I am very interested in Space Clearing and Feng Shui. Is this something that comes naturally to some people, or can anyone be trained to have these feelings?
- Norma, Canada
Karen's reply:
This is a very interesting question. It's my belief that Feng Shui masters of old were great masters of the energy worlds and the remnants of oriental Feng Shui that we now have is what remains of the knowledge that was recorded when these skills were lost. Hence we have a curious situation today where people believe that learning these systems is all that is required, when in fact the basis of Feng Shui lies in quite another realm.
So my answer to your question is that everyone can easily learn the basics of these arts but in order to be able to practice them fully at professional level a great deal of personal work is required to build the energy structures to be able to perceive and work effectively in these realms. It is a prerequisite for anyone wishing to train with me as a Space Clearing practitioner that they already have 10 or preferably 20 years' personal development work to their credit.
I want to have a second child and my wife does not. Please give me some fung shui tips so as to enhance her want to have a second child.
- Chandra Shetty , India
Karen's reply:
I am totally opposed to the practice of using Feng Shui to manipulate others and believe it creates bad karma to do so.
It would be better for you to communicate deeply with your wife so that you can understand why she has decided one child is enough. If the choice has been made from the standpoint of spiritual wisdom you must honour her decision. If it has been made from the standpoint of fear or anxiety, perhaps you can work with her to help overcome these obstacles.
Space Clearing your home will help you achieve greater clarity and a higher level of understanding between you.
My fiancée and I have four hairdressing salons. The most recent business is currently a year old. We have being struggling to make ends meet, as this shopping mall that we are in is very quiet. Many of the shop owners have closed down and are in huge debt. We are facing the same dilemma. It's heartbreaking, as we have put so much money into this shop.
Apparently the building is laid upon a nun's cloister and there were also burial grounds. I have often wondered if the owners blessed the sacred ground before demolishing. Since reading your book I am absolutely convinced that some type of ceremony needs to be performed. Do you have any practitioners in South Africa? If not your advice would be highly appreciated.
- Collette Taylor, South Africa
Karen's reply:
Unfortunately this type of question is all too common in my mailbag. Building over burial grounds is always determined by economic rather than spiritual considerations and always results in problems. I do not yet have any trained Space Clearing practitioners in South Africa, and in any case, I do not actually know of any ceremonY that can fully correct this situation. I would advise you to give serious consideration to cutting your losses with this business and focus instead on the ones that are prospering.
My sister has just sent me a three legged toad and I don't really know the best place for him. Could you please give me a clue? I can't put him near the front door as (unfortunately) I have a flight of stairs leading directly up to my flat from the door. I would be grateful for any tips.
- Barbara, England
Karen's reply:
This is doubtless a very well-meant present from your sister, but I have to say that personally I wouldn't give a three-legged toad houseroom! I only use the universally applicable principles of Feng Shui which can be used in any culture in the world. I therefore do not include any elements based in any kind of local superstition, Chinese or otherwise.
I am confused about where the prosperity area of my home is. When I use the bagua system in your book I get one thing, and when I use the Feng Shui compass system I get another. Help!
- A.R., New England, USA
Karen's reply:
The two systems are very different and are not to be mixed.
Feng Shui practitioners were originally great masters who designed buildings to promote balance and harmony between humans, their environment and the gods. The most skilled would also be able to create temples where high spiritual connections were made possible.
This, of course, is a very far cry from the way Feng Shui practitioners are taught today. Most are not even able to feel the chi (energy) that Feng Shui principles are based on, and rely instead on prescribed formulae learned from books. My experience of visiting homes where other consultants have been before me is that only the most advanced compass school practitioners are able to achieve good results - the rest are a public menace!
Doing Space Clearing can help you to begin to feel the energy in your own home, and the bagua grid aligned to the front door is the only system I recommend. I have found it to be accurate in every country and culture I've worked in, and it can also be used safely without the huge amount of study required by the compass system.
I have read your book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui, and I was looking at the pictures of the bagua. I noticed that the areas have differant size:
The areas for money, relationships, visdom and support in life are twice as big as the others. Why is that? Should they be bigger? I've read other books and all the areas have always had the same size.
- H.P., Sweden
Karen's reply:
If you read my second book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, you will find the simplified version of the bagua that you are more familiar with. However the bagua shaped bagua (ie. the octagonal one in my first book) is the most accurate one.
I have Read both of your books. I just find the topic fascinating. We just moved into our brand new house and I was considering painting my room. It is located in the Relationships area so would it be advantageous to paint the room light pink or even better, light green, since I read from other books that green would we ideal for teenage students?
Thank you in advance for answering my question. Your attention is very much appreciated. - W.W., California, USA
Karen's reply:
I don't give this type of advice by email. To give any kind of feng shui advice it is necessary to meet you, understand the direction your life is headed, visit your home, feel the energy of the land, and so on.
There is no magical formula for colour schemes that can just be generally applied. Think how limiting it would be if all teenagers had to have light pink or green bedrooms!
My best advice is therefore to consult with a feng shui practitioner who can give you personalized advice, or if this is beyond your means, the next best thing is to choose your colours intuitively. The great thing about paint is that if the colour really doesn't work, you can always change it.
As a final note, understand that the original purpose of physical decoration was to emphasize colours that already exist around a person in the etheric or astral realms, or to bring in colour frequencies that they need to assist them in their spiritual journey. As so few people now see these energies now, this art has been lost and reduced to the type of formula you mention in your email.
I have a problem placing my apartment's bagua. If I fill in the shape to make it rectangular, the entrance to my apartment is very near the middle of this rectangle. Furthermore, this way, my apartment seems only to contain precious little of the bagua.
Am I doing anything wrong, or is it true, that my apartment does not contain half the bagua?
- Klaus Reble, Denmark
Karen's reply:
The entrance can be located at any place in the bagua, and the missing areas you describe are also very common. If you write in the names of the different areas of the bagua in your rectangle, you will discover which areas of your life have become the most problematic while you have been living in this home.
I had absolutely fabulous results since reading your book. I thought I was 'clutter free', but boy, was I wrong. I have moved onto a 37-foot sailboat with my husband and that necessitated getting rid of everything I was just holding on to. I am however having difficulty applying the areas to a layout of a boat. Do you have any suggestions or advice?
Sincerely, Audrey Schnell
Karen's reply:
The alignment of the bagua of a building is determined by the movement of energies in the space, especially those created by people entering and leaving. If your boat is permanently moored then the way you normally enter the boat becomes your 'front door' and the bagua is aligned to that, exactly the same way as in a house. If you sail the boat then there is no fixed front door and therefore no fixed bagua.
QUESTION 1 I have just recently moved into a double-storey house for the first time and am confused about whether the Bagua should be applied to each floor separately or whether the Bagua is applied according to the layout of the ground floor.
QUESTION 2 Also the first floor has only two rooms and does not cover the entire ground floor. I'm wondering if this then creates missing areas of the Bagua in the first floor that need to be remedied?
QUESTION 3 Finally I am curious as to whether the fact that the house would have two relationship areas, two wealth areas, etc, and does that somehow lessen the energy of the area seeing as it is spread out among different floors and not concentrated in one place?
- C.V., UK
Karen's replies:
QUESTION 1
In Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui, I explain: If your home has more than one storey, each floor has its own bagua, and in most buildings the bagua will be aligned in different directions on different storeys. Simply align the lower edge of the bagua diagram in my book with the direction you face as your staircase arrives on that level.
The houses this does not apply to are those where you can hear just about everything happening on one floor even when you are on another floor. In these homes, treat the bagua as being aligned in the same direction as the main floor all the way up the building.
QUESTION 2 If parts of the upper floor are missing it makes it difficult for you to access the higher levels of the aspects of your life that those areas represent (eg. higher levels of relationships, etc). You'll find Feng Shui cures listed in Chapter 19 of my book.
QUESTION 3 The plot of land your home is on has a bagua of its own. Each storey of your home has a bagua of its own. Each room in your home has a bagua of its own. It's baguas within baguas. The most important bagua is the space you spend the most time in.
Urgent advice needed! I am currently 26 years old and still do not have any boyfriend. I have checked the relationship area in my living room and the area is the place where my family keeps many Buddha statues and altar. I am not sure whether is this the reason for my single status now and there is no way which I could shift the Buddha statues out of the area. Is there any remedy which I could use?
- S.Y., Singapore
Karen's reply:
If you were to make a tour of all the Buddhist homes you know and find that everyone who has an altar in the relationships corner of their living room has stayed single all their life, then you would have cause for concern. However you are not going to find this is the case. A spiritual emphasis in the relationships corner can in fact help you to attract a partner with a spiritual focus.
When adjusting the Feng Shui of a home for a particular aspect such as relationships, it is best to enhance that area in the overall bagua of the home and in each individual room. In your case, since you are still living with your parents, the most important area to work with is the relationships corner of your bedroom (the right hand corner furthest away from the door leading into your bedroom). You'll find many suggestions for Feng Shui enhancements in my books.
Also bear in mind that Feng Shui can only do so much. An important part of preparing for a relationship is not to focus outside but to work internally on your relationship with yourself. There are many counsellors who can help you with this and personal development workshops you can attend. When you reach the stage of not needing a relationship because you are happy with yourself, that is when you are most likely to attract the right partner for you.
I decided that, since moving my bin was not an option (and anyway did I really want to transfer the problem to my love and marriage area?!), I would try some corrective Feng Shui.
I tried mirrors, but they looked funny. Then I tried a crystal suspended from the trellis that screens the bin from the garden. Within an hour of my hanging the crystal, my four year old and her friend had made the house look as though someone had emptied a dustbin in every room - I was shocked. Of course I then realized that the crystal reflects and magnifies whatever is within its orbit - in this case the dustbin as well as the garden!
I removed the crystal and replaced it with a small wind chime and some violet-blue pansies in an urn. I have always felt that this particular corner should have blue flowers, so this pleases me whenever I look outside, but I wonder is there something more I should/could do to counteract the dustbin?
- S.B, UK
Karen's reply:
The first thing to look at is whether there is any evidence of the positioning of your dustbin affecting you energetically? If your finances are fine and you feel blessed in your life, then no action is needed. Either there is already some counter-balancing Feng Shui remedy at work which you haven't yet realized or the size of your dustbin in relation to the size of your property is so small as to be inconsequential.
If you feel that some action is necessary and it's totally impossible to move the dustbin, then simply build a nice looking structure to enclose it and place some tubs of flowering plants on top to lift the energy of the area. And make sure your garbage is cleared out regularly.
My wealth corner is in the backyard on a sloping area. I've read about burying a crystal there. Would I use a regular stone crystal or the faceted kind?
- C.G, USA
Karen's reply:
Burying a crystal in the wealth area is a cure I've never heard of or tried. However I can tell you that I have always found it useful to put something in the corner of a sloping area to impede the flow of energy away from the home. A tree, bush, statue or other strong structure above the ground is likely to be more helpful than burying something in the ground.
We have a butler's pantry and dressing room directly above one another in the wealth, prosperity and abundance corner of the bagua. In our garden we are also about to build a shed in the same area. What could this mean for us?
- Carol Walker, UK
Karen's reply:
If the prosperity areas of your home are unexceptional, at best you can expect your finances and fortune blessings to be also unexceptional -- just average, OK, getting by. At worst, you may experience that this aspect of your life stagnates due to the lack of fresh energy circulating in these areas of the bagua.
You will need to do as much as possible to uplift the energy (use attractive colours and storage units, organize your things well, clear out clutter, etc) and then, to further compensate, accent the prosperity areas of all the other rooms of your home with Feng Shui enhancements, such as those I describe in Part 5 of my Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui book.
Another titles I can recommend to help you with this is Feng Shui Made Easy by William Spear.
Finally, it would be better to put your garden shed somewhere else, or else create a magnificent garden around it. You can also hang a bird feeder there to encourage birds (high energy) to come into the space.
I am currently reading Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui and when I came to the section on the bagua was unsure at first if I should include the garage or just the living space. Our house is oddly shaped due to a garage addition added on to the back of the house. The old garage was turned into an office.
- A.L., USA
Karen's reply:
The bagua is explained in a lot more detail in my first book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui.
If the garage is just used for parking the car, there is no need to include it in the bagua of your home. However many people these days, like you, are using their garage as an office, hobby room, junk room or whatever, in which case it definitely needs to be included in the overall bagua of the home.
This can create missing areas in your bagua and therefore in your life. You'll find some cures for this in Part 5 of my book. However, if the garage is being used to store junk, it is always better to clear out the junk and reclaim the space for your car rather than to try to solve the problem with Feng Shui cures!
Which door should I use for bagua purposes? My husband/kids/and I ALWAYS used the side door in the garage to enter the house. Company occasionally uses the front door. I have both your books and think it should be the side door, but want to make absolutely sure! Many thanks.
- D.V., USA
Karen's reply:
The general rule is that if the main front door is still used sometimes then that is the door to align the bagua to. However doing Feng Shui according to general rules can be problematic because there are other factors that may need to be taken into account such as the position of the road in relation to the building, the lie of the land, the location of external structures such as other buildings or trees, the social practices of the country or region, and especially the actual chi of the front door area. This is why I am always reluctant to do Feng Shui from plans.
In some homes there is also what I call a double whammy front door situation - this is where the balance of energy is such that both the front door and the side door are equally matched. Again, this is something that cannot be physically deduced but can be discerned through advanced techniques of etheric sensing. Feng Shui, in this respect, can be likened to the study of medicine - everything is connected so an in-depth knowledge of the workings of the whole body is required in order to be able to accurately diagnose even the simplest thing.
The best advice I can offer you is what I call reverse Feng Shui. Try each alignment and see which one most fits with what you are experiencing. For example, supposing you have a missing area of the bagua that would be a missing wealth area if you take the actual front door as a front door or a missing relationships area if you take the side entrance as your front door. Look to see what has been happening with your finances and relationships in the time you have lived there. The most problematic area will correspond the the missing area of the bagua.
Help! I'm desperate. My 12 months still does not sleep through the night. This is not normal according to my pediatrician. I've come to the conclusion that it is her room. I was never able to put together a nursery just for her. Feng Shui might be the solution. What can I do to improve the space so that's she begins normal sleeping patterns? The room has clutter all around. Thank you.
- Gabriela
Karen's reply:
I suggest you take a look at Chapters 14 and 15 in my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui. These chapters explain Geopathic and Electromagnetic Stress, which are the most common reason for disturbed sleep in infants. If either of these factors are affecting your child it can be a serious matter, as prolonged exposure can also cause chronic health complaints and even cancer. Do read up on it. Chapter 5 also explains the effect of clutter.
I have just read Clear Your Clutter - strangely I have been working on this for a couple of months prior to reading your excellent book. It has encouraged me to work at it further in the manner you prescribe. I am ordering the book Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui.
My problem is that, although I have a large and beautiful house in a lovely coastal area I am terribly unhappy in it. My husband refuses to move and I feel isolated and depressed.
The house is a strange design although spacious - it has corners unreachable as they are so high, huge balconies and towering walls. Its not my type of house at all and I moved for all the wrong reasons. The last owner of the house died of cancer and I was horrified to discover in May that I had cancer myself - after a major op and months of sickness I am now physically much better. The point is that I just want to move so anything I do is undermined by this mind set. It would mean leaving my partner of almost 40 years.
I have never liked this house from the moment I moved in I am very sensitive to atmosphere and suffered the most terrible despair when I moved into it I have seldom felt so unhappy and feel it contributed to my illness. I am afraid that if I use the space clearing procedure outlined I will make the situation worse - I hasten to add I would not try this without reading Creating Sacred Space first and obtaining all the necessary bells etc. Maybe I will unleash stuff that could be dangerous. What should I do?
Best wishes, M
Karen's reply:
In Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui you will find a chapter about Geopathic Stress. From your description of your home and your health problems, it sounds very likely that this is applicable to you. My best advice therefore would be to find a reputable dowser to check this for you. Space Clearing (done professionally) can provide temporary relief from geopathic stress but is not a permanent solution. Space Clearing is also not advisable if you have not fully recovered your health.
To find a dowser in your part of the world, do an internet search on 'Dowsing' + the name of your country or nearest city. Some dowsers are very competent; others have no talent, wild imaginations and are a public menace. I tell you this so that you are aware of the need to practise discernment, rather than just accepting everything they say without question.
To help you further, please read the information I have written about ways to neutralize geopathic stress. This was published in some later editions of my book but was not in the early ones.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderful books.
As I write I am feeling very unwell, and since I moved to this flat in London my health has been very poor. I was diagnosed as having ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) about a year ago and although I felt I initially made good progress towards recovering I have not made any significant progress in several months now - some reasons I do believe are dietary, however having read the chapter in your book about geopathic stress I strongly believe that as stated in your book my bed is crossed by such lines. I have never had a restful night's sleep in my bed and recently I slept away from home and definitely noticed a difference in how I slept and how I felt the next morning.
I've made contact with your UK office to see when you are here next. The lady I spoke with said you are in London in June but are booked. If you were to get a cancellation I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me know. Can you advise me what course of action you recommend? Unfortunately the bed cannot be moved elsewhere as there is no other space for it. I have looked into getting a Raditech machine - will this completely destroy/ render the rays unharmful?
- K.S., United Kingdom
Karen's reply:
Don't even think about waiting until I come to London in June. Find a reputable dowser to check your home or send Rolf Gordon of the Dulwich Health Society a plan of your home and he will dowse remotely to see if you have a GS problem or not. I've been very impressed with his accuracy in the past. You'll find his contact details at the Links page of this website. He doesn't charge for this service but is very busy so you may have to wait a while for his reply. The Raditech does bring relief but the long-term solution, if you do have GS, it to move house. In the meantime, stop sleeping in your bed. Move your mattress to somewhere - anywhere - else. I've known people buy a small mattress that fits in their bathtub or put a mattress on their living room floor and temporarily sleep there until they've regained their health. It's worth it.
GS is usually implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) and often there are dietary factors too. However the cure is usually more complicated than this. The syndrome is caused by a collapse in energy structures above the head. These can be systematically rebuilt if you are willing to do the personal work necessary to do so.
I suggest you start by reading Awakening the Third Eye by Dr. Samuel Sagan, founder of the Clairvision School.
We saw a withered, partly dead tree at the edge of a property we're interested to buy and asked a neighbor about it. She said it was struck by lightning and never recovered. I just read in Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui about the fact that in a place where there is a crossing of two streams of geopathic streams that a tree might be more likely to be struck by lightning. Is that reason enough not to buy?
- Jennifer Downs, USA
Karen's reply:
A nearby tree struck by lightning does not indicate that there is geopathic stress everywhere on the property. However before purchasing it is always best to call in a dowser to check the entire space. This is now routine practice in places like Germany and Austria.
I am dealing with a difficult situation. I have started to space clear my home and I am feeling lots better; yet it has not solved my sleep problem. I am convinced that our master bedroom is located where there is geopathic stress.
My husband doesn't take feng shui seriously. He can sleep in our bedroom, therefore, he can't understand why I cannot. At first I thought it was the new baby and the fact that I had a hysterectomy at that time. I thought I would eventually get some rest in our bedroom. In the yard behind our bedroom we have an oak tree which has had a branch struck by lightening. Also, to the left about 40 feet away we have a deformed oak tree growing. I am disturbed about this. I am able to rest so much better in my daughter's bedroom. She is 3.5 years old and I cannot sleep in her room forever.
We have built on family property and my husband refuses to think of moving elsewhere. I honestly think we need a product from the Dulwich Health Society. Can you please suggest what you think might best serve my situation?
- M.L., USA
Karen's reply:
There are many, many causes of sleeplessness, ranging from purely physical to deeply spiritual. However, from your description, especially the information about the oak trees and the fact that you sleep well in your daughter's bedroom, it does seem possible that geopathic stress or electromagnetic stress may be the cause of your problem.
Sometimes one partner is completely unaffected by these types of stresses, especially if his or her immune system is strong. Or it may be that the problem is only on your side of the bed. So the first thing to try would be you and your husband swapping sides for a week.
Another thing to try is moving the bed to another position in the bedroom.
The next thing is to find a reputable dowser. Run an internet search on Society + Dowsers, then look down the list to find one in your part of the world. All my Space Clearing practitioners are also experienced dowsers.
The Raditech device available from the Dulwich Health Society (address in my book) does seem to offer relief to many people but I don't recommend it for long-term use. The very best remedy is to sleep in an area where there is no geopathic stress at all.
If the problem turns out not be GS, then you will need to test for electromagnetic stress. Again, most of my practitioners have professional meters to test for this, and there are details of how you can obtain a meter yourself on the Links page of this website.
My son, 21 years old, purchased a home from a widow. We don't know if her husband died in the home, but there is sometimes very uncomfortable energy, which the cat picks up on as well as my son and his girlfriend. Lights burn out often, dim or just shut off; the bathtub fell an inch while they were soaking in it; leaks in the plumbing; the furnace had to be replaced & was replaced with a defective part that filled the house with gas. How can this be dealt with if we weren't to have a practitioner come in to clear the space? Or is it best that they sell?
Cindy Benner, USA
Karen's reply:
Some questions I can answer by e-mail, but to answer this I would need to be in the place to feel the energy in order to diagnose what needs to be done. I don't have any practitioners in your part of the US yet but can put the word out to see if any of them would be willing to fly there if your son would be interested. However this would work out rather expensive as the practitioner's airfare, hotel costs and travel time would have to be paid for in addition to the consultation.
At a guess (and this is only a guess, since I haven't seen the place), it sounds possible that the building is geopathically stressed (there is a chapter about this in my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui). If so, this can cause serious health problems over a period of time. I suggest your son finds a local dowser to check the house. You'll find more information about this and how to find a professional dowser on the Geopathic Stress page in the Links section of this website.
If geopathic stress is not the problem, then your son would be able to space clear the house himself, just following the guidelines in my book.
I have got myself into a bit of a predicament by buying a house last year before selling the one we were living in, thinking that we would be able to sell quickly. We left some furniture in the other house so it did not look completely empty but it still hasn't sold. It is in a beautiful spot but the one thing that is hindering the process is that there is a telecom communication tower on the property, which is 7 acres, so you can hardly see it from the house and it doesn't make noise or anything. I know this isn't helping the process much but we have dropped the price so it is really cheap now and even the agent agrees. Any ideas?
B.W., Australia
Karen's reply:
In many countries of the world there are now more mobile phones (cellphones, if you're American) than fixed line phones, and phone companies are saying they need phone masts every few hundred meters in urban areas to maintain services to consumers. This problem is not going to go away.
However in your case, the situation is quite hopeful. The area up to 100 and possibly 150 meters from the mast is totally uninhabitable but beyond that the radiation probably drops off to tolerable levels.
It used to be that meters to measure these field to find out whether they are a potential health hazard were prohibitively expensive but now a private company in the UK with an excellent reputation in this area has developed a small hand-held unit called a microwave monitor. It costs UK £150 and can be obtained from:
Sensory Perspective Ltd 100 Baker Street London W1U 6WB Tel: +44 (0)845 003 1355 email: info@sensoryperspective.com website: www.detect-protect.com
I suggest you invest in one of these meters and also read up on the information online at www.powerwatch.org.uk, which details safe levels for different types of masts and gives information about protective materials you can use. Then you'll be sure of your facts when talking to prospective purchasers.
I am working in Saudi Arabia, living on a compound in an apartment block. I have an apartment above me and one below me. The apartments are air conditioned and my apartment overlooks the main air conditioning control box which controls the air conditioning of the whole of the building. What can I do to remedy this. I have crystals and windchimes in my windows, but I feel that having so much electricity so near to me is giving out bad energy.
- A.B, Saudi Arabia
Karen's reply:
The first thing I suggest you do is read the chapter about Electromagnetic Stress in my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui. The information is a bit watered down because at the time the book was published information about EM hazards wasn't well known and my publishers were concerned they or I might be sued. When the new revised version of the book is published it will contain much more forthright evidence about the health problems caused by long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields. If you are interested to research this for yourself in the meantime there is a wealth of information on the net. Go to my EMF Links page to find some reputable websites to start with.
Crystals and windchimes will have no effect whatsoever with the type of problem you describe. You may as well throw them away. From your description it is possible that you are being exposed to high EMF's from this air conditioning unit but effects do diminish quickly with distance so you could be OK. For peace of mind I would advise checking with an EMF meter (details of where you can purchase one are also on my EMF Links page).
What is also concerning is if there is a constant droning noise from the air conditioning unit. If you can hear it all day and all night it means you will never fully relax and rest, and over a period of time this can really wear you down and erode your life force energy. I occasionally find myself in a similar situation when I travel internationally and stay in hotels, and I always ask to be moved to a room far away from such machinery so that I can be sure of a good night's sleep.
When I moved in to this house three years ago, I changed all the lighting because it was all fluorescent, even in the living room. I haven't been able to find full spectrum lighting until recently, when I saw some advertised in the Friends of the Earth magazine.
I bought them. They are also energy saving. However I didn't realise until reading the literature a bit more closely that they are also fluorescent. I'm confused now. In your opinion, do I have a healthy product or not? They are said to be beneficial for sufferers of seasonal affective disorder. Thanks,
- M.E.
Karen's reply:
Whether it's full spectrum or not, fluorescent lighting is still fluorescent lighting, with all it's inherent health hazards. Or put another way - I wouldn't have it in my home. It's always been a mystery to me that these lights are sold to help relieve S.A.D. when other safer types of bright lighting will work equally well.
Friend of the Earth have an excellent reputation so maybe they'd consider making yo
Karen Kingston mentions in her Creating Sacred Space book the benefits of using full spectrum lighting as an alternative to fluorescent lighting. As I am starting a business in Kent I was wondering if you could tell me where these are retailed.
- E.G, England
Karen's reply:
UK: Wholistic Research Company www.wholisticresearch.com Go to the Healthy Home & Office section
USA: Healthy Home www.healthyhome.com Go to the Healthy Lighting section
If you don't live in the UK or USA, find the product you are looking for on one of these websites and the do an internet search for it in your own country.
I just finished reading Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. Excellent read, info, refs. Question: My two bathrooms have wall to wall mirrors (sink/counter side). How do I correct /minimize the effect? Thank you.
- Sally Fisher, Canada
Karen's reply:
The problem with this type of mirroring is the fractured images reflected from the corner points where the mirrors meet, which fragment your energy. The solution is easy - install a strip that fits snugly into the corner joint from the base to the top of each mirror, to emphasize where one mirror ends and the next one begins. Wooden beading, 1/4 dowelling or even a decorative strip of paper will do.
We have a mirror facing the bed. I bought Lillian Too's Feng Shui Kit about three years ago and it said the mirror was a no-no so I too it down. Everything that could, went wrong. After a few weeks I put it back and normality was restored. What happened?
- Chris Dodson, UK
Karen's reply:
You say you used Lillian Too's Feng Shui Kit. Her system is very different to my own approach, which is based on a 25-year study of the energy worlds Feng Shui is based on. For me to make effective recommendations I have physically be in the place so that I can feel the energy emanating from the earth, experience first-hand how it circulates through the building, see the physical dimensions of the property, see the colours it is painted, smell the smells, and observe many other aspects of the space. I also have to meet the occupants. There is no such thing as one Feng Shui method that fits all - each person has their own unique purpose here on earth and Feng Shui needs to be tailored to that.
So there is no way I can tell you from your letter why moving the mirror had such an effect. It could be that it forms an energy matrix with other aspects in your home and moving it destabilized that matrix and caused disruption; if it was on the inside of an external wall, it could have been enhancing an aspect of the bagua in your space which then became unbalanced; yet another possibility is that that the disruption was actually a period of spiritual deconstruction so that a new you could emerge. There are many likely causes.
I have generally found in my own consultancy work that it's not advisable to have a mirror facing the bed (all the reasons are in my Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui book) but there is also another very strong principle I give in the book: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" If your life is working perfectly well, then leave the Feng Shui of you home alone!
My daughter loves animals. She has a cat which roams the house except for our bedroom (I am allergic to cats but enjoy them), two birds in her room, fish in the dining room and a new rabbit which she currently has in a cage in her room, but sometimes takes to the basement. Are there any particular guidelines about pets and Feng Shui?
- J.H., USA
Karen's reply:
A pet in the home can help to revitalize the chi of the space. Problems arise when the type of pet or number of pets is inappropriate to the type or size of the space, or if there are hygiene issues. Children and the elderly, in particular, benefit greatly from having pets in the home.
I am about to purchase a new vehicle, and am concerned about which color to choose. Choices are gold, silver, red & blue. Question: Should I choose to balance the element of the vehicle (metal) & go with water or fire, or choose to balance my personality (slight introvert) with the color of fire?
- Dierdre Brust, USA
Karen's reply:
If you read my books you will find that my approach to Feng Shui is not as mechanical as this. When choosing the colour of a car I choose the colour I am most passionate about at that time in my life - the colour that lights me up and makes me feel good. This is because I understand that people have an etheric interaction with their cars and other kinds of mechanical equipment they use on a daily basis (computers, tools, etc), and the better the relationship with the machine, the better it performs.
For this reason I also name my cars, computers and other major pieces of equipment in my life, and yes - I talk to them and pat them and give them words of encouragement too. Ask any master craftsperson or musician and they will tell you that they have an intensely personal relationship with the tools or instruments of their trade, even to the extent that some can tell if they have been handled by another person without their knowledge (what they are sensing here is the etheric imprint that has been left behind).
So as well as the colour of a car, how it feels is also important. The five element principles of feng shui offer guidelines upon which to base choices, but continually adhering to feng shui dogmas can be self-defeating. Your ordinary mental consciousness is very limited. Go higher. Tune in to your intuitive knowing about what works for you and discover a whole, vibrant new approach to feng shui, from the inside out rather than from the outside in. This, after all, is how ancient feng shui masters, who were great spiritual adepts, first distilled the wealth of feng shui knowledge that exists today.
Of course the main problem with this more advanced method is that your choices will then depend on your degree of spiritual discernment. If you are concerned about 'getting it right' then this may feel too risky for you, in which case you will have to consult a classically trained feng shui practitioner for a prescription to your current dilemma and I'm sorry I've made you read so far to find this out!
I understand that patterns can have an impact on us. With that in mind do you know if there is an increased benefit to laying tiles diagonally in a room - effectively creating diamond shapes - as opposed to the regular 'square' way.
Best Regards - Carol, USA
Karen's reply:
Laying tiles in the 'square' way creates a sense of security and regularity for the occupants. The diagonal way gives a sense of expansion and allows for greater creativity in the space.
Should you keep cremated remains of people or animals in your house?
- Samantha Horton, USA
Karen's reply:
To answer this question, it is first necessary to understand that during the process of the fire purification process we call cremation both the physical and astral bodies are substantially altered. The physical body is transformed into ash while the astral body is released back to the realms of energy.
In my energy sensing work, I am able to read astral imprints in buildings and in the cell tissues of living beings such as people and animals. I have also energy sensed cremated remains and have not found that they retain any astrality from the original living being. Whether this would be different in the case of a spiritually enlightened being, I have not had the opportunity to discover, but for most of the human race what it means is that there is no point in keeping ashes after cremation. This explains why it is traditional in many cultures to scatter them to the elements of earth, wind or water, and it is what I recommend too.
Another reason why it is good to scatter ashes rather than keeping them is because, like any other physical object, they will attract stagnant energies if stored for long periods of time. Disposing of them in an appropriate way reasonably soon after cremation is by far the healthiest option.
On the Space Clearing tapes there was a mention that Feng Shui corresponds to graphology. I've looked through numerous FS books as well as graphology texts with no reference to this and how it works. Would appreciate resources for further study of this comment. Thank you.
- J.S., Phoenix, AZ, USA
Karen's reply:
I mention this in Chapter 4 of my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui: All objects become impregnated with the energy of what happens around them. If you buy something second-hand, it will carry the energy traces of the person who owned it before. If it was used a lot, used for a long time, or had very strong emotional connections for that person, the emanations will be correspondingly stronger.
This is the whole basis of psychometry, that a trained person can hold, say, a ring belonging to another person, and can translate the vibrational frequency of that ring and describe everything about the person without ever meeting them. And this is also why so many people want to have something that belonged to or was touched by a holy person or a saint. It is why personal belongings of movie stars, football heroes, and the like, are so sought after. People want to own something that has the energy imprint of the owner on it. An autograph combines the energy flow from the hand of the famous person with an illustration of their energy matrix, which anyone skilled in the art of reading handwriting will soon be able to decipher. It is the next best thing to having something which belonged to them.
As with most of the information I teach, you won't find references in books by other authors. This is because I don't get my information from books. I source it directly from the core. If you are interested in the technique, I explain the principles in my Advanced Space Clearing workshop.
As far as graphology is concerned, each person's handwriting is a description of the way energy flows through them. Feng Shui is the study of the way energy flows through spaces. It's therefore a very simple matter to put the two skills together. Unfortunately most schools of Feng Shui now teach the theories that Feng Shui is based on rather than the ability to directly read the energies in buildings, and graphologists likewise teach handwriting analysis rather than how to tune in to the core essence of a person through this medium.
How can I best prepare a nursery room in my home for the arrival of my new baby next month?
- Jennifer Dodds, USA
Karen's reply:
1) Have your partner or a close friend do a Space Clearing ceremony in your home before the new baby arrives so the energy of the whole place is fresh and clear. Babies are very connected to the energy worlds and are very sensitive to them.
2) Decorate the room in pastel colours or skin tones. Bright primary colours are fine for when the child is older but are too harsh for a new arrival. Be sure to use organic paints, building materials and furniture which don't outgas toxic fumes for years like normal products do.
3) Check for geopathic stress to make sure that the baby's cot is not placed over any unhealthy earth energies. Geopathic stress is strongly implicated in cot deaths and many other health problems.
4) Check for electromagnetic stress. Do not place the baby's cot anywhere near electrically operated equipment, including equipment in adjacent rooms (the electrical field goes straight through the wall) and dimmer switches for lights (these have very high electromagnetic fields). Baby alarms also emit very high fields so never place one too close to the cot.
5) A wooden cot and futon mattress with natural rather than synthetic bedding is ideal. Especially do not use a cot or mattress with any metal elements if there is any geopathic or electromagnetic stress in the room, because the metal will amplify it and conduct it into the baby's cell tissues.
6) Place the baby's cot so that the head of the bed has a wall behind it and it is possible for the infant to have a view of the door and any windows in the room. This is the most secure position for it to be in. Avoid placing the cot in the energy draft between the door and a window, or between two windows.
If you need help with any of these aspects, I have some excellent practitioners who will be happy to advise you.
I have practically devoured your book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui'. I am energized, finally understanding why it's been so difficult for me to get rid of stuff. I do have one question. You suggest not keeping a dirty laundry basket in the bedroom because stale energy hangs around it. Where do you suggest putting a laundry basket?
- M.L., USA
Karen's reply:
The reason it isn't good to sleep with a laundry basket in the bedroom is that during sleep your energy field is very open. The same applies when you are meditating, so of course you wouldn't want to store a laundry basket near to where you meditate. It's best not to place a laundry basket in the prosperity area of your home or the prosperity area of any room in your home because it can stagnate the energy there. But apart from these restrictions, you can out it anywhere outside the bedroom. The bathroom is ideal.
If it's totally impractical to do this because of space restrictions then the best you can do is place your laundry inside a sealed container inside a cupboard in your bedroom. When travelling and staying in hotels I often have no choice but to sleep with laundry in my room, so my method is to store it in a sealed plastic bag inside a cupboard, as far away from the bed as possible. I have found this to be reasonably effective.
Help. I have a gift store and since last August, the store and my life have both taken a dive. I live in an area that is zoned for mixed commercial and residential use. A club, whose deck is about 20 feet off of my balcony, has changed its format and has 'Rave disco' music playing 6 nights a week. I do not hear any music - just a constant loud and penetrating base beat that hits me in the chest... another neighbor has complained that they felt like they were having a heart attack the first time they heard it. It generally lasts from 9pm until 2am every night except one each week. I am at the point of snapping.
My business requires me to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week most weeks. I am not getting enough sleep. Ear plugs won't work because it is primarily the vibration of the base beat that gets me. Currently our city has no codes to protect me or the other residents of the building from this nightly disruption. I am afraid that my business and my life are on a downward spiral headed toward a terrible crash.
Sincerely and desperately, B.H, USA
Karen's reply:
Uncontrollable external noise in a person's life, in my experience, is symptomatic of internal noise - something inside a person that needs to be heard. After you listen internally (and you may have to go many layers deep to get to this), the external noise situation gets resolved.
Everything you have told me points to the fact that there is something in your life that needs to change but you have not wanted to hear that. We each have a life purpose and if we don't fulfill it our Higher Self will create a way to get our attention so that we have to change. Some people resist this and then the process can be very painful.
I suggest you take a day off - yes, a whole day off! - and do it soon. Go to a place with beautiful scenery and a peaceful atmosphere that you have never been before. Take a notebook and pen with you and some food supplies. Your project for the day is to write about your ideal life.
At the top of a page, put the title: MY IDEAL LIFE. Have the attitude that from this day on you can do anything you choose to do. Then start numbering down the page, and beside each number, describe a different aspect of your ideal life, free from any limitations, financial restrictions, commitments and responsibilities to others. Allow your mind to soar. If you could do anything, go anywhere, be anyone... what would those things be.
This process is likely to bring up emotions. Allow yourself to feel them. Don't suppress them. In feeling them, the stuck energy of your current situation can start to move.
It is wise in times of change to have support while you do this. After all, if you could have made the changes by yourself, you would have already done so! For this I highly recommend rebirthing, and there are many excellent rebirthers in the USA, maybe even close to where you are. If not, you will have to take the longer route and start reading. Having made a start on this personal inner work, Space Clearing your outer environment can then be very helpful.
A few months ago me and my husband got divorced. My question concerns our bed, which we bought together, for the two of us. The bed is only a couple of years old and it's good so I'm thinking - what should I do with it? Can I keep it or should I get rid of it as soon as possible in order to be able to find a new, long-lasting love relationship?
Thanks for your help! - G.H., Sweden
Karen's reply:
In Chapter 15 of Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, I explain how important it is to start a new relationship in a place where neither partner has lived before, and I also believe it is wise to start with a new mattress. Mattresses become deeply imprinted, and if you don't want the new relationship to go the same way as the old, then it's not a good idea to immerse yourself in all the old energies every night when you go to sleep.
Of course not all relationships have mileage, so it's wise to wait until you're sure of this before going to the expense of moving house or buying a new mattress.
If your bed is only a couple of years old and the divorce was an amicable one, just thwack it to vibrate all the old energies out of it, and don't worry about getting a new mattress until you have found a wonderful new man to go with it. But if your marriage ended, my best advice is to dump the mattress and give yourself the best possible chance of moving on to something better.
My father has lived in the same house all of his life. It is a house that was built by his parents, and the place where he and his children grew up. Recently he and his girlfriend have decided to move in together. They have decided to move into her house, as it is in a better area and would be a better investment.
This leaves my father in a difficult position. He needs to move out of and sell a house he is extremely attached to in order to move forward in his relationship. He and his girlfriend have experienced some moderate squabbles and tension regarding his delays in selling his house. There are some repairs and preparations he would like to make that she feels are unnecessary. When I suggested to my father that he should do whatever he would like to prepare himself to move, he said, "No, I don't think so. I'd like to take the house and put it in my back pocket."
Any suggestions?
Karen's reply:
In my consultancy work I have seen that it is always problematic when one partner moves into the home of another.
My advice to any couples setting up home together for the first time is always to do so in a place that neither person has lived in before. Therefore I strongly recommended that both your father and his girlfriend sell their properties, pool their finances, and buy a new home together.
What is Space Clearing?
