Feng Shui in the Spotlight: World Outlook 2009

In June 2008, Moogger first presented the concept of feng shui as an interior design strategy to create harmonious home environment. We received positive feedback from many readers who have put it into practice. Improved family relationships, better health, and career promotion are reported benefits of home feng shui.

Besides regulating energy at home, feng shui masters apply unique formulas to predict the future viability of an event, a person, a business entity, or even a country. While the world is facing economic uncertainty, people turn to feng shui practice with a hope of exiting grim financial stage ASAP. Susan Fenton at the Reuters had a very interesting report on what Asian Feng shui masters foresaw for 2009. Believe it or not, it is worth reading about the unknown that may later surface as the real thing.

Of course, the best feng shui practice is optimism. There is no use worrying. let's sit back, relax, and enjoy the year of the Ox (shall we say “Bull”? ☺ ).


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Feng shui masters see calmer markets in Year of the Ox

By Susan Fenton


HONG KONG (Reuters) - Stock investors reeling from last year's market mayhem may take some solace from practitioners of the ancient Chinese art of feng shui, who predict a calmer, if subdued, performance in the coming Chinese Year of the Ox.

"This year of the Ox is an 'earth' year, when people will take a breather and reflect on what they should do after a turbulent 2008," said Hong Kong feng shui master Raymond Lo.

Practitioners of feng shui maintain the universe is made up of five elements -- earth, water, fire, wood and metal -- that define the collective mood in our environment.

Earth is the calmest of the elements and this year is a "yin earth" year as well as an Ox year, symbolizing a more feminine energy, says Lo.

The Year of the Ox, which starts on January 26, will be the most peaceful year globally since 2000, he says, but stock investors don't need to rush into the market yet.

"2009 will be a 'pure earth' year, which means fire will be missing so there will not be a lot of drive to push up the stock market," said Lo. The economic climate will still be tough and though stock markets might rise in the first half of this year, gains could peter out in the second half, Lo said.

"The market should still be quite low in the second half and that would be a good time to get in ahead of a recovery in 2010 (the Year of the Tiger)," he said.

The global outlook will be helped by the fact that incoming U.S. President Barack Obama was born in a "yin earth" year, like President Abraham Lincoln. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou are also "yin earth" people.

"This is a new generation of leaders. They are more calm, humane and charismatic," Lo said.

Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Charles Darwin, Tchaikovsky and Sigmund Freud, were all born in "yin earth" years which symbolize harmony and a move to a new order.

The last "yin earth" year of the Ox, in 1949, saw the birth of NATO and the People's Republic of China.

MIXED RECORD

Vincent Koh of the Singapore Feng Shui Centre agrees that financial markets will be subdued.

"Don't pick high-risk assets this year, be patient and don't expect high returns," Koh said.

The global economy could start to pick up in the second half of 2009, says Koh, who sees busy merger and acquisition activity, but adds that banks will continue to be reluctant to lend.
A report this month by Japanese research company Daiwa Institute, however, warned that Ox years are usually disastrous for stocks and Japan's Nikkei stock index has fallen by an average 11.4 percent in each of the past five Years of the Ox.

Feng shui masters have a mixed record when it comes to market predictions. Lo forecast a stock market correction a year ago but also advised investors to put their money into property.

Prof. Charlie Chao, a leading feng shui expert in the Philippines, was quoted in a CLSA research note a year ago as warning of a possible global economic crisis in 2008.

But he also forecast a better performance for the Philippine stock market. That didn't happen. Manila stocks slumped 48 percent last year, reversing a 21 percent gain in 2007.

Chinese emperors put great faith in advice from feng shui masters as do many business tycoons and politicians in Chinese societies today. Apartment blocks and office buildings as well as furniture are often positioned according to feng shui principles to generate "wealth."

Banking giant HSBC's Hong Kong headquarters was built in accordance with feng shui guidelines and Hong Kong Disneyland changed the angle of its main entrance after consulting a feng shui expert.

As fewer people buy property or start businesses during the economic downturn, Michael Teo, a feng shui master at I-Ching Fengshui in recession-hit Singapore, is seeing a drop in business.

However, sales of auspicious feng shui jade carvings, which cost $2,000-$3,000 and are believed to bring wealth, are being snapped up every day, he says.

Koh compares feng shui with a reliable weather forecast, saying it can help us anticipate changes in our environment.

"We cannot stop the rain, but knowing it is going to fall we can prevent ourselves from getting drenched," he says.

But getting wet may be a minor concern in the Year of the Ox. While financial markets should be calmer, Koh foresees the spread of disease and a spate of natural disasters, particularly in the northern hemisphere, with landslides, floods and earthquakes in store.

Ancient Design Philosophy with Buzz: Feng Shui *

Recently, a California McDonald’s franchisee turned to Feng shui as a strategy to boost sales. When Disneyland opened in Hong Kong in 2005, company executives consulted with a feng shui master to shift the angle of the theme park's main entrance by 12 degrees to maintain good energy flow and to maximize the prospect of prosperity. What is this esoteric concept of feng shui that is redefining modern living and work areas around the world?

Literally translated, feng Shui (pronounced “Fung Shway”) means “Wind Water” in English. It is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging a harmonious environment to improve well being. Chinese believe that energy is a natural force that pervades all areas of our environment and affects our daily activities. Yang is positive energy that is bright, and active; yin energy is negative, dark and inactive. Abundant yang energy yields good health, prosperity and spirituality. Too much yin energy translates into stagnation and misfortune. By balancing the opposing energies in a physical location, feng shui enhances the inter-relationship between the macrocosm of natural environment and the microcosm of human body. It helps create a place that actively utilizes the natural healing force to nurture its residents, and harmoniously aligns with the residents’ internal energy for wellness maintenance.

While large corporations may seek feng shui advice to secure economic advantages, individuals apply it in home settings to sooth energy and enhance health. Try the following feng shui tips for your home and you will be amazed by the positive changes that follow.

Entrance
The entrance is one of the most important locations to attract good energy to your home. Keeping it clean and open allows positive energy to circulate inside your home and increases the change of receiving golden opportunities in life. If the entrance is blocked by clutter, it creates negative energy and affects the normal energy flow of the entire home. Make sure the path to the entrance is wide and well lit. Place a beautiful painting on the wall opposite the entrance to welcome positive energy into the home. If the entrance faces a dark area or a staircase, make sure to keep the entrance door closed or place a screen between the door and the living area. This can repel negative energy trying to gain entry inside the home.

Living Room
Being the center of family life, living room is one of the first rooms to greet guests and symbolizes a connection to potential career and relationship opportunities. A well designed living room reflects homeowners’ characters and attracts energy synchronized with the homeowners. In general, subtle color coordination creates a peaceful atmosphere in the room. Brighter colors tend to uplift people’s moods more than darker ones. Furniture should be arranged in such a way as to not impede traffic flow in the living area. For example, round coffee table encourages free energy flow. Placing sofas farther away from doors preserves energy since people usually sit upon them for extended periods and energy may be drawn away by the doors when opened.

Bedrooms
The bedroom is the one room in the house that is most aligned with one’s overall health. It serves as a restorative sanctuary for sleeping and energy rejuvenation. To reduce distraction during sleep, remove things with electromagnetic fields such as TV, telephones and computers. Place the bed’s headboard against a solid wall and opposite the door. The wall creates a safe haven for the sleeping mind. If the home residents are able to see activities outside the bedroom door, they are in control of the home. Even though new home construction tends to offer spacious bedrooms, feng shui practice prefers a small bedroom to a big one because the small room consolidates its resident’s energy, while the big room consumes both natural and human energies to maintain a balanced environment.

Kitchen
The proper placement of the kitchen helps produce sufficient positive energy. The ideal location for the kitchen is in the rear of the house, where resources are stored in abundance without easy identification by outsiders. As with other rooms in the house, the kitchen should be uncluttered and kept clean to prevent the accumulation of bad energy. It is very important to keep the stoves working at all times because non-burning stoves imply a distress with home resources.

Historically, feng shui is thought to have had ramifications beyond domestic serenity. To millions of practitioners around the world, an old Chinese saying reveals the essence of feng shui: “If there is harmony in the house, there is order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.” Be patient as it will take time for the harmonious magic of feng shui to materialize. For the moment, put it into action and experience how it transforms your life.



* This article was first published in Yellow Magazine May 2008 issue.