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Dear Cecil, A very Happy 2002 to you and Robert. And thanks a lot for all your time and patience in giving detailed answers to all my questions. Had to ask you about the grand duke. So far I avoided doing any work in the SW and W, but can one do so now or only after Feb 16, when the Chinese new year starts? I have a bad water pipes problem to fix in the SW; my family does not understand why I am asking them to wait. It?s that whole thing about the grand duke bringing bad luck that?s making me hold out. On one hand, I feel one cannot go about life being fearful about grand dukes nuking your luck and other stuff, but right now I am having a run of bad luck - my health is bad, I still have not found a regular job a year and 15 days now, and I just cannot take any more bad luck. But in case I have to fix that pipe problem, can I go ahead without worrying about more bad luck!!? Would be most grateful for some detailed advice or remedies. Thanks and regards

Dear Cecil, Thanks a lot for your reply re. conflicting directions re. the garden at the back of my house. Except some things in the garden do not match up to what you said. You said not to choose trees which will throw too large a shade. There are such trees already growing; now I cannot do anything about them. In fact, one is right outside my bedroom window, but all the trees are about 20 ft. away from the bldg. so does it matter? Although, their shadows already fall in the bldg. compound in the morning. You also said the trees should be properly spaced out. But because of a severe rodent problem, I had to keep shifting the trees and now the spaces between them are uneven, some 10 ft, some 8 ft, some 15 ft. Is the above a real problem? I thought of rectifying the space with small flowering shrubs in between, but would that lead to clutter?? Also, please clarify on the following or I am going to look at that garden and keep wondering! # I keep reading about not having white flower trees in the E & SE - this garden has them. They are also tall, not low level. # This garden has a building each on 3 sides. Does there have to be an even number of trees near each bldg. and around the whole garden? The trees behind my bldg - the big ones number 9, and adding a small shrub total 10. If I add more shrubs as I mentioned above, how would it affect? Maybe I am fretting too much but it would help to know what points to keep in mind re. a garden and flowers, colours et al, and I think you give the most sensible advice. So please please do reply in detail. Thanks in advance and regards.

Dear Cecil, There is a big open plot behind my building which I am trying to convert into a garden by planting trees et al. But how does one go about resolving the correct directions? When I look out at the plot from my house, it is in the NE-E-SE-S direction. But if I stand in the middle of the plot facing my house, then in relation to the plot, S becomes W, SE is NW and NE is more N. From point of view from the house, it is good to have trees in the SE and S. But from the garden point of view, the whole thing changes, doesn't it? How does one resolve the feng shui here? Or am I being too rigid about the directions? Thanks and regards.

Dear Cecil, The open ground behind my building is being turned into a garden. They are planning to have a garden fence ? a low wall topped by either barbed wire or a pointed, spiky grill or broken embedded glass pieces ? to keep out all the bad elements. The fence would be about 10 ft. away from the building. Maybe I am worrying too much, but just wanted to know whether such a spiky design, etc. is bad feng shui for the building residents nearby? Also the garden direction is SE-S. So will such designs bring about bad fortune? Thanks in advance.

Dear Cecil, We have an iron closed shoe rack in the N of the house. We try to keep all the shoes away but sometimes we do leave them near the rack. Is this not good, considering this is the career corner? We have an iron safety door outside our main door which faces NE. The main door opens inwards while the safety door opens outwards. It also consists of two panels. We have been told that this is bad and should remove the door. Please advise. Also, what is the best neutral colour for such a door? Currently, it is a brownish red colour. Our building has two entrances, facing N-NW and W respectively. It's a 7 period bldg. What would be the best colours to paint it? As the back side of the bldg. faces E-SE-S, should it be painted another colour? I know I have asked quite a lot, but I would be grateful if you would answer them all. Thanks a lot in advance.

Dear Cecil, I have a couple of questions about different things. I would be grateful if you would answer all of them as it would be a great help. 1. Is it okay next year to do carpentry work in the Sw/W, and make similar changes in the E? I avoided this year because of the grand duke. 2. How do the house periods affect? Our current house is of period 7. We were planning to invest in a new house next year, which would be period 8. Is it the same as in numerology? 3. My mother and I share the bedroom, which is SE-S. She uses the bed, head towards NW. I sleep on the floor, head SE. There is a big window in the SE. Now my mother likes it open. But I find that even though I am not up against the window, I keep looking up time to time. So sometimes I draw the curtains but the room gets stuffy. Is this just psychological (i am a light sleeper; i have vivid dreams; i keep feeling things are going to come in thru' the door or window at night)or something to do with feng shui? Strangely enough, I don't have this 'window' or ghosts problem in the daytime! Please, if you would answer all the questions. Really need to know. Thanks a lot in advance. Regards.

Dear Cecil, In case of flowering plants and trees, does it matter what direction one puts them? eg: red flowered ones in E-SE-S, or no white flowered ones in S?? What about thorny plants like cactii, aloe vera? Thanks

Dear Cecil, Thanks so much for your reply to my query about 'breadwinner, etc.'. If you would please clarify some more the following: # I had mentioned that my main door is NE (45). The reading given was 7-7-1 (water). You said a house with double 7's is considered good or auspicious for such a house, so that's fine. But what does the term 'long gone prosperity' alluded to 1 (water) mean exactly? # Also regarding query about main door and safety door being yellow and brownish red in colour, please explain this: One can inadvertently activate the earth element, if there is an imbalance caused by #2 and #5 in these sectors. Any connection to house numbers?? Thanks a lot!

Dear Cecil, I read a reply of yours wherein you had mentioned ?breadwinner? as owner of house. Does it have to be owner or could it be main earner in house? Related to this, I also have some other queries. If you will please be patient with me and clarify in detail. # Our present house consists of two flats side by side: 101 102 We have knocked down two walls in between to make it one big house. Now flat 101 is in my elder sister?s name, and flat 102 in my name. Our main door is of flat 102 (because door of flat 101 is right next to the stairs). But our main door is NE facing, which is good for my sister and parents, but not me because I am a SE house person. Now, my father has not been working a long time; I also just lost my job, so it is my sister who is main earner. So is there any problem, even if she is not owner of house which has main door? #Also, in our house report, NE main door (45 degree) was given this reading: NE: earth; 7(metal) 7 (metal) 1 (water) main door, long gone prosperity? What does this mean? Confused because we applied Indian vastu at time of buying the house and here, NE door is supposed to be very good. # Our walls, main door and other inner doors are pale yellow in colour. We also have an iron safety door outside the main door which is brownish red in colour. As per Flying Star report, both my sister and me are weak water element. Also in the house report, main door NE falls in water sector. So do the wall and door colours, being earth colours, affect negatively? Thanks tons, Sudha

Dear Cecil, Thanks for the reply to my question on the above topic. But if you would please clarify this: In your reply,you've said - "Strictly speaking, one should not even drill (i.e. touch the `grand duke' at the specific location). Unlike a situation where, " one does " a major renovation i.e. call a contractor to do it for `you'." Mine is not a major renovation; I just have to get cupboards unfixed and refix some of them - but both jobs are in the West. But to do this, I have to call a contracter. Is this okay by the grand duke??? Or is only repairs/ renovation that involve the whole house allowed?? Please advise. Thanks & regards.

Dear Cecil, Thanks for your reply about grand duke. This may sound silly, but does, not disturbing the grand duke mean one cannot do any little thing - like drill a nail into the wall, or unfix some cupboards? Asking because I have to convince someone else who is most skeptical! Also, how does one find the position of grand duke each year? Thanks & regards

Dear Cecil, I recently read an article about flying star feng shui. The writer had written about the yellow five star, which renders the direction it is in, inauspicious. Last year it was in the N and it has moved to the SW this year. So the advice is to hang a metal wind chime with 5 rods in the SW to exhaust the bad energy. Also, one should not dig the earth, start any renovation, even not shift furniture, in this direction this year. Well, we were planning to take down a block of cupboards on our SW wall and do some changes. So how true is this, and if so, how rigidly should the above be followed? Thanks.

Dear Cecil, Thanks for your advice in reply to my query about Chimes in the West direction. I have taken it off from there, but can one hang it in the E, SE or S just like that or is it better to keep it away altogether? Any problem with hanging up a chime for some time and then putting it away? I sleep right under the ceiling fan. Just as a beam overhead can cause health problems, can a ceiling fan too cause similar problems in the person below, relevant to the body part it is centred over? Eg. Stomach ? stomach upsets?? What is a Kua number? I read a chart in the paper where my Kua number was listed as 4, also giving four good and bad directions. How effective are these in use? Many thanks and regards.

Dear Cecil, In Feng shui Tips & Tricks, you had mentioned that it is not advisable to hang a metallic wind chime in the West direction. Well, I have had a wind chime (6 metal rods with a wooden clapper) in this direction for some time now. This direction falls in my father?s bedroom (using the bagua, this is the relationship area of our house). The chime is hanging from the roof just outside the glass sliding windows. We hardly ever hear it tinkle because the windows stay shut on one side. Do I remove it at once? In SE-S-SW is my bedroom. A feng shui consultant had advised me to keep a yellow coloured mud pot in the SW corner ? I had been feeling very upset about my parents and he said that this would give stability. Please advise. Also, the SW part of my house (according to the bagua, this would be the fame area) is totally missing. Should this be a worry? I have read stuff about putting a red light in the missing area to energise it. Is this true? Thanks & regards. P.S. By mistake, I posted the above in the 'Conference for Layouts' also.

Dear Cecil, I would like to send my house layout for your advice. I went to the conference for layouts, but i could not figure out how to attach it. My file is a JPEG file. If I click on the 'attach file' box, nothing seems to happen. It's not like an 'insert file' command as in an email. Do I have to save the file in another format? Suggestions please. Thanx.

Dear Cecil, There has been a series of articles in our local paper on feng shui. This writer maintains that feng shui works symbolically. He uses the bagua. He says that keeping money plants or any kind of plants that require support is not advisable anywhere in the house, and especially in the elders/superiors corner. What say you? Also, how powerful is symbolism in feng shui? Is that how one balances the five elements? I am an advertising copywriter. But my career seems to be going nowhere. I feel stuck and many times at a loss for ideas. Even my idea projection is very wishy washy. I do a lot of positive thinking and stuff, but would like to know if feng shui can help. Curious to know - my house door opens into the career area. The main wooden door opens into the house fully, but outside it we have an iron security door, which is in two panels - so 3/4th opens out and 1/4th of it stays put. Any problems with this? I also have money plants in this area! (I must admit, those articles on feng shui are very tempting to try out) Thanx a lot.

Hi Cecil, I read an article where they had applied feng shui principles to a lady's handbag. eg. red & black is the colour of wealth, career. In the centre, keep a money purse in red. And so on. Is this serious? If so, would like some tips. Thanks.

Dear Cecil, If one sleeps under a ceiling fan, does the part of the body which comes right below the fan get affected? Eg: if its the stomach, does one end up with stomach upsets and the like? If so, any alternative if one has to continue sleeping under the fan because of lack of other sleeping space? Thanks.

Dear Cecil, Thanks for your replies to my queries on underground water and metal bed. Please clarify - you said running water, whereas the dampness in the ground seems to be like seepage from some underground sewer pipe. Because later, the ground does dry off a bit. Will this still be underground water? Also my bedroom is next to the bathroom. Please tell me the name of a good fengshui consultant in Mumbai,India. There are some who also write columns, but a lot of it deals with what you call 'peanuts fengshui'! And I just don't want more confusion. Or if its not asking too much, could I send you a scanned layout of my flat with details, and you could help? Thanks a lot. Regards, Anon

Dear Cecil, I read the article about underground water. Would this also include an area which was previously marshland, and now had been filled in and has buildings? Both the bldg. I stayed in previously, and the current one are of this type. There is a ground outside my bedroom and in the mornings it is terribly wet and damp long after the sun is in the sky. And I do have been diagnosed with a benign lump in the armpit, and my sister has had fibroids. So is there a relation? Thanks.

dEAR cECIL, Thanks for your replies to my queries. Tell me, can one be affected by the kind of bed one sleeps on? Should one sleep on a wooden bed only, or can one also use a folding metal bed? How does one find out whether an area has too much earth or metal or water, etc? And how does one balance the areas? When I sleep, I am directly under the ceiling fan. Any +ve or -ve effects? Can one keep plants in the toilet & bathroom?I have a moneyplant on the bathroom ledge, and a thick leaf, non thorny cactii type plant in the toilet. Many times I feel very irritated and vexed for no reason at all in my present house. Inspite of it being quite spacious, I feel cramped. I am trying to clean out all the clutter, but stuff like cupboards just have no other space to go to. Main entrance of house faces NE, and I am a SE house person. Any simple cleansing/calming remedy? Thanks & regards

Dear Cecil, I came across your advice about spirits and had some queries: * In the SE-S, my first floor bedroom overlooks an open ground.15ft. away from the house I have planted trees in a row, running the length of the building. There are two trees (still ground floor height)which I can see from my bedroom. It's too warm in the room so I keep the window open. Is this an open invitation to spirits? My mom sleeps in the same room, but she sleeps well. I sleep okay, but get up often feeling uneasy. Should I get the trees removed? * My flat no. is B102 - which totals to a 5. just 102 also totals to a 3. Any problems, since you mentioned something about the number period. Thanks.

Dear Cecil, Nowadays lots of houses have a safety door outside the door of the main entrance. I read in a feng shui column that this is not good. Because the safety door will have to open outwards while the other door will open inwards, it seems the energy coming in gets confused. And depending on which area - career, relationships - it opens into, that area gets affected negatively. Also, most safety doors have panels, so that one panel can stay shut. This is also said to be a negative. The opinion is not to have a safety door. How true is this? And if a safety door cannot be removed, are there any cures? Please advise because there are a lot of conflicting things I have been reading on this topic. Many thanks, Anon

Dear Cecil, How important is the door of the main door? I read someplace that one should not have a safety door outside the main door. Because usually such adoor wouldopen outwards, away from the main door, so the energy gets confused. Thereby, the area intowhich it opens - career, relationship,gets affected. * Also that such doors sometimes have a panelthat is kept shut. Which isalso badfeng shui. * Another thing - a house with open space to thesouth will have too much expenditure. Which is the correct fengshui? Please advise. Thanks.

Hi Cecil, * My flat overlooks a big ground. Because it looked so bare, I have planted a couple of trees on the patch of ground nearest to my building. I would like to beautify it further by planting some flower bushes. Does one have to keep some special colours, plants in mind? The ground (as seen from my flat) faces E-SE-S. Please advise in detail. * I sleep with my head towards SE. Near my head is a small cupboard where I keep reading material, magazines, books, medicines, etc. It's kept closed. Any need to shift it? Thanks, Anon