I am reading more and more about Feng Shuing my house. Its very interesting and I have to agree with the fact that if I have my "space" clean and tidy, I feel better about coming in a room. Of course Feng Shui is about so much more. It means "wind and water" and to me, its all about energy; i.e., the energy of a room, and the energy you gain from it when you in there. This is my own lame explanation.

Jane's new home has great Feng Shui and I feel so comfortable and happy when I'm visiting her home.

Do any of you use the practice of Feng Shui in your home to achieve harmony and balance?

I decorate according to my own sense of space and aesthetics. Some of it corresponds with Feng Shui and some of it doesn't. You need to find whatever system feels best to you.

I get that “breath-through” Feng Shui feeling when we move into a nice hotel room; spacious, soothing colours and uncluttered,… aaaah. But after a vacation I love coming back to my home, with all its personal things. I agree clutter is not good, but I think sometimes a little of that makes a house to a home.

I think happiness in a home is something you feel when you're there. Like you say, Hannelore, going away to a beautifully deocrated and soothing place can bring you joy, but so does walking back into a room where you know you "belong." Its that BELONGING that gets to me. My granny use to say, "Well, I'm going home now. I need to see about my things." It tickled us to hear her say that, and now I find myself repeating that phrase.

And Ms M...you are so right. In everything we do, not just our homes, but everything, we have to do what works for us as individuals...I find that yellows mellow me out and I love them. Then adding a dash of red in a yellow room makes me feel bold at the same time! It works for me, but might make someone else think...ewwww! LOL!

My heart is in every room of this house, even though it may be old, not very organized, and decorated in early American poverty, it still reflects ME. I find that comforting, somehow.

Maybe I'll call it Feng JawJaw...

What the ancients discovered is that the placement and layout of physical objects in your environment effects the flow of energy in your life. Most people don't pay much attention to how placement impacts them.

Here's a bit I read; pretty cool, eh?:

First you learn how to identify energy. All energy is good. There are just different qualities of energy. The two extremes of energy are "Sha" and "Chi" "Sha" energy is like a raging river where "Chi" energy is like a babbling brook. On a hot summer day you would jump into a babbling brook but not a raging river. This is common sense and you can use that common sense to learn and understand Feng Shui.

Then you learn how to identify ailments in your space. Like draining energy or where your money comes in and goes directly out.

Then you will learn how to cure these ailments. Cures can be as simple as placing a plant, using a 1/8" red dot or placing a 1" square mirror.

Next, you add energy into your space. There are many ways to do this but they are all simple and easy like adding a plant or burning a candle.

And finally, you learn to direct the energy you create toward manifesting your goals and dreams.

I'll try and find some examples.

I'm posting an entry from my blog that actually happened after I moved in my new house...the one that I love...the one that has such wonderful energy...except for...

HELP! My Reputation's in the Toilet!

Bertha just loves feng shui...and since we've just moved into a new...well new to us...house...she has been having a grand old time lining up the energy of the house with her...and my intentions.

Her room just happens to be in the romantic section of the bagua map...so she said she was doing feng shui in hopes for a fun Swede...now I'm not so sure about that...but here's how some of the other rooms played out...

My office is in the creative section...the guest room is helpful people...the living room is career...the kitchen is prosperity...the sun porch is family and friends...the dining room is the center...the porch is learning and new skills...and that leads us to...drum roll please...the bathroom is in the fame and reputation section!

Now...as you might imagine...I was a bit distraught...I mean...hello?...my reputation is in the toilet?...

Bertha laughed and laughed as I frantically looked for feng shui cures for my reputation ills...she pointed out that there's always more than one way to look at things...my reputation is squeaky clean...my reputation is bubbly...her reputation is steamy...(give me a break!)...things are really heating up for my reputation (the hot water heater is in the bathroom closet)...which also lead to there's a lot going on behind the scenes...

Bertha helped me strategically place a red candle in the room with the intention of...You Go Girl...You're On Fire!...and a bright red star with the intention of...I am a STAR...A Bright Shining Star!...and reminded me that in feng shui as in all aspects of our life...we get to choose where we put our focus...on the negatives or the positives...life is supposed to be fun...that's when I realized that there is a throne in there...hello...I'm royalty! We're still laughing about that!

Don't tell da Queen that I have a throne...it'll be moat duty for me... LOL!

I was just discussing this at lunch today with a friend who had her entire home done. She said it has made such a difference. I know we need to be careful about our work areas...like too many windows that let the energy out. I'm considering doing this to the new place in AZ.

I read a really good book...Move Your Stuff--Change Your Life...by Karen Rauch Carter...it's very down to earth...and it's funny as well!

Feng Shui was written by mortals who didn't know any more than we do, but they had their system which fit in with their cultural ways. I don't take any system like that uber-seriously, because what makes that particular way "perfect?" Because a bunch of other people said so?

I'll use the window thing as an example. Feng shui says don't place your work desk looking out the window because the energy flows outwards.

When we bought our house, I specifically chose this room as my work room because of the light. My desk faces the window and I see a lot of trees.

The energy doesn't flow out -- it flows in. There's an incredible energy from all those trees which infuses me and expands my horizons. It also calms me and centers me so my creativity can flow. When I've had desks facing walls or room interiors, I'm more antsy and my ideas are more likely to get jammed up in hyperactivity and sometimes even claustrophobia.

I have an amazing sense of color and spatial design, not just in jewelry but on a larger scale as well. I can feel if a room works -- and if doesn't, why not. Again, some of this jibes with Feng Shui and some of it not. However, this doesn't mean that my idea of design and color should necessarily be yours, either.

Which brings us back to my original statement: find what works for you.

I think Feng Shui is like anything else, you have to take what works for you, if you want to. (Am I repeating myself?) For instance, my desk faces a wall and I have one window in the office. I never look at or through the window, have it covered, and prefer it that way. I feel creative, believe that I am (Mamma said I was, so I know I am), so what's to say that Feng Shui isn't at work in here, in my office?

It all goes back to, what works for YOU as an individual. If one chooses to believe that FS is the way, who's to say it isn't...for them?

FOR THEM. Same principle if you choose NOT to believe it.

Its 3,000 years old---and it is interesting, to me.