Clear Your Space...Clear Your Mind #6

Chapter 3 ~ Feng Shui My Shui

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

                                  William Shakespeare

     When I first began a practice in Feng Shui I found many of my clients had read enough about it to be mystified or even frightened,  “Our bed is facing my good direction but my husband’s bad direction.”  Or  “Oh my God, the bathroom is in the center of our house - does that mean we’re flushing our money down the toilet?  What do I do?”   How do you reassure people that even if their bathroom is in an inauspicious location, life is still worth living? 

      The information I gathered at that real deal workshop taught me front doors, bathrooms, and beds could be unfortunately located and potentially wreak havoc and even disaster in your life.  It was frightening - my clients were right.  As a Feng Shui practitioner I was being called upon to report this awful truth.  Rather than uplifting the people I was advising by re-designing, re-purposing, and organizing their spaces, I was asked to impart the particulars of their bad Feng Shui.

     “Your bathroom is in the worst location.”  Or, “Your stairs are sucking all the good energy away from the hearth of your home.”  These specifics made them feel horrible and I agonized over announcing the unpleasant news.  I wanted to revive their spirit, not add to their concerns and worries.

     When people call in a Feng Shui expert, what they really want is an improvement of an existing condition;  improvement of money, improvement of relationship, improvement of health, through a change in their environment. We want it, desire it, because we believe the having of it will make us happy, or happier.  Feng Shui is meant to have the cure. 

     I have seen many remedies applied and in truth, they don’t work for everyone. However, that authentic Feng Shui seminar that brought me back to the blank page taught me another principle the Chinese also believe.  This principle addresses why all cures don’t work for all people.  This theory is the umbrella under which Feng Shui resides: The Cosmic Trinity.

     The Cosmic Trinity states we are born with three aspects to our lives: Heaven Luck, Earth Luck and Man Luck.  Think of Heaven Luck as a boat, given to you by God.  It symbolizes the gifts and challenges you arrived with when you entered this world.  These strengths and weaknesses include your inborn talents, your parents, and the stars under which you were born.  Heaven Luck is unchangeable. 

     Earth Luck, on the other hand, is changeable.  It can be thought of as the wind that fills the sails and the currents of the water yourship encounters along the way.  Earth Luck is actually your Feng Shui.  Not a coincidence that Feng means “wind” and Shui means “water”.  

     The third aspect is Man Luck.  Man Luck is the way you steer your craft down the stream, the decisions you make and your outlook as you navigate through life.

     The Chinese believe that Feng Shui (Earth Luck) is an important contributor to one’s happiness, but they know it is only one-third of the equation.  There are still two other aspects that play a significant role in how the drama of our life unfolds: Heaven Luck and Man Luck. 

     When people find out their bathroom is in a “bad” place and there’s nothing they can do about it, that knowledge alone takes them from the very thing they were seeking - well-being.  It becomes the self-fulfilling prophecy.  Each time they walk by that bathroom they imagine all the dreadful things that can happen. It’s like sailing down the river in a leaky boat.

     I had to ask myself, “Is one aspect of this holy trinity more crucial when looking for an improvement of a life condition?  Does bad Feng Shui (Earth Luck) overpower your well-being and bring misfortune?  There clearly had to be more to creating happiness than turning your bed, wasn’t there?”

     As I watched how this information played out in my practice I became more enamored with the notion that Man Luck actually held the key.  It made sense that one’s thoughts about the turning of the bed were frankly as powerful as one’s Earth Luck.  It occurred to me what we believed about the space played an equal part in the manifesting of the desired outcome. 

     Traditional Feng Shui is very black and white.  The more I saw of it, the more I understood this “bad and good” philosophy might contribute to the dis-allowing of well-being, undermining a person’s progress.  In other words, moving your bed or your bathroom might enhance your Feng Shui, but if you don’t line up your Man Luck - change your attitude - there’s a possibility the cure will be for naught.

     To illustrate:  Let’s say you have two friends who want nothing more than to find the perfect mate.  Your friend Joanne, says, “My perfect mate is around the corner, I just know it.”  Your other friend, Wendy says, “I’ll never find my ideal mate, what’s wrong with me?”  With respect to finding their beloved, who would you put your money on?  

     The answer appears simple enough.  It’s clear Joanne’s upbeat sense of knowing her mate is around the corner will be a more effective approach.  This is Joanne’s Man Luck working for her.  Would you still bet on Joanne if her bed were facing the wrong direction?   I would, and here’s why.

     I met two women on different occasions, both looking for a mate.  They each had two-bedroom apartments and were sleeping in the bedroom located in the “Career” sector as opposed to the one situated in the “Love Relationship” area.  To manifest a significant other I recommended they switch the room’s identities, much better for romance.

     Each woman went about making the suggested changes, shifting furniture, converting the spaces, all to accommodate their soon-to-be new lover.  These were not effortless adjustments.  Moving a bed, a dresser, a desk, it all takes time, muscle and energy, but they both agreed to try it out.  There was one difference between the two, their outlook.  One was like Joanne, upbeat and positive, certain her mate was right around the corner.  The other like Wendy, complaining and oppositional.

     Of course the results prove my point here.  The resistant one had no luck, the one with the hopeful viewpoint met a guy.  You can move your bed, your dresser, or even your stove, but unless you line up with the energy of your desire, things don’t really change.  Lining up with your desire is believing in the possibility of it.  That is your Man Luck at work and the work of your Man Luck. 

     By using Joanne and Wendy as examples, the more upbeat your approach, the more likely you will attain what you wish for.  This is just basic common sense.  This knowledge has brought me into clearer focus.

     If the idea is to get closer to the wanted desire, whether it’s a better job, relationship, or more money, and the thoughts surrounding that subject are scarce and fear-based, it’s doubtful you will achieve your goal.  Traditional Feng Shui often puts angst into it’s followers’ minds.  It can take them farther away from what they wanted in the first place - hopefulness, optimism and satisfaction. 

     Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that relocating your bed is inappropriate or might not possibly be a component in helping you find your true love, but I am saying that a lighthearted perspective makes for a powerful combination, affecting the outcome. 

     If Feng Shui is the wind as it howls through your sails and the currents of the water as it laps the sides of your boat, remember Man Luck is the navigator. Man Luck chooses which way to point your boat and Man Luck reminds you that you are the creator of your own experience.  The direction your boat is facing, the decisions you make when traveling, and your outlook about the journey, these things have far greater impact on manifesting one’s heart’s desire.

     The revolving of the planets and the rotation of the moon, all influence the turning of the tides, and consequently the ride in your boat.  How you maneuver down the river is what determines your experience. 

     Conclusion:  all cures don’t work for all people because Man Luck, the third aspect of this holy Cosmic Trinity, holds the key to all of your yearnings. 

    With this in mind, I began feeling as if Feng Shui in it’s traditional form was limiting to myself and the people I was working with.  The more I read and learned about energy and how it works, the more I realized thought and intention were powerful tools for materializing your aspirations.

     Sorting through people’s stuff and shifting their furniture around for optimal energy flow has led me to my own conclusions.  A modification in one’s environment can, and often does, produce a profound sense of well-being. This sense of well-being actually inspires more of the same.  In this vibration, all nature of good things flow more easily into one’s life experience. The life improvement comes about not because we are necessarily tapping into good Feng Shui, but because we are tapping into our own well-being.  When lined up with that vibration, your boat is now facing in the right direction.

To be continued...