Are you busy cleaning in preparation for the Chinese New year celebrations next week? Find out how best to align the energy in your home, plus tips to on how to Feng Shui your home from Feng Shui master, Andelina Pang
Cleaning your home before the new year begins is a Chinese custom that’s been practiced for many years. The tradition, also knows as “sweeping the dust,” helps to put the last year to rest and welcome a fresh new year with a clear mind and a clutter-free home.
Families will usually begin this task from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, 31st January 2016, up until the day before New Year’s Eve. Incorporating Feng Shui into this process can not only help to keep a positive flow throughout your home, but also improve your life and well-being in 2016 – the challenging year of the fire monkey.
Read more: What does giving birth in 2016 mean for your little fire monkey
“Fengshui is a practical discipline. It’s essentially about understanding your environment and directions to activate an energy flow that benefits you.” says Adelina Pang, who owns and runs the Adelina Pang Feng Shui Consultancy in Singapore. “The study of Fengshui identifies the best way to harness qi to improve your health, prosperity, relationships and well-being.”
How does Feng Shui work?
Feng Shui is based upon the connection between an individual and their environment and because this is always changing, the Feng Shui will never be the same for everyone.
“Fengshui must be personalised in order for it to be effective,” says Adelina. “A typical consultation involves an on-site inspection of the landscape (environment), an analysis of the occupants’ birth data and observation of the energy flow at the premises.”
There are many things that will come under the spotlight at a home inspection – anything from where the windows and doors are positioned, to the location of the stove, and even the way the bed is facing in the bedroom! Most of the furnishings and decor in a room can be adjusted to allow a more positive energy flow, which will go towards improving your overall well-being.
“Being wealthy isn’t just about having lots of money, continues Adelina, it also means having abundance in happiness, good health and quality of life. Good Fengshui can enhance your family’s health, peace and harmony.”
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Welcoming Chinese New Year
Using the basic principles of Feng Shui during our celebrations can also help us to welcome the new year properly and set us on our way to better living in 2016.
For instance, the use of firecrackers. Traditionally, firecrackers are used on New Year’s Eve to ward off unwelcome spirits and herald the incoming year with lots of noise, but, says, Adelina: “use the judas belt type of crackers, which are loud enough to do the job, but do avoid firecrackers that are extremely loud.”
Too much noise can affect the energy in a home and disturb garden spirits. Plus, the shock waves felt from loud firecrackers can be harmful to the energy of young children , the elderly and your pets too! In addition, it is important for Pregnant women to avoid the noise and pollution from fireworks.
Here is Adelina’s top tips for starting the year right:
- Cumquat and plum blossom trees should decorate the entrance hall or living room as these are symbols of wealth, endurance and renewal
- Do all the major cooking the day before, so that on New Year’s Day you don’t have to use a sharp knife or a chopper
- Resolve all quarrels and misunderstandings, so that families can renew their ties with peace in their minds
- Have lots of good food in the house , for example dishes of golden fruit, gold wrapped chocolate and round shaped sweets and goodies
- Wear new clothes in cheerful colours on New Year’s Day
Read more: What to wear in 2016
Feng Shui your home in 2016
Although the most effective Feng Shui would adopt a personalised approach, we asked Adelina to give us some useful tips that everyone can incorporate in their home during the sweeping the dust period for a better and more prosperous year in 2016.
Using the flying star analysis above, you can identify where the good and bad stars are positioned and how you can activate or suppress with elemental cures.
Here is her advice!
- Positions 1 (SouthEast) & 8 (SouthWest): The Wealth Position. Enhance the location by utilising a water feature such as a mini water fountain or an aquarium.
- Position 2: Sickness and Tension. Mitigate any chances of catching ill with the usage of wind chimes, six-coin tassels, metal-based figurines, music boxes or pendulum clocks. Alternatively disperse the energies by ringing a bell in this area six times a day.
- Position 3 (NorthWest): Conflicts and Quarrels. Metal-based items and figurines such as those made of pewter would effectively shield you well. You may also resort to a red lamp or red carpet placed in this area.
- Positon 5 (NorthEast): Setbacks. Negate the effects of this location with the usage of six coins steeped in salt water (1/3 sea/rock salt and 2/3 water) in a porcelain or glass container with a lid 安忍水. Other cures would be the placement of a music box, a wind chime, metal sculptures or figurines, a pendulum clock or alternatively you may also ring a bell in this area six times a day.
- Position 7 (North): The Robbery Star 7 may incur money loss, broken contracts, the misplacement of things or even serious accidents. Put a red lamp to suppress this Star of misfortune or use plants to weaken its unfavourable effects.
- Position 6: (South) Star 6 brings good career luck and opportunities. Utilise this area more often in order to boost advancement in the work front. Decorate the area with eight white pebbles, crystals, stone sculptures and figurines or items made of earthenware to strengthen the energy of the Star 6. Make use of metal-make items such as figurines, sculptures, wind chimes, music boxes or bells as well
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