Every year on the first day of Spring in the Asian calendar, the invisible energies around us change. Chinese Astrologers and Traditional Feng Shui masters long ago decoded energy patterns in nature that allow us to predict and prepare for these energy influences in the year ahead. In 2017, the year of the Fire Rooster, the new energies come in on February 3rd, although you may have begun feeling them earlier.
Feng Shui is the study of how environments affect people, companies and communities. Time tested evidence shows how shapes of land and buildings, placement of various building functions, and timing factors have profound influence on human beings.
One part of this knowledge focuses on how the energies in the centre and 8 directions of our home and work spaces shift every year, increasing probabilities of various opportunities and challenges. By knowing what to expect, and providing guidance and remedies to balance these energies, Feng Shui experts help people minimize their challenges and maximize their chances of success every year.
To increase your opportunities and soften challenges, here are some of the predictions and remedies for this year:
• East and Southeast: The most positive energies for abundance and opportunity in 2017 are coming from the East and Southeast directions. To enhance the benefits of these energies, place three decorative red items inside the East sector of your building, as well as four stalks of water bamboo in the Southeast sector. This can be done on any or every floor. Open windows in these areas to bring these energies in, and make a point of spending time in these areas to absorb these beneficial energies.
In most years it would be excellent for your main entrance to receive these energies, however this year special care must be taken with entrances in some degrees of East, Southeast, or Northeast. A Feng Shui expert can calculate the precise placement of your door with a compass and floor plan to determine whether it will bring luck or may set off a negative chain of events. There is a remedy if your front door is in a difficult location, however it is not easy to use in cold climates. The simplest advice for the purposes of this article is to avoid digging, hammering, and drilling outside and inside in the East, Southeast, and Northeast sectors of your property for the duration of this year.
• South: An energy influence from this direction increases the chance of all kinds of challenges including financial and health issues, so it is a priority to address. Health issues will most likely relate to heart, eyes, mental/emotional, and cognitive functions. The usual remedy is a glass vase of salt water (50/50 salt to water) with six coins of any kind placed inside the vase. (Cover vase with plastic wrap to protect furnishings, making holes in the top so saltwater can evaporate into the air.) That being said, there are different remedies for this area, depending on the particular property and person involved, so a consultation is recommended.
• Southwest: In this sector you can place a small bowl of plain water to protect security of home and business.
• Northwest: Energy from this direction can bring health issues, especially with one’s head and/or thinking,and can especially impact family and business leaders. To minimize this energy, place metal objects in the Northwest area of your home and workplace. For example use a white or metal-coloured bowl filled with coins, or use a traditional Chinese remedy – a brass calabash called a hulu. Remove any obvious red, pink, or purple items from this area. Fireplaces and stoves in this sector can cause additional issues.
• West: This influence brings the probability of arguments, legal issues, or accidents. Reduce the chances of these by adding a red item in the West sector of your home and workplace, and avoid stirring up this part of your property. (For certain birth years, a different remedy would be used.)
• Northeast: This sector is important to address for families with children, and for businesses with employees, as the Northeast energy can cause problems for them. Couples may also face challenges, whereas single people looking for relationship will have more opportunities. This energy can also bring health challenges related to intestines, back, hand, feet and/or nose. How to remedy this area will depend on the goals of each individual.
General Guidelines
To benefit from these recommendations, clean and freshen your space first, to make room for the new energy. Then place your feng shui remedies in your home and office, making sure that they are lovely to look at.
For best results, it is important to determine where the eight directions are located in your home and office, where various energies are coming in, and which energies will be activated both outside and inside. Feng shui consultants consider these factors, and then tailor their guidelines to your unique situation, depending on the architectural features and landscape in each sector of your home and business. In addition, certain probabilities are more likely for those in certain family and company positions, and every building and person and their goals and aspirations are unique.
