A. Feng shui (say "fung shway"), often called the art of placement, could just as accurately be called "the art of flow." This ancient Chinese practice, literally translated as "wind" and "water," aims to maximize the beneficial movement of chi-the universal life force present in all things-through an environment.

Just as fresh air and clean water nourish our bodies, so does fresh, clean chi nourish our homes and our lives. When the flow of chi through our space is blocked, weak, or misdirected, our relationships, cash flow, creativity, health, and career can suffer. Chi wants to meander gracefully through a space, like a gentle breeze or a winding stream. When it flows too strongly, it becomes like a hurricane or flood. We are likely to feel tossed about by winds of change, unstable, prone to crises, struggling to "keep our heads above water." Where chi is blocked it becomes stale and stagnant, like a pond choked with algae and fallen leaves. We may feel tired, run down, depressed, unable to focus, hampered in our efforts to move forward in our lives.

In a corporate environment, poor feng shui can result in miscommunication between managers and employees, conflicts among team members, and lack of support for key initiatives. Individuals may be overlooked for promotions or deserved raises, suffer damage to their reputation in the company, or even lose their job. The company may have difficulty attracting or keeping key customers.

In a retail store, feng shui problems can block the flow of customers into and through the store, contribute to theft and staffing problems, and have a negative effect on the amount and size of sales.

Feng shui provides tools and guidelines for analyzing and correcting the flow of energy into and through our space. It uses the arrangement of rooms and the placement of furniture to create a smooth pathway for chi through a home, office, or retail location. Blockages and other forms of negative chi are removed or counteracted in order to welcome in opportunities and encourage progress. Colors and shapes associated with the five elements-wood, fire, earth, metal, and water-are used to create movement, balance, or protection, depending on the needs of the client. Imagery and objects such as paintings, photographs, statuary and other accessories are chosen and placed to enhance and reinforce the client's intention.

Feng Shui reminds us that everything is connected, and that our physical surroundings have a significant impact on our mind, body, and spirit. It teaches us to be mindful caretakers of our environments, so that we may be mindful caretakers of our lives.

A. Feng shui is an ancient practice that originated in China several thousand years ago. The basic "form school" principles are still in use today. For example, the ideal location according to traditional feng shui has an "armchair" configuration: a hill or mountain behind the home on the northern side to provide protection from cold winter winds, with lower hills along either side, the house facing south to catch the sun, and a lake or stream in front to provide water for crops and livestock. This type of landscape configuration is still considered auspicious today. In an urban environment, a larger building to the rear provides a similar kind of protection. Streets and highways act like rivers to provide pathways for chi.

Consider also the effects of your local climate. In central China, for example, feng shui dictated that the kitchen should be located on the southern side of the house. This was because the prevailing winds came from the north, and might extinguish the cooking fire if the kitchen were on that side of the house. Today, some feng shui practitioners have learned this rule that kitchen should be in the south, and will follow it regardless of local conditions. If you live in the southwestern United States, however, where the climate is very hot and dry, your kitchen might be better located on the shadier north side of the home.

Another traditional approach to feng shui is the "eight directions" method. The eight directions are the four cardinal compass points-east, west, north, south-and the points in between-NE, NW, SE, SW. Based on your gender and year of birth, four of these directions will be auspicious for you, and four will be inauspicious and thought to bring illness or bad luck. According to this method of feng shui, the front door of your home should face one of your lucky directions. You should sleep in an auspicious sector of the house, and face one of your lucky directions while you work, and so on. This approach to feng shui is very popular in Europe and is becoming more widely known in the U.S. You are likely to encounter books and magazines that follow this method.

If you are shopping for a new home or apartment, it's worth finding out what your lucky directions are (and those of other family members) and factoring that into your decision. However, just because the front door of a house faces your luckiest direction doesn't mean it's the best choice for you, as it is no guarantee that the house has good feng shui in other aspects. There could be all kinds of feng shui problems on the property that far outweigh the benefits of a "lucky" front door.

If you know your lucky directions, there's no reason not to consider them in your own home, so long as you look at all the factors involved when making decisions about to use and arrange your space. For example, moving your bed so you sleep in a lucky direction won't do you much good if you are now sleeping under an overhead beam or directly in line with the bedroom door, both of which are considered poor feng shui. Feng shui will work best for you if you use it as a basis for making informed decisions, rather than rigidly following guidelines out of context or ignoring the broader implications of your changes.

And just in case you aren't confused enough already, there is also the "compass school" approach to feng shui. This is a complex practice that calculates a detailed "star" chart for the home, based on the year of construction and the precise compass direction the building faces. You can think of this approach as being like having an astrology reading for your home: in addition to the basic chart, there are influences that change every day, month, and year. Some homes will have poor star combinations that will bring bad luck and misfortune to their occupants unless those influences are corrected through specific feng shui "cures," such as placing metal or water in certain areas of the house. Other homes might have a good star chart, only to come under unlucky influences during a particular month or year.

The compass method of feng shui requires that you know the year your house was built, as well as whether and when any significant renovations involving the roof, foundation, or major additions have been made. You also must be able to get an accurate (within a couple of degrees) compass reading on the "facing direction" of your home.

Another complication is that the facing direction is not necessarily the same as the front door, depending on the layout and position of your home. It is sometimes difficult or impossible to get an accurate compass reading, especially in an urban environment. A car parked at the curb in front of your house, a cast iron fence around the front garden of a townhouse, or buried utility lines under your front yard may be enough to throw off your compass reading. When I lived in an apartment in New York City, I took quite a few compass readings over a period of several months; the readings were so varied and inconsistent that I was never able to do an accurate compass analysis of that apartment.

In summary, all of the traditional methods of feng shui offer valuable principles and guidelines-which you may or may not be able to follow or apply to your specific home.

Fortunately, there is another approach, introduced in the United States by Master Lin Yun. Called "Black Sect" or "Black Tibetan Buddhist" feng shui. This and other similar approaches focus on creating a healthy flow of chi through a space.This contemporary Western style of feng shui addresses the need for a method that can be used where compass-oriented rules of placement are difficult or impossible to follow. It can also be used in combination with the other methods to provide a deeper understanding of the energetic qualities and influences of your space.

In this contemporary approach to feng shui, the association of specific areas of the home with specific aspects of your life is based on position relative to the front door-the "mouth of chi." Furniture is arranged to create a safe and comfortable environment, and colors, artwork, and other imagery are chosen to reinforce desired changes. One of the most appealing aspects of this style of feng shui is the emphasis it places on the power of your intention to influence the energy of your home. This makes the practice of feng shui much more personal and unique to each individual, and creates the opportunity to use feng shui as a tool for increased self-awareness and personal growth. "Fast Feng Shui" is my approach to teaching the principles of contemporary western feng shui in a way that is easy to learn and apply. And the best part of this type of feng shui is that anyone can use it for increased prosperity, success and happiness-starting right now, without special equipment or years of training.

A. You do not need any kind of compass to practice contemporary Western feng shui or to apply the principles taught in "Fast Feng Shui" to your home. This is one of the great advantages of this style of feng shui.

The compass school method of feng shui does use a compass, and special feng shui compasses are available for those who wish to use them although a standard compass from your local sporting goods store will work as well.

Analyzing the lucky and unlucky sectors of your home according to the Eight Directions method requires knowing with some degree of accuracy which direction your home faces, but a few degrees of variation one way or the other will not matter quite as much as it does for the compass method.

A. Feng shui is not a religion. It is a philosophy of interior and landscape design that originated in ancient China, and which is based on the Taoist belief in the interconnectedness of all things. It teaches us to be thoughtful about how we arrange and use the spaces we inhabit and work in, and reminds us to be attentive to and appreciative of the relationships and possessions that bless our lives.

Many "BTB" (Black Tibetan Buddhist) feng shui practices incorporate Buddhist meditation or chanting. None of these are required to do feng shui. You can do feng shui using Jewish or Christian (or other) prayers, or without using any prayers at all.

Contemporary Western feng shui is very flexible, and very personal. If you have a religious practice, you can incorporate as much or as little of that practice as you'd like into your feng shui rituals.

A. If you truly believe that, then perhaps you would be happier not doing feng shui. On the other hand, feng shui can remove obstacles to communication, eliminate unnecessary arguments, reduce your stress, and improve your ability to take advantage of the opportunities and abundance that God is sending your way. Did God tell you to accumulate so much clutter that you feel completely stuck in your life? Did God tell you to place your couch so it is difficult for you to relax and unwind at home-so you are more likely to lose your temper with your children or spouse? Or has God has led you to feng shui because it is a useful tool that will help you to live your life in accordance with his plan?

Your religious beliefs and practices are your own business; I cannot answer those questions for you or say whether or not feng shui is appropriate for you. I can reassure you that feng shui is not a religion, and that it can be practiced by people of any faith. I also would advise you to listen to your heart, and not to proceed with feng shui if you do not feel comfortable with it for any reason, religious or otherwise.

A. You don't. All you can do is try it and find out.

It is impossible to predict exactly what results you will see from feng shui, or how long they will take to manifest. Sometimes results are seen within days-or even hours!-other times it can takes weeks or months for the energy to shift. Bear in mind that feng shui is a tool, not a magic wand. There are many other factors determining what happens in your life, including your karma and astrology, and - very important! - your own attitudes and actions.

If your attitude and expectations are rigid and inflexible, even making powerful changes to the feng shui of your home may not result in a noticeable improvement in the situation. This is because you are the critical factor in the equation, and your mental and/or emotional rigidity is interfering with the manifestation of a desired change.

Another thing that can happen is that there is a very obvious shift in the situation, but the results of feng shui are not exactly what you had in mind. This doesn't mean feng shui is not working. It may mean that what you think you want is not what you need, or that your transition will evolve through a series of shifts over a longer period of time. Your issues and priorities can and should change over time, which means that you can come back to feng shui again and again to help make your progress easier.

If you approach feng shui with an attitude of flexibility, an open mind, and a sense of adventure, you are well on your way to a successful and rewarding feng shui experience. Rigid expectations, fear of the unknown, or resistance to change can all stop feng shui from working no matter how much time, effort, and money you put into it. (See Principle 9 in Fast Feng Shui for more on evaluating your feng shui experience.)

A. The ba gua (ba: eight; gua: area) is a map of the energetic qualities of your space. It is traditionally shown as an octagon with eight sections surrounding a central area, the tai chi. For practical use, we extend the corners of the ba gua to form a square, then divide it into nine equal sections.

Click here to view the Feng Shui BaGua Energy Map

The ba gua divides any space into these nine areas. Each area corresponds to a different aspect of your life (see diagram). Whatever is going on energetically-good or bad-in that part of your space will affect the related aspect of your life.

Every space has a ba gua. There is a ba gua for your plot of land, a ba gua for your house or apartment, and a ba gua for each room within your home. You can even apply the ba gua to your desk, bed, or stove.

To apply the ba gua to your home, align the bottom edge with the wall your front door is in. Even if you usually enter your home through the garage or a back or side door, always align the ba gua to the front door. Now, stretch (or shrink) the ba gua to cover your entire space. To apply the ba gua to an individual room, do the same thing: align the ba gua with the doorway wall, and adjust the size to fit the space. As you stand in the doorway facing into the space, kun gua (relationships) is always to the far right. If there is more than one way to enter a space, orient the ba gua to the most prominent entryway. If the entries are equal, choose the one that is more frequently used.

The ba gua for each floor above or below the main floor is aligned to where you enter that level from the top (for higher floors) or bottom (for lower floors) of the stairs. Sometimes there will be a wall directly in front of you at the top or bottom of the stairs, and you will need to turn to the right or left before you are facing into the space.

A. Placement of the ba gua is tricky in a lot of situations. Unless a new formal front door was created when the new room was added, your original front door is still your front door. It is unlikely that you are missing half the sections of the ba gua.

Sometimes one or more areas of the house are in front of the front door. In other words, if you are standing on your own doorstep facing the door as if you were about to go inside, part of the house may extend out behind you. Depending on the position of your door, any parts of the house that are behind you are extensions in ken (self-understanding, on your left), kan (career, in the center), or chien (helpful friends/travel, on the right) guas.

This would be the case if your house is a "U" shape (from your description it sounds as though it is an upside-down U, with a recessed entry). You probably have extensions in ken and chien guas.

See Principle 2 in the Fast Feng Shui book for more information on extensions and how to consider them in your feng shui plans.

A. Think of your apartment as being divided into shared and private spaces. The ba gua for your bedroom will be most important for you, since that is your private space and any changes you make there will have the strongest energetic impact on you.

Take a look at the ba gua for the entire apartment as well. What area is your bedroom in? That energy will be strong for you. What areas are off-limits to you (your roommates' private spaces)? Which areas-such as the kitchen, living room, and bathroom-are shared by all of you? Use this information to help you decide which areas within your own room might need a little extra feng shui help to offset blocked energy elsewhere in the apartment.

For example, let's say money is an issue for you. If the wealth area of the apartment (hsun gua) is in your roommate's space, it is off-limits to you. You can compensate by strengthening the wealth area in your room. If the wealth area for the apartment is in the living room, on the other hand, there may be things you can do there to enhance that space. Your roommates might be willing to help you move the couch or bookcase to a better location, or may agree to placing an indoor fountain, lush green plants, or a wind chime there.

One of the more difficult aspects of feng shui can be dealing with other people's clutter. Talk with your roommates about trying to keep the shared areas of your apartment clean and uncluttered, so you can all benefit from a good flow of chi through those spaces.

A. No. When you place the ba gua over your entire house, always align it to the formal front door.

The architect who designed your home designed a main entry. This is the "mouth of chi" for your home regardless of where it is located and whether or not you use it on a daily basis. In fact, if you don't use your front door regularly, you are probably shutting out some good chi that could be entering and circulating through your home (see Quick Tip 20 in the Fast Feng Shui book for more information on why you should use your front door on a regular basis).

You may have heard that you should position the ba gua according to the door that you most often use. It is important to remember that this rule is true only for individual rooms within the home, and does not apply to the ba gua for the entire house or apartment. For example, you may be able to enter your living room from the front hallway, through an archway to the dining room, or through the door to the sun porch on the side of the house. If you want to look at the ba gua for the living room, how do you know which doorway to use? First, see if one of the doorways is significantly larger or more prominent than the others. Imagine that you are a visitor coming to your home for the first time; could you tell at a glance which door is the main entry to that room? If so, use that door to place the ba gua. If all of the doors to that room are equal in size and prominence, then place the ba gua according to the doorway that you and your family use most often.

A. Some houses and apartments are a challenge when it comes to placing the ba gua. Here are some general guidelines to follow:

Where is your "mouth of chi"? This is your front, or formal entry to the house. The bottom edge of the ba gua will always line up with the front door.

Look for extensions: areas that stick out from the main body of the house. Extensions will be outside the edge of the ba gua. An extension is always less than half the width of that side of the house or apartment.

Look for missing areas: alcoves or recesses that create a gap in the outline of the house. Missing areas are always less than half the width of that side of the house. A missing area is inside the ba gua.

If you have an enclosed garage or sun room, include those spaces in the ba gua. A porch, verandah, or carport that has a roof but no walls is not included in the ba gua, because it is not a fully enclosed space.

When the outline of your home is very irregular, the ba gua will not fit neatly over it. When planning your feng shui changes, pay special attention to extensions and missing areas, as they indicate which guas are enhanced or weakened by the layout of your home. Take advantage of the stronger chi of an extension, and find ways to strengthen the weaker chi of any missing areas

A. You do not have to identify the ba gua for every room in the home, but it's always worth placing important cures in the bedroom because that is the room that most strongly holds and affects your personal energy. If wealth is an issue for you, use the ba gua (oriented to the bedroom door) to find the wealth corner of your bedroom. This will be an important prosperity "power spot" for you.

Even more effective would be to find the wealth area of the room that is in the wealth area of your home (hsun gua). This will be an excellent wealth power spot for you, and a good area for feng shui enhancements. The living room or a home office/study are also good areas for wealth cures.

A. If your house is full of clutter you are living in the midst of a lot of very stale, stuck energy. Since feng shui works by shifting the energy of your home, it's going to take a lot more effort to get results if you don't deal with your clutter first.

Stop thinking of cleaning up your clutter as a tremendous chore, and start thinking of it as one of the most effective feng shui tactics available to you. Every magazine and piece of paper you recycle, every book you give to the library, every item of clothing you release to a new owner creates space in your life for new energy, joy, activities, and companionship to come in.

It can be very helpful, at the start of your clutter-clearing efforts, to spend some time thinking about what you are making room for. Write these goals in your feng shui journal and keep them in mind to inspire you as you clean up and clear out your house.

Don't try to clear out all of your clutter at once, since that's a good way to get overwhelmed and give up before any real progress is made. Think about what kind of energy shifts you would most like to experience in your life right now (see Principle 1 in the Fast Feng Shui book), then focus your clutter-clearing efforts on the "power spots" where new energy will have the most effect on you

A. No. There are reasons why some traditional feng shui objects-such as faceted crystal balls, wind chimes, bamboo flutes, and red tassels-are effective feng shui cures, but that doesn't mean you have to use them in your home. The best approach, if you don't like the look of a traditional feng shui cure, is to understand why it is recommended, then look for something else you can use instead that will be a better match for your home décor and personal taste.

For example, faceted crystal balls-usually hung in a window or doorway or from the ceiling with red string-are very effective at interrupting a strong flow of chi and radiating that energy out in all directions. If you don't want to use a crystal ball, look for something else that will have the same effect. If your décor is traditional, perhaps you could replace a ceiling fixture with a small crystal chandelier. A kinetic metal sculpture might work for a contemporary home. If your décor is casual, consider a beaded curtain to slow down the flow of chi in a long hallway, or hang a piece of stained-glass art the back door window to keep chi from escaping out the rear of the house.

A. If you'd like to bring new energy to your home, painting your front door a different color can help. Red is often recommended because in feng shui the color red is associated with success and prosperity, but that may not be the most appropriate choice for everyone. Choose a color that you like, that will be appropriate to the rest of the house exterior, and that supports your goals.

Black and dark blue are the colors associated with opportunities, social contacts, and career success.

Green is associated with wood energy, which is uplifting in nature. Lighter shades of green are associated with new growth and new beginnings; darker shades of green are associated with the energy of mature trees and forests. Both green and purple are associated with "fortunate blessings" which include (but are not limited to) financial prosperity.

Yellows and browns are associated with the stability of earth energy, but may not be the best choice for a front door, where you would like the chi to be more active.

White is associated with metal and creativity, but it will show dirt more clearly, so be sure to keep it clean.

A few words of caution about red: In traditional Chinese feng shui, there are certain unlucky "star combinations" that can be activated by the color red. It's possible your house has one of these combinations at the front door. Also, each year (using the Chinese calendar), one of the eight directions or the center of the house will be an inauspicious place to use red. In order to find out if either of these situations is an issue for your home you will need to do a compass-method analysis of your home. Or, use the "try it and see" method: paint your front door red and see what happens. If your luck takes a big turn for the worse (illness, unexpected major expenses, loss of a contract or job, etc.), run back to the paint store and repaint the door another color.

A. Feng shui for a small space is usually a challenge, because of precisely the situation you are in: too much stuff in too small an area.

The first thing to do is to try to place your bed in the "command position," across from the door, but not directly in line with it. (See Quick Tip 28 in the Fast Feng Shui for details). If this is not possible, place a mirror so that you can see the doorway reflected in it when you are lying in bed. Try not to block too much of the floor space. If you have to twist sideways to get past a piece of furniture, you are blocking the chi.

Fish tanks are not recommended for the bedroom; too much yin water chi where you sleep can drain your energy; plus the pump is probably creating EMF fields that you don't want to sleep in. If you need to keep it there, move it away from the bed.

Look for ways to consolidate (place the stereo on top of the dresser, for example) to free up space. Look forward to moving into a larger apartment, and make that one of your intentions.

A. The practice both these questions refer to -- defining auspicious and inauspicious directions based on the year of birth -- is one of several methods of traditional Chinese feng shui. While many follow this practice, others (including my teachers of both Chinese and contemporary western feng shui) believe that it is much less important than creating a good flow of beneficial chi through the home and removing or counteracting negative chi caused by poor design or other conditions.

In my experience, sleeping with your head in your most auspicious direction (for example) most often can not be achieved without creating an awkward arrangement within the bedroom. This may cause more problems than it solves. I suggest you educate yourself a little more about basic feng shui principles (both western and traditional) before making any changes to your home.

Please also remember that feng shui is a tool for helping us achieve greater success, prosperity, and self-actualization. It is rarely effective when applied as a quick cure-all in hopes that inner work and personal development will not be required.

Book provides a clear and applicable understanding of the basic principles of Western feng shui, including and guidelines for creating a beneficial flow of chi through the home, how to activate your personal "power spots," and simple, effective methods for removing or couteracting negative energy. These are all factors that should be considered whether or not you decide to use your personal lucky directions as well

A. It's always a good idea to "clear the air" when moving into a space where other people have lived before you. Some quick and easy ways to do this include sweeping out the entire space (while you do this, hold in your mind the strong intention to sweep up and remove any stale or negative energy), and opening all the doors and windows for a few minutes between 11pm and 1am, when the chi of the day is shifting.

If your new home is carpeted, a professional steam cleaning can remove a lot of stale chi from the carpet along with the dirt. Repainting the walls and washing windows also refreshes the chi of a space. These are all "elbow grease" cures that use basic housekeeping to clear out stale chi.

A formal space clearing ceremony is a specialized practice to remove old or negative energy from the space. This can be very intense energy work, and should only be done by someone with appropriate training. Some feng shui consultants offer this service to their clients, or you may wish to hire a professional space clearer.

A. The best thing to do would be to place a large mirror (full-length, if possible) on the outside of the closet door. I suggest removing the crystal, as it may be activating the litter box energy, rather than counteracting it.

Keep in mind also that crystals are associated with the METAL element, so they deplete EARTH energy (natural crystals come from the earth). You could hang the crystal outside the closet and empower it to prevent any negative chi from affecting the rest of the house. If you want to add yellow, I'd recommend a yellow towel or small rug underneath the litter box.

Another solution is to place the litter box in the bathtub -- the function of the bathroom is to remove waste energy, right? Then move the litter box when you need to take a shower or bath. I know several folks who live in small apartments who use this solution. I especially recommend this if the closet you are using now is close to the center of the house -- remember that anything in the tai chi area will affect the entire house and all aspects of your life.

In addition to removing the litter box, if the closet is in the center of the house I recommend doing a thorough cleaning and de-cluttering in there. Once you've removed the litter box, put the crystal back up in the closet with the intention that it activate and energize the entire home and counteract the closed/blocked energy of the closet. If the closet is in the tai chi position, the mirror on the outside of the door will also be a good idea.

A. The #5 star is associated with the EARTH element, so usually a wind chime (METAL) is used as the cure because METAL depletes EARTH.

However, the EAST direction is associated with the WOOD element, and the #5 star is in the East this year. Since METAL destroys WOOD, you don't want to use the traditional wind chime cure this year -- in addition to depleting the harmful #5 energy, you will also be harming the natural WOOD energy associated with EAST.

Therefore, the best way to defuse the #5 star when it is in the EAST (or SOUTHEAST, also associated with WOOD), is to add more WOOD energy in the EAST sectors of the home. WOOD uproots and disrupts EARTH, so it will help to counteract the #5 star.

In your situation, you can add healthy, lush, green plants to the bedroom. If possible, place them in the eastern sector of the room.

A. There are two ways to locate your money "power spots":

1) Find the southeast corner of your home or living room. (Take a look at the bedroom and kitchen, too.)

2) Use the far left corner of the home, of your living room, or of the bedroom or kitchen.

I suggest checking by both methods and seeing if there is any area of overlap. For example, if the far left corner of your living room is also in the southeast corner of the house (or apartment), then that would be a good money "power spot" to use. You will be activating the money power spot of your choice with the "cure" of the I Ching coins and red string, so look at your options according to these guidelines, and choose a place that is:

- located in a money power spot
- clean and uncluttered (or clean it up first!)
- easily accessible
- not in a bathroom.

Other things to look at include the kitchen (a dirty stove can affect prosperity), and plumbing: water leaks are symbolic of loss of resources. Your own actions and intentions are also important in feng shui, so look for "leaks" in your budget or spending. Feng Shui will not work as well for you if your own attitudes and behaviors don't support your stated intention!

Here's a bonus tip: when you go in and out the back door all the time, you may be missing out on some of life's opportunities. The front door is always the "mouth of chi" -- the primary way for chi (energy) to get into your home. Be sure to go in and out the front door regularly (at least a couple of times a week) to keep the energy in your home fresh and to make sure you are not "shutting" out opportunities by not using that door.

A. Some inexpensive things you can do for a bathroom in the wealth area are:

1) Place a large (full-length) mirror on the OUTSIDE of the bathroom door, and keep the door closed as much as possible.

2) Add lots of green plants (or pictures of green plants, or green towels, green or floral shower curtain, etc.) to the bathroom to add WOOD energy. This will help to counteract the downward flow of water (prosperity) through the plumbing system. Avoid plants such as ivy that hang down as they grow. Use purple as an accent color, as it is the color associated with this area of the ba gua. Little, inexpensive touches are fine.

3) Keep the toilet seat down, and the drains closed in the sink, tub/shower when not in use.

When you are ready to spend a little money, be sure also to place priority attention on repairing any plumbing problems anywhere in the house. Leaky plumbing is symbolic of draining resources. Also check for plumbing problems or another bathroom in the SW areas of the house, as this is the area associated with wealth based on the compass directions. If you have a yard, look for any "yucky" chi in the SW areas of the property and the back left corner.

Doing a few repairs at a time over time will be much better than doing nothing at all. If no upkeep has been done on your home in 30 years, the chi is probably low. Do what you can to clean the place up and make whatever repairs you can yourself -- even minor ones. Sometimes a minor change or improvement can have a big effect in feng shui.

Start with your prosperity power spots first, and don't do too much to activate an area until you have done some basic cleaning and clutter-clearing and have repaired whatever maintenance problems are within your budget. Start with the power spot that seems to be the most troublesome, do what you can there to correct and improve it, then add an enhancement. Move on to the next.

Remember the importance of your intention as well. Hold in your heart your intention to take good care of your home as best you can within the limits of your current resources, so that it can take good care of you.

A. You are right that feng shui advises against keeping things that belong to or that you associate with an ex-partner - especially if you want to attract a new relationship into your life. However, this does not mean you have to get rid of something that you use and love just because it was given to you by a previous partner. Remember that this piece of furniture was a gift, given (presumably) with love at the time you received it. Even though this man is no longer with you, the quality of loving generosity is still associated with the furniture. This is especially true because you say you like it.

If, each time you look at this piece of furniture, you are filled with anger, grief, or loneliness, then you might want to think more about it. These are difficult emotions, and if you get trapped in them they can make it harder for you to let go of a relationship that has ended. On the other hand, when a relationship ends some feelings of anger, grief, or loneliness are appropriate and it is a mistake to suppress them. Keeping this piece of furniture may in some way facilitate a healing process by helping to bring these feelings to the surface.

Again, remember that this furniture came into your life with good vibrations. Perhaps you can spend some time reflecting on all the positive things you experienced in this recent relationship, and all the qualities that you liked and appreciated about that person. Write them all down on a piece of paper, and add "all these qualities and more now manifest in my perfect partner." Place this paper in a red envelope, and put it on (or in) the piece of furniture. Use the body/speech/mind empowerment method as you do this.

Only you can make the decision whether or not to keep this piece of furniture. I do recommend being thoughtful about where in your home to place it. Find a spot for it that is not in your bedroom or in another relationship Power Spot.

A. If possible, position the client's chair so it is not directly in front of (or next to) the corner of the bookcase. Even a few inches one way or the other could make a difference. Try sitting in the chair yourself, and find what spot within your limited options feels the most natural and comfortable. Your client will also feel most comfortable if they are not sitting with their back directly in line with the door (even if you close the door during meetings).

Keep in mind the client is there to consult with you and gain your expert advice! Make sure that, in placing the client's chair to avoid secret arrows, it is also in a good position for conversation. If you have to choose one over the other, go with whichever position enables you both to talk and share documents comfortably.

Take care of your own comfort, too. It is preferable for the client to be exposed to a sharp corner for a few minutes than for you to be in harm's way for the entire day. Remember, in most cases feng shui is less about creating an ideal arrangement that it is about finding the most workable solution in less-than-perfect conditions. Do the best you can given the small space you have to work with, then stop worrying about feng shui and focus on your clients.