Ancient wisdom for modern times
Prince Charles favours it. Madonna's mad on it. British Airways built their new offices following the principles of it. Even hard-nosed corporations such as IBM, the Bank of England and the Hyatt Hotel Group rely on this ancient art.
But what, exactly, is Feng Shui?
It's all in the mind. Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) was developed over 3,000 years ago in China. Its purpose is to create harmony and balance to promote health and good fortune.
Feng means wind and shui means water. In Chinese culture wind and water are associated with good health, thus good Feng Shui came to mean good fortune, while bad Feng Shui means bad luck, or misfortune. Disorganisation, as well as causing chaos and confusion in the home or workplace, can pile on a lot of 'clutter' to the emotional system and wreak havoc on our physical well-being.
In many cases Feng Shui is just plain common sense: if the tap is leaking, call a plumber; if a light bulb is burned out, replace it; if a door sticks, fix it; if you want a new job, send out resumés and network for all you're worth. But in addition to these mundane changes, using the Feng Shui principle that 'your space reflects your life,' you can begin to ask what, besides water from the tap, was 'leaking' out of your life; what else has 'burned out' in your life, what issue is particularly 'sticky' for you right now.
The Chinese have a poetic yet literal way of looking at issues.
If you want to call something or someone into your life, use a bell or a chime. If you want to stop money from haemorrhaging out of the house put an empty basket inside the front door to catch the flow of wealth before it vacates the premises.
If you want some project or relationship to blossom, place a healthy, lush plant in the appropriate area to represent growth and vitality - just don't forget to water it from time to time.
Now, where's that log basket...?
