Good-bye Tricky Fire Monkey Year – Hello Rockin’ Fire Rooster Year

by llenore | Feb 8, 2017 | Uncategorized

GOOD-BYE TRICKY FIRE MONKEY YEAR

Was last year challenging for you? Was it fast-paced, unusually crazy, and filled with trickery to the point you were ready to revolt or revolutionize your life? Did you feel like you were putting out fires or on the verge of burnout during the year? If so, you were like most people who were experiencing one of the most interesting and, in many ways, difficult years I have seen in the last 35 years that I've been involved with Feng Shui.

A few of the reasons we experienced such turmoil had to do with the relationship between the elements of the year – fire and metal. This last year, 2016, was the Year of the Fire Monkey. If we look at the qualities of a monkey and the interface of the Five Elements we gain a better understanding of the energies that happened.

ASIAN FIVE ELEMENTS, ZODIAC ANIMALS & THEIR INTERACTION

In Asian modalities there are Five Elements. They are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The order I gave them to you is known as the constructive or parent/child cycle since each one will "give birth" to the following element, i.e., wood (parent) gives birth to fire (child). There is a destructive cycle where wood sucks the nutrients from the earth, fire melts metal, earth dams or stops the flow of water, metal chops down wood, and water puts out fire.

Add to the mix each year we have a changing of the animal for the year. The short story about the animals and the order in which they occur is; 1) Supposedly the Emperor decided to have a party and invited all the animals, 2) He decided to name a year after each of the first 12 animals as they arrived, 3) We had the 9th in the cycle last year with The Year of the Monkey, and 4) The monkey is associated with the element metal.

Each element can be either BIG or small. As it implies, the energy can be very strong or BIG. Or it could be more subdued or small. We have the elements twice in a row with one year being BIG and the next one being small. These elements cycle through the animals. We have five (5) elements and twelve (12) animals. This mix of 5 elements and 12 animals creates a 60-year cycle (5×12=60).

Last year we had what is know as BIG FIRE and BIG METAL. As mentioned earlier, "fire melts metal," which is the conflict or destructive cycle. With both elements being BIG, the conflicts were very HEATED. Many people reached "burnout" or felt like they were constantly putting out fires.

Then we add the characteristics or qualities of a monkey. They swing from one thing to another, are playful and sometimes mischievous, and work in groups to accomplish things. Combine the energies of the elements and the monkey and you have the energies of the Fire Monkey Year to which we've just said "Good-bye!"2017 Chinese New Year with yin Rooster & Yin Fire characters

2017 Chinese New Year with Yin Rooster & Yin Fire characters

We are in the 15-day celebration period welcoming the Year of the Fire Rooster. It started on January 28, 2017. Before you start freaking out about the year, be assured it should be a much better year. Even though we again have fire and metal energies, instead of both being BIG, they are both small.

There may be differences in opinions, but not the heated conflict as before. Plus the rooster is more of an individual energy, strutting his stuff. We can expect more influence by individuals rather than groups in changing outcomes and achieving accomplishments. Grooming and how we look with gain attention. 

Another very important aspect of the rooster is "feathering his nest." This means the home is going to regain its importance as a focal point in an individual's life. Plus the focus on our individual finances will come into play.

There are many ways to prepare and take advantage of the Year of the Fire Rooster. You can learn more about them in my MP3, Year of the Fire Rooster. I'll continue with helpful tips in my next blog, so be sure to check back soon.

What Entrance Qualities Are Not Good To Have And Why? – FAQ

by llenore | Jun 29, 2016 | Uncategorized

This is a “Good Example of a Bad Feng Shui Entrance.” There is a tree basically in direct alignment with the front door (although from this angle it’s not obvious). The door is recessed down a long narrow walkway leaving both sides of the walkway trapped by the building on either side. There are no plants in the yard to attract or bring “good chi or energy” to this home. Although there are no weeds visible in this photo, they are starting in the mulch or bark area. The walkway to the home starts at the driveway next to the house – a very abrupt left turn leads you from the driveway to the LONG, STRAIGHT & NARROW walkway to the door. The excessive large rocks covering the land “weigh down” the energy of the front yard making the “good” energy want to leave this house in order to find good energy someplace else along the street.

As I have mentioned many times before regarding Feng Shui, the entrance to your home is one of the most important features – if not the most important feature – to consider when looking for a home with Good Feng Shui. We want the front yard to be beautiful, colorful, full of life and vitality with healthy trees and shrubs, free of weeds, an inviting walkway to the front door, an easy-to-see-from-the-street front door and an overall “welcoming” vibe to it.

Other qualities we want are:

• Meandering or curving walkways to the front door
• Walkways that start at the street, not just from the driveway.
• Have a door close to the front of the actual building, not tucked back from the front of the building.
• No building stretching out in front of the door on either or both sides – to the left and right of the door.
• The above blocks the GOOD Chi from finding the door and affects the occupants’ career options. One side blocks career options for men, the other for women.
• Mature trees, but not in direct alignment with the front door and the street.
• A cover over the doorway for protection from bad weather.
• Equal amounts of the five elements.

The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. We want a balance of these elements in the natural world around us (as well as inside.)

1. Wood = Green = Rectangles
2. Fire = Red = Triangle
3. Earth = Yellow = Square
4. Metal = White = Circles or Half-circles
5. Water = Blue or Black = Waves or Curves

Rate your front entrance using these criteria. For each one of the above qualities you have in your front yard and entrance to your home, subtract one from zero. Yes, you will have a negative number.

You’ll want to add at least one item that attracts “Good Feng Shui” for each negative item you have. Then start adding more items to create a positive number. A number around 9 or more will greatly improve the “good energy or chi” to bring you the Good Things in Life!

How Can I Bring In More Money Into My Life? – Feng Shui FAQ

by llenore | Jun 10, 2016 | Uncategorized

According to Feng Shui, one of the most important areas of a home or business to attract money and Good Luck is the front door and the area immediately leading up to it. I call this the “Pathway to Prosperity.”

Sights, sounds, smells, textures and even the ability to sense taste will stimulate the 5 senses to attract “MONEY” and Good Energy into your home and life.

Yet this is often one of the last places people even think to start their Feng Shui journey. More often they start with their home office or bedroom, both of which are very important, but not the first area of concern from the trained professional perspective.

What happens is that if you don’t have the good energy or chi coming into the building, it doesn’t much matter what the interior rooms look like.

Sweep up the leaves and other debris from around your front door by sweeping them toward the door, not away from it. To find out why, get my MP3 recording of “A Fresh Start” by clicking on my signup box on my website pages.

They can be pristine and perfectly Feng Shui’d and not bring the results we want or need.

I know I repeat this topic – and with good reason. Even though I share this information, most people still don’t address the issues. We need to attract the good, repel the negative, and set the stage for the type of success we want – starting at the walkway to our buildings or where we park the car.

In my last post I showed the ideal “Ming Dang,” or Bright Open Spaces we desire. Having lots of land or a view to look at is wonderful, but sometimes not realistic.

Here are some more tips (and photos) to help achieve the type of energy we want.

1. Sweep the debris from around the front door.
2. Get a lovely door mat, possibly with some color.
3. Have words of inspiration or desired outcomes around the front door.
4. Have healthy plants.
5. Bright colored flowers are beneficial, especially with red or yellow flowers.
6. Water features bring in a soothing sound as well as attracting wildlife – a BIG PLUS for attracting GOOD ENERGY!
7. Meandering pathways bring calm energy whereas straight walkways can be too aggressive.
8. Lighting is a positive energy, especially attracting good energy during the evening and at night.
9. Fish are also beneficial if you can create a natural habitat for them. It is said that “nine” is a lucky number to have.

Be sure you get your FREE MP3 I created – “A Fresh Start” – by signing up on my website: www.LindaLenore.com. It is filled with additional EASY ways to set the stage for attracting MONEY into your home and Life.

How Can I Attract More Good Into My Life? – Answer: “Ming Tang!” (FAQ)

by llenore | May 26, 2016 | Uncategorized

Feng Shui is about attracting good energy to you and your home, deflecting bad energy, balancing energy through your home or workplace, focusing energy on areas where you want “more” of something, minimizing unwanted energy and enhancing the vitality of the space for optimal benefit to create your dreams. All this can be achieved creating a beautiful, strong “Ming Tang.”

Able to see the view across the valley in Austria represents the perfect Ming Tang on a grand scale. Being able to see more than across the hall of your apartment or the street from our home is the ideal Ming Tang.

What is a Ming Tang you may ask? 

It is the front yard or porch to your home, office or apartment. It is everything you see – and what you don’t see. If you can’t see part of your yard from the front door, you have a blocked Ming Tang.

How do I create a correct style of Ming Tang? 

First evaluate the front yard, walkway and porch to your home, office or apartment. Is it small, dark, overrun by weeds or so overgrown by big trees or shrubs you can’t see the sidewalk? Then you have a poor Ming Tang.

Create a beautiful “Ming Tang!”

The front exterior of your dwelling is one of the most important areas around your home.  It greets you, your family and friends plus attracts energy to your home.

We want to have an open space without seeing dead plants, broken toys & furniture, broken pots or weeds.  Since there is a Universal Law that says, “Like energy attracts like energy,” we want to make sure the energy coming to us is fun, loving, peaceful and prosperous.

Here are a few ways we can attract those qualities:

• Lovely gardens with beautiful plants
• Special lighting (we want to attract energy even at night)
• The sounds of birds at a bird feeder or birdbath
• The sight and sound of water from a fountain, waterfall or pond
• Fragrances of lavender or citrus
• A clean or freshly painted front door with a great handle
• A “welcome” mat with bright colors, inviting words or possibly black, which represents water, wealth and career opportunities
• A statue of your favorite animal or a spiritual icon

For more FREE tips on how to Build Your Emotional Home, sign up on my Opt-in button found on my Home Page.

Feng Shui FAQ: Where Should I Place This Wall Hanging?

by llenore | Apr 2, 2016 | Uncategorized

In the many schools of Feng Shui we are working with both energy and balance. With energy, we may want to slow it down, make it move faster, or activate it. Sometimes we need to balance the energy. There are several tools we have to balance it.

This moon/sun wall hanging has strong yin/yang qualities.

The Five Elements

Within the Eastern traditions there is the awareness and use of the Five Elements. They are: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The order I just listed is known as the “Productive Cycle” or sometimes called the “Parent/Child Cycle.” The first one gives birth to the following, as in wood gives birth to fire.

When there is too little an amount of one of the elements, an environment may feel stuck. If there is too much of an element we may feel overwhelmed or weighted down.

Yin/Yang

Another way we create balance is through the understanding and correct use of the Yin and Yang qualities. Yin is a more feminine, intuitive, soft, nurturing aspect. Yang is more linear, often aggressive, active and outwardly powerful energy.

When one of my clients sent me this picture of a wall hanging and asked where to place it, I immediately focused on the Yin/Yang perspective of the wall hanging. The moon is “Yin” by nature and the sun is “Yang.”

Since this wall hanging is a combination of both, it is best placed in a location where both qualities exist. That would be the mainline of the house – not on the left or right sides, but down the middle.

If the item is to be placed outside, we don’t have to worry about the Yin/Yang interior qualities. It can be placed almost anyplace outside. Yet, the feeling I got when I saw the photo was to have it seen in the backyard directly opposite the middle part of the house on a wall or fence.

What a magnificent item to view when gazing out the French doors from a bedroom or the sliding glass doors of a family room!