Feng Shui and Rune Blog Combined

We, at The Whispering Path, have decided to merge our Rune and Feng Shui Blogs into one blog called The Whispering Path Blog.  We will continue to post articles regarding Feng Shui and about Runes however we will also post articles about Crystals and Reiki.

Please visit us at The Whispering Path Blog.  :)

wendy@whisperingpath.com

gaylle@whisperingpath.com

the whispering path website

Feng Shui in My Library

I moved recently... tracking away from a home on the lake with fabulous views to a home in town.  There's a lot to be said about moving into town - my husband and I'll be spending much less time maintaining out outside space since the lot size is of course, town-size.  We've been under extreme renovations since the move in August and now the main floor is complete.

My favourite room in the house is the library.  Do I spend tons of time there?  Not quite as much as I'd like.  Based on the Feng Shui bagua, my library is in the area of my house that would be about health, family and community.  So it's appropriate within that space that I have a massage chair which certainly focuses on the health of my body (and my husband's), and a number of pictures of family members who I don't see very often.     Probably one of my favourite things also about this room is the colour - it's a very dark, warm brown - accented by white shelving.   There's a healthy plant under the window, in the fame, reputation & social life part of the bagua, plus appropriate other items which highlight what I want highlighted in my life.

So far, my books are higgly piggly all over the place.  I've not yet had the time to organize them as I like, which is alphabetically by author.   No... I'm not anal... I just like finding what I like to find without wasting time.  I'm pretty careful with my books - if they've been read and I'll either read them again or would like to keep them for someone else to read, I'll keep them.  If they've been read and I'll never read them again, they go to the local library fundraiser sale.   Of course, I'm looking forward to a new e-reader from my honey (he has no secrets LOL).

Love, love, love my library.

Gaylle

The Whispering Path

Feng Shui & Steve Jobs

I came across a quote form Steve Jobs about design recently and it tickled my brain because it was a perfect way of describing how a home or business space becomes when designed with feng shui in mind.

"In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service."


Of course Jobs was talking about a different product than we're usually doing here, but it still fits.  By designing your space to include the fundamentals of feng shui it's more than curtain fabric and sofa choices - it's about the ultimate energy produced by those choices.

gaylle@whisperingpath.com
wendy@whisperingpath.com

The Whispering Path

Creating a Spash with Feng Shui

I've recently moved and while I'm just coming out of reno-mode (at least on the main floor of my bungalow) most of the rooms are now complete and painted.  Most of the artwork is up and I've found a home for most of the other decorative items.

Every room needs a focal point or special piece.  It might be something that anchors the room by tying in the main colours within one piece, or it may be a delightful piece of hanging art that draws the eye or a small piece that sits on a counter that defies you to miss it.

Take a look around each room in your home.  Walk in to each room with a critical eye.  What pops?  What invites your eye?  Oh my gosh... I hope SOMETHING does... and I HOPE it's not the TV!  Maybe you already have something fun or colourful that's just in the wrong place.  Try moving things around.

Have some fun with this... and enjoy the process!


gaylle@whisperingpath.com
wendy@whisperingpath.com

The Whispering Path

Top 5 Tips in Feng Shui for Wealth

Whenever possible, if wanting to attract wealth into your home, use the following tips:

1. Use the colour green - obviously, the colour usually associated with paper money
2. Use the colour gold - again, obviously the colour of gold
3. Make sure all the plants in your home are green and healthy - pick off old brown leaves, trim off any dead twigs.  If you have to, replace them or replant.  You don't want any struggling scrawny plants in your house.
4. If you're in the process of buying a new home, buy one where the inside stairs don't feed directly down to the front door - choose ones that off-set this placement.
5. Keep the toilet lids down all the time.

gaylle@whisperingpath.com

The Whispering Path

Feng Shui for Internal Peace

Sometimes I find myself reassurred and calmed by my surroundings.  As you can surmise, my home incorporates  all the elements of Feng Shui that are possible.  Probably the only think missing in my house is an internal water fountain or display, but then again, I don't worry about it too much because we live on a lake, and every window save one in the house looks out onto the lake from one direction or another.

So, I was just thinking about the new home I'll be moving into.  There is no lake.  So I'm in the midst of designing my own water feature.  The sound of water trickling brings such internal peace - it's also good for meditiation.

I'll keep you apprised of what I learn from the process and come up with.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui - Where to Buy Stuff

I think that if you've got a morsel of creativity, you can probably find the items you decide you need to bring good Feng Shui chi into your home.   If, however, you're a bit stuck, try these folks:

 

http://www.fengshui-supply.com/store/home.php?gclid=CLnnyaSkwqkCFcIUKgodXlRAJg

Gaylle & Wendy

The Whispering Path

Feng Shui Colours

This week I had a discourse on colours to use in your home.  Please listen here...

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whisperingpathtarot/2011/06/14/feng-shui-with-the-whispering-path

Look for the next one on the schedule :)

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui and Pets

If you have a pet who is hostile toward you or other people, short of hiring the Dog Whisperer, you might try a little Feng Shui magic.  Locate the family area of your home.  This area lies in the Eastern part of the house (about where 9:00 would be on a square clock face if you were standing at the front door).  Add a table top fountain to the family area, a couple of jade plants, and something black.

And of course, don't forget to give your pet plenty of love.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui and Children

If you have children, the best area in Feng Shui lies in the Western part of the house, or, if you're standing in the front door, on the right hand side of the home, in the middle opposite the family area (at 3:00 if you're thinking about a square clock face).  If your kids are hostile or angry, use anything yellow in that area - flowers with round leaves, curtains, linens, quilts, whatever feels right.  Symbols for children and creativity are also good here, as are music, bells and lights.

Once the negativity in the children's area is purged, put a white crystal or white flowers somewhere in the room.  It helps to balance emotions.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui to Increase Your Prosperity

Here's a quickie:  In Feng Shui, purple, violet and lavender are associated with wealth and prosperity.  Standing at your front door, locate the farthest left0hand corner of your home.  That's your prosperity area.  Select 12 plants with purple blooms. and place your plants in that room if it has enough light.  If it doesn't, place the plants as close as possible to that room.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

The Golden Dragon in Feng Shui

There aren't too many people in the West who have a Golden Dragon hanging around in their house, but the celestial Dragon is the ultimate good luck symbol. This wonderful creature features in all the Chinese divinitive sciences and is central to the practice of feng shui.

Places with excellent feng shui are said to enjoy the dragon's cosmic breath. Thus placing a dragon image in the office is ALWAYS said to bring great good fortune. The EAST is the place traditionally associated with the dragon... thus placing the dragon image on the East always represents excellent feng shui. 


If you do have a dragon image of some sort - either in 3D (and made of ceramic, crystal or wood please) or a picture, place it on the east side of your office/den.  Never put the dragon inside your bedroom.   You can also simulate the green dragon of the east in your garden by having flowering plants set in a winding flowerbed on the east side of your garden.  Another way to incorporate the dragon into your decor is to have a table or end-table with a dragon carved into the legs.  For most Western homes, this is the most acceptable way of bringing the good luck and energy into your home.


Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui for the Bathroom

The bathroom is the room where you dedicate yourself to cleansing your body, and water is wealth in Feng Shui.  So this room, is the third of the important triumvirate (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) for bringing good chi and wealth into your home.

The very presence of water not only refreshes you, but cleanses your emotional state, which goes hand in hand with good chi.   Now the toilets themselves are a concern of course.  Water going down the drain, or down the toilet is synonymous with wealth going out of the house, so 1/ make sure your toilet seat is always down and 2/ make sure your bathroom door is closed.  If you're lucky enough to be remodelling, try to make the toilet as inconspicuous as possible - sometimes in high-end homes it's in a small room by itself within the bathroom - but many of us are not in this lucky circumstance.

Mirrors are always a big part of a bathroom and circulate good energy (they're somewhat like water in this way), but you definitely DON't want to enlarge bad chi which will happen if you can see your body while on the toilet.  So if you're tempted to put mirrors on the shower enclosure, think again if it means you will see your reflection while on the 'can'.

Other than keeping this room spotlessly clean and neat, rubber stoppers are a good idea to use when the bathroom is idle to stop the wealth leaving down the drains and a healthy plant within the room (always placed higher than the toilet).  Good luck with the bathrooms in your home.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui of the Bedroom - the Good

I thought I'd take this lovely picture of an elegant bedroom and describe the wonderful things about what makes it have good chi within the parameters of Feng Shui, and also what doesn't work within the properties of Feng Shui.

First of all, the entrance to the bedroom isn't directly opposite the foot of the bed, it's at the side so that when one is in bed, there's no direct flow from the head of the bed, through the foot and out the door.  There's a nightstand on each side of the bed, which sets up balance and equality for each person occupying the room.  The colours are fabulous.  First of all, outside of Feng Shui even, red and gold are THE two colours to mix together to promote lots of healthy sexual activity between the two players occupying the bedroom.  But within Feng Shui, the red is a very good colour for a good relationship and high passion.  There are no clocks in this bedroom, so this is good for the chi in the room.

The entrance to this room is through the Helpful People & Travel bagua, and the colours in that area are mirrored in the colour of the room - white, and that colour along with the white and gold travelling along the same wall (throughout the Creativity & Children bagua) also fit well.  

The mirror over the bed is not good Feng Shui - it can bring bad chi into the room, so that's an element that doesn't fit well here.  It looks great but don't do it under the principles of Feng Shui.

Overall, the chi in this room is good, and if the owners removed the mirror to another placement, it would be just perfect.

Gaylle & Wendy

The Whispering Path

Learn Gemstone Feng Shui

There are not too many folks out there that join gemstones with Feng Shui.  Here's a link you might like if you're interested in learning how that works.

Gemstone Feng Shui  

In Feng Shui semi precious crystals an gemstones can be used to attract the energies of the Baqua's 5 elements.

Sandra Kynes www.kynes.net/gemfs.htm Gemstone Feng Shui: Creating Harmony in Home & Office Sandra Kynes combines the ancient art of Feng Shui with the positive vibration of gemstones and crystals to counteract negative energy and fill your living space with positive harmonious energies.

Feng Shui and Fashion

The five elements of Feng Shui can be used when constructing your wardrobe as a whole, or even for empowering you for a particular special day.  Learn the following tips to enhance your Feng Shui fashion.

The element of fire - even if you don't know Feng Shui you can guess the colour - reds.  Wear it for passion and sexiness.  Wear it when you need to be charismatic, when you're entertaining, when you need to be flamboyant or when you want to be more spontaneous.

The element of water - think black or blue.  Wear these colours when you want to enhance your introspective, sensitive nature.  Wear them when you want to be free-spirited, artistic and creative.

The element of earth - browns and yellows.   Wear these colours to ground yourself, when you're wanting to be solid and stable.   These can be very nurturing colours as well, so use them strategically with your children.

The element of metal - white, gold or silver.  Obviously any metallic material will add an element of elegance.   Use these colours when you need to be detail-conscious and meticulous.  This element is also about being precise or focussed.

The element of wood - green is the colour here.  Include this colour in your wardrobe when you're ready to stretch yourself athletically, when you want to be energetic or competitive.   Green is the colour for when you want to be inspired and decisive.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui for the Internal Life

Lately, I've been considering my own day-to-day life in terms of what Feng Shui can bring to me internally.  Of course on the very outside, certainly what is in order around me, brings calmness and order to my internal self as well.  Right now, in sort of a very quick time, my husband and I decided to put our house up for sale and become 'townies'.  All sorts of good reasons for the move of course.  The thing is, while my home was always pretty neat and tidy, we've still had some pre-packing to do just to stage the house... obvious things like personal pictures and mementos.

I've also had to remove most of the crystals I've had throughout the home and I'd have to say it's leaving me feeling a little bare in my internal life.  The correct placement of the crystals in my home, both in accordance to the properties they themselves bring and within Feng Shui principals have always brought me what I wanted. 

So instead, now I'm using other items to maintain that good flow of chi throughout - houseplants, and other acceptable decorative accents that work well for the staging of the home for showings to prospective purchasers.  I accept internally that these items aren't on my 'druthers' list, but that they do work for us right now.

Gaylle & Wendy

The Whispering Path

Outer Space/ Inner Space with Feng Shui

The environment in which we live is just a reflection of our inner selves - hence the outer space around us tells others of the status of the inner space between our ears.  Feng Shui attempts to tame the outer manifestations of our home or office - to bring a calming peace to our environment.  So, if you walk into your home or office, and in your line of sight is a pile of boxes or paperwork that has been haunting you for weeks/months/years, is it not causing you internal grief?   When you look at it, the procrastinator within both cringes (knowing how long you've been putting off tackling this job) and puts it off again... thus causing more self-embarrassed internal shrugging.  

What DO you say to yourself?

"Well it's been there a while, so it won't hurt to stay a little longer" - nope.... YOU know already it WILL hurt to stay a little longer - perhaps you avoid inviting guests over because you know your place looks a shamble.
"I don't know what to do with it" - well, actually you DO know what to do with it.  Seriously, if it hasn't been used in a dog's age, then pitch it or donate it.  If you want to keep it put it where it will be used.
"Well I should keep it for my kids".  - if your kids are grown up with space of their own, ask them if they want the item.  If they do, give it to them.   If they don't, pitch it or donate it.

If your space is in turmoil, so is your head.  Your energy has GOT to be blocked.   Time to get at it.

If you'd like help clearing up your space, give us a shout.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Take Care of the Office with Feng Shui

Here's a good link to support what our previous blog was talking about - set your office up properly with Feng Shui.

http://www.thespiritualfengshui.com/office-feng-shui.php

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Use Feng Shui to Sleep Better

Follow these feng shui tips to sleep better

If you are having problems at the time of falling asleep or you simply wish to improve your sleeping, you should follow the feng shui tips we will detail in the next lines and let this ancient Chinese wisdom help you. It is very important that we pay attention to our sleep due to the fact that it affects all the activities we do during the day as well as it has a direct impact on our health.

First of all, it is very important to avoid sleeping with the head towards the door.  According to feng shui, the proper position is to have the bed in such a place that allows us to see the door but without being right across from it.  So avoid, also, sleeping with your feet right in front of the entrance to the bedroom.

It is also highly recommendable to avoid sleeping under a window. Sleeping right under a window would have a bad impact on your chi as well as it might cause you to loose some of your positive energy by dispersing it. Also, if your bed is right under the window, any bad chi which could enter into the room through it would go directly to you and therefore affect you. If you can't avoid sleeping under a window, then you should hang a curtain which doesn't allow bad chi to enter.

According to feng shui guidelines, it is also recommendable to avoid having pictures of water in the bedroom. Keeping pictures of water in the bedroom can cause insomnia as well as attract bad luck to those who sleep into the room. Therefore, if you do have a picture of water in your bedroom you should remove it or at least make sure it is as far from the bed as possible.

It is very important to make sure that there isn't any poisoning arrow pointing towards the bed. In order to find out if there are poisoning arrows, you should check for any edgy element or corner which might point towards the place where you sleep. If you find any and you can't get rid of it, you can neutralize its bad effect by covering it or by placing a plant in front of it.

Gaylle & Wendy      The Whispering Path

Learn Feng Shui

Perhaps you're thinking that you'd like to learn Feng Shui.  In Canada there are a number of places to learn the craft.   I've included a link to the Canadian Schools of Feng Shui here.

Feng Shui for Your Office Design Part 1

When you think about the office you work in, how do you feel?  Do you feel comfortable in your surroundings?  Are you slightly embarrassed with the shabbiness when brand new clients come in?  Let's look at some Feng Shui for your office.

Many of haven't put much thought into the showcase that our office can be to our clients, and in some instances, when your business is simply done by phone or by internet, we think it doesn't matter.  But it does.

In the former, when you have clients coming through your door on a regular basis, the tone is set from the moment they pull up to park.   Here's a quick checklist
1.  Is the outside clean - windows sparkling, and entrance swept.
2.  How is the signage?  chipped?  broken?  taped?
3.  Do you have a spot for cigarette butts or garbage?  Is it emptied frequently?
4.  How does your front door look?   Long dead stickers from old associations with corners curling?  Faded signs that have been up for more than 6 months?  Too much information on product?

Your entrance to your place of business should be as inviting as the one to your home.   While we're not exactly looking for the warm homey look, we are looking for a professional feel.  After all, if you don't care about what you look like, prospective clients will certainly feel that you probably don't care too much about anything, and therefore will choose someone else over you.   That's something that you don't want to happen.

It takes so little to spruce up your frontage, and KEEP it looking good.  Take the time.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Paint/Stain Choices - What are the Feng Shui Guidelines?

I had the need today to retouch a sign that we have at the end of the drive.  Our home is labelled Loon'r Landing - the obvious source of name by the number of loons on our lake (it's a very clean lake) and a tongue-in-cheek nod at the numerous lunar landings humans have had in the last 50 years.  Further meanings within meanings, on nights when the moon is out, its reflection in the lake makes my husband and I just sappy for the lovely view.  It never ends LOL.   But I digress...

The 3D loon on our sign needed refreshing and while I was at the store stalking the paints, I thought it would be a good thing to share some information on what to look for when picking paints or stains.   First and foremost and last, it's about the environment.  Always choose latex products over oil ones.  First of all, you're much more likely to clean your paintbrush instead of tossing it, you won't need harsh turpentine to clean up - good hot soap and water is just fine.  It will dry quicker, letting you get on with your life, and you're much more likely to finish using it up at some future date because it won't form that thick layer of gunk we've all experienced in our past.

Only buy the amount you need.  It sort of doesn't matter if it's way cheaper by the gallon when you only need a quart because remember you'll have to store it until needed again.

So... my loon is looking good - I'll have my husband return it to its place of honour tomorrow.

Gaylle & Wendy
www.whisperingpath.com

Preparing Your Home for Sale with Feng Shui

Special care needs to be taken when you are preparing your home for sale.  No matter how beautiful and designer perfect you feel your home is, the fact is that you will never look at your home the way a prospective buyer will.  Never mind that your friends love what you've done, they are your friends and compliment you accordingly.

Beyond the obvious of packing away personal items and clearing up clutter, staging your home with Feng Shui principles will give wings to your urge to move.  By paying attention to the plants in your home, to the decorative accents or even the placement of mirrors, your home can be set up (or staged) to showcase the flow from room to room for prospective purchasers.  Feng Shui is about the flow of good energy throughout your home, which of course will appeal to anyone looking to buy your home.

Sometimes, your realtor will give you a list of things you need to do to make your home shine - fix cracks, replace knobs, paint, or install molding.  If you need to paint, for instance, use the principles of Feng Shui to guide your colour selection for the best chi.

Let us help you set up your home to attract buyers.  We can even help you with your 'curb appeal'.  Visit us at www.whisperingpath.com

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path



http://whisperingpath.com/Feng-Shui.php

Practical Feng Shui for the Bedroom

We recently were consulted regarding a bedroom that was getting a total makeover while the wife was on vacation and it was the husband who was wanting to surprise his wife upon her return.  The room had gradually become a dumping ground for reading material that had never gotten read, clothes that weren't always where they should be and the whole room was just tired.    The client took our suggestions, and totally surprised his wife when she returned - fresh paint on the walls, new bedding, neat and tidy and peaceful-looking.  She was THRILLED and just today when I was talking to her, she mentioned that she is still in love with the room, and hasn't slept so soundly in years.

If you'd like to incorporate Feng Shui into your life and home, please visit us at www.whisperingpath.com

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui for the Entrance to Your Home

Putting the bagua (the Feng Shui map) over your house can provide you with some concrete ideas on how the entrance to your home should be presented.

If your entrance is pretty much in the center of your home, then a strong presence of dark blue or black can be incorporated.  This can be from accents such as vases, or key tables or dark frames around mirrors or pictures in the foyer.  A water element is also nice - a trickling fountain in your entrance way will enhance the flow of chi.

If your entrance is in the right third of the home, then the colours of grey or silver, or even a soft mauve would be appropriate.  Accents of metal, gleaming in frames, umbrella stands or coat hooks would help the energy flow in this entrance.

If your home entrance is into the left third of your house think in terms of the earth colours of blue and green.  Healthy plants just inside the foyer are in order here, but don't put them in either plastic nor metal containers.  An earthenware/clay pot would be the best.

Above all, when you're thinking of your front door, remember it's the entrance area for your home and make sure it shows off who you are, or who you want to be.  Keep it in good repair, and looking good.  Paint is cheap - and will help you make your entrance inviting to friends, love, wealth and good chi.

Please visit us at www.whisperingpath.com to learn how you can transform your home through Feng Shui.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Love & Harmony in the Kitchen Part 2

We've already talked about your fridge, food and cupboards, now let's really get into the heart and soul of your kitchen - the stove.   Your stove represents and attracts the wealth flow into your home.  For good chi, obviously you need to keep it spotlessly clean, and keep it in good working order.  Replace any burners or lights immediately.  Leaving it in disrepair will keep wealth flow away from your home.

Now the placement of your stove is important, especially as it relates to inside walls and to the sink.  The stove and sink represent two of the five Feng Shui elements, fire and water respectively, so there needs to be something green between them.  This can be as simple as green counter-tops or green tile on the floor, or perhaps the strategic placement of a healthy green plant between them will work.  This will also help prevent arguments in the kitchen.

If you're not lucky enough to have your stove on an outside wall with a fab window view, then here's an ideal spot for mirror placement.  Placing a mirror on the wall over your stove, or having panel mirror instead of tile on the wall brings great chi to your kitchen.  The reflection you can see while standing at the stove, will be similar to a window since you'll be able to see much more than a plain wall.  As well, it will be easy to clean, which will make everyone very happy.

The kitchen is one of the three key areas in your home (bedroom and bathroom being the other two), so pay attention to the most important element in it - the stove.   It is the soul, magic and warmth of your kitchen and therefore your home.   Keep the chi flowing.

Stay tuned for more on the chi in your kitchen, or if you have a question you'd like to ask directly, visit us at The Whsipering Path.

Gaylle & Wendy
www.whisperingpath.com

Love and Harmony in the Kitchen Part 1

You've often heard of the kitchen being the heart of the home, and so it is.  It is the very soul of your home - it keeps your family nourished, good conversations often start there, parties usually end up there, and it's just a popular place for kids to hang out (cookies aren't usually kept anywhere else).  So here are some tips to ensure that the chi in your kitchen supports the harmony needed and wanted in the rest of the home.

1.  Tackle the fridge.  Spring cleaning time isn't the only time to do this - make time twice a month to take care of this puppy.  Pull out anything with fuzz on it and discard.  Ditto for anything that is green or grey that didn't start out that colour.  Check the expiry dates on your dressings and sauces and discard as necessary.  Organize your drawers so that fruits and vegetables are easy to find.  I'm not advocating labelling dates on everything.  If you're honestly going through this at least twice a month, you won't find a shrivelled-up apple in there by surprise... ever!    Finally wash it inside and out - even the rubber gasket around the seal.  Now anytime you have a guest, you won't be embarrassed by the dried gunk on your shelves, and they'll be reassured that they can actually eat your cooking without worrying about food poisoning.

2.  Tackle the freezer.   Remember the last time you did this (maybe you were moving) and you had to throw out food that had freezer burn?   What a shame from three fronts...1/ your pocketbook, 2/ if it's meat, some animal gave up it's life to nourish you and you didn't even bother to eat it and 3/ the environmental impact to package and transport the food that is now wasted.  Pull everything out onto your counter and clean out the freezer just like you did the fridge.   Sort out the food on your freezer into sections and before you put it back into the freezer, make a quick meal plan for the next week (or more if it's a big freezer) and plan to eat through ALL of that food.   Don't worry, your food will NOT thaw out as you do this because I'm talking QUICK plan.   If you have 22 pieces of meat in your freezer then you know you over three weeks of freezer food to plan for (unless you count on one night a week eating out & or having leftovers).  Organize your vegetables accordingly to the meal plan and then everything back into your freezer with organization in mind - fruits in one section, vegetables in another, separate chicken, pork, beef and fish as well.

3.  While we're still at the meal plan, now make it more formal with a full plan, post it on your fridge, and add the items you need to complete it for this particular week to your weekly shopping list. OK, we're not talking about being completely a freak about this - feel free to switch around one day for another, but we are talking about eating through the food in your freezer so it doesn't get wasted.  Now I think if you're a Morman, I understand that the requirements of your religion be that you have food ahead for a year, but I presume you have a series of cold cellars and freezers and are well organized to boot.

4.  Finally (for today) tackle the cupboards you keep your food in - cereal, canned goods, etc.   For the canned goods, if they're dented they're compromised and need to be ditched.   If there's rust that you can see on the outside of the can, what do you think you can't see on the inside of the can?  Got opened boxes of bran, or graham crackers, or cereal that you've not touched in eons?   You know what to do.   Check out anything like extra dressings or sauces that may have expiry dates on them.   Yep... they expire even if they're not opened.   Ditch, ditch, ditch.   Take a look at your food plan - can you avoid some of the things on your weekly shopping list by just eating out of your cupboard?   Before you put everything back into your cupboards, clean and wash them out, and also wash the tops of all your cans.  Why?  Because once upon a time, your canned vegetables were on a pallet in a warehouse, which is a fun place for rats and mice to hang about, and where there's rats and mice, there's their awful offal.  So... for the cans you now have in your home, clean them, and for the future ones you bring into your home from the grocery store, clean them before putting them away.

At the very least, now you're feeling a little better about the food you have in your house - you know it has nourishment value for your family.   Going forward, for the most energy bang for the buck, consider the sources of your food purchases.  The 100 mile limit that environmental advocates have been talking about for a few years now is a terrific start.  Not only are you not paying the money for the transport of food, you're supporting your own local food suppliers, and lowering the environmental costs of that food transport.  You're  also ensuring that the nutrient value of your food is high because it didn't take so long to get to your house.

Everything has chi (energy) - and with your food, you want good, high quality chi.  Obviously a bag of half rotten beans in the bottom of your fridge don't only look horrible, but they attract bad chi.   Enough said... you've made a good start on good chi for your kitchen.   More tomorrow...

Meanwhile, if you have any specific questions, please contact us at www.whisperingpath.com.  We can help you with the daunting task of applying all the principles of feng shui to your home.

Gaylle & Wendy,
www.whisperingpath.com

A Crowded House

One of the calls we received on our last radio call-in shows was from Leena who had just moved into a small two-bedroom apartment with her two children.  She had downsized a fair bit, and was frustrated by the lack of space for her things.   I was very sorry that we didn't have much time to talk to her since it was right near the end of the show.

Leena mentioned that she'd packed up some things already in boxes, and had them sitting around, and was contemplating moving again, back to a larger space, although she really wanted to avoid paying higher rent costs.

Here are some quick tips if you too are in this situation ...

1.  If some things are already packed, then clearly they're not really needed on a day-to-day basis.  Decide whether you can part with them - give them away or sell them.   If you don't need them on a day-to-day basis, but want to keep them because they've got serious memories attached, like family pictures, then see if they can be either stored on CD, or if they're heirlooms to be passed down to your children see if they can be stored at another family member's house.

2.  Have a look at what you're keeping around - is it magazines that you've perhaps read (or not) and because you've invested money in them, you think you should save them?  Nope.  Ask your doctor or dentist if they'd like them in their waiting room.  Seniors homes love them as do hospital waiting rooms.  If you REALLY want to read them again - take a walk to your local library.  

3.  Photo albums in general take up tons of space.  If you don't have access to a scanner, you probably have a friend who does.  CDs or thumbdrives take up so much less space.

4.  Are you a book hoarder?   Just love the feel of a good hardcover?  Again, if space is really tight, the library is the place for you or start getting your books on a Kindle or some other kind of e-reader.  There are some books that I know I'll read again, and if so, I keep them.  But others I just know I won't bother - I enjoyed them fine the first time but they're not worth a 2nd go. I trot these ones down to either the library for their fundraisers, or the second hand bookstore.

5.  Are you keeping every piece of fridge art your children ever did?  Time to sort through that.  Don't worry, they're not going to care when they're 30, or 50 or 70 that you didn't keep every piece of school art they brought home.  Pick out 2 pieces a year to keep, and YOU choose, not them.  If they're seriously attached to some pieces, buy some dollar-store frames and put them up on their bedroom walls until they too are sick of them LOL.

6.  Have too many dog toys?  Cat playthings?   Seriously... quit spending your hard earned money on multiples of the same thing in different colours.   Your pet's favourite plaything is YOU.

Good chi for your home depends on the energy being able to flow easily through your home - think of it like a breeze if you will.  Clear out the blockages, keep the things you have a serious attachment to... like your kids, your pets, and perhaps that one picture of your grandmother.

Bring Love into Your Home - Part 2

If you read Part 1 of this series, and followed the suggestions, you'll have a well organized, and clean bedroom.  Now let's go a step further.  Let's look at the decorating and organizational aspect of the bedroom.

1.  Colours for your bedroom for good sexual energy and healing are reds, pinks and surprisingly, golds.  For a sizzling hot room, strong colour on the walls (say gold) and the opposing red in bedding will stimulate the senses for a healthy sex life.   If, however, your bedding is already bought and you're not in the market or financial circumstances to go out and replace it, then let's think about accessories and the placement of these accents to bring out the colours needed.   If you're replacing your linens or repainting/wallpapering this room, then you have the opportunity to start fresh with the right colours.

2.  If your bedroom is blues or greens, or any other neutrals, then the furthest right hand corner is the spot to put the hot reds and/or pinks.    Maybe it's a vase with red flowers - the vase can pick up the colour too.  Or perhaps a picture with the colour predominant.  Changing the shades on your lamps is a fairly inexpensive way of bringing the colour in.  As well, you can use crystals with the appropriate colour and properties spaced strategically around your room - rose quartz or rhodonite come to mind.

3.  For placement of furniture try to put the bed in the far right corner of the room, across the diagonal of the corner of the two walls, furthest from the door.  If you have a really large room, the absolute ideal placement would be with the headboard across the corner of that far right corner.  This offers a delightful untraditional set-up which looks fabulous as well as being perfect for the energy in the room.  Of course, having that kind of space available isn't usual, so the second choice is at the back of the room, as close to the right wall as possible, with just enough space for a person to walk up beside the bed and a nightstand.  Don't have the bed directly across the room from the entrance door if at all possible, offset it to the right.

4.  If you have an office in your bedroom (horrors... is this really where you want your workspace?) and this is the ONLY place you have for it because of very limited living space, try to block it off with some kind of screen.

5.  If you have a TV in your bedroom, again, horrors... is this what you want to spend your time doing in this room?   Take it out of the room, unless you promise to only watch education sexual technique videos LOL.   Seriously, this is the room to nurture your love life and love relationship.  Watch TV in another room.

6.  If you have a big clock on the wall, remove it.  This isn't the room for it.   A small alarm clock for its simple practicality is just fine, but there should be no focus on time in the bedroom where you should be focused on relaxation and sexual energy, neither of which have time limits.

7.  Definitely have two nightstands - one for each person.  As well as providing grounding energy, they invite you to have a partner :)  They don't have to be exactly the same, but they do need to provide each bed partner with their own space.  By the way, you probably know already how I feel about clutter - make sure the drawers of the nightstands, if they have them, are not graveyards for miscellaneous junk.

8.  Let's talk about the furniture properties - in this room, wood is best, and given my druthers if you have the opportunity to re-decorate, the warmer the colour of the wood, the better.

9.  Mirrors in your bedroom should not be directly across from the entrance door, nor over your headboard.   Placement over or near a dresser is just fine, or on a wall neither facing the door nor bed is also fine.

Think of your bedroom as a place for inviting love and sexual play.  Like Part 1, do a little pretending.  If you are in a relationship, pretend that you're NOT.  Who's your fantasy partner to bring into that room for a little fun?  George Cooney?  Ellen?  Denzel Washington?  Fergie?  Ross Matthews?   Chelsea Handler?   What would they think about that room as a love nest?  If they were sober, that is LOL.

Get it ready, and have some fun with YOUR honey.

Bring Love into Your Home - Part 1

Feng Shui is about clearing out old energy and bringing new Chi - creating a new flow in order to enhance important aspects of one's life. And the bedroom is certainly an important part of your love life.   So... let's talk about that room in particular.

First, just stand at the door. What do you see?  Is the bed made or unmade?  If the latter, how enticing would it be to bring a new bedmate into that room?   If you're already in a relationship, it doesn't matter.  This room must appear inviting and enticing to anyone you'd like to bring into the room.  So let's pretend if you're already in a relationship that you aren't.  At least for this conversation today.

1.  Make sure the bed is made.   Always.  Every day, no exception.  And think about how often you change the sheets - would you wear the same clothes or underclothes day after day?   You sweat in these sheets for 7-10 hours EVERY day.  Just sayin'.

2.  How do your nighttables look?  Cluttered?  Unclutter them.  Clear off the top for the very essentials.  Do the same for your dresser top.

3.  Got a chair/bench that you throw your clothes on?   Hang them up, or put them away, or toss them in the laundry basket.

4.  Now you've got the obvious clutter taken care of, take care of the dusting and vacuuming.   Polish the mirror (s).   You'll get why this is way easier to do AFTER the decluttering.

5.  Have a look now behind the scenes.  Your closet and the drawers of your dresser.   Pull anything out that you've not worn in 2 years, and separate it for goodwill or the trash (obviously for underwear).   Hanging on to fat clothes because you're afraid you'll gain back the weight or to too small clothes because 'someday' you'll fit back into them isn't cutting it today.   Remove them into a bag for the proper charity or garbage immediately.  Load them into your car NOW.

6.  Go back to your closet and drawers and pull out anything that you've not worn in the past year.   If it's a piece of too small clothes that's within 1 size of what you're currently wearing, and you're actively engaged in losing weight, then keep it, otherwise do the same as #5 above.

7.  Go back to your closet and take a look at the accessories hanging around.   Now here, we're going to be a little more lenient because they can be organized into a small area and because they're likely to come into and out of fashion, or if you're eclectic in your tastes they're usually ok to keep around.  But fold scarves neatly into one of those little plastic baskets from the dollar store.  Limit them to ONE basket.  Hang good belts from hooks (any ratty belts that have worn areas in multiple hole spaces need to go out the door into that bag in your car).  Hang ties on a proper tie rack (and don't leave it knotted so you can slip it quickly around your neck you lazy person).

8.  Organize your hanging clothes by colour - whites, beiges etc to black.  Trust me, you'll find things quicker when you need them in a hurry, and you won't be buying yet another white blouse/shirt because you'll quickly realize you have 4 already.  As you organize, you will likely find duplicates that you didn't realize.  Keep the best and toss the rest.   You know, that bag in your car.  LOL

9.  And finally, just for today's activity, have a look at the shoes in your closet.  Certainly you'll have a mix of shoes for all seasons in there, as well as all activities. Nobody needs more than two pairs of running shoes - an old pair for painting or outside yard work, and a good pair for walking/running/exercise.  Keep one pair of any specialized shoes, obviously (baseball, soccer, yacht shoes)  Look at shoes you've not worn for over a year, because you have new favourite ones, or ones that are more fashionable, or because the old ones are just worn down.   Clear them out.   Make sure you take them out to the car RIGHT NOW.   Now line up the leftovers in your closet - isn't that way neater?

10.  This takes care of the organizational basics.   Next blog will be on organizing and decorating the room itself for good energy flow.

Until then, visit us at www.whisperingpath.com.

Gaylle & Wendy
The Whispering Path

Feng Shui from The Whispering Path now on radio!

Visit us on Sunday, April 24th at 2:00 pm EDT at blogspotradio.com/whisperingpathtarot to learn how to enhance your love, wealth and harmony within your home.  Host Gaylle will walk you through the clearing of energy within your home spaces.  We're looking forward to meeting you!