on a giant wall and it looks like a spec of dirt on the wall instead of something that compliments the space. I also see pictures hung too high on wall as well. If you don’t have that designer’s eye, ask a friend or a professional to help. Hang art in front of your face, not up so high that you have to jack up your neck to see it.

6. It has more than one single subject in it. If al the art depicts one subject, people in the environment usually “think single” which makes it harder for relationship chi to flourish.   And on the subject of directions, in the style of feng shui that I practice, directions do not matter.

It’s tax time in the U.S. and people are e-mailing me a plenty about getting more cash! So, here are my most current ideas on abundance.

I do have to say, the old “give to receive” plan is a good one. I have been tithing for quite some time now, and never before have I NOT worried about money like I have not during this time! It REALLY works! Tithing, if you don’t know, is giving 10% of your gross income away – some say, so whomever “feeds you spiritually.” Oprah gives 10% of all her income away. If she’s not the poster child of tithing, I don’t know who is! If this sounds “too religious” to you, or you come up with some reason why you can’t tithe, what I’d say to you is that you are currently suffering from the illusion that your job is your source of income. It’s not. The universe is your source!

If you don’t get it, you don’t get feng shui either, because it takes faith that feng shui works or you wouldn’t do it. It is that same faith that can get you more money! So, whatever “your story” is about why you can not tithe is the very reason that is stopping you from getting the cash you want! I am giving you a time-tested secret to get you to a prosperous life. I’ve got nothing to gain by offering this tip…so just try it! Is it a head trip to give away 10% of your income? Oh yea, it’ll push buttons….the buttons that will free up your money flow if you play the game!

Does it have to be 10%? Yes. Hey, I didn’t make the universal energy rules. Just keep thinking Oprah.

There’s also a gal in Alabama that, well, if you haven’t heard of her, I’d say it’s time. Especially if money issues are your thing. Her name is Edwene Gaines. She has a book entitled The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity. She lays down the law on how to break free of lack thinking and spells out EXACTLY how to create abundance. Trust me…she’s good, and funny, too!  Her website is http://www.prosperityproducts.com/.

I also have a friend, who has WONDERFUL CDs on attracting success and abundance – so I thought I’d share her with you too. Her name is Debbie Friedman. She’s a certified clinical hypnotherapist that specializes in, among other things, attracting wealth. I think her CDs are fantastic. Her web site is: http://tinyurl.com/4dkp9

I think this is the easiest way in the world to break free of those negative thoughts that hold you back; because you can practically sleep your way to success!

Two days later, he did the dishes (3rd time all year), took out the trash, cooked dinner, went grocery shopping, and even picked up the floor after our baby – using the vacuum cleaner – which he’s never ever done.  It was so above and beyond the call of duty it just had to be the Feng Shui.  The same night my friend who I couldn’t get a hold of called me. OK she NEVER calls.  This was the third time she has called me in maybe FIVE years. You could have knocked me over with a feather at that point. Wow.

If these had happened on different days I probably wouldn’t have believed it was the Feng Shui but it’s too coincidental to ignore.  I am just in shock.  THANK YOU for writing the book in such an easy to use way. I really appreciate it.

- Susan

Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The Helpful People Box is the most consistently successful cure in my book. And if you haven’t yet found one or made one of your own click here, because we carry them in the online store!

So, by just taking a quick look at a home, you can very quickly come to some sort of snap conclusion about the people that live there, right? With that in mind, what conclusions do you think people make upon seeing where YOU live?

As one who practices feng shui (that art of creating environments that consistently support  the goals and dreams of clients) I’m always amazed at what some people allow in their environments that are directly opposing anything and everything they say they want in their life.

There’s a basic feng shui “rule” that says “What’s going on in your life is going on in your environment.” Do you want to be known as eccentric? Well, that shoe might get you there. Some homes are obvious like the shoe, and others are more subtle as to what story they tell.

If I thought you were completely unorganized and chaotic-acting, which kitchen would I guess is yours?:

or:

The cluttered one, right? There’s no way in my mind that an unorganized person could pull off such a neat kitchen as in that second picture.

So, with this little tip of “your living spaces tell your story” in mind, are there some changes you want to make to YOUR spaces so that they depict something more positive about you? The cool thing about working with feng shui rules is, you can actually pre-build the environment to support the life you WANT TO live before you actually live it. It actually helps bring it about! “If you build it…”

Here’s another example:  If you want to be “welcoming,” would you set your home up like this:

Or this:

I’m sure you guessed the second one.

Every little thing in your environment is either working towards getting you where you want to go, neutral, or holding you back from it. Do you know which is which?

If you’d like to get started on your feng shui journey:

Buy Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life, the best-selling feng shui book by Karen Rauch Carter by clicking here!

Join the Move It Program, where, for $9 per month you will receive weekly to-do lists to help you make positive changes.

Join the Move It Plus Program, where, for only $47 per month you will receive the weekly to-do lists, but also get access to two calls per month with Karen Rauch Carter

To start, I thought we could tune into the life of a feng shui newbie and follow her journey as she moves her stuff to change her life. My business manager Sara quickly volunteered for the assignment when I told her this idea because she already is seeing great results from one little basic tip I told her.

So, as we travel through 2013, you’ll get to peek into her life here and there, and hopefully learn how to use feng shui for yourself through her experiences.

This is going to be like a feng shui soap opera (without all the heavy drama hopefully!) Let’s call this series “Sara’s Movin’ It!”

Are you ready? Let’s do this!

Sara’s journey started by asking me this question:

“How can I get my desk in the best position in my home office so I can get more “good quality” clients and make more money doing what I love? I want to quit doing bookkeeping (I only do it for the money – trust me!) and concentrate on being a virtual assistant full time.

I currently face a wall and that wall happens to be the same wall that the office door is on. I keep hearing you say not to face a wall like that on your calls, so HELP!”

Here’s a picture of her desk and office before she did anything:

So tell me Sara, how do you think you’d feel if you sat at that desk all day trying to get more clients and make more money? I’m imagining you’re saying something like “stuck,” “trapped,” “overwhelmed,” or something like that (right?)

That weekend, Sara got busy moving her office furniture around. Here’s her write up of the results so far (see the “After picture” of her office below):

“Wow, I can’t believe the changes, actually I can but it’s been such a huge change. First of all I feel more free, I think staring at a wall everyday was affecting me more than I knew. Now I feel so in charge:-) I also feel more relaxed and in control (in a good way, not a crazy control everything way).

When I spoke to Karen on the Move It call she asked me what the main result was that I wanted by rearranging my office. I told her more clients. I was currently doing bookkeeping for a company (and I really didn’t love it and had been doing it for years). I was also making some other changes in my business and I wanted to attract the right clients.

In the months since making the changes I have on average 2 potential clients contact me a week. Some of these are through my website, some word of mouth/referrals, some I worked for in the past and decided they wanted to work with me more long term. In a nut shell, I am turning down clients! Now some are not my ideal client, some I don’t have a desire to do the type of work they need, etc. so I happily refer them on to other people I trust and that I know can help them.

And the big payoff? As of Jan 31st I will no longer be doing the bookkeeping!!! That was really the ultimate goal for me, to have my client base high enough so that I didn’t need the bookkeeping. What’s interesting is since the change my hours with Karen have doubled and she is my ideal client:-)

You may be saying I had to of changed something else in my business, nope I am still doing things the same. Does moving furniture based on feng shui really make a difference, what do you think? And ALL I moved was my desk, nothing else!”

I will update you at least monthly on Sara’s progress. She is starting the Move It Plus Program (This program currently has a special running until January 31^st at midnight - check it out here!) because she wants to make 1 change at a time and notice the results. She is married, has 3 kids, and works full time from home, and says she doesn’t want to overwhelm herself. As you can see:

Even busy people can Move Their Stuff and Change Their Life!

 

Hope you enjoyed the first episode of “Sara’s Movin’ It!“

 

1. Poor symbolism: By placing this symbol of a fish so high up on the wall, you are now living “below the fishes” which is not a natural pattern usually resulting in residents feeling depressed, stagnant, “underwater” or “can’t get their nose above water” or “drowning in debt”, etc.

2. Potentially poor shape: The fact that this guy has a skewer for a nose alone may be grounds for dismissal from the wall in most areas of the bagua as sharp pointy objects aren’t usually energetically felt as cozy or safe-feeling, let alone, if you spend a lot of time near it, you may experience “stabbing” pain, etc.

3. Too yin: The fact that it WAS alive and NOW it is dead would make it very yin from an energetic perspective. And our bodies do not normally like to hang around “dead” for too long….just isn’t “healthy” energetically. Similar to dead plants, dried flowers, potpourri, heads or hides of deer, moose, bears, dead bugs, whatever —ultra-yin energy and humans don’t mix well as it usually spells out eventually as depression-like behavior.

Oddly enough, from a five element point of view, this fish has more fire energy than just about anything else if you include that serrated fan on top too. So, you can probably make a case for this to be placed in Fame and Reputation if you just HAVE TO have it around. I’d say to be very aware of what happens after you hang something like this so see if you like the “energetic reaction” in your life or not.

My advice? Think before you preserve your hunting or fishing loot. What is going on in your life? Is any part of your life showing up as “dead” or “still?” It might not be worth it in the end to have “dead art” in your precious home. As a feng shui consultant, I think I would get pretty universal agreement on not having this in you home, but like I said, think about your individual life and see if you can “take the hit” of such an item in your living space. Perhaps, just perhaps, if you have enough “living and thriving” stuff around to counterbalance “dead” things like this, you might be OK.