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THE SUNDAY HERALD SUN Newspaper The Key June 25 2006
Good Vibes Bad Vibes FENG SHUI EXPERTS HELP YOU BALANCE YOUR HOME AND THEREFORE YOUR LIFE Andrea Moss, Key Editor
The literal translation of Feng Shui is “wind water” of which both are forms of energy, or qi (pronounced “chee”) The Chinese practice of Feng Shui which strives for balance and harmony in our physical environment and therefore our lives, says that qi flows through our environment and there are ways to tap into it to access the best Feng Shui. The tradition came to prominence in the West in the 1990s. It is dismissed by some as New Age nonsense, but lauded by others as life-changing. Oprah, Madonna, Pierce Brosnan, Sting, Steven Spielberg, Sophia Loren, Cherie Blair, Donald Trump and Richard Branson are on the list of celebrities said to have Feng Shui’d their way to (more) wealth and success. Sectors of the corporate world are also fans, having their offices tweaked by Feng Shui consultants to attract – again – wealth and success. Increasing numbers of people are employing Feng Shui consultants to design, renovate or simply improve their homes, with typical consultations costing $300-$600, and more and more developers are keen to cite good Feng Shui credentials to attract buyers. In progress now on Queensland’s Gold Coast is a $50 million, 122-apartment development, Harmony on the Bay, which is thought to be Australia’s first residential complex whose design strictly follows all Feng Shui principles. The tradition made controversial headlines last month when 12 off-the-plan investors in Tower Five of the Yarra’s Edge project launched Federal Court action against developer Mirvac because the façade turned out to be a brown colour rather than the gold they had believed it would be. Gold represents power and wealth in Feng Shui and, the investors said, its apparent planned use, based on images in the sales brochure, was the main reason they bought into the property. Feel skeptical? It doesn’t matter – practitioners say that Feng Shui influences us whether we believe in it or not. Master of Feng Shui Jodi Brunner, who next week begins a new fortnightly column in The Key, says there is plenty in Feng Shui, even for non-believers. “There is a lot of superstitious nonsense around, so it is not surprising that a lot of people don’t believe in Feng Shui.” Ms Brunner says, “But a lot of it does just come down to commonsense.” This especially applies to detecting and avoiding “sha qi”, or negative energy. You can detect sha qi simply by using your senses. Focus on your property’s exterior: how does it look? Is the garden overgrown or dead in parts? Is there rubbish around the house? “Junk, such as building materials, cluttering a yard is very bad Feng Shui,” Ms Brunner says. “It impedes movement around the perimeter of a house – not to mention attracting rodents.” Are there any bad smells? Is there a lot of noise coming from the street or neighbouring properties? How do you feel inside the house or on the site? In other words, anything that looks, smells, sounds or feels ugly is likely to bring sha qi into a home. Ms Brunner says straight lines pointing towards the house can also encourage sha qi, while sharp angles facing a property can attract fire qi, which can interfere with harmony in the home. In Feng Shui, encouraging “Sheng qi”, or positive energy, into a house is as important as preventing sha qi from entering it. Ö a water feature in the front of the front door is a good Feng Shui and can encourage stable, steady income. x the tree is blocking the pathway of qi (energy) to the front door, which can prevent wealth and good fortune from entering. Ö curving pathways represent water and so emulate nature. The more a garden is like nature, the better its Feng Shui. x any straight line pointing towards a house can carry sha qi, or negative energy. Ms Brunner says to lead qi through the front door, it is important to have a well-defined entrance, which is not blocked by trees or fences. “A façade is like a face, with the door in the middle, is best,” she says. A good Chinese garden has four elements: water, rocks, plants and architecture (such as pagodas and bridges). But the best place to have elements such as water depends on time. “We are in the Age of 8, between February 2004 and February 2024. During this time it is most auspicious to have water in the southwest and a mountain in the northeast,” Ms Brunner says. Water in the wrong place can be “disastrous” for wealth. “If you are unsure, try it in that spot for three months and you will soon know,” she says. Water can be represented by a water feature or swimming pool, and a mountain by a raised garden bed, hill or building. But dirty water represents dirty money. When considering a home’s exterior, residents should also:
When Feng Shui deals with home interiors, the principles of yin (earth) and yang (heaven) become as important as qi. Jodi Brunner holds a Master of Feng Shui with Master Joseph Yu, Feng Shui Research Center, Canada. She is primarily a Feng Shui practitioner and trainer, also an accredited speaking member of the National Speakers Association of Australia and the founder of the FENG SHUI network. Contact Jodi on +613 9662 1011 or visit her website www.fengshuimaster.com.au for more info.
Ó Copyright Jodi Brunner 2005 All Rights Reserved |
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