As we are gearing up for the Chinese New Year, let me share some auspicious ways about how to best live inside our house.
Photos by Bagus Tri Laksono, Dikdik Photography & Sonny Sondjaya
Before we get on with this topic, I would like to convey a very important piece of information about when exactly the transition from the Year of the Fire Rooster to the Year of the Earth Dog takes place. Many people think that the New Chinese Year kicks off on 16 February 2018 but in fact it happens earlier, on 4 February 2018 at 5:30 a.m. This means that babies born at 6 a.m. on 4 February 2018 will all share the Dog as their zodiac although the New Year celebrations have yet to take place. This is because the calculation for one’s zodiac is not based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar that is widely used for ceremonial events, but instead is based on the Chinese Solar Calendar. This inaccuracy has mistakenly led to a lot of people having the wrong animal symbol as their Chinese Zodiac, as they are not familiar with this particular fact—I hope you are not one of them.
Back to our discussion topic, from the point of view of Feng Shui, there are several points that we must heed as we live in our private dwellings. Firstly, we must realise that anything we use will eventually run out of ‘battery.’ Can our house be in a ‘low-batt’ condition? Obviously. So what are the indications that your house is beginning to be in a ‘low-batt’ condition? Here are some of the indications: the house looks shabby, paint on the walls starts peeling off, there are cracks on the ceramic or marble tiles, window glass is cracked or hung askew, water drips from the leaking faucet, there are spider webs in the corners, termite-infested wooden pieces are found throughout the house, leaking roofs, squealing and rusty door hinges that don’t open and shut properly, to name just a few. These faulty conditions will certainly make your house appear worn out and tattered.
Exterior-wise, the most important thing to consider is the front façade of the house—it should not be in the position that blocks incoming sunrays.
Next is what is inside our house. We must remember not to pile ‘garbage’ inside our place of living. However we sometimes become unaware that we hoard stuff that we no longer need because we simply feel reluctant to discard it, a habit that leads to our house looking like a warehouse with piles and piles of unused items, hence making it uncomfortable to live in.
Another important thing that we can’t forget is lighting. We must create a particular design that allows the house to get adequate light, both natural and artificial.
After looking at several indicators of a tired-looking, ‘low-batt’ house, how do we turn it into a fully-charged one?
Below are some things that you must do to re-charge and energise your house to rescue it from being in a ‘low-batt’ condition.
The front façade should get adequate sunrays, it should also be painted in fresh colours and we must ensure that it does not look pale or have a lot of cracks. Tree branches that cover the façade should be trimmed so that rays of the sun can freely flood the house. Pallid walls need splashes of new colours to appear fresh and cracked ceramic or marble tiles should be changed. You also need to fix dripping pipes and faucets, along with leaky roofs and ceilings. Bottom line, you have to fix everything that does not look right in your house. After making sure that your house has eluded the ‘low-batt’ condition, the next step is arranging the furniture in the house.
The important thing to observe in the placement of furniture in the house is proportion, dimension and the number of pieces in relation to the space where they are installed so that a suitable proportion can be achieved. A room should not look too cramped or on the other hand too sparse. Existing furniture pieces should also be examined for damages and replaced if necessary.
Then we must also consider the activity flow that happens in each room—the circulation pattern reflects your efficiency in living your life: a meandering circulation flow in the house mirrors the ‘beating around the bush’ characteristic of the occupant.
With regard to artworks, you should be meticulous in choosing them. Following the feng shui principle, Qi will turn positive when getting into contact with an artwork that has a good shape and is pleasing to the eye. An artwork that provokes uneasiness and discomfort should be thrown away. Display only artworks that bring a feeling of peace, happiness and pride, or those that can invoke energy.
The aim of the above suggestions is to ensure positive Qi, which will impart a positive effect for the occupants of a house and in turn create an optimal life for the whole family.
That’s all I can share in this article, I sincerely hope it will be beneficial for you.