Feng shui and money, plainly

I was once asked, quite seriously, why someone had followed every feng shui tip for wealth and still had not won the lottery.

Here is the honest answer. Abundance and prosperity are not the same thing as unlimited cash. The tradition says there is enough abundance in the universe for everyone, there for the asking, but you have to know what abundance is or you will not notice when it has already arrived.

A good night's sleep is abundance. So is a full pantry, a friend who calls, a free morning. Money is part of the picture, and feng shui can help you look after it. A winning ticket is another matter.

Start with your wallet

Take out your wallet and look at it properly. How much is in it? Is the money neat and in order, or crumpled, with coins rattling around the bottom of your bag? Is the wallet a good home for something this important, or is it ready to fall apart?

How you handle money says a lot about your relationship with it. If the roof leaks you fix it, and feng shui holds that a messy wallet deserves the same attention.

So buy a new wallet if yours needs it, and keep the notes flat and in order. Then carry approximately $100 in cash, and whenever you see something you like, remind yourself that if you wanted it, you have enough in your wallet to buy it now. You do not have to buy it. You just get used to the feeling of enough.

A dozen things for the house

In feng shui the south east of a home is the wealth area, and the front door is where energy comes in.

1. Make the address easy to see. Your house number should be clear from the street.
2. Clear the walkway. Lights along the path are said to help show prosperity the way in.
3. Let the door open all the way. Nothing behind it, nothing stopping it.
4. Clear the house and the garage. Clutter is stagnant energy, and the garage counts.
5. Mind the water. Fix leaks and dripping taps right away, plug the drains when they are not in use and keep the toilet seats down.
6. Look after the stove. The tradition gives the stove a direct connection to your wealth, so keep it clean and working.
7. Stock the pantry. A full pantry is a picture of abundance.
8. Check for a fireplace in the south east. It is said to burn through money. Hang a mirror or a picture of a waterfall above it.
9. Keep heavy stone out of the south east. A big marble table there is said to block prosperity.
10. Add lucky bamboo. Four or eight stalks in the south east for growing income.
11. Go round. Round bowls, round vases, and photographs of the people you love in round gold or silver frames.
12. Bring the ship in. Put a sailing ship near the front door, sailing into the house.

Two questions

If your kitchen is in the south east, use it. Basil, rosemary, cinnamon, ginger, sage and parsley in the spice rack are said to draw wealth, and so is a bottle of olive oil on display. Stainless steel and anything round and metal suit this area. Try to avoid black.

If your house has no south east corner at all, you are not doomed. Square off the missing piece. Outside, put a heavy statue or planter where the corner would be, or a bright light that finishes the wall. Inside, hang a mirror on the wall facing the missing area so the room seems to carry on.

Then remember that feng shui works on the whole house and on each room (big tai chi and small tai chi). Every room has a south east. Find the one in your living room and put your enhancements there.

From the archive. First written for my journal years ago, and rewritten for life after 50.