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A Feng Shui’d College Bedroom
Two weeks ago, our daughter, Kim, returned to college to begin her junior year. She was excited to get back, and enjoy the experience of sharing her campus apartment with three new roommates. Although her apartment looks identical to the one she had last year, it does have different energy. It is in the same building, but on the second floor, instead of the third as was last year’s. There was also a different student living in that space for the past 12 months, which meant her energy imprint still lingered. No matter whether this energy was positive or not, it was important that Kim’s bedroom space be cleared so she could start fresh. I am so proud of my daughter for doing this on her own, with only a few texts and phone calls to her mom for support! This is what she did to create a new space to begin a new year:
Energy Clearing – Kim space cleared her bedroom, with the door open, by playing her favorite music while burning incense and a favorite scented candle. She used a feather to circulate the energy throughout the room, with the intent of dissipating the old energy and welcoming positive energy into the space. Space clearing works because of the intention behind the actions, no matter how you choose to do it. Kim felt lighter and happier afterwards, so the clearing was a success!
Decorating with Intention – Everyone should have something wonderful to see upon awakening, and before going to sleep. Respecting the contraints of a student’s budget, (and no nails allowed), Kim chose a favorite scarf (the dark blue color was deliberate – to bring in the Water element of her Career area), and pinned it on the wall in front of her bed, then placed index cards with clothes pins on vertical strings on either side. On each of these cards she wrote a positive or inspirational statement. Her favorite has always been from Ghandi: Be The Change You Wish To See In The World. You can see in the photo above, she also has a wall hanging of this quote, which she placed next to her desk.
It is important for students to use the desk as the place to study, which is included in all college abodes, . As comfortable as the bed seems for reading and doing homework, all of the stress from studying for exams and pulling late night cram sessions accumulates and energizes the bed too much for a good night’s sleep. It also is terrible for your back!
Once Kim understood this, she was committed to having her desk be a comfortable and inspiring study spot. She surrounded herself with her vision boards, a handmade quilt from a favorite aunt, a clean desk top and, of course, a picture of her longtime fantasy crush, Leonardo DiCaprio, (hey, a girl’s gotta have something nice to rest her eyes upon occasionally)! Although her desk did not have an ideal feng shui location, she is next to the only window in the room and can look out onto the grass courtyard below, to give her energy a lift. She is also able to see her door to the side (but it is not in direct line with the chair). When she is ready for bed, Kim can drape a blanket over it, to cover any unfinished homework assignments, her laptop and her printer. Out of sight, out of mind!
Kim’s bed was already in the power position of the room – she can see her door, but is not in line with it. Above her bed, she hung favorite pictures she has been collecting over the past few years. Her bed is dressed in yellow sheets and a comfy duvee cover, to keep her feeling cozy and grounded while she sleeps. A Himilayan salt lamp stays on during the day, to help cleanse the air near her bed, and her dreamcatcher hangs nearby, to collect any bad dreams. The next step in her process is to find another beautiful scarf, or piece of fabric, to cover the bookshelf contents while sleeping.
My daughter’s decor is a wonderful reflection of her ingenuity, intuition and style, and she is proud of what she has accomplished on her own.
Here’s to an AWESOME school year, Sweetie!
Feng Shui and Your Vehicle Part II

So many cars – so many color choices!Here,
Color Does Matter!
I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but here, in the United States, we tend to identify strongly with the vehicles we drive. They have become an extension of our own personalities,or personalities we wish to show others. The color of your vehicle does have an impact on the way you drive and the energy you project on the road. Are you driving the best reflection of who you are?
Red, Orange and Bright Yellow are FIRE colors and reflect high energy, passion, assertiveness and aggression – very yang traits. Fire wants to be noticed! Being a Sagittarius, I am already a Fire sign, and for some reason, whenever I drive a red vehicle, it always drives way over the speed limit. Go figure! If you tend to be a highly ‘driven’ individual, a red car may make you more so. If you are wanting to be more noticed in the world, a FIRE color will definitely help you do that. Just watch for a shift in your driving energy and attitude! These colors would be fun for Earth energies, who usually play it safe, but would like to be more noticed in their field of work, or life, in general!
As an aside, I have a confession to make. Although I absolutely LOVE Bumblebee Yellow Camaros, I probably will never own one. In my early adulthood, I owned a bright yellow 1976 VW Rabbit, which I enjoyed so much! I was stopped several times for going over the speed limit and, without getting into the details, I went a bit airborne once while driving too fast getting onto the Coronado Bridge in San Diego (I hope my kids don’t read this)! Fortunately, my outcomes were uneventful, but I learned that fire-colored cars and I are not a good match. I prefer the focus and concentration I get when driving a white vehicle.
Blue and Green are WOOD energy colors and represent a flexible and strong energy. Green has dropped considerably in popularity, but blue is a color on the rise again. Blue would be a great color choice if you are wanting to express yourself more, but not flamboyantly. But, be aware that the brighter the color, the higher the energy level. Neon green and bright blue have much stronger vibes and therefore stronger driving energy!
Browns, Tans and Pale Yellow represent the grounded EARTH element, which make them some of the safest energy colors to have on the road. They also happen to be considered the most sedate and are the least purchased – how often do you see tan cars in traffic? An EARTH energy color would definitely be most attractive to people’s whose first considerations are dependability and reliability – very yin traits. Earth also represents a feeling of calmness. Brown, tan & yellow vehicles were very popular in the 60′s & 70′s – a time when our society was in upheaval and the older generation wanted to keep the status quo. My mom drove a light yellow 1970 Mercury Montego and my dad a 1965 light yellow Chevy Truck (I forgot to mention that my dad was a California State Driver License Examiner too). There is definitely a benefit to having these colors on the road – you just might not be able to find as many available for purchase. The desire today is to drive something with more energy & personality!
White, Gray, Silver, Gold and other metallic colored cars represent METAL energy, which help with concentration and staying on task while driving. These colors also promote a feeling of being in control and are considered by many to be classic, elegant vehicle colors. I am on my second white vehicle, and I really love white cars. I confess that I tend to daydream while driving and having the focused energy of a METAL color around me keeps me paying attention, and calmer than those Fire colors do!
Black and Dark Shades of most other colors represent the mystery and intrigue of the WATER element. It is no wonder that black is a popular choice for people who want to remain anonymous, secretive, or project an air of mystery. This is the popular choice for limousines, police cars and government transport vehicles. Add to that blacked out windows, and you have the ultimate fortress from prying eyes. High profile people, continuously surrounded by active FIRE energy, will appreciate the peace and calm they get riding in a blacked out car. There’s nothing like a large dose of WATER to cool off the intense heat of Fame! Black has become one of the most popular car colors. Perhaps it’s the desire to feel mysterious and cool that attracts so many to drive this color vehicle.
No matter how new or old your vehicle is, respect and appreciate it by keeping its interior and exterior a positive reflection of you. Not only will you feel better, you will tend to have a better driving experience. And that is always Good Feng Shui!
Safe Travels Everyone!
Your Vibration Does Matter
When I first began studying Feng Shui, one of the first basic rules I learned was: Everything is energy.
This rule brought me back to my college days in Chemistry class, many, many moons ago. The condensed version of what I learned: Everything surrounding us, seen and unseen, is a combination of molecules made up of vibrating atom particles. These molecules vibrate at certain frequencies – the slower the vibration of molecules, the more solid and heavy the mass – the higher the vibration, the lighter the mass. This includes light and sound waves (what we see and hear), and even our thoughts.
What does this mean to us in terms of improving the quality of life? Plenty! It means that everything around us is alive with energy, and therefore sends out a vibration that we can see, hear, smell, taste or feel. The challenge for us is to pay attention to how we are responding to that vibration. Does it make us feel good, bad or indifferent? What was pleasant a few months, or even years, ago may not be true now. What is a positive affirmation for one person may bring feelings of unhappiness to another. It is all about personal choices, which is a good thing. Can you imagine how boring life would be if all we saw were the same colored houses with identical cars parked in every driveway?
Feng Shui’s goal is to create balance and harmony in our spaces so we can live better. Balancing the energy of a space means changing its vibration to support you.
Clutter creates a very low vibration. The energy of clutter feels heavy and stagnant. Spending too much time in a cluttered space will cause your own vibration to drop and become lethargic, even to the point of depression. That is why Feng Shui practitioners talk so much about de-cluttering spaces before changing anything else. You will be amazed at the energy shift just from performing this one activity!
Change your thoughts to improve the energy surrounding you. Negative thoughts = lower vibration, Positive thoughts = higher vibration!
Changing your focus from what isn’t working in your life to what you appreciate about your life raises your vibration and improves your outlook. Imagine if you did this right before your clutter cleared or re-decorated a room. Your positive vibration will be imbued into that space and raise the overall feel of that room. Creating vision or dream boards, or decorating with photos and artwork that send you positive vibrations are quick ways to raise the vibration of a space as well.
The energy you surround yourself with is what you tend to vibrate back into the world. The point is to live with what you love and love what you live with. This also applies to people, but that’s a whole other topic for another day!
2013, The Year of the Water Snake
HAPPY NEW YEAR (Again)!
February 10th marks the official beginning of the Chinese New Year (the second new moon after the Winter Solstice). We are getting ready to enter the Year of the Water Snake – another year of changes and transitions.
In the Chinese culture, the snake represents wisdom and knowledge – not quite the same frame of reference we have for the snake in our Western society. The snake is all about shedding its skin and starting fresh. What a great focus to have this year as a lot of us continue to shed old habits, attitudes, situations and beliefs that no longer serve us.
What have you decided to release from your life this year? What new choices are you making? Consider all areas of your life – financial, health, relationships, business/career, spiritual. This is the year to finally clear things up and let things go.
Here are a few suggestions to implement before February 10th, in order to fully enjoy this second New Year:
Take time to get focused and develop a plan. Be cautious and deliberate, rather than impulsive, about your choices this year. Water Snake energy brings with it deep, personal reflection and transformation. It is time to be still and really listen to your intuition, and then follow it.
Get your house in order. Wash, dust and vacuum old, stale energy away (or any bad luck energy from the prior year), so you can welcome in fresh, new vibrant energy. Pay particular attention to your kitchen, which is the heart of your home’s prosperity, and where your family receives its nourishment. Make sure all burners are clean, working well, and ALL are used regularly. Keep counter tops clean and uncluttered. Check your refrigerator and toss or use up all leftovers (including the last bits of condiments and salad dressings), then give it a good cleaning.
All areas of your home count in the organizing process. True, it may not be seen often, but clutter is clutter and closets, garages, attics and basements do affect your energy flow. Release the excess or it will continue to drag you down in 2013!
Energize your front entrance and kitchen. Place a new colorful WELCOME mat outside the front door. Put out a bowl of fresh oranges or tangerines on your kitchen table or counter – these hold the energy of prosperity since the Chinese words for orange and tangerine sound like wealth and luck, respectively. Place a fresh bouquet of a combination of white, orange and yellow flowers on your dining table, a living display of all 5 elements in Feng Shui. Keep them only as long as they look fresh and healthy.
Energize your personal finances. Every New Year, I change out my old wallet for a new red or purple one. A fresh, new wallet re-energizes the thought of financial prosperity. This is a wonderful tradition I have shared with clients and friends with positive results! This year, you can add gold to the choices – a color that always represents wealth – and the Metal element supports Water! As an additional affirmation of abundance – keep a $20, $50 or $100 bill tucked away in your new wallet, as a reminder that you always have extra funds. Use the highest denomination possible and if it happens to get used, replace it quickly.
Consider the Chinese New Year a do-over bonus! If you’re frustrated because you’ve already fallen down on your January 1st New Year’s resolution(s), re-focus, re-energize and consider this your second chance. You still have a whole new year ahead of you!
Gung Hey Fat Choy! “Wishing you Prosperity and Wealth!”
New Year, New Energy, New Life!
What I love about celebrating a New Year is that we can celebrate it twice! There is January 1st, from the Gregorian calendar, which we use here in the West. Then there is the Chinese New Year, the first New Moon of the year, which will be February 10th in 2013. I especially love celebrating the Chinese New Year because, energetically, it connects us to our physical surroundings. Since we focus on changes we want to make in our lives in the coming year, it is important we also clean up our personal spaces to support these changes.
If your goal is to eat healthier, then your kitchen should support those choices. After giving the kitchen a good cleaning, remove what does not support your goals, such as the deep fryer and the highly processed snacks, and replace them with maybe a juicer and fresh fruits and vegetables. If you want to improve the success of your home business, create a successful and organized office area with a desk facing the door so you can see opportunities coming. Although these seem like small changes to make, the positive shift you will feel in your home will inspire you to keep your focus.
What changes do you want to make in your life for 2013? What improvements can you make in your home to support those changes?
Happy New Year!!