Mind, Body, Home: Transform Your Life One Room at a Time (8 page)

Phoenix—are the prominent animal totems used in feng shui. However,

people associate feng shui with other animal totems, such as fu dogs,

34 Your Home’s Origin

dragons, lions, turtles, toads, mandarin ducks, and the list goes on.

While this is a tiny fraction of the art and science of feng shui, animal totems are often used to enhance the practice.

Animal totems are also commonly used outside of feng shui in

other traditions and cultures as symbology in art, sculpture, trinkets, and photos. Each animal carries its own medicine that we can use to

our benefit. According to Ted Andrews in
Animal-Speak
, “we can use animal totems and their images to learn about ourselves and the invisible world.”4 Andrews explains that these images have “an archetypal power

that resides behind, oversees, and manifests through these creatures.”5

This archetypal energy of animals can be incorporated into your

home or garden decor. For example, I intuitively placed a stone turtle

in my flowerbed, not realizing until years later that turtles represent protection. Take a look around your home and garden to see if you

already have animal totems in and around your home. Below is a list of

other common animal totems and their meanings. Because archetypal

meanings can vary depending on cultures, some may have multiple

meanings. For animals not listed, consult a dream dictionary for their

archetypal meaning.

Birds:
In general, birds bring new opportunities. It is therefore not advisable to have imagery of birds being caged. Birds connect us to

the spirit world and are therefore often associated with omens and

signs. Each type of bird has its own particular medicine.6

Cranes:
Cranes are symbolic of longevity and happiness in the East. In Western cultures, cranes represent poise and balance.

Dragon:
Considered the most important symbol in feng shui and Chinese mythology. It represents fortune and good luck.

Dragon and Phoenix:
A balance of yin and yang energy.

Fish:
The Chinese word for fish—
yu
—literally translates to
abundance
.

4. Ted Andrews,
Animal-Speak
(Llewellyn Publications 1995), 8.

5. Ibid.

6. A complete list of types of birds and their meanings can be found in
Animal-Speak
by Ted Andrews.

Your Home’s Origin 35

Fish ponds and aquariums are auspicious so long as they are kept

clean and healthy.

Frogs:
Frogs and toads are said to bring luck to the family. To the back of the home, they provide protection. A three-legged toad attracts

wealth and money into the home. They are best placed at the front

of the home, pointing inside the home. You will often see statuary

of the three-legged toad with an I Ching coin in its mouth for pur-

poses of attracting money.

Fu Dogs:
Fu Dogs appear in a pair and are protective guard dogs. They are usually placed outside in the front of the home, but are not to be

placed on the ground.

Geese or Ducks:
Geese mate for life and both share in the raising of their offspring. For this reason, a pair of geese or mandarin ducks

symbolizes a happy couple with no separation and is often used as a

gift for newly married couples.

Horse:
In feng shui, a horse is used to bring wealth and is usually placed in the foyer facing inside the home. In the West, horses are symbolic

of power, courage, and freedom. Imagery of a horse or horses is

great for your personal office to invoke such energy.

Turtle:
Turtles symbolize protection, longevity, and represent mother-hood. Turtles are often thought of in relation to Mother Earth with

the shell representative of heaven and earth. In fact, the indentations of a turtle’s shell is said to be the inspiration behind the Bagua Map

in feng shui. Turtle figures make great outdoor adornments to pro-

vide protection to the home.

Shape of the Lot

When looking at houses, the first thing that catches our attention is

usually the front of the house. We might notice the size and slope of

the lot, but usually the overall shape gets overlooked. The shape of a lot is an important consideration. A square or rectangular plot of land is the most common and is preferable. A trapezoid-shaped lot is common with the smaller side facing the street or behind the house. If the
36 Your Home’s Origin

lot is narrower in front facing the street, it can restrict the homeowners’

opportunities. To remedy this, form a curve using flowers and/or land-

scaping so that it creates a pocketbook-shaped lot. It is also advisable to create a flow of energy coming into the front door with lighting,

landscaping, and a welcoming front entrance in order to attract chi in

to the home.

If the narrower side of the trapezoid is at the back of the house, this creates what is known as the “dustpan” shape. This shape can be good

or bad depending on the energy of the home and homeowners as well

either collect the good or bad chi. The dustpan shape will either result in an accumulation of money and fortune or a stagnation of energy. A

triangular-shaped lot should be avoided at all costs. With other irregular-shaped lots, imbalances within the home could result. Consulting a

feng shui consultant prior to purchasing land is advisable to help rem-

edy an existing site.

The slope of the lot should also be considered. As previously men-

tioned, it is best for a house to sit amid rolling hills. Within the hills, it is best to be situated on a level plot of land as opposed to on a slope. Living on a sloped lot is considered inauspicious as there will be a feeling of being unsupported and not adequately grounded. Also avoid homes

at the very top of a mountain as the conditions are too harsh and unbalanced. A home situated just on the edge of a cliff, particularly an ocean cliff, is also considered inauspicious. Siting the home farther away from the cliff ’s edge while maintaining the view would be a better option.

Otherwise, occupants will have the feeling of always being on edge, or

feeling edgy. On the other hand, homes situated at the base of a large mountain will feel overwhelmed or threatened.

Poison Arrows

Another consideration in choosing a home site is the occurrence of poi-

son arrows pointing at the house or lot. When I first started learning

about feng shui, there were certain principles about which I had some

skepticism. Poison arrows was one of them. I wouldn’t consider myself

a skeptic; I just like proof. Maybe it was the word
poison
, or maybe I was
Your Home’s Origin 37

just in denial that my rectangular West Elm coffee table was bad energy.

There was a particularly poignant moment when all that changed.

I was space clearing a friend’s home when suddenly I experienced

what felt like a laser in the palm of my hand. I was energetically feeling around her table to see if it needed clearing given that it was an antique. Each time I came to the corner of the table, I felt the laser-like projectile in my hand. I realized what I was feeling was a poison arrow.

The energy emanating from the corner was particularly strong because

the corner was made of granite. Different materials emit energy differ-

ently. For example, wood is softer than stone and therefore the poison

arrow will not feel as strong as that coming from stone or metal.

While some people have to
see it to believe it
, I have to
feel it to believe it
. From that point on, my skeptic’s mind was put to rest. I am now super-conscious of poison arrows on the interior and exterior of

spaces. Poison arrows, also known as
shar chi
, occur when there is a high concentration of energy pointing in a specific direction. The corner of a table is the most common example. I often see poison arrows

in lighting fixtures, such as sconces, and décor items. I was in one client’s home where they had spent thousands of dollars on hand-blown

sconces imported from Italy. The homeowner couldn’t figure out why

being in the room never felt good. Unfortunately, it was because the

beloved fixtures were emitting poison arrows all over the room.

When purchasing furniture, avoid pieces with sharp corners.

Rounded or beveled corners are preferable. If your favorite piece

has sharp corners, the good new is that you don’t have to get rid of

it. Instead, notice where the corners point to in the room. Avoid hav-

ing them point in the direction where people commonly sit or sleep in

the home to avoid the harsh energy emanating from the poison arrow.

Plants can be used to buffer a poison arrow. Also be mindful of poison

arrows with regards to décor items as well and avoid them if at all possible. Having items with points on them can make a room feel uneasy

and unsettling.

Poison arrows also show up on the exterior of homes. This is

most commonly seen with the corner of rooflines coming together. If

a home on either side of you or across the street sits higher or has a
38 Your Home’s Origin

higher pitched roof, then it is possible for the corner to form a poison arrow that is shooting right at your home. The proximity of the poison

arrow to your home is a consideration in how effectual the harsh en-

ergy is to you and your home.

Poison arrows can form as a result of electrical lines, tree branches,

street lamps, or even mailboxes. Stand at the front of your home look-

ing out. Look around and see if any sharp points are directed toward

your home. Pay particular attention to neighboring rooflines, espe-

cially if your home sits lower than others around you. Walk all the way around your home to check for poison arrows pointing toward any side

of your home. If you notice a poison arrow protruding toward your

home, the good news is that there are feng shui remedies for this.

The best way to cure a poison arrow is through landscaping. Trees

and large bushes can be planted between the poison arrow and your

home to deflect the harmful chi from reaching your home. This is the

most natural way to cure a poison arrow to maintain a positive flow of

energy. If that is not an option for your situation, a Pa Kua mirror can be purchased and placed on the outside of your home to deflect the chi

away from your home. This cure should be in conjunction with positive

intentions and only as necessary. It is a powerful tool that manipulates the energy away from your home.

Roads, Driveways,

Sidewalks, and Pathways

In the same way that poison arrows are formed above the ground in

space, they can also be found on the ground in the form of roads, driveways, and sidewalks. How a home or building sits in relation to these

man-made pathways is an important consideration. When feng shui

was originally used to site homes, waterways were one of the most im-

portant considerations. As the population has grown since then, water-

ways are not so prevalent and instead roads, driveways, and sidewalks

have taken their feng shui place.

Look outside your home and imagine the pathways around you—

driveways, sidewalks, and so forth—as rivers and streams. What do you

Your Home’s Origin 39

see? Do you see gushing water coming down the street into your home?

This would be the case with a home sitting at the end of a dead end or

T-intersection. Or do you see waterways meandering throughout your

neighborhood and around your home?

Roads are equivalent to rivers, while sidewalks are more energeti-

cally akin to streams. And just as waterways should meander for best

energy, so should these man-made elements. Subdivisions and neigh-

borhoods with streets with slight curves resemble waterways that natu-

rally meander. Roads that are completely straight with no slight curves create a rushing chi.

You can think of this in terms of cities as well. Consider the streets

in New York City. They primarily run in straight lines, parallel and

perpendicular to one another. This creates an extreme yang, rushing

energy, which is characteristic of the city itself. Compare this with the energy of San Francisco, which is known for its meandering streets and

gently sloping hills. This creates a balanced energy and lends itself to a more laid-back environment.

Well-planned subdivisions and communities generally have streets

that curve slightly throughout creating a natural meandering shape.

In fact, this shape is simply an unconscious reproduction of the sacred geometry of rivers. The geometry of a river is a side-to-side meander that has precise geometrical configurations to allow for currents moving downstream appropriately. Many rivers have been altered by man

in order to create a faster flow, not too unlike man-made roads that are built straight in order to drive faster and get places quicker. Unfortunately, this has led to floods and other ecological problems.

The street on which my former home was located was an extra-

long, straight residential street with no stop signs or intersecting streets to otherwise create a break in the energy. This created an extreme rush of chi that manifested in driving well over the speed limit, even car racing at times. The energy was at least racing parallel with my home as

opposed to coming at it, which would be the case of the house that was

at the end of the street at the T-intersection. Nevertheless, it was an inauspicious location that was minimized somewhat with a large, hardy