Should You Buy Special Feng Shui Accessories?
Find out which ones you should -- and shouldn't --buy
©2005 Kathryn Weber
Publisher, The Red Lotus Letter
Feng shui is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some people, feng shui is all about the environment and the placement of your home in relationship to that environment. For others, feng shui is about how they "feel" in a space or the effect of shapes.
Some feng shui devotees say that feng shui is all about flying stars, your personal astrology (Four Pillars), and others say its about assigning corners to your home by the right hand or the left hand.
But one thing is clear: Feng shui items and accessories are big sellers and capturing peoples' attention -- and wallets. If you're interested in feng shui, how do you know which items to choose and which ones are just superstition? Because, let's face it, every society has superstitions and talismans to go with them.
Some of what is called "feng shui" is actually superstition. What's more, when it comes to feng shui, it's also important to separate symbols from talismans.
Go to any feng shui emporium or Chinese important store and you could be overwhelmed by the array of items designed to boost your good fortune, love life, or health. Some symbols, such as the fake gold ingots, are good symbols to use as long as when you look at the item it means "gold" to you. That's because in the Western world, we see gold in bars and that means gold on this side of the globe.
On the other side of the globe it's those feng shui ingots. If the boat-shaped gold ingots you see in feng shui shops may not register with you as being gold, so it is very likely that it will help you.
What's important to remember about feng shui accessories is this:
Any item purchased must look to you like the item it is representing. So, in the case of the gold ingots, they don't look like gold to me so it doesn't make me "see money" when I look at it.
What does make me see money? Someone like Oprah Winfrey or a picture of a black Lexus sedan. So, if I wanted a money symbol, I would frame a picture of Oprah or put a picture of a Lexus where I could see it. That's why it doesn't make sense to purchase an item that really isn't meaningful to you just because it's purported to do something.
Items that DO work for you
Items that can work for you include windchimes because they physically impact an environment by funneling air through them and clang together producing beautiful sound vibrations. Crystals do, too, as they spread their light across a room when the sun's rays hit them. Lights are also good power symbols and energizers that will create an effect.
What items DON'T work for you
In general, items that are very Eastern or Chinese in thought probably won't have the same effect -- unless you are Asian. For instance, statues of the feng shui gods of wealth, etc., are very common items in Chinese homes. Again, this is because these are meaningful to Chinese people who grow up hearing the stories about these gods. However, if you are not Asian, these elements and symbols may not bring to you what you are looking for unless you identify with them. If you believe that an item(s) will bring you good fortune, wealth, health, etc., then, yes, it possibly could.
Items I personally use and have found to be beneficial:
- Auspicious pictures (water, happy images, etc.)
Items such as the dragon and phoenix, which represents conjugal happiness, again, is not meaningful to me. However, when I see a waterfall, I do relate to that as money, so I would happily hang a picture of a waterfall, but wouldn't put up a picture of a dragon and phoenix up. See the point here?
In short, nothing is going to "work" for you unless it appeals to you and it genuinely represents the reason you are buying it for. So, if you're buying a trinket to bring you love luck and you have a choice between the dragon and phoenix or a pair of ducks, go with the symbol that means love to you. Otherwise, anything you buy won't have the effect you are looking for. Hopefully, this will save you both time and money when you're being lured by the promise of more money, better health, etc., by adding a particular item to your home.
© Copyright 2001-2008 Kathryn Weber
All rights reserved.
