Every space needs active energy and love. Pets give us both. And pets allow us to express our love, too. Pets are often looked on as members of the family, and as such, should be considered when you are reviewing the feng shui of your home.

Regardless of the type of pet, there are some simple feng shui guidelines about having pets that range from common sense suggestions about care and feeding, to things you might not consider, such as how pets impact your relationships, finances, or health.

PETS ARE GOOD FENG SHUI
This is the most important thing to remember. Their energy and liveliness means we have an active home even when we aren’t there, making our homes more “yang.” Dogs, for instance, also provide protective energy for our homes helping us to feel more secure and safe.

When dogs bark and wag their tails happily, they give us lots of exuberant joy. And petting and caring for any animal gives us and them great feng shui energy — and displays of love are always wonderful feng shui. This is the best case. But when are pets not good feng shui? There are some instances when the feng shui of your home is disturbed by pets.

GOOD FENG SHUI MEANS PETS ARE CARED FOR PROPERLY
The worst case scenario is when pets are not cared for properly. If the fish tank isn’t clean and clear, the fish don’t do as well - and neither do you. Fish represent success in feng shui and wealth, and if the water is dirty, then both may elude you.

Furthermore, in feng shui, dirty water can also lead to health problems. One of the worst situations I ever saw was a fish tank so dirty you couldn’t even see the fish at all. The couple who lived in this house were dead broke and divorced after a short time. I could feel nothing but sorrow for those poor, poor creatures.

What must have other visitors thought — and what did this nasty tank do the psyche of everyone in the home? Or, what was the message to the child who saw parents who cared so little for these fish that they wouldn’t even provide them with clean water?

So, while it’s nice to have a pet, the first priority must always be the pet’s health, safety, and care. If you don’t have the proper space or time to care for the pet, then it’s better not to have them because, simply put, having animals in poor condition(s) is very bad feng shui.

GOOD FENG SHUI KEEPS PETS & PEOPLE BALANCED
If animals live in the house, it’s important to make sure that proper hierarchy is observed. I can’t tell you how many pet horror stories I see that range from romantic difficulties to health problems because the pets have dominance over people. Remember, you are the master of your domain, and it should remain this way. Also, good feng shui is about balance.

While there are cases where animals are not cared for properly, i.e., given the right conditions, treatment, too little interaction or stimulation, or care, it’s very often the case that the pets are in a position superior to the people in the house. This means the house is out of balance, and if this is the case, the feng shui is impacted. The end result means that life is not as good as it could - or should - be.

Try to observe some simple feng shui pet rules.

1. ANIMALS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON FURNITURE
- unless it’s furniture specifically for them. This puts them on equal footing with people.

2. ANIMALS SHOULD NOT BE ON THE BED, particularly for couples. This divides the couple and gets in the way of romance, and sometimes, the relationship. It would be better if the animals were not in the bedroom of a couple, but if it comes to choosing between pets sleeping in the room on the bed or the floor, go with the floor, never the bed.

3. PETS SHOULDN’T BE THE FIRST THING SOMEONE NOTICES ABOUT YOUR HOUSE.
Pets should enhance a home, not dominate it. If your kitty litter box is the first thing you see - or smell - when you enter someone’s home, then there’s a problem - and it’s not just mean the smell. If this is the case, you will find that this is a house where the occupant(s) is usually struggling.

Maybe you have a dog that barks, jumps on, scares or threatens people as soon as they enter your home. Well, then, you have a situation where every time someone comes in, fear comes with them. Is this the kind of environment you want to live in?

If this sounds like your pet(s), then at the very least, they should be secured in another room when someone comes to visit. The fear they inspire will create a yin environment. If this is your situation, then you have a home where your energy is dragging and motivation is low.

One homeowner has a very large aggressive dog that he thinks is sweet and wonderful. However, this dog scares visitors. This dog definitely rules the roost and he knows it.

What’s worse is when a pet is given full reign of the house and its owner thinks it’s “cute.” One such homeowner struggles on a number of fronts, particularly with relationships. This is definitely a situation where the animal comes before the person, and makes one wonder if the dog scares away potential love relationships. Authority should be re-established with this pet so that the home is allowed to draw people (or a new love interest?) to it.

4. YOUR DOG/CAT/BIRD/ETC. SHOULDN’T COME BEFORE ANYONE ELSE.
If Fido or Fluffy do, this, too, is a problem. Feng shui is all about balance. If pets are completely superior, then balance doesn’t exist. For example, one woman had pictures of her dog all over the house. She struggled with finding a romantic partner and was very upset about being over forty with no love prospects in sight. She even had an expensive oil painting of the dog over her bed.

Well, how could a romantic partner come to the house when 1) the dog barked and jumped on everyone coming in the door; and 2) the dog was “top dog” to the extent that she symbolically slept over her master every night?

Despite being advised to move the picture and make other enhancements to help her love life, but she would not part with the picture and remains single to this day. Pets should not come between people.

5. YOUR HEALTH SHOULDN’T SUFFER FROM HAVING PETS.
I am constantly amazed at people who suffer from all kinds of health complaints, but yet they have eight indoor cats and swear it’s the pollen outside that’s bothering them. The cats are all over the furniture and the kitchen counters. This is not healthy, not to mention a turn off to visitors. Cats, in particular, are yin animals. Offset their yin energy by keeping lights on and music playing to keep your home active and energetic.

6. DON’T MAKE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AVOID YOUR HOME.
If you have to use a lint brush on friends and family before they leave your house, this could make others avoid coming over. The fur clinging to them is very “yin” and will make them feel depleted or dirty when they leave your home. This energy then makes your house feel yin, too.

If your house isn’t sociable, visitors rarely come by, or people leave right away, then think about revving up your environment with bright colors, sunlight, music, or other active enhancements. It may be that the environment is too yin.

7. USE YOUR PETS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE WITH FENG SHUI.
Simply having a loving pet is good for you. But, the pet must also be good for the entire home to the extent that the pet is friendly, clean, and not bothersome to your relationships or visitors to you home.

Dogs are wonderful for infusing a home with lively energy, fish bring success, turtles symbolize longevity, and cats are symbols of financial luck (i.e., lucky cats seen at Asian businesses). So, as hard as it might be, take a long look at your pet situation to make sure that your pets aren’t harming your feng shui and are enhancing your life.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee “16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity.”

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com

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Increasingly in my practice I have noticed that more and more clients are actually becoming afraid to make changes to their surroundings using Feng Shui Principles. I am always mindful to ask them why they are so nervous to make some simple adjustments and the answer is always the same. They read in one book or another that making certain changes in a particular area can have “disasterous repercussions.” Although I certainly follow Feng Shui Principles as they were taught to me from The Masters, I am discouraged to see so many people that have been too reluctant to make some changes on their own because of these books.

The purpose of Feng Shui is to Transform and Improve, to change the flow of Energy into a positive one to help bring about all we would like to create in our lives: Increased Wealth, Enhanced Health, to Find or Strengthen Relationships, a Happy Career and every other aspect of our lives. As Professor Lin Yun has taught for years, this is achieved primarily through the thought process of INTENTION. Actually, the changes we make are the least important aspects of what we are hoping to achieve; our Intentions are the most powerful aspects of Feng Shui as the flow of Energy comes after our Intentions are in place.

Although there are many Feng Shui Principles that do not support a good environment, I happen to feel that my clients have enough intuition to know if they have made an adjustment that is not working out well. Perhaps they have hung a mirror and now find they are not sleeping or they have hung up some artwork that just doesn’t do anything to make them feel peaceful or inspired. If they can trace it back to whatever changes they have brought about, they can simply undo it; they can take down the mirror and restore their sleep or hang something that makes them feel wonderful every time they see it.

During a Consultation I will always advise my clients on important aspects of Feng Shui Principles and provide them with handouts so they have them in mind while making changes. However, as one lovely woman recently put it, “I won’t touch a thing until you get here.” I don’t believe the beautiful art of Feng Shui was ever intended to make anyone afraid to change their surroundings because in doing so they might create a bad situation. Feng Shui was intended to help you feel peaceful and serene, not cause fear and worry. There is nothing you can do that can’t be undone and with the wonderful Intentions you are surely sending up, I don’t believe anything bad can befall you!

We need to stop the “Fear Factor” from finding it’s way into Feng Shui so while we are armed with a full knowledge of Feng Shui Principles, we are also inspired to make changes and try new things in our spaces. Feng Shui is every bit a state of mind of positive thinking and a solid thought process filled with good intentions as it is about the changes we bring about in our environments. So go ahead, make some changes and see how you feel; I would bet your outcomes will help create Positive Transformations!

Written by: Carole Provenzale
Certified Feng Shui Consultant
Feng Shui Long Island
http://www.FengShuiLI.com
FengShuiLI@aol.com

I have been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 1997 and founder of Feng Shui Long Island that same year. I provide Consultations for all of Long Island and New York City for homes, offices and realtors. My consultations are always caring and very affordable. Please visit my website for my qualifications and further services at http://www.FengShuiLI.com or email me directly at FengShuiLI.com.

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How deep cleaning can create a turnaround in the
health of your home - and your enjoyment of it

Every now and then a story in the newspaper pops up about a sick building. The structure may be overgrown with mold or suffer from an abundance of radon gas. Fortunately most homes don’t have these kinds of afflictions, but many of them are sick. But, what they do suffer from is a lack of true, thorough cleaning and repair.

In the rush to get the next project done, ferry kids to soccer practice, or handle some household emergency, our homes suffer from attention deficit. That is, we don’t spend enough time with them simply making them clean and keeping them in good order. Sure, we pick up the big stuff, and the dishes get into the dishwasher, but when was the last time your home had your undivided attention? Can’t remember? If so, you might have a sick house on your hands.

A “sick house” can create all kinds of problems that range from actually making you sick, such as by the overabundance of dust that can irritate allergies, to making you sick of being there and wishing you were somewhere else. It can also be losing money, if repairs, such as water leaks, aren’t corrected. If you are sick of your house and looking for a change, consider healing your home with some transformative attention.

The metaphysics of clean
Think about how wonderful your home felt as a child when you walked in the door after your mother had spent the day cleaning? Remember how all felt right with the world and how RELAXED it made you feel? This is the feeling to focus on. Yes, housework can be drudgery, but the act of doing it can give you a sense of accomplishment unlike any work project that never comes to completion can do.

What’s more, if you focus on the FEELING of how a well-attended house will affect you, the work becomes a pleasure. Then, when you attack your work happily, it’s amazing how fast and how well your progress comes along. And, afterwards, your family will be more relaxed, comfortable, and, yes, happy. Remember that? Your home needs you. You need it clean (and in good repair).

Still not convinced? Then take it from someone who has moved seven times in fourteen years. As a frequent mover, and a consultant to Realtors, I have seen terrible cases of Seller’s Remorse. This occurs when homeowners put their home for sale. They go to great lengths to get it in shape to sell with thorough cleanings, needed repairs, paint touch-ups, even landscaping. Then they see how with a little polish their chunk of coal turns into a real diamond, and they begin to regret that they didn’t put more attention into it all along. Some even take their house off the market.

But why put yourself through all the emotional highs and lows of putting your house on the market - or worse, not enjoying your home - when a little attention could make it into a place that you love. Make the time, and the effort, and your home will be healed, and you will be happy.

These tips can help you begin your home healing journey.

1.Play mind games and make deals with yourself if you have to.
Sometimes motivation runs low and it’s hard to summon the energy to take on a big project. But don’t let that keep you from forging ahead. Set up rewards for yourself for milestones achieved (a take-out lunch for cleaning the garage, for example). Do whatever it takes to keep your focus on your tasks.

2.Pretend you are moving.
If you aren’t sure what you need to do, just imagine that you are moving. Look at your house from the eyes of someone who might buy it. Then, proceed as if you were going to sell it in order to heal your home.

3.Involve everyone.
Even a five-year-old can wipe baseboards and push a Swiffer around. Put your kids to work on picking up limbs and dead branches in the yard, emptying trash from each room (making sure to line the cans with plastic bags), and husbands can attack garages and make repairs. Or, tell your husband or son that vacuuming is indoor mowing.

4.Start outside.
Pick up trash, limbs, dead plants, unused toys, etc. from the yard and around the house. Repair leaning shutters, dripping faucets, throw away leaking garden hoses and broken objects. Bleach or pressure wash sidewalks, driveways, and porches. Next, pressure wash the house and wash windows.

5.Make repairs.
A house that leaks water not only loses money, it could also contribute to mold and mildew problems, attract termites, or all three. You can see how this seemingly small problem can create financial, health, and structural damage. Make small repairs and touch-ups so that your house not only looks good, it functions well, too. Don’t forget things such as burned out lightbulbs in outside fixtures, squeaking

6.Clean the seen.
Yes, every surface should be wiped, dusted, and/or vacuumed (even mattresses!). Set pillows out in the sun to bleach and air out. Clean, clean, clean. Remember, before treating any wound, a doctor must clean it first before it can heal. It’s true of your home.

7.Clean the unseen.
This means addressing the tops of cabinets, under beds, behind sofas, in closets, and behind headboards. One of the worst offenders is the bed. People don’t move the beds from the wall and vacuum behind them. This can create innumerable problems, including allergy and breathing difficulties that a simple vacuuming could eliminate.

Once a year, move sofas, beds, and furniture from the wall and clean behind here and underneath the furniture. At the very least, keep furniture a few inches from the wall so that you can get a vacuum extension in there regularly to keep the dust from accumulating. Move everything in every room - including the laundry room - to vacuum behind and under. Do you have any idea how much dust is lurking behind the DRYER?

8.Cook clean.
The kitchen is the heart of every home and is the place where we can spread germs and dirt the easiest. Give the kitchen a thorough going over on a regular basis (at least quarterly). Wipe off shelves, throw away old food from the pantry and refrigerator, clean the oven, clean the coils of the refrigerator, and sweep and mop behind the stove and refrigerator.

Be sure to tackle the dark, mysterious regions under the kitchen sink. Once a week, be sure to clean out the utensil draw from the crumbs and assorted ick that accumulates with the cutlery. Last, tackle the refrigerator. Can you remember what it looks like? Is it the family bulletin board? Well, instead of the refrigerator, why not install a bulletin board?

9.Go to the top.
Tops are another neglected area of the home. This can includes tops of doors, window sills, lighting fixtures, and pictures, all of which can attract a tremendous amount of dust. Dust can create problems for even the healthiest person.

10.Conduct a tchotchky-ectomy.
Houses suffer from an over-abundance of STUFF. Some houses have too many plants and silk flowers. Others have a paper tumor that grows by the hour. Look around and determine what your house suffers from too many bunny figurines? Sports schlock? If you have tons of tiny things on every conceivable surface, it’s time to clean house on all those dust magnets by donating them to a charity or your local garbage dumpster.

10. Climb the walls - and floors.
Steam clean carpets, scrub tile, and give the wood floors some TLC. The walls should also be scrubbed. Get two buckets, one white, one blue or black. Fill the white one with water. Add cleaner to the white bucket. Dip your sponge or rag into the white bucket and wipe walls.

Then, squeeze out now dirty liquid in sponge into the black bucket. Dipping sponge into the white bucket, let the sponge absorb some liquid. Squeeze out again in the black bucket. Now you have a clean sponge. You don’t want to clean the walls with water that has dirt in it causing you to wipe the dirty water all over the walls. The black bucket is your dirty water bucket.

Lastly, don’t forget to wash or dry clean the bed and window coverings. These are also loaded with dust.

11. Let’s review, you’ve tackled
the outside of the house, windows, and yard
small repairs, paint touch-ups, and cleaned the garage
cleaned from out and under beds, furniture, and appliances
given the kitchen a thorough going-over
steamed carpets and wiped walls
corralled the out of control papers, knick-knacks, and assorted unused and underappreciated paraphernalia.

Now, enjoy your home and start planning the other thing you’ve put off: a vacation.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee “16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity.”

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com

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