Cecil Lee

Dear Anon, I did read about one new person who called herself a Master mentioned that it is inauspicious to sleep on a mattress floor simply because `Qi' cannot flow under the bed. Contrary to such `believes' in ancient times, many people do sleep on the floor. Even today, a large portion of the Japanese people are sleeping on the floor on a mattress. Only modern Japanese e.g. working overseas or cannot be avoide staying at a hotel sleep on the bed. In a very broad sense, this can be called `peanuts' Feng Shui i.e. looking at small issues and not looking at the bigger picture such as a beam above the head or the bed opposite (on the same wall) as the toilet bowl. It is best to look at the big picture rather then these small things. Another thing is that many people are sleeping on `box' beds with springs with a bottom base unit. The clearance below the bed is as low as the wheel clearance of the bed. It is not going to make a difference in such a situation as say the person sleeping on the bed is at least 2 or 3 feet above the floor area. Furthermore, most of us close the bedroom doors also. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, Here are some of the following points to note with a rock garden: 1. Generally, rocks are considered `yang'. It is best to have a garden with a mix of Yin and Yang or a balance of both. Japanese landscaped gardens are excellent examples of a good mix of yin and yang. 2. If you have rocks in the garden make sure that the shape or profile of the rocks do not look like `monsters or creatures'. These are considered inauspicious. 3. Usually, as the frontage of the house is `important' i.e. we always try to protect our frontage. Ideally, plants are best at doing so. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Lien, The following are the most common objects on a pillar: 1. " Nothing " on top of it. 2. A pair of Lions on each side of the pillar 3. A pair of Fu-dogs on either side. 4. A pair of eagles with its wing ... wide open either flying or about to fly or protect its young. As I mentioned the above is not directly related to Feng Shui.. one can generally say that it has more to do with `decorating' the pillar. There is no distinct `facing' direction for these objects on the pillar. But closer to the "home" i.e. at the main entrance door area, I did mention that one should preferably take note of the material used on each side of the front door. For example if one is placing a bronze pair of lion or metal lion or carved in stone, it is best to check that the location is in balance i.e. the five elements are in balance. Currently, if you are new to Feng Shui, the easiest theories to read up are based on the Shapes and Form and Eight House concept first. Especially theories based on the Five Element Concepts. Only after knowing these well, can one then be able to try and learn Flying Star. In Feng Shui, it is not so much as picking up a book or taking a course but the end result is not theories but whether one can apply them correctly. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, I would like to seek clarification from you. I cannot recall having mentioned to keep the stove in NE or SW. Is it that you had read from somewhere? From what I can understand is that NE is the devil's gate while SW is considered the devil's backdoor. In this modern times, it is my opinion that although the stove is still important, there are more important issues to be addressed under Feng Shui. In other words, in light of the many other theories to look at and because houses are quite `compact' especially in the Far East, such as in Singapore and Hong Kong where mostly these are apartments of around 1,400 sq feet ( plus / minus ). In applied Feng Shui, it is really difficult for these home owners to create or develop their homes. I elaborated that what could be much `worse' would be issues like the toilet at the centre-point of the house, inasupicious flying stars of number 2 and 5 etc... These considerations are thus even more important than the stove. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, Please note the following: 1. Usually keeping a crystal would not cause a nightmare. If one is talking about more than one crystals, it would depend. One way of checking this is to use the Flying Star Report and analyse that particular sector for any over influence or imbalance of the earth element. Many FS practioners consider `crystal' as originating from the earth and we have in an earlier message covered that the earth element is associated with number 2 (sickness star) and 5 (misfortune star). Here, the theory is that too much of the earth element would cause an imbalance at the sector. It is thus not so much of nightmares but rather i.e. if Star 2 and 5 are present, star 2 will result in frequent sickness and Star 5 for misfortune. In the modern world of us, many of us get hold of `wonder books' that tells us that crystals are excellent or wind chimes are excellent and then we oursleves (if I can call it crudely thru our `ichy fingers') spent money to buy these. It may not do us good but rather more harm. In many ways, some people have even wished that they do not know of or give up on Feng Shui that does not work. So long as we continue to understand that Feng Shui is not a `cure all', we need some reality check.. "come down to earth". Many a times, Feng Shui is not about spending more money also. For a house audit, if one is not sure, best to consult a competent FS Master and do a one time survey. Unless there are any changes in the surroundings, one should not spent too much time on Feng Shui but rather concentrate on more important daily happenings in our life. These would eventually yield more fruitful results. Here, if you asked me a question as to why I continue to try to answer questions is my hope that I can try to where possible `dispel' facts from superstitions or over indulgence. Like yourself, if given the opportunity, would prefer to do other things. I guess, Feng Shui to me is like a hobby or passion. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, This position, thou not `ideal' is still acceptable. This type of issues are ranked lower importance to many other more important points as discussed in this forum. Other more important issues include: 1. A person's suitability to the house. 2. Is the bedroom in an auspicious sector. 3. The toilets should not be located next to the front door, above the main entrance etc.. 4. The flying star chart of the house in relation to a person's Ba Zhi etc... Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, Personally, I do keep two plants outside the living room window. Without much care, they are always flowering. This is considered a good sign especially when the plants grow well. In a way, one can consider plants as a good indicator of a looking at a location's "health". It is not advisable for a plant to be placed inside a bedroom because it is growing and in this situation, creates yang Qi. It is acceptable to have plants grow in planters outside the bedroom window. This is ok because the plants are not actually located inside the bedroom itself. In Singapore, placing potted plants on window verge is not allowed if it can fall and hurt someone downstairs especially due to high winds. The two `secret' weapons of Feng Shui is: 1. Lighting. Lighting can be used to enhance Qi. 2. Plants or Trees are equally important and especially are favourites amongst Traditional FS practioners in Taiwan. Here, even plants placed in living rooms are acceptable and not the bedrooms. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Shellie, The metal is used to counteract a wooden beam. Some FS practioners would also use it on `earth' element i.e. concrete beams. But it is not effective. This is because under the Five Elements Destructive relationship (Ref: http://www.geomancy.net/fs/5element.htm ) Metal destroys Wood weaking it. But if one introduces Metal, it has had no effect to weaken a beam `made of earth'. Internally, many beams are supported by metal structures. Therefore, as you have mentioned, I stated that the above cure is meant for a wooden beam. What you have done is `modern' and not mentioned anywhere as a tradtional `cure'. It is really no harm trying it but I cannot say that it will work thou. The other method would be to use two wooden bamboo flutes with the profile of the "top-half" forming a Trigram placed on one side of the beam. Best to place it closer to the bed room door entrance or visible from the door entrance. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, More weightage should go to business acumen than placing it to Feng Shui. Overall, a business especially near to a bus stop would be able to bring more business especially if it is an eatery. It has more to do with this then placing it to Feng Shui able to bring in Qi into the entrance. In fact, in my opinion, instead of bringing in clean air, buses and even taxi's bring in more "fumes" or pollution from it's exhaust. This is where it stops and starts moving and one looks closely at the exhaust pipe, by moving away from the bus stop, one can literally see the pollution from the exaust. In this aspect, as I mention, I believe that it is more of a business `strategy' then Feng Shui. One good thing is that with higher traffic density especially if it is a eatery or a `7 Eleven' convenience store, the owners would well afford to clean the glass panels regulary (due to the pollution). Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, Under `modern' living with `compact homes' is considered acceptable to see the dining room when walking in. I understand your concern as some FS practioners believe that this is not `auspicious'. We have to face reality and many apartments do have such a configuration. In Singapore, in some of the older estates, this is usually not the case as the dinning room is further inside the house or next to the kitchen. Many new Housing Board Mansionnettes and private condominum buildings usually have such a configuration. Here we have to understand that more importantly there are higher priorities such as `worse' things like a toilet next to the main entrance, a toilet at the centre of the home etc.. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, To properly analyse whether a red sofa is good or bad would depend on the following:- 1. If one uses the Pillars of Destiny to find out a person's element and strength, it would certainly help to find out if the red sofa is good or bad. For example, if a person is of the `weak Water' or `strong Fire element', this is an inauspicious situation. A weak water person will have his weak water extinguished. While a strong Fire element person with the added Fire (Red) futher `burn' him or create problems such as heatiness, competition. 2. In a home, since South is of the fire element, it would be advisable to avoid having the red sofa at this location as South is also of the fire element. Too much fire may cause e.g. frequent quarrels at home. It is also advisable to avoid having the red sofa at the North (Water element) as these two are considered like hot and cold and there is a clash of elements. 3. As Red is the most Yang of all colours, if one intends to make the living room e.g. more Yang, but consider para 1 and 2, it can still be used. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, It is not necessarily true. Yellow represents the earth element. The only way to find out whether a specific location is bad or avoidable is to do a Flying Star Chart. The two bad stars are 2 (sickness) and 5 (misfortune). If there are these two stars in a specific sector in your home, it would be best not to use yellow as yellow is the earth element and it will further `enhance' the earth elements of 2 and 5. Based on the YEAR - Flying Star chart for this year, the South is considered having " 5 yellow ". Number Five represents `Big Earth' and in turn, it's colour is Yellow and Earth element. Number Five is considered inauspicious under the Flying Star Chart which signifies " Misfortune ". From here, you will understand that since you mentioned that yellow is good for you, it would mean that most likely you are of the Earth element. So happens that Earth also represents a bad star = 5. One good news is that Flying Star can be used to analyse a time frame of a 21 years, Yearly, monthly, daily and hourly. I understand one book author raised fears early this year to say that everyone must take precautions at the South no matter what the direction of the house facing. Generally, books usually can be written generally for the massess but it does not mean that such general theories work all the time for all people. Where it concerns books, in my opinion, books written on Shapes and Form are more relevant. Books written to teach methods are equally relevant. Books that `dictate' general cures are best avoided. One reason here is that as human beings, some of us tend to overdo e.g. buy not one but two or more wind chimes; add one or a few water positions etc... This term is referred too frequently as `Fast Food' Feng Shui. Like over eating, it may become very unhealthy. ---------------------------------------------------------- There is also a newsgroup available at alt.chinese.fengshui which you can join through your Internet Service provider's news server. I occassionally read some of the messages but do not participate especially the widespread `flame'. This message was posted (the exact headers and origin of the email account is shown below) to the newsgroup on 15 October. I hope it will help new users to understand what Feng Shui can " do to you " if used wrongly:- --------------------------------------------------------- From: Keith Marshall (k_a_marshall@lineone.net) Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 22:54:55 +0100 Subject: Re: Authors of Feng Shui books (Message 5 of 6) --------------------------------------------------------- "I live with someone who has been practising --SNIP--suggestions religiously for the last five years. Her life is a mess, her family detest her and I, despite the fact that I love her dearly, am at the end of my tether with this "feng shui" obsession Frogs in the bedroom must point north??? " Keith" ----------- End of message -------- P.S. The only thing I changed was to remove the name of the book author and replaced it with --SNIP-- The `morale' of the story is that one should not be overly obsessed with Feng Shui to the point as making it as "religious" rituals/rites. Feng Shui is never a religion.

Under the Flying Star theory, it is considered very auspicious if one has a double 7 under this period where it is also the period 7. In period 8 which starts in the Chinese new year in 2004, a new house/construction that has double 8's If one is new to the Flying Star, it looks like this:- 7 7 B --- Base star If the main door has double 7's above it, this is considered an extremely auspicious number. In addition, it can be even more auspicious depending on whether the base star `assists' the two stars above. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, It is still acceptable for the kitchen to face the bedroom door. The reason it may be considered inauspicious is that the kitchen do have utensils and metal objects such as forks, knifes etc... If one can manage to keep this properly and not in full view of the bedroom/bedroom door this is acceptable. Some Professional FS Masters even consider items such as a fork, which they consider `poision arrows'. If all these items are properly kept in cabinets or drawers, there should not be a problem. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, Firstly, it is good to understand the meaning of `facing star'. It is the same meaning as the `water star'. Here, one can visualise that when we face a position, it is best to have an unobstructed view. If we understand this, than a `water star' or if we have a water position e.g. a pond or pool infront of us, it is `relatively' flat and is equivalent of the Four Symbolic Animals concept's `Bird or Phoneix' flying infront of us as there is a clear space. In the living room or centre, it is best that there is clear space. Unlike the `mountain star' where it can be represented by a wall, this provides a `solid backing'. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Currently users can post attachments to the Conference under the heading: Conference for Attaching Layout. To find out how to use the features on the forum, one can click the HELP icon on the top frame of the forum and select a topic. For those who are not sure how to attach a file, please click on this url: http://forum.geomancy.net/help?particip1#attachfiles Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Lien, If you want to place a Fu Fu dog, you should place it on top of each pillar of the main gate. They should be facing outwards and not facing each other. It has more to do with `frequent' Chinese practises than Feng Shui i.e. it serves to `guard' the house rather than the concept of Feng Shui i.e. to improve Qi. In my opinion, if one wants to place a pair of Fu Fu dogs closer to the home e.g. outside the main entrance door, it is best that you should do some "homework" or review the location in relation to the Flying Star theory. This will depend on the material used for the Fu Fu dog. Usually they are made of `earth' or alternatively `metal' element. Make sure that there is a `balance' of elements here. Too much earth element may cause an imbalance. Similiarly if it is made of `metal', too much metal element (based on the Flying Star) again may cause an imbalance. If the Fu Fu dogs are made of `wood' again this has to be analysed. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Trini, Do try to check the influences especially at the bedroom. Where possible this is an auspicious location. There is not much that can be analysed using the Eight House Theory other than if the death or disaster line falls at the main entrance, keep the location `bright' and avoid leaving the door open unless you are using it. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, From my personal experience, this would depend also depend on the qualities of the advise given. If one uses a combination of the best `tools' of analysis such as knowing a person's true element and strength, Flying Star and Eight house and for the home a high level of Shapes and Form School, the results are nearly `immediate'. For example, there are many cases where at one glance of the Flying Star Chart of the house, one can tell whether the house is auspicious or not. Sometimes we do compare the house under e.g. Period 6 and Period 7. I know of a few cases where the owners did a major renovation in Period 7. The original birth chart e.g. in Period 6 was excellent but due to the reno, it pushes to Period 7. Here proper cures relating to the `five elements' when used properly can help in such a situation. Unfortunately, there are a few instances where, although the birth chart of the house is `acceptable', but under the Shapes and Form School e.g. the toilet is located at the centre, at the front of the house. As most readers are aware, it is very difficult or nearly impossible to `neutralise' these... I have to be frank with you. Alternatively, at the particular period, one's Luck Pillar is in an inauspcious period. So one can understand that no two situations are alike. A good FS practioner is one who is able to digest as much `relevant' information on the person, his home and use the information to provide a `solution'. There is a growing trend of `Fast Food' Feng Shui, where I know of quite alot of cases where either the FS practioner "over do" such as asking the poor person to purchase wind chimes, fountains etc... Some I believe only want to push such products without care or concern. This will usually do more harm than good (not adding to the fact that one has spent so much money...) In these cases, one not only has to try to reverse the situation but try to neutralise these added `problems'. These are the more difficult cases. Usually if done properly, `recovery' can be from 3 months to 6 months. There are cases where one offends the Grand Duke, and `he' is very unforgiving even after a few years. So, how to improve in such situations. We have to be realistic not to over do Feng Shui. If one is not sure, ask a FS professional. Many Feng Shui Masters or Grand Masters will provide this advice: Go to someone who geniunely wants to do a good job and honest about trying to help. Rather than approach one where his/her sole interests is making money. This makes all the difference in the world. I believe the above is the best advice I can give. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, I do understand your problem. Are there any clues from visual appearance. For example, especially the type of flooring laid. Alternatively, is there a fresh coat of paint on the ceiling. One is able to change the `birth chart' of the house .. for example .. by painting the ceiling. If you had obtain a paid report, please email : robert-lee@3dmail.com privately to provide you with the credit to generate another paid credit. Here, you can find out or compare whether it is more auspicious for the house to be in period 7 or previous period. If you can find out that there was some renovation especially in period 6, we can provide u the report also for Period 6. The objective is to see whether it is `worth' changing the `birth chart' of the house under the various periods. Warmest Regards, Cecil

1. Where possible, please avoid purchasing a triangle fish tank. It is considered an inauspicious shape for a fish tank. As water is confined in a `fire' environment. 2. If you are a person who is a weak Fire or strong Water, where possible avoid having a fish tank in the home. Particularly for a weak Fire person.

Dear Anon, In a general sense, one can say that fudogs are considered `puppies' while lions are `heavy weight'. Both are considered `guardians'. It is very common for large Chinese buildings to have lion statutes rather than fudogs. Fudogs are usually used in a house and serves as a `milder' form of `guardian'. You will never find a pair of fudogs guarding a large building. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, There is quite a diverse group of users in this forum and not all are of Chinese `origin'. It is quite common for Westerners especially those celebrating Christmas to hang a " bouquet " or a round Christmas decoration on their door. In my opinion, it is very difficult to say whether this practise is `good' `bad' or neutral. What is more important is trying to understand what each Feng Shui / Divinity (Pillars of Destiny) can help us and apply them. We should then classify such objects as of `secondary' importance. The only thing I personally feel is that where possible try not to hang `dried' plants or flowers on the door. This is because it usally turns brown/black? and thus is not as auspicious as `live' or fresh plants/flowers/decoration. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, Based on just the Shapes and Form School, there should not be a problem with the kitchen above the toilet. It would be inauspicious if it is the other way around i.e. the toilet (especially the toilet bowl) above i.e. the stove or cooking area. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, It is common to associate `white' with purity particularly with the west. Chinese in some ways do associate white or `straw' clothing where it is worn during funerals. So far, under Chinese customs or practises, fences are never painted white. Personally, I have yet to see a white fencing both locally or on my trips abroad. I believe this is certainly a `taboo' colour even for FS practioners. The most common colour as you have mentioned for a picket fence is green. Most fences I come across can also be in black. Hmm.. as far I can remember, I seldom see a blue fence. In my opinion, green or black is a "better" choice. Warmest Regards, Cecil