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I delight in getting your email updates. Many thanks for sharing the info and letters. I have a quick question with regards to our little 1942 house. I’ve done extensive feng shui work throughout with great success, based in no small part on the work in Terah Kathryn Collin’s first book The Western Guide to Feng Shui. Thanks again! My question is about the old iron sewage pipes that run under the bedroom to the main line at the street. Is there a feng shui cure for this problem? It seems to have dampened the romantic aspect of the room over the 5 years that we’ve been in the house, despite the other Feng Shui work that we’ve done to the bedroom. Any assistance you can give would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks and blessings to all, KSG

A: Hi KSG,

Sounds like the underground flow of water through the large (old) iron pipes may be making an energetic impact on your bedroom. When water flows through iron pipes it can magnify what would otherwise be a very subtle electro-magnetic pulse that iron puts off when it is embedded in certain types of mineral soil. Modern day pipes are now made of thick PVC, so this effect is only experienced in homes with older plumbing still in place. The best remedy that I know of is to place a mirror under any furniture that people sit or lie on for any length of time, to deflect that pulse back down into the ground.

You could use a larger mirror under the bed, like one of those inexpensive long, narrow mirrors that normally are hung behind the door for viewing your full length attire, and place it exactly above where you sense the pipes are running. Of course, you are placing the reflective side DOWN, facing the water flow. This should quiet the sensation of plumbing within the room. If the none of the pipes run under furniture where you can place a mirror safely, you may need to improvise a way to use area rugs and that very thin reflective mylar material to provide a reflective surface safely underfoot. You do not need to reflect the entire length of pipe in the room, just some significant portion of it (like under the bed) or in a few small spots along it (like under dressers, shelves, area rug, etc.) Sometimes it is sufficient to place these mirrors, facing down, right at the spot where the plumbing first “enters” the room from the toilet, and again where it “exits” the room’s space, and you will feel the harmony return to the room with just those two placements.

An additional remedy for balancing the bathroom itself is to place very small mirrors (compact mirrors are nice here) directly BEHIND the toilet, close to the floor, with the reflective side FACING the ceramic toilet fixture, to “contain” the toilet’s energy. If possible, you can place a second mirror opposite the toilet, facing it again, which effectively “boxes in” the energetic line of toilet ch’i, and keeps it inside the bathroom. In most instances, due to the arrangement of other things in the bathroom, one of these mirrors has to be placed OUTSIDE of the bathroom, in the adjacent room, low down on that room’s wall, reflective side facing the toilet on the other side of the wall. (I hope this is understandable without a diagram!)

So, try a combination of these transcendental mirror remedies and see if the atmosphere in your bedroom lightens up. Keep us posted on any shifts that occur! For more Feng Shui tips on bathrooms, click here for more bathroom blogs.

Karen Carrasco, WSFS Practitioner Teacher and Mentor

Helen Arabanos, WSFS Rock Star

Listen to the interview with Terah Kathryn Collins and Helen Arabanos. Each segment is less than 20 minutes and filled with tips, lessons and success stories:

Overview of the book and Tips on entrances

More success stories, bedrooms and how to get cozy

More questions to ask your partner and accepting what is, without judgment or expectations

Buy Now!

First the landmark relationship book The Rules gave women guidelines for successful dating. Next came He’s Just Not That Into You, which helped women better understand men’s dating behavior and what it really means. Now He’s Into You…But Is His Home? explains how his environment may be sabotaging your relationship.

Who knew that moving a few items could make such a big difference?
• Do you want to understand what’s holding him back?
• Do you often have problems with relationships?
• Is he a nice guy…but not quite right?
• Do you want a shortcut to finding Mr. Wonderful?
• Are you recently divorced and don’t want to make the same mistakes again?
If you answered yes to any of these, then reading this book will really open your eyes.
“Read Your Lover’s Environment Like a Book!”

About the Author, WSFS Rock Star Alumni Helen Arabanos
How does a woman with a background in Statistics and Technology become a Feng Shui expert? Helen Arabanos became fascinated when she realized how practical Feng Shui really is to so many situations. Today she runs a Southern California based Feng Shui consulting business. For nearly a decade, Helen has helped people from all walks of life including celebrities, students, married couples and single women wanting
a relationship. Visit her website at www.FullBloomFengShui.com

Feng Shui angled entrance

Feng Shui angled entry

From a WSFS Student:
Terah, Would love your feedback. These are my suggestions for Elementally balancing this potential rental for a client of mine. Here goes:
First of all, the front door is at an angle, so I would open the door, look at the flooring and layout to determine the best direction for the Bagua. Since it is situated closer to the left hand side of the house, I would most likely observe and recommend to turn right as you enter so the back of the house is the Fame area. This being said – it looks as if some of the Helpful People area is outside of the Bagua, and would have to be anchored.

Yang Fire and Yang Metal need Yin Water

Fire and Metal-dominant design features

Yang features in every room.

Terah Says:
Wow……You are SPOT ON!!!!!
I’m IMPRESSED!!!!
Lovelovelove.

This weekly series takes readers on a tour of outstanding homes in Greater Victoria. Writer Thelma Fayle and award-winning photographer Ted Grant take you inside houses that show off unique architecture and design. Look for House Beautiful every Saturday in the Times Colonist Homes section.

Gail and Marty Cole drew heavily on a blend of the principles of an ancient Chinese system of esthetics and North American mechanical engineering practices to build their home. The third leg of the triad of influences was Sarah Susanka’s well-known book, The Not So Big House.

“Susanka suggests you need to use all of your spaces, and we do,” says Gail. “We didn’t want a house that was way bigger than we needed.”

Their new home is 2,600 square feet to be exact, and that includes 1,000 square feet for a separate suite.

“We started with an empty lot in the Maplewood area,” says Gail, “and it has been our labour of love for 2 1 ?2 years.”

The first floor contains a spacious, one-bedroom suite for Marty’s 90-year-oldmother, Terry Cole.

The lively, English-born artist has her own entrance, garden, laundry room, kitchen and living room.

“Mum loves the security of having us close by in case she needs support,” says Gail, “but she is also very independent and is really respected in her space.”

“The suite is beautiful and comfortable,” says Terry, who has painted all of her life and is surrounded by her art. “Painting keeps me going,” she says, and she seems to enjoy excellent health. “I appreciate that I am very lucky.”

One very striking recent painting is of her son Marty on Authenticity, the sailboat that took him three years to build.

Marty and Gail built their main living space on the second floor to be able to appreciate the spectacular view of sunsets over the Sooke Hills.

As we tour through the house, Gail, a feng shui practitioner with a diploma in business administration from the University of Victoria and a certification from the Western School of Feng Shui in San Diego, introduces the concepts that guide her design thoughts.

Gail wanted a welcoming fountain near the front door, and Marty, the mechanical engineer, built the elegant waterfall with its edging made of copper pipes.

“All of our sinks have a dozen or so small rocks placed around the drain,” she says.

“The reason is that energy, or chi, is said to ‘go down the drain.’ The rocks cause the water to pool and empty slowly. All of your wealth can symbolically go ‘down the drain,’ so to speak, if you are not aware in life and thoughtfully slowing that process,” Gail says.

References like the “love and marriage corner,” “helpful people corner,” “wealth corner,” “fire element,” “creating flow,” etc., were new to me, but the overall effect was transparent. The house is full of vitality. Lots of gentle chiming and waterfall sounds make the house feel alive and cosy.

“It all flows,” says Gail. “Feng shui is about flow.”

The couple used feng shui principles to decorate their former condo, which they had no trouble selling.

Other design thoughts included the placement of two garage doors rather than one extra-wide door – to break up the mass at the front of the house. A fun little Mexicanthemed powder room was built around a colourful sink they found on a vacation. “It is just paint and a few tiles and some pretty decoration,” says Gail.

Antique furniture in the guest bedroom is a comforting reminder of Gail’s parents, and a big sign on the wall advises their guests to “Relax.”

On the holiday weekend three summers ago, Gail and Marty embarked on a 14-hour project to build a spectacular, angular glassblock wall separating the master bedroom from the ensuite bathroom. The glass blocks don’t go all the way to the ceiling, which increases air flow.

“It was 80 degrees outside and, once we started, we had to finish stacking and cementing roughly 100 blocks, which included [blocks of] different sizes and shapes. So the job has to be well planned,” says Marty.

“We got it done, and will always remember that Canada Day,” Gail says.

Of all Marty’s creative project, Gail is particularly enthusiastic about a wooden frame around a bamboo blind that covers the TV screen in the living room when the set if turned off. It is operated with a simple chain, and lowering or raising it completely changes the ambience of the room.

Gail and Marty both work from home and share an office with a little deck where they can retreat for some fresh air and rest. The desks are comfortable, take up little space and were built in by Marty. The nearby family wall in a hallway is full of pictures of their four grown children.

Floors in the master bedroom, bathroom and office are all heated. “We put in three days of feeding pipe through floors,” says Gail.

“I also did electrical for the first time in my life when I installed about 50 electrical boxes. Marty is a good teacher and showed me how to do one, and then I did the rest.

“This was not an easy feat for someone like me who had no building experience,” says Gail. “I felt a little overwhelmed when we started.”

“We probably saved $250,000 by doing everything ourselves,” says Marty. “Except for the insulation and the upstairs drywall, the two of us built the whole house.”

“We put our heart and soul into this house,” Gail says.

“After our home was built, we decided to reflect and think about what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives,” Marty says. “I decided to start a consulting company called Ripple Rock Engineering and Gail started her All Things Balanced business.”

Married only a year, these newlyweds have already accomplished so much.

CREDITS:

Design and project management: Ripple Rock Engineering (Marty Cole)

Feng shui design and consulting: All Things Balanced (Gail Cole)

Doors, windows and lumber supplies: Slegg Lumber (Dave Quissy)

Bathroom and plumbing supplies: Andrew Sherett (Vera Roussinos)

Hardiplank siding contractor: Pacific Rim Exteriors (Trevor Strandlund)

Interior design consultant: Susan Hargreaves

Light fixtures: McLaren Lighting¶
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

http://priscillapriscillacompanyremaxvernon.point2agent.com/Listing/VirtualTour.ashx?listingid=34012048

The house has 3 bedrooms on the main floor — two are offices. Everyone window has a view .. either of Lake Okanagan in British Columbia; or the front yard looking up our driveway … to another road that also goes up a hill. So we are at the bottom of a steep driveway.

The whole lower floor is also completed with two other bedroom and living room/bar area and some fabulous storage.

Thanks so much.
Colleen

WSFS House for Sale Feng Shui Tricks 1 of 2

WSFS House for Sale Feng Shui Tricks 2 of 2

I am submitting my questions and project. I’ve included a photo of the building plan. The original house is the carport, garage three bedrooms on left side and half of the living area. We are adding more living space, bigger kitchen, pool, separate guest suite, more storage, master suite and utility as well as “tower room” entry from carport. More storage is needed due to husband’s massive record collection and that he is a packrat. My question is – What are the best Feng Shui cures to incorporate as we build?

What we love is the location, lot, privacy, nature, deer in yard, wet weather creek, neighbors, wooded landscape, can’t see house from road, no yard to mow but tons of space around us. I am happy with the design and we absolutely love the location and area… Really can’t beat the location for the price.

We don’t love that it’s flooded twice with drainage from houses up the hill and a wet weather creek runs along the side of the property (it has never flooded) cuts off the Relationship area.

Identified Feng Shui Issues
1. Wealth and Abundance Gua is outside
2. Bathroom in the Fame Gua
3. Love & Relationship Gua will be built out over the creek.

Also just found out that the guy we used for the architect services and the septic designer do not carry insurance.

Thanks for your help!
Sheree

A:
WSFS Feng Shui House Plans 1 of 2

WSFS Feng Shui House Plans 2 of 2

Boys Room #1

Boys Room #2

Boys Room #3

Boys Room #4

Q: Good Morning Terah, my daughter feels that one of the boys has nightmares and his bed is the one next to closet door (picture # 3). I thought he has a lot of “poison arrows” at him – more so than the other baby.

Would you have any suggestions?

Many thanks
Ann

A:
Feng Shui Nightmare Cures

I really enjoyed our conversation about feng shui and addictions… I loved thinking about how a person can use their environment to support getting off an addicition, like to change their seat from where they sat when they drank/overate, etc and get new chairs; walk down a different street.  I've used it in the last few weeks: for the route I take to get my laundry lately, I'd always feel vulnerable going in a certain door in my condo community's clubhouse to do laundry, now I walk into the clubhouse via a different door/route and I feel more empowered; also if my husband and I are squabbling, now I more often say, "hey, I  need to change my seat" just changing my position in the room can help me break out of that dynamic…

Warmly, "An Essential Feng Shui devotee"

Q: Terah, My teenage son’s bedroom is a complete disaster! It is also located in the Wealth area of the house. He doesn’t want to comply with my decorating requests (he is 16 and very strong minded). Is there anything that I can do to enhance this area of my home and open the way for more prosperity? Thanks, K.S. – via e-mail

A: This is a great question, and the answer can benefit everyone. Whether you are living with children, a partner, or sharing an office with a colleague, it's best to define your own private space within that area. When this basic need of personal space isn’t honored, turf wars, from subtle skirmishes to full-blown battles, can take place.

Teenagers usually insist on their own turf as they catapult into adulthood. Their private space is often chaotic, controversial, and in constant change. I have found that most teens take a keen personal interest in the Bagua Map of their room, sensing that it can help them manifest their goals, from getting better grades to attracting more pet-or-babysitting jobs. They "Do the Grid" as it's often called in teen-speak, a subject I cover on page 192 in The Western Guide to Feng Shui, Room by Room. Click here for a complimentary copy of The Bagua Map and more info on our Online Bagua Map Course.

Consider the following suggestions to enhance the flow of prosperity in your life:

1.    Although your son’s room is in the Wealth and Prosperity area of your home, each room has its own Wealth and Prosperity area. Pay special attention to these areas, making each one very attractive in its own way.

2.    Welcome auspicious people, experiences, and opportunities into your life by making your front entrance “entrancing." Embellish it with pleasant lighting, flowers, statuary, seating, and other enhancements that say welcome."

3.    Simplify and organize your storage areas. Let go of the old to make room for the new.

4.    Remove obstacles that keep any door in your home from having a full range of motion. As easy as it sounds, clearing items from behind a door has proven to be one of the simplest ways to increase the flow of prosperity in life.

5.    Avoid keeping broken items that simply take up space as they diminish the vital energy surrounding you. And, because every inch counts in Essential Feng Shui, there’s hiding place for them. Decide whether to repair them or let them go – and do it asap! This activates the Ch’i and initiates the process of positive change.

6.    You probably already have lovely things that can improve Ch'i flow tucked away in closets, etc. Look around for things you love and and already own before buying new stuff.

7.    Write your own affirmations to hold your goals and wishes in place.

8.    Cultivate an attitude of gratitude by making a list of the people, places, and things that you are grateful for. Notice how rich and prosperous you are now! Keep your list active by reading it and adding to it each day… and be sure to share it with your teenager.

Focus on what you can personally change in your environment at any moment, and work with that. The ripple-effect will inspire and delight you!