The Land of 8

Preface to The 8 Elements: Feng Shui for YOU!

Upon embarking on my professional career in feng shui, I set the intention to provide the information and insights people need to create a life that serves them well and supports them in making their unique contribution to the world. Early on, I realized that there was only so much even a perfectly feng shui’d environment could provide. It was a good place to start but what was really needed was a feng shui’d life. What was really needed was Feng Shui for YOU!

My journey into the wonderful world of feng shui began with popular books when feng shui became more mainstream in the mid ‘90’s. Then, in 1999, I experienced my first feng shui consultation. It was only later, after marriage and children, that I began a formal study of classical feng shui. I was drawn in by its beauty, impressed by its power and awed by its simplicity.

Yes, simplicity! Most of the books about feng shui are confusing, complicated and contradict each other. Many practice a school of feng shui that is based in Chinese religion, culture and superstitions utilizing such trinkets as figurines, chimes, flutes, mirrors and faceted crystals. Others make recommendations that are too specific or too general without taking the particulars of a space, life and personal energy into consideration or including a cautionary warning. Still others try to maintain the mystery surrounding feng shui by being too vague or telling you to do the strangest things without providing any explanation.

Simply speaking, feng shui brings what is out of balance into balance. There are many schools of feng shui that can be layered in and complexities to be mastered, but as soon as the basic tenets of feng shui are understood, the mysteriousness is replaced by a sincere appreciation for its truth and effectiveness. You don’t have to believe in feng shui for it to work; nor do you have to know how it works for feng shui to make you a believer. A balanced environment always feels better than one that is not balanced. You can feel it. A feng shui’d environment makes you feel welcome and safe, happy and content. You know it’s good feng shui when you don’t want to leave.

Feng shui, as with many ancient practices, is a combination of both art and science. Once the science of evaluating a property and taking a compass reading has been learned and the formulas for “running the numbers” has been memorized, the art of interpreting the resulting energy blueprint begins. This art of interpretation is why no two feng shui consultants may agree or give the same advice. And this is why it’s important to select your feng shui consultant carefully; choosing one that you resonate with and trust and who is available to be your guide on your own feng shui journey.

Feng shui is a practice that can be learned and mastered but always has more to reveal when the student is ready. There are many approaches to feng shui, many schools to prioritize, many aspects of the art and science to emphasize. I have chosen to temper the Eastern traditions with Western enhancements, keeping my focus on the customization of my recommendations, based on people’s personal Feng Shui element. With each consultation and client, coaching session and conversation, and in my travels at home and abroad I am always learning something new about feng shui. Whether it is an epiphany or subtle nuance, something about a personal element or energy field, what I learn adds new color and texture to the beautifully woven tapestry that is the art of feng shui. No matter how much knowledge and expertise I gain, feng shui is and will continue to be a lifelong study.

As I began practicing feng shui in my own home, I recognized the value of feng shui beyond the scope of a living or working environment. I started to realize that environmental feng shui is only one way to apply and benefit from its many schools and principles. I wondered: What if you could feng shui your life? What if you could feng shui your personal energy? I was about to find out that there was far more to feng shui than painting an accent wall, plugging in a water feature or repositioning a couch.

The paradigm shift occurred as soon as I saw that people’s environments were representative of their lives and that each person’s life was a holographic projection of their personal energy field. People were trying to better their lives by feng shui’ing their environment, but what they really needed, was to feng shui themselves. Now, granted, environmental feng shui can be amazingly effective, even miraculous; but for many of us, it won’t create enough of a shift to bring the changes we are looking for in our lives.

We all want the same thing: a better, happier, more satisfying life. We just ask for it in different ways. Even before taking the grand tour of a home or office, I get to know my client and their family or staff. During the first part of the initial consultation, I ask questions, listen and take notes much like the case taking that a homeopathic physician does on a first visit. No matter who I ask, the top three things people want, without exception, are: more money, greater love, and better health. Of course, few come right out and say it like that. It’s the way they talk about wealth, relationships and health that clues me into what’s really important to them. When it comes to money, some talk about income, savings, investments, and a retirement plan. Others talk about a dream house, dream car or dream boat. Still others, talk about finding a fulfilling career, growing a successful business or practice, getting a degree to qualify for a raise, or getting paid to do something they love or are really good at. When it comes to love, some talk about their marriage, dating after a spouse’s death or divorce or finding their soulmate. Many times, what I hear is just a need to be recognized and appreciated by their family, friends and community or a need to know that their children are well and happy so they can be free to love themselves. When it comes to health, some talk about a specific “dis-ease” or health condition, extreme diet or exercise routine, weight problem or body image issue. What I find is that people just want to feel at home in their bodies, because they know that it’s the only place they have to live.

Once I completed my apprenticeship and began offering private feng shui consultations, I noticed the various similarities that people of the same personal element shared and how different they were from people of the other personal elements. I observed who they shared their living space with or who they hired to work for them. I paid attention to the colors they wore, the words they used, the art they collected. I took note of their highest values, their essential needs, their unique strengths and their special talents.

You could say I began profiling people. But not to put them in a box and slap a label on them. At first, my intention was to better customize my feng shui recommendations. Only later, quite organically, did it evolve into a study of people’s energy based on their personal element. I noticed the effect environments have on people, the effect people have on people, and most importantly the effect that people’s own balanced or imbalanced energy have on themselves and their lives.

So began years of constant observation and continual research. So much so, that the people in my life knew to expect talk of the personal elements when they were with me. Ad nauseam. Every action, every behavior, every motivation; every question, every answer, every comment was personal element related. I wrote The 8 Elements profiles and started providing them to my clients. I presented personal element workshops in my community. I explored and further developed my discoveries by finding illustrative examples in the lives of close family and friends. Delving even deeper, I began offering personal energy coaching based on my new understanding and appreciation for The 8 Elements.

The 8 Elements emerged like a sun from behind the horizon, a siren from the sea, a sword from the stone, a forest from a single acorn, a sculpture from a block of granite. Once the various patterns had been recognized, I started seeing them everywhere; in movies and music, reality television and current events, in the lives of celebrities and household names, both historical and contemporary. I got to the point where I could listen to an interview or a conversation, read an article or just observe someone’s dress, mannerisms and body language and within minutes, identify their personal element.

Through my feng shui consultations and personal energy coaching, I came to the conclusion that my clients’ lives and personal energy, not just their living or working environment, could be feng shui’d. People are in a constant cycle of change, growth, and becoming and because of this, they are continually experiencing varying degrees of balance and imbalance. I knew that each of The 8 Elements would need highly personalized guidelines to follow on their path to personal well-being and harmony within their relationships. I committed myself to a thorough study of each personal element and began applying feng shui principles to help balance, honor and celebrate each unique personal energy.

A deep understanding of my own personal element was an unexpected bonus and valuable gift. It allowed me to really see me; to acknowledge my unique energy, appreciate my natural abilities and accept that I have individual needs. I stopped comparing myself to other people. I stopped wondering why I wasn’t more like someone else and expecting myself to be different. I gave myself permission to be all that I am; not less than I am, not more than I am. I recognized places in my life that were out of balance and began to gently move into more balance and embrace more well-being. For the first time, I began to honor who I really am, let myself be authentically self-expressed and live a life that serves my highest and greatest good.

Understanding my own personal element though, was not enough. I knew that part of establishing and enjoying a state of balance and well-being was dependent on having good relationships with the people in my life. As soon as I gained an understanding of the other personal elements, I stopped judging and becoming upset by other people’s attitudes and actions. I accepted them just the way they were and stopped expecting them to be more like me. I let them show me who they were and I let them see who I am.

Next, I discovered that there was a unique energy dynamic present in the relationships between me and each of The 8 Elements. Then, not only did I understand myself, I understood other people and the quality of the relationship that was created between us. Only then could I allow myself to be fully self-expressed in anyone’s company and truly appreciate the unique self-expression of everyone else. I saw what is possible in relationships for people of any personal element. I saw the potential for humanity. I saw the inherent beauty of us.

As inhabitants of the Earth, we are reliant upon all five natural elements to be present, to be in balance and to co-create in harmony. Without all five elements, the Earth would be a wasteland: a hot desert with no oasis, all sandstorm and sun; a parched and barren land, all dust and tumbleweed; a dead ocean devoid of life, all salt water and discarded debris.

As citizens of the world, we depend on all eight of the personal elements to be self-aware, to be in a state of balance, to have personal well-being and to be fully self-expressed. Without the energy of each and every one of us, we would fall out of balance and ultimately cease to exist. The more well-being we enjoy and the more authentically self-expressed we are, the more we will be able to contribute to each other and the conscious elevation of the planet.

The more you Feng Shui Yourself the more you will fulfill your purpose and enjoy your journey on Earth, the Land of 8.

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