Many businesses request a consultation either prior to setting up their own business or to give an existing business an energy boost.

Clients often believe that by placing certain objects around the business, that there will be a change in the business dynamics. And, yes, while the flow of the energy inside the shop can be improved, these are often minor changes that may or may not have lasting consequences for the business bottom line.

True Feng Shui, as opposed to popular Feng Shui, can result in incredible transformations. However, the transformations are often for the business owners, and not necessarily for the business.

There are various levels of influence in our lives, acknowledged in Feng Shui as Heaven Luck, Human Luck and Earth Luck. Each contributes about one third weighting on the success or failure of your business venture. A good Feng Shui professional will look at teach of these levels of influence, and make their recommendations accordingly. A wise client will also appreciate that a worthy Feng Shui consultation is more like a business check up, rather than an interior design makeover.

Heaven Luck includes your karma – whether you are destined to succeed or struggle. It is reaping what you have formerly sown. Your karma is a result of your actions in previous times, including your early life in this body. So, for example, if you have been devious as a younger adult, this may catch up with you in your current venture. Wherever you may not have honoured your integrity in the past, be prepared to graciously put things right.

Heaven luck is basically out of our control, but being aware of it can bring a philosophical perspective into a situation, to encourage an upbeat attitude. Being aware of your heaven luck, allows you to target your energy into appropriate ventures. It can reveal whether the business you have chosen is the right type of venture for you to be involved in.

Heaven Luck also manifests as being in the right time at the right place to grab a golden opportunity, and a heaven luck reading can pinpoint those times for you.

Remember too, that your actions now are shaping your future heaven luck.

Within the Feng Shui framework, a heaven luck reading can be achieved with a Four Pillars Chinese Astrology or Destiny consultation. Such a consultation allows you to identify repeating patterns or themes in your life. It can also advise whether your life is destined for major power, influence or wealth. It can even comment on your marriage.

No investigation is useful if it doesn’t supply some solutions. The solutions provided in a destiny consultation include being shown how to strengthen your personal power and identifying the critical time periods of great stress and great opportunity, with accompanying advice on how to proceed wisely through such times.

You may also learn of the timing of your life path, so that ou can prepare for the upcoming opportunities, but also batten down for anticipated storms.

You can compare a heaven luck consultation to learning about the weather patterns and ocean currents on the voyage you are preparing for, so that you can plan and take action accordingly

Human luck comes as a result of your own efforts. It represents our education – formal and informal – your drive and determination and your discipline, and all those other personal qualities that you bring into play in your theatre of business.

Human luck is summed up by sayings, such as “the harder you work, the luckier you get”.

It is well recognised that most people launching into a business venture are notoriously under-prepared. As a business owner or entrepreneur, you can maximise your human luck by learning as much as you possibly can about the business you are involved with and about running a successful business. Get yourself some mentors, enrol in business courses, have a good professional team supporting you, such as lawyers, accountants, bookkeepers and other appropriate professionals.

Human luck is also about attitude, positivity and kindness. It is about how you choose to see the world and how you react to it.

Your prosperity awareness is also linked into this. One Master who has done many years of Feng Shui research has observed that clients who haggle over the fee get less benefit from her consultations, than clients who happily accept the price and even pay beyond the Master’s requests. The clients who haggle already have doubts about the potency of the Feng Shui consultation, and are hedging their bets. They are already demonstrating self-limiting beliefs that preclude unlimited prosperity from washing over them.

In the same vein, clients who coax the Feng Shui professional into using their most potent arrangements to bring them sudden wealth, often find that they are mentally and emotionally unprepared for the sudden change of circumstances, and revert back to their original situation before too long. You need lots of inner strength to cope with large degrees of manifested changes. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

So a true Feng Shui professional needs to ascertain your comfort levels regarding change, and choose their Feng Shui applications accordingly, so that your sense of self does not collapse. They will match the power of the cure to your ability to handle it. Equally, cures will only work as well as you expect them to.

Earth luck is the area of what people know as Feng Shui. It is the physical energy of your environment impacting on your self, your customers and ultimately on your business venture.

As a business owner, you need to select your business location very carefully.

When inspecting a potential property. Always ask what happened to the previous tenants. Did they move on to another location because of expansion of the business, or did they get out of the business because of poor trade. Do not expect your real estate agent to divulge this information. They want your business, so they will put a positive spin on almost any circumstances. So be prepared to do some detective work, or ask neighbouring businesses.

A golden Feng Shui rule is the Predecessor Rule, which says that if nothing in the environment is changed, then whatever happened to the previous occupant is likely to happen to future occupants. The predecessor rule also applies to residential properties. A location that has seen some unpleasant incidents needs a lot of correction before positive energy flows in.

So take particular care when moving into bargain properties. This is when you really benefit from a good Feng Shui consultation. But also be prepared to put the recommendations into effect.

Over seventy percent of the Feng Shui influence comes from outside the business premises. Location, location, location is certainly true in Feng Shui as it is in Real Estate.

Inside your business premises you can control a limited amount of Feng Shui. Once your customers have actually come to you, you can influence whether they respond positively to what they find inside your business premises.

A good rule of thumb in Feng Shui is that Bad Feng Shui is anything that regularly annoys you. So if you are working in your place of business and you hate the carpet, or the afternoon glare that comes into your premises, then do something to fix it.

A lot of good information about how to select colours, arrange furniture and place fittings in a business are found in retail marketing literature. A specialised branch of marketing has emerged called Retail Atmospherics, which looks at how consumers respond in various retail arrangements.

There are generally two types of Feng Shui consultations that can be conducted to ascertain the quality of earth luck pervading your business premises.

The first type is a Ch’i analysis conducted from physical observation of the interior and exterior of your premises. The consultant will assess the quality of Ch’i and make relevant recommendations to clear away harmful Ch’i and to maximise helpful Ch’i.

The other type of Feng Shui consultation is to map the Ch’i flow by taking directional readings, and noting the direction of your entrance, your desk orientation, your cash register and other relevant placements. After mapping the flow of the energy of the premises, the consultant will make decisions on what is required in what area.

The limitations of a Feng Shui consultation.

A consultant can only make recommendations and trust that their clients will follow them through. When confronted with resistance from the clients, a consultant may offer alternative solutions, but be aware that compromises offer less than the ideal outcome.

At the most basic level, a Feng Shui consultation can focus simply on the environmental situation. However, a quality Feng Shui consultation will incorporate the more esoteric components of a destiny reading for the business owner and a building energy analysis. A lot of the time, clients do not realise how much more profound and meaningful such an expanded consultation can bring.

Otherwise, they may as well bring in an Interior Designer.

Learn more about how to work with the subtle energies in your life, so that you can achieve your goals with less effort? Go get your free vibrational synergy resources here.

Alternatively, it can be a skillful use of the existing artworks that you have at home, or redesigning parts of the interior and exterior. The goal of the artistic use of feng shui is to achieve the most beneficial flow of the energies in your premises.

Feng shui for a living room will be different than that for a kitchen, bedroom, or the yard. First, you need to ensure that each room in your home bears the right combination of shapes and colors. This will help to attract and retain the positive energies, and eliminate the negative ones. Following are some tips.

Bedroom Feng Shui Art: The golden rule of Feng Shui is to avoid the oversaturation of the bedroom with bright and obtrusive colors, which may violate your peace of mind.

You can create a serene and relaxing atmosphere in the bedroom using the muted shades of purple, lilac, yellow, blue, white and gray. You also need to try to avoid sharp angles and geometric shapes in the bedroom. Choose a bed made of wood instead of metal, as metal conducts electricity, which repels the positive Chi energy. Choose soft linens and bedspreads in pastel colors. Consider using crystal balls, pretty curtains and drapes, and red decor elements (red pillows or candles). Red is the color of love and warmth.

The ceiling can be decorated with stars. Try to avoid large plants, aquariums, fountains, and equipment (computers, televisions and video-consoles).

Kitchen Feng Shui Art: The kitchen should not have too much red, pink or orange. These are the colors of the fire element, which can provoke quarrels. It’s best to use light, cool colors: white, light green, light blue, etc. The kitchen combines the elements of fire and water. In line with this, the best color is white, as it balances the fire and water. The kitchen appliances and accessories made of stainless steel will also add to this balance.

Some kitchens have fluorescent lighting, which is popular due to its bright light and low cost. Yet, fluorescent light is bad for the kitchen, as it constantly flickers and adversely affects the eyes and the nervous system (it may raise blood and intraocular pressure, and cause headaches). If you can not do without the fluorescent light in the kitchen, consider adding at least one regular incandescent bulb.

Living Room Feng Shui Art: It’s important to balance your living room. You can energize it using crystal, create a sense of depth using mirrors, and improve the energy flows using plants, wall lights, and bells.

If your living room is the most active room, then increase the active Yang. If it’s a place of rest, then increase the calmer Yin. The optimal is the combination of quiet and rich colors, dynamic and smooth forms. Try to use more natural light, which should be bright but not too sharp. The artificial lighting (table lamps, chandeliers, and sconces) will help to regulate the light intensity depending on your mood.

To soften the room, choose furniture with rounded corners. The plants (including climbers), drapery, and accessories will also help soften the sharp corners.

Jakob Jelling runs http://www.fengshuicrazy.com which teaches the ancient art of feng shui. Please visit his website to learn more about feng shui art.

Feng shui crystals are commonly used tools in the art of placement. These crystals are not the kind that are typically worn as jewelry, they are multifaceted spheres that come in a range of sizes and colors. The crystal balls are meant to be hung in specific areas of the home where it is needed to activate the ‘qi’ or energy. There are some areas with stagnant ‘qi’, the energy cannot flow freely unless there are special feng shui tools to place there such as the crystal ball.

These spherical balls range in size from 20mm to 50mm. The size of the ball should match the size of the room, for instance bigger crystal balls are better suited for bigger rooms and vice versa. A ball that is 40mm or 50mm is normally used in large rooms such as a living room, ones that are 30mm is good for the bedroom, and 20mm is ideal in the bathroom. A lot of people also use 20mm balls inside of their cars. Clear crystal balls are the most commonly used, known for being able to activate the ‘qi’ of an entire space. Other colors include pink, purple, blue, green and more. You can use these specifically to improve the different areas of your life that the color is meant for in the right location. To find the best location for these colored balls, simply use a bagua map to figure out where each color belongs within a given space. Then hang the colored ball in the appropriate area.

There are a number of structural issues in a home that will require the crystal ball to act as a remedy. For instance, if the front door leads right into a staircase, the flow of ‘qi’ will be affected as soon as it enters the home. Hang a crystal in between the front door and the staircase. Other problem areas include long hallways, an entrance that is missing an actual door or corners with sharp edges. Furniture placement will sometimes interfere with the flow of ‘qi’ and if rearranging it is out of the question, crystal balls can be used as a simple fix.

For best results, hang the crystal ball from the ceiling using a red string. The length of the string can also play a factor, multiples of 9 are supposed to be the best length. Make sure the string is either 9 inches, 18 inches or 27 inches. Dust can accumulate easily on these balls, make sure to clean them regularly. Layers of dust will only make them less effective. With the proper use and care, feng shui crystals can prove to be very powerful tools.

Feng shui crystals are really popular feng shui remedies, used on areas with bad ‘qi’ or energy. Use different colors and sizes in all areas of a room or an entire home with the help of a bagua map.

Get a FREE Personalized Color Report, “How to Use Colors in Feng Shui” at http://www.fengshuiroomdesign.com

In this article, you will discover the different flying stars in each of the 9 sectors for 2010. Besides giving you tips on further enhancing the favorable sectors, you will also learn how to minimize the unfavorable sectors.

Let me begin with the Wealth Stars first. The Wealth Stars are 1 White, 6 White and 8 White. Among the 3 of them, 8 White generates wealth from your job. In other words, earned income. 1 White and 6 White generates money from windfalls. This could mean money from lottery or money from unexpected sources.

This year, the 8 White is located at the Middle sector. By occupying the Middle sector or placing a moving water feature will activate the 8 White Wealth Star. If you are looking to earning more money from your business and your career, you might want to activate the 8 White Wealth Star.

The 6 White is located East sector while the 1 White is located in the West sector. By spending more time in either of these sectors will enhance your luck in striking the lottery. Of course, the money might also come from some unexpected sources. Since both 6 White and 1 White represent Water, they can also be activated by placing a moving water feature in their sectors.

Besides money, I believe the next thing on your mind would be romance. The 9 Purple Star is the romance star. Besides romance, the 9 Purple star will also attract helpful allies in your career or life. This year, the 9 Purple star occupies the Northwest sector.

If you are looking for romance of helpful allies, you can activate the 9 Purple Star by charging your cell phone in the Northwest sector of your house. Another way of activating the Northwest sector will be to place 9 chilies in that sector.

The next favorable star will be the 4 Green star. The 4 Green star is a creativity star and it also helps to improve your studies. If you are a student or designer, this star is very important to you. This year, the 4 Green star occupies the North sector.

The best way to make this star work for you is to occupy the North sector when you study or do your designing. This is where creativity comes easily for you. You could also place 4 bamboo plants on your work table in that sector.

After all the favorable stars, I will move on to the unfavorable stars. If you are “forced” to work or sleep in a sector where the unfavorable star is, then you would want to pay attention to the next few paragraphs…

The first unfavorable star is the 2 Black star. The 2 Black star is the illness star. You would want to avoid it if you can. This star is also related to the spiritual world. Dark places with the 2 Black star attracts female spirits.

This year, the 2 Black star is located in the North East sector. The best cure is of course to avoid that sector altogether. If your store room is in that sector, then you don’t have to do anything about it. But if your bedroom or work place is in that sector, then you need to place a wind chime or metal objects in that sector to minimize the effect of this star.

The next unfavorable star is the 5 Yellow. The 5 Yellow star is also known as the star of misfortunes. This is also a star to be avoided, as it brings bad luck and misfortune. In serious cases, it might even lead to death. But of course, other factors must also be taken into consideration.

This year, the 5 Yellow star is in the South West sector. Like the 2 Black star, this star is also represented by the Earth element. In order to minimize the effect of this star, you need to use Metal objects as Metal weakens Earth. You could use the same method as the 2 Black star as mentioned above.

Next on the list, you have the 3 Jade star. The 3 Jade star is a star which brings gossip, back stabbing, quarrels or even lawsuits. In short, it brings about conflicts. This year, the 3 Jade is located in the South sector.

In order to minimize the effect of this star, you need to use objects related to Fire. This could mean a red cloth, red carpet, or charging your mobile phone in this sector. Of course, if you only have 1 cell phone, you should still give priority to the 9 Purple star, which is in the North West sector.

Lastly, you have the 7 Red star. The 7 Red used to be the wealth star between 1984-2003, that is the 7 Period. From 2004-2023, the Wealth Star is the 8 White star because of the 8 Period. The 7 Red star is already obsolete, as a result, it brings about harmful effects instead of wealth.

The 7 Red star causes mishaps relating to Metal. It could mean ending up in an operation or being injured by sharp objects. This year, the 7 Red star is located in the South East sector. To minimize the effect of it, place objects related to Water in the South East sector. As this star represents Metal. Water will weaken Metal.

That’s it for this article. I wish you a great year ahead!

Marco Chong is the author of “The 58 Secret Keys To Home Feng Shui That You Must Know”. He practices Flying Star Feng Shui and specializes in home feng shui. Marco has been practicing feng shui and Chinese astrology since 1992.

For more information,visit http://www.58fengshuisecretkeys.com