Feng Shui in 5 Minutes by Selena Summers is a breath of fresh air.

In the late 1990s, people discovered that Feng Shui works.

In the years that followed, Feng Shui books flooded the market. Some of them were excellent, but many were written just to make money.

I still hold my breath when I see a new Feng Shui book.

However, Feng Shui in Five Minutes by Selena Summers is fun, innovative, and offers something different from the usual Feng Shui books.

Ms. Summers works with “Dragon Door” Feng Shui, which shares much with Black Hat Sect Feng Shui. The bagua is determined by the entry door rather than the compass directions. However, like most well-written Feng Shui books, you can apply Ms. Summers’ recommendations no matter how you orient the bagua (or pa kua).

Instead of starting with the same old explanation of the elements, the bagua, and the cycles, Ms. Summers gets right to business. Her book is designed around questions and answers.  You can select any one that interests you and apply her advice in about five minutes.

She also writes with refreshing wit and humor. For example, when discussing the power locations in any room, she advises, “If young children are already rebellious, don’t let them watch TV late at night sitting in power seats. You may never get them to bed.” (This is in a chapter, “Good Feng Shui, Room by Room.”)

She also keeps Feng Shui simple, which is great for beginners, but also a worthwhile refresher for professionals. I’ve been practicing Feng Shui for over ten years, and I’m delighted to be reminded of how much fun it is to find clever design solutions to challenging problems.

Ms. Summers’ chapter, “The Nine Celestial Cures” isn’t the usual “stick a mirror on the wall to expand an area” advice. Instead, she talks about a wealth of solutions to Feng Shui dilemmas. From shiny ribbons to the merits of a grandfather clock, her advice is fresh, exciting, and wonderful. And, she keeps it all simple and fun.

For beginners or for experienced Feng Shui consultants, this book is well worth owning. It’s an interesting book to browse through, and it provides useful tips that you really can apply in five minutes.

For example, Ms. Summers explains why it’s better to eat upstairs in a split-level home, and which floor your apartment should be on, for the best luck. In fact, she often gives advice for people who rent and cannot paint or significantly change where they live. She has an entire chapter called “Transform Your Apartment’s Energy.” That makes this book especially useful.

Then there are the funky questions, such as what to do if you want a marriage proposal in the next 18 months. Her advice combines Feng Shui and positive thinking for delightful results.

Ms. Summers also uses common sense. For most Feng Shui problems, she suggests two or three different solutions; one of them is sure to work in terms of your budget, design preferences, and location.

Finally, Ms. Summers adds fun with a chapter about lucky charms that are suited to the year of your birth, and how to use those charms day and night. Is this serious? Only if you want it to be. Her information is accurate, and her tone is light. It’s a good combination.

I highly recommend this book, no matter how much (or little) you know about Feng Shui, or which form of Feng Shui you’re using. It’s delightful reading, and offers innovative ideas that are quick and easy to apply.

Feng Shui in 5 Minutes is a publication of Llewellyn books.

Feng Shui in Five Minutes
Price: USD 11.01

33 used & new available from USD 0.66

– from Sacred Home by Laurine Morrison Meyer.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Sacred Home: Creating Shelter for Your Soul devotes just one paragraph to traditional Feng Shui, so why would you want to read it?

The answer is simple: Because, like many non-Feng Shui books, it offers innovative and challenging insights into decorating concepts.

Sacred Home digs deep into the universal roots of Western design elements. This book is a useful reference book that reads like a heartfelt letter from a friend… A friend who has gone through a deep spiritual awakening.

This book is intriguing reading if you enjoy innovative surveys of folklore and spirituality, practically applied in the Llewellyn tradition. It is especially thought-provoking if you are also involved in interior design and decor.

Author Laurine Morrison Meyer began her research by asking, “Is there a Western equivalent to the Eastern practice of Feng Shui?” This began six years of research for this book.

Ms. Meyer starts by discussing design principles that have always represented the home as well as the womb. She uncovers intriguing symbols of female reproductive anatomy in triangles and Vs, wavy lines, circles, ovals, and even the Greek Omega symbol.

Some of it seems a bit far-fetched, but Ms. Meyer has done considerable research into these topics and her ideas are worth serious consideration.

In another chapter, Sacred Home explores early altars and home deities including Isis, Taweret, Hathor, Bess, Hestia, Bess, and many more. Meyer’s discussion of ancestor worship and veneration in the home can be startling.

This book is almost a whirlwind of diverse ideas, each more curious than the last. However, her concepts often offer comfort and an innate ring of common sense.

After discussing symbols of protection and decorating elements, Ms. Meyer provides an intriguing look at archetypal design styles. Sacred Home follows this with chapters on housewarming traditions, propitious principles, auspicious symbols, and the enchanted dwelling.

This book is important for interior designers and decorators, as well as Feng Shui consultants. Sometimes, we too easily accept traditional Asian design elements. As designers, we should consider symbols from Western culture which could be more significant–and perhaps luckier–for Western homes.

For example, in Feng Shui we often decorate the Fame area with red. Traditionally, this is the luckiest color when applying Feng Shui to areas relating to reputation as well as income.

However, as Meyer notes, “Whereas red is considered a sign of good luck in China, in Western cultures red is often associated with prostitution, passion, and fast food eateries.” If those are your references as well, it would be a mistake to use red in your Fame area.

When planning our homes and offices, it’s important to include design elements that affect us deeply, profoundly, and sometimes subconsciously. However, unless we have Asian roots, a black Career area may seem depressing due to cultural connections between the color black and mourning. Green (for money) or gold might be better colors in the Career area of a Western home.

Meyer’s book is an excellent survey of alternatives to traditional Feng Shui elements. Sacred Home is a useful, thought-provoking tour of historical Western design concepts.

This book introduces a wide range of beliefs and traditions throughout history. It’s an ideal starting point for research into mythology’s relationship to enduring decorating principles.

This book is not heavily illustrated with design suggestions, but skips rapidly from one intriguing concept to the next. Every one of Meyer’s comments about home decor could provide enough ideas to fill a book.

I recommend Sacred Home for design professionals, and anyone who is interested in the possible impact of Western folklore and spiritual traditions on design.

Sacred Home: Creating Shelter for Your Soul
Price: —

44 used & new available from USD 0.10

Also consider this book:

Sacred Space: Enhancing the Energy of Your Home and Office
Price: USD 15.23

28 used & new available from USD 12.28

This is an information-filled book, and it could be a handy reference if you are a Feng Shui consultant. However, I would not recommend it to a beginner; the book attempts to cover too much ground.

As the title suggests, this is an “everything” book, mixing Black Hat Sect (BSH), Compass School, and Intuitive Feng Shui, sometimes in confusing ways.

For example, Ms. Jones favors BHS Feng Shui for beginners, but she often uses compass directions for different areas of the bagua. Then she makes broad statements about Feng Shui–probably necessary when trying to accomplish so much with one book–that some of us might disagree with.

Ms. Jones’ advice ranges from common sense to eclectic as she talks about Feng Shui, room by room. Her enthusiasm for Feng Shui is evident, as she shares specific recommendations and her reasons behind them.

For example, in Chapter 6 : Dynamic Dining Rooms, she advises, “Those who sit in the northern chair while facing south balance yin stillness with yang passion and excitement, making it a wonderful place for an attractive older person to sit.”

Above all, Ms. Jones’ degree in metaphysics makes her a strong advocate for Intuitive Feng Shui.

For example, she suggests, “Sometimes your own helpful intentions can lead to intuitively perfect Feng Shui. In the Black Hat Sect of Feng Shui, feeling is everything–and your intuition is usually right on target.”

Black Hat students might disagree with that generalization; for some, Black Hat Sect (BHS) Feng Shui is very rule oriented, which makes it so easy to apply.

Ms. Jones starts by discussing the basics of Feng Shui, which is a difficult task to accomplish in less than 20 pages. Fortunately, at the end of the book–in the Take a Closer Look chapter–she has a chance to explain Feng Shui in a more traditional context.

The author addresses clutter in the second chapter. But, once again wandering into generalizations, she says, “Emotional hoarding is not limited to possessions; the same principles of Feng Shui clearing apply to the ‘clutter’ people pack into their bodies. It’s no accident that overweight people suffer from the same emotional issues as other types of hoarders.”

I’m not certain that she really meant to say that.

But, as this book attempts to cover “everything,” there are many helpful recommendations. In Chapter 3, Ms. Jones gives advice for people who are buying or selling a home, and starting with Chapter 4, she takes us on a room-by-room tour of a typical house, with Feng Shui advice for furnishings, their placement, and use. Later, the author talks about landscaping, and using Feng Shui for business success.

This book tries to provide “something for everyone” on the subject of Feng Shui. All in all, I think that this book may have been rush to print, and the author was given a large task to accomplish in too little time and too few pages.

If you resonate to Intuitive Feng Shui, this may be a very useful book and perhaps even a favorite, whether you’re a beginner or a Feng Shui consultant. If you’re a more traditional practitioner, this book will probably give you greater insight into the Intuitive Feng Shui process.

The Everything Feng Shui Book: Create Harmony and Peace in Any Room (Everything Series)
Price: —

55 used & new available from USD 0.10

Recommended instead:

Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life : How to Use Feng Shui to Get Love, Money, Respect and Happiness
Price: USD 10.08

154 used & new available from USD 2.56

Yes, that’s the full title of this book, and it is what can happen if you follow the author’s advice.

When someone is new to Feng Shui, I recommend this book.

When someone is going to buy only one book about Feng Shui, I still recommend this book.

This is my favorite Feng Shui book among all the books that I own.  (That’s a lot of books.)  In fact, if I could criticize anything about it, I’d say that it makes Feng Shui too easy.

What’s wrong with that? Well, Feng Shui is very potent. If you change too much, too soon, the results can be overwhelming.

If you don’t keep balance in your environment, your life can seem out-of-control and somewhat askew for awhile. Oh, eventually, it’ll settle down and you’ll be very pleased with what’s changed, but the “growing pains” can be harsh.

So, although I rave about this book, and own two copies–one’s a loaner for friends–I warn people to take it slowly.

In other words, don’t do a major overhaul of your Money corner just because that’s the first big chapter. If you make huge changes in that area while the rest of your home is a mess, you’re asking for trouble. Instead, just do a little.

Ms. Carter’s book “cuts to the chase” in terms of the most powerful tools in Feng Shui. But, this is a big tool to hand someone who hasn’t yet learned about balance, and the huge importance of yin and yang in this practice.

It’s a great book. I highly recommend it. But… use moderation.  A little Feng Shui goes a long way.  Do not overdo it!

Here’s exactly how to use this book for the best results:

1. Read the introduction at the start of the book.
2. Choose just one chapter to work on.
3. In that chapter, apply just one principle.
4. Stop for a few days.
5. Then, try something else, and then stop again. And so on.

Does Feng Shui really work?  If you move your stuff, will it really change your life? Try Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life and see for yourself. You may be very pleasantly surprised.

Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life : How to Use Feng Shui to Get Love, Money, Respect and Happiness
Price: USD 10.08

154 used & new available from USD 2.56

However, Feng Shui is covered only in the second half of this book.

Simons bases many of his recommendations on the client’s date of birth, combined with Nine-Star astrology. The I Ching provides support for this approach, too.

In addition to your basic personality type and Lucky Star designation, you’ll learn to forecast your business opportunities–and liabilities–with the charts in this book.

Using this book, I learned that my best business results come from gradual development. I’m sure that it’s good advice; I tend to shift into hyperfocus while completing a short-term project, and forget everything else… including my long-term goals.

I also learned that my best elements are metal and earth. That’s not a big surprise, because I seem to attract those naturally, in both my home and work environments.

Comparing my birth star and my husband’s, I learned that we have a highly cooperative relationship and are mutually supportive. That wasn’t news, but the details in that chapter surprised me with their accuracy.

I used the charts to find out my astrological forecast for this month, where my office should be located (Compass School), my power areas and colors, and how to use the I Ching to make wise business decisions.

In general, this book seems like a very complex approach to business. On the other hand, I can confirm its apparent accuracy.

Once you get used to using the charts routinely, it’s probably not as tiresome as it seems at first. And, if you want a very high level of guidance, this book is probably a smart investment. The charts will take you through the year 2013, offering month-by-month predictions and ways to use the compass to enhance your luck steadily.

You can read an excerpt of this book at Amazon.com.

I’d recommend this book for serious Feng Shui students who favor the Compass School approach, or for anyone in business who seeks very specific Chinese astrology answers to ongoing problems.

Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success: Arranging Your Office for Success and Prosperity–with Personalized Astrological Charts and Forecasts
Price: —

20 used & new available from USD 0.95

This book used Compass School directions, but you can use the Black Hat Bagua to “translate” this to a relative orientation.

This book is organized in ten sections, starting with Grasping the Basics and taking you through to Choosing a New Home.

Along the way, you’ll learn to use Feng Shui inside and outside your home, clear your clutter, and apply Feng Shui to your workplace. There’s even a helpful chapter called Dealing with Major Changes in Life.

I was dazzled by the glossy, high-quality pages in this book, and the many full color illustrations that make Feng Shui easier to understand.

But, what I especially like are the “Top Ten Questions” (and answers) at the conclusion of each chapter. If you simply browse through these pages, you’ll glean the basics and pick up some great, “fast Feng Shui” tips.

One of her first anticlutter rules is, “Never acquire new things as the result of a compromise, or through a feeling of being rushed or pressured.”

If you’re like me, at the end of a long shopping day, it’s easy to grab an item thinking, “Oh, why not. This will serve the purpose,” just to get the shopping done, and go home to relax.

I’m probably going to copy that rule and put it in a prominent place around my charge cards. Too many of those purchases become clutter. I resist spending more to replace them, but I never feel entirely pleased with them, either. That ambivalence can be the very worst problem for clutter collectors, and it can really sabotage your Feng Shui luck.

For a beginner, this book can seem overwhelming at first. It contains a large amount of information. In fact, it may be the only Feng Shui book you’ll ever need.

Stick with the sidebars, checklists, and the “Top Ten Questions” for awhile. Then, skim the chapters that interest you the most.

Eventually, you’ll read this book from cover to cover, and learn a lot from it.

For more about this book, and to read others’ reviews of it, visit Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

Feng Shui in 10 Simple Lessons
Price: —

85 used & new available from USD 0.10

However, to do that, you may need advice beyond standard Feng Shui books.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Annie Sloan’s Color Schemes: For Every Room can make your home or office look as if you’ve hired a professional decorator.

Let’s say that you’re working on your Fame and Reputation area.  That’s what visitors usually see first when they enter your home or office. Red is recommended, but… then what?  Many people get stuck at this point.

In Annie Sloan’s lavishly illustrated book, you can start at the “Reds Plus” page and choose a color theme.

For example, if you’d like a Pacific Islands look, start with Hibiscus Red–a slightly orange-ish red–and accent it with Gauguin Blue, a greyish medium blue.

Next, turn to the Pacific Islands section of the book and see lots of other colors that will work well with your basic red and blue “islands” theme. You may want to add Banana Leaf Green, Lagoon Blue, Guava Orange, or Mango Yellow.

If these colors don’t sound familiar, the book shows good, large swatches. You can take the book to the paint or home furnishings store to match the looks that you like.

If you’d prefer an African Visions theme for your Fame area, Ms. Sloan suggests starting with Ghana Red and Clearwater Green.

If you like antiques, choose the Neoclassical colors of Aubusson Pink and a lovely bamboo shade of brown called Sandstone.

All of those color combinations can work well in your Fame area.

But, this book shows you more than fame colors.

For your Feng Shui Money area — that’s the back left corner of your room, home or office — colors are really important.

Don’t overload that corner with purples!  Instead, you might choose an Elizabethan Pageant theme, and a muted Lavender Sachet shade, accented by a lovely pale Cambridge Blues.

If you favor vivid colors from the coast of France, Ms. Sloan offers an Impressionist palette.

Or, Mambo Carnival colors may jazz up an otherwise sedate or dark corner.

This book helps me to break out of the “crayon box colors” approach to Feng Shui. I’m using this book when decorating, but also for innovative color combinations in my art and photography.

If you’re working with color for any reason, I highly recommend Annie Sloan’s Color Schemes: For Every Room.  It’s one of the most useful books in my Feng Shui bookcase.

Annie Sloan’s Color Schemes: For Every Room
Price: —

30 used & new available from USD 0.65

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Clearing the Clutter for Good Feng Shui

In a perfect world, we’d all throw out, sell or give away items that we don’t need or don’t like.

Most of us aren’t that perfect. We need to be weaned off our clutter, a little at a time.  Drastic decluttering sessions are exhausting at best, and–in a manic moment–can cause us to throw out things that we actually need or value.

This book encourages you to get rid of the clutter. But, if you aren’t ready for that yet, the author points out where not to dump or store it.

For example, is your front door area and hall where family members tend to drop things as they enter… and then just leave them there?

Ms. Lambert points out, “If you have a pile of items that are stacked right by the entrance, it symbolizes life as being a real struggle, with opportunities barred.”   (You can apply this to your bedroom, too, if you tend to just drop things there, and are having romance problems.)

This book covers space clearing, clutter ‘hotspots’ and then takes you, room by room, through your home, including your home office and your attic.

In this book, you’ll get ideas for storage options, so that you don’t have to ‘get rid of it all’ right now. You’ll also learn important reasons not to overload your storage areas and containers.

Ms. Lambert uses Compass School directions, but you can easily use this book with the Black Hat Bagua. Most of her advice has very little to do with directions; it’s more about disorganized clutter and how it affects your life.

Purists may object that this book puts too much attention on storage, instead of parting with your clutter altogether.   I think it’s a useful book for those of us who can’t seem to live austere lives.  (Obviously, I’m one of those people coping with clutter, though I aspire to live simply.)

If other clutter-related Feng Shui books have been too extreme for you, this is an excellent book to help you clear your home and workplace, a little at a time.

For more about this book, and to read others’ reviews of it, visit Amazon.com, or Amazon.co.uk.

Clearing the Clutter for Good Feng Shui
Price: —

54 used & new available from USD 0.10

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Our first course is called, “On the street where you live.” It teaches you to analyze and improve the Feng Shui of your home’s exterior.

The audio portion of the course is divided into easy steps. The total listening time is 20 minutes.

To help you apply this information, you’ll also receive an eight-page workbook.

This is a useful course for anyone who wants greater success in any aspect of his or her life. It’s especially helpful if you’re selling your home.

——————————————-

HERE’S HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COURSE

THE AUDIO FENG SHUI LESSON

The audio lesson, “On the street where you live,” was recorded in a series of segments. You’ll listen to part of it, stop the recording for a few minutes to follow the instructions, and then continue listening.

The first part begins in your home.  You’ll be instructed to dress for a comfortable walk, and stroll about a block and a half from your front door.

During the next parts of the audio lesson, you’ll study your neighborhood, noting specific things described in the recording.  You’ll analyze different aspects of your street, the houses on either side of your home, and your own house as well.

You can listen to this MP3 on your computer using any MP3 audio software including WinAmp or Quick  Time. Generally, when you click on the MP3 file, your computer will open it automatically.

However, to get the most from this course, it’s best to transfer the MP3 to a portable player if you can.  That way, you can listen to it as you follow each step in the lesson.

Download your free audio lesson by RIGHT-clicking on this link, to SAVE it on your computer:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/aisling/basic-front-door-lesson.mp3

THE 8-PAGE FENG SHUI WORKBOOK

The workbook pages will help you take notes as you listen to the audio course and follow the recommended steps.

You can download it by RIGHT-clicking on this link, to SAVE it on your own computer:

http://www.shuitogo.com/courses-free/shuitogo-street-lesson.pdf

That file is a PDF.  It will open on any computer with a PDF reader such as Adobe Reader.  (You probably already have this on your computer. If you need a copy of Adobe Reader, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html )