As the New Year greets us and Period 8 rolls around, it's a good time to take stock of where we came from and where we are headed.

Lets take a moment here to evaluate the major Feng Shui influences in your life that have made a difference in the person you are, your fortunes and the happiness of your family.

The décor of your home? The off-white color of the baby's bedroom or the violet shades in the dining room? Your sleeping direction? Clothes that you wear? The color of your hair?

Do ANY of these have an impact on you?

To answer that, I would like to thank Grandma - well she wasn't really my grandmother but she was a kind old lady who used to baby-sit me when I was a child. I was very attached to her and I have many fond memories of her, especially the ones where she used to constantly drill her beliefs into me as I sat with her in the kitchen.

I always remember that no matter the situation, there seemed to be a 'warning' for every occasion and situation too. She was an ardent believer that I would grow up to be a ruined, penniless man if I placed a 'wealth dragon' facing the door. It was a bad omen to have certain paintings on the wall and not to carry a gold ingot with me everywhere I went (mind you, it was HEAVY too).
In the many hours I spent with her in the kitchen, she assured me that the décor in the house was all for Feng Shui purposes. She was particularly fond of an expensive painting of a waterfall that she had placed in the living room. It was supposed to bring her immense wealth - I don't know how since money always seemed to be tight.

But I would be the first to admit that she did play a great role in my life. So much so that I associated almost any Chinese design and décor with Feng Shui - even at the risk of being labeled superstitious.
It was only years later when I began seriously studying classical Feng Shui and relevant literature that I realized no references were ever made to Chinese décor. Not even remotely. Everything talked about relates to directional and locational influences and how this Qi interacted with people. More importantly, it was interesting to see how these factors changed through time.

On more than one occasion, I have found myself saying ' I wish I knew then what I know now'. I would take a little trip into my time machine, sitting there on the kitchen floor, I could tell 'Grandma' to live her life without so many worries about an impending 'falling sky'. I could have told her not to let paranoia or taboo stop her from simply enjoying Chinese culture and art.

A critical problem today is the fact that Feng Shui is being labeled a 'superstition' and viewed as a 'cheap' alternative to interior decoration. In fact, Feng Shui is not what many people think of it as.
I recently met a client who had her home re-decorated. Obsessed with the placement of her 'lucky bird' figurine, she had called me in to advise her where the bird should be placed. I stared at it intently and turned it around a few times to see what was so 'magical' about this carving. It was obviously expensive and depicted a crane with a scroll in its beak, standing on a turtle. And it sat there and stared back at me.
I would have turned down her engagement right away if not for the fact that it presented me with a unique opportunity to set things straight.

Instead of an expensive bird that was going to make her interior decorator froth at the mouth, I asked her to focus on her daughter's study room. We repositioned her study room and study desk to facilitate her goals. It would go someway towards helping her in her academic achievements but the rest is up to her to study hard.

I would like to see different kind of resolve for 2004 - let us focus on authentic Feng Shui techniques. The kind of techniques that get us results - positioning the property to receive good quality Qi. In order to achieve this, we need to assess the quality of our living environment and strive to improve or work around the flaws that may be present.

Once the Qi is attained, we then need to focus on circulating this Qi throughout our home or office so that everyone benefits. You also need to be aware of the time influence on the quality of Qi.
Which is where discussions on Period 7 and Period 8 are focused. Naturally, before we even look at the effect of Period 8 or worry about Period 7, you need to first ensure that the property receives good Qi.
How do we go about doing Feng Shui for ourselves?

First, establish your land formations; the environmental strengths and weaknesses inherent in the land on which the property sits. Next, calculate your personal favorable directions and the Qi (energy) map of your home - a Xuan Kong Flying Star chart.

Now you are ready for the analysis phase.
Insist on a process of continuous learning - Feng Shui is not a belief system of placement. It is a practice where you learn to observe and assess the Qi flow in your environment, in your home and how it affects you.

The secret to success in applying Feng Shui is knowledge. Tap into the correct knowledge of Feng Shui - read, ask people and learn from experienced practitioners. Do not be afraid to ask WHY and HOW a technique or application is to be applied. Like I have said a thousand times before - do not simply follow blind theory.