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Contents
Inexpensive Framed Art from Calendars!
Basic Feng Shui
Simple Feng Shui
Materials:
The Bagua Map (see below)
Various others as you see fit
"The Chinese system of geomancy is called feng ("wind") shui ("water") and has been practiced for more than 3.500 years. Around the world, other cultures also practice this same reverence for nature and its power. In India, it is known as Vastu Vidya, the science of building structures for living purposes."(Source: Angi Ma Wong)
Below please find the Bagua map which is how you will begin to organize your room based on feng shui.
To read this map you need to know one thing: how to orient your room within it. The bottom side of the map (the "knowledge, career, and travel" side) is where your door or the entrace to the room is. So, turn the square around until that side is facing the door. I find this easiest to do while sitting in the room with the map in front of me, with that side facing to the wall with my door. Now look at where everything in your room (let's use the bedroom for an example) falls within that map. What square is your bed in? Your desk? Your window? What is outside that window? Where is your trash bin? These are all things to keep in mind when rearranging furniture in your room to enhance your space.
The Sections
Each section of the Bagua map corresponds to a specific area of your room. Items and furniture contained within that square effects the positive or negativity in that area of your life. For instance, if you have a trashbin located in your Wealth section and are having money troubles or your messy, cluttered closet is located in your career section and you are facing a large problem at work. You can improve areas of your life by decorating with items or color, cleaning, and placing furniture and other items in their corresponding areas within your room.
Wealth & Prosperity
This is a good area to place your desk, or your office if you are doing your entire home. The area's power color is purple. Color is an easy way to enhance a space. Try painting the walls of the room a lavendar, or a royal purple if you're bold. If this is just one section of your room, have purple items around. Or, photographs of successful people or other items that signify wealth and prosperity. In my room, I have a large art piece in this section of my room. I collect tvguides. I have created a wall hanging with several of my tvguides with prominant individuals. You may want to do the same thing, with issues of Forbes or something. Adding elements is also a way to improve the space. Wood and water elements will enhance this area, like images of woodland landscapes or aquatic scenes.
Fame & Reputation
This is a good space to locate things that reflect your accomplishments. Diplomas, awards, cirtificates, things you've had published or have created yourself are all wonderful things to hang on your walls. I have my bed located in this section, mainly because it is the only place the bed will fit. I spend quite a bit of time in the bed, so that's how i justify that. There is also a window in that area as well. It looks out onto the street. I have small items I have collected from shows I have worked on, on my window sill. Red is the power color for this area and Fire is the cardinal element. Red drapes or candles are a powerful to enhance this area. It is also very important to keep this area clean and free from clutter. Nobody wants a dirty reputation now do they?
Relationships & Love
Who doesn't want thier relationship and love life to improve? Keep this area clean and include sensual items in it. Candles, insence, books of poetry and romantic stories, pictures of your significant other, art that shows romantic or erotic scenes - but something tasteful, this isn't the playboy mansion, tiger! Also, not a bad place to keep (or hide) your massage oils and other unmentionables. ;-) Power colors for this area are pink and white and try to include some fire and earth elements - like an earthy insence or a candle that is encased in bamboo.
Health & Family
This is one of the most imporant squares as far as I am concerned. Keep pictures of you family in this square. The cardinal element for this area is wood. So if you have wooden frames, use those. I have a small bookcase that my grandfather built and the dresser that my parents built for me in this area. Both are made out of wood and were created by family members. Green is this area's power color (my walls just happen to be green), but if you have a small plant you could put that here, or hang some art that is lush with green foliage.
Personal Center
This is the area that the rest of the room is centered around. Keep it clean at all times. Think of it as the center of your universe and keep only the most important things in this space, or keep it completely empty. This is not to say that there is nothing at the core of your existance, but that you are open to change. If you are arranging your home, this is a great place to include a meditation room. If you are building a home, try to make this an atrium with a little garden or something. Keep this area simple and decorate it in yellow or earth tones (Earth is the cardinal element for this area - staying grounded, get it?) Maintaining this area will keep you health and balenced.
Children
This is a great area to keep things your children have made or things that have been made by children or are from your childhood. Keep those old Dr. Seuss books here, hang pictures by your kids or your neice, have fun with this space! In a home, make this a playroom or a children's room or an arts & crafts room. I happen to have a window in this space that overlooks the swingset and sandbox. When the kids come out to play, they are in my Children section. If you are trying to get pregnant, place some fertility items in this space (and in your Love & Relationships space.) Decorate in white as it means purity and innocense - 'cause children are innocent...it all makes sense doesn't it? Metal is the cardinal element for this area.
Knowledge & Wisdom
Knowledge is power, so enhance this space with a bookcase filled with books you've actually read - or at least intend to read! My door is in this space, so it takes a little extra thinking. On the wall behind my door, I have collages that I've made. (yes, I know, collages are childish, but they are very personal and they are direct reflections of who I was at the time they were made - Self-Knowledge, if you will.) You can also include representations or items that reflect times in your life where you have learned things. I have a poster from a show I recently did which taught me a tremdous amount of information. You will want to include earthy elements in this section, we want to stay grounded in our pursuit of knowledge - no Faust complex, ok? And the best colors are blue tones. You can also include art of influential philosophic people or places - like buddah, or that amazing professor you had at university!
Career
Excell in your chosen profession by locating your desk or office in this space. The cardinal element for this area is water and the best color is black. Try putting an aquarium in this section and hanging up some motivational black & white photography. Metal is another good element choice, which is what makes putting your desk (with your computer) or your office in this space. Keep this space neat and organized, as a neat and organized person is more successful. Decorate with images of influential people within your field, with things that represent your field, and with texts in easy reach which would help you to work.
Travel & Helpful People
I take this area to be my adventurous area. In my room, I have my bookcase here. It is an assortment of things and places I have been and people I have met and with whom I have worked. This is a great place to keep all those photoalbums which chronical trips you have taken and special events and people you have known and loved. Keep inspirational texts here. Photographs or momentos of places or people who have helped you - like all those old christmas or birthday cards you might have lying around. Keep this area clean - it will keep those helpful people coming into your life to help you out. And keep things here of places that you want to go, like an atlas, or the history of New Zealand, or maps of New York City, Sanfrancisco, Madrid, London, the moon....Decorate in grays and silvers - the color of pavement and...the new detailing of your car? Metalics and water elements - representing your car or the boat that's going to take you away to that island paradise!
Doors & Windows
One issue with my room is that there is a window nearly directly facing my door. The chi which enters through my window is easily sucked right out my door when the door is open. If you have this problem, it can be easily solved. Hang a small, round crystal from the ceiling between the window and the door. The chi will hit the crystal and be refracted around the room. Some of the energy will still leave through the door, but more of it will stay in the room because it has been redirected to other areas. The energy entering through the door will likewise be redistributed in this way instead of exiting right out through the window. You can also position small mirrors across from the door and across from the window to reflect the energy back into the room.
This is a very, very simplified version of feng shui. There are masters degrees that you can get in interior design in this area now. Some recommended sources for online information are below:
American Feng Shui Institute
The Feng Shui Society (UK)
World of Feng Shui
Life Design Strategies
Feng Shui Ultimate Resource
Easy, Inexpensive Art
Materials:
old calendar
matting board
poster board
scissors
exacto knife
ruler (preferably a square)
Scotch tape
glue stick
Those walls are boring, but you're far too poor to go out and buy really nice framed art to decorate. What to do? You know that old calendar you have kicking around? Well, go find it, or go out and buy an old one for a couple of dollars. Next, trek down to your local art store and invest in some matting board. Matting board is like a high grade, thick poster board. This material will become your frame. If the art store will cut the board, and you know the dimensions of your art, have them cut and bevel the inside edges for you. This will save you some time and it will look better. (But don't worry, my art store does not provide this service and mine look nice anyway!) While you are at the art store, pick up some posterboard, color doesn't matter, and a new exacto knife, or at least a new blade. You want that knife to be very sharp!
Ok, so on the table we have our matting board, poster board, scissors, exacto knife, some tape, a ruler...and the calendar. I like art prints, black and white photography, but use whatever makes you happy. Find an image that you like and cut it out with the scissors. Leave about a 1/4" to 1/2" boarder around the image (you'll be taping that to the matting board. Next you'll want to measure the actual size of your image. Now decide how wide you want the frame around the image to be. For a larger image, about 1" is a good with, for a smaller image try 1 1/2". Draw out the size of the image on the matting board and create the boarder around that square. cut the outside edge out first with the exacto knife and then very carefully cut out the inside box. You should now have a frame! Carefully position your image inside the frame and tape it into place. Now cut a piece of posterboard about 1/4" to 1/2" larger than your image and glue that to the back of the matting board so that it covers the back of the image. This will give the image a little more stability.
You now have fully framed wall art for your room! Use some sticky tack or those small adhesive hanging units you can find at most hardware stores to hang your art.
Don't know what the hell I'm talking about? Pictures coming soon!
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