Declutter and make the center of your house as open as possible to ensure harmony. (File Photo)
The coming Year of the Water Rabbit will be “a better year” as “there are good stars on the chart”, claimed certified master feng shui consultant Joyce M. Co. To help usher in luck and prosperity into your home, Co enjoins you to celebrate and enjoy the Lunar New Year, and consider these easy, practical tips you can do for your spaces.
Declutter, fix and clean
As the year transitions, you want fresh energies in and dead energies out. And you can achieve that by decluttering, fixing, cleaning.
“You need to segregate the things that you need and those that you don’t; if you don’t need it or it’s not working already, toss it. By fix, I mean replacing broken bulbs, equipment and furniture… When I say clean, it means a total, general cleaning of the house,” she explained. Hinges should not squeak and cobwebs should be removed, among others.
A general cleaning of the house is a must. (File Photo)
Amplify the good sectors
“Make the center of your house as open as possible because that has the #4 star, which means relationships. You want harmony there,” Co said. The center affects the other sectors of the house, too, so make sure there’s no clutter there.
Segregate and let the good energy in. (File Photo)
The other good sectors are the South, North and Southwest, which hold the Wealth, Future Prosperity and Victory Stars, respectively. In the South, Co suggests more lighting as well as wealth symbols (8 Crystals, Wealth Tree). The North has a “magnifying factor” for one’s career and another three generations of one’s bloodline. There, put General Kwan Kung or a 9 Rank Badge. You can also add water elements, like an aquarium or a painting of seascapes, except when that space is a bedroom. Finally, in the Southwest, place lots of crystals and earth symbolisms.
Avoid work on the afflicted sectors
As we head out of the pandemic, which Co said might very well be the case based on feng shui, people will likely be redesigning their spaces. They are warned not to do work—or at least not begin and end work—in the unlucky directions namely Northwest (fearsome 5 Yellow Star), the East (Illness Star and host of Tai Sui, symbolizing setbacks) and West (3 Killings, or problems with health, relationship and life).
Place lots of crystals in the Southwest. (File Photo)
If work cannot be avoided there, consider applying cures. The West also hosts the star of heavenly luck, so “you’ll come across people who will help and bless you for the things that you do.” To get just the good luck there and ward off the 3 Killings, add a 3 Celestials Mirror. In the Northwest, place a 5-Element Pagoda and remove metallic elements. In the East, add a Wu Luo and a Tai Sui Plaque.
No to fake plants
When you send flowers to a sick person, you hope that it will perk them up, said Co. The flower has to be real, otherwise it loses its effect.
Likening that to adding plants and flowers to your living space, she warned against artificial plants that might look great and evergreen but contribute no energy. Add a money or fortune tree, a jade plant, even a kiat-kiat. Bamboo plants will be auspicious in the Southeast or South. Avoid thorny and spiky plants, and get flowering plants. Co said orchids were more practical because their flowers lasted longer.
Add fortune tree or jade plant for abundance. (hgtv.com)
Forecasting that plants will not be as big a trend anymore, she suggested investing in lucky symbols, too. She encouraged red lanterns and other auspicious symbols in the home. If all that remains out of reach, at least welcome the year cheerfully on the eve of Jan. 21.
“Put a big basket of fruits, gold coins and pastries on the table; pay it forward with a red angpao; and, most importantly, be with the people that you love,” Co said.