Half way across the country, my brother is in heart surgery as I write this. He's 39. Last week he went into the doctor complaining about sore elbows. His doctor suspected something much more serious than aching joints and sent him to a specialist. After a short exam from the cardiologist, he was sent in immediately for angioplasty (an operation to repair a damaged blood vessel or unblock a coronary artery).

They were so shocked at what they found they cleared their schedule to get him in heart surgery the next day. It didn't help our to reassure us that exactly ten years and one week ago we buried my father, who didn't make it out of heart surgery at 57. Hummmm, is this all DNA or some environmental factor at work here?

My brothers current health crisis immediately reminded me of motivational speaker Jim Rohn's definition of disaster. He says a disaster is a few small errors in judgement repeated over time. My brother didn't wake up yesterday with 6 blockages in his heart out of the blue. He made many small errors in judgement and he made them consistently. I hope this is his wake up call to make better choices.

Louise Hay, in her book You Can Heal Your Life says heart problems are "belief in strain or stress" and "lack of joy." That sounds about right, doesn't it? Picture a person who is very joyful. They hold their hands up to their heart and sigh with a smile. My lesson for myself today is to find more joy.

Is this YOUR wake up call? Are you making some small errors in judgement that will stack up against you in the future? Do you focus on potential joy in everyday life? Perhaps this newsletter is meant just for you. I feel compelled to write it, but I'm not sure who I'm writing it for.

While we're on the subject, let's have a little discussion about the heart from a feng shui perspective. The heart is the fire element. It is associated with the fame and reputation gua of the house. Go check out the center back area of the house and see if the fire element is healthy and strong. Candles, fireplaces, reds, oranges, pointy or triangular-shaped objects will support this element. Next, go to your bedroom and see if it is being supported there as well. Your bedroom's fame gua may actually be more influential in your health than the whole house's so go check it out. And remember the cycles. Water and earth elements diminish fire. Find a good balance.

Electricity is fire element. The condition of the wiring in the home can mimic the condition of arteries and blood pressure for those who dwell there.

Here are a few warning signs that your house's heart and arteries are compromised:

Question: I change the comforter on my bed each spring to "cooler" colors and each fall to "warmer" colors. I was wondering if you think this is changing my energy dramatically. It always seems dramatically different when I first change it, and then I get used to it. Each time I put the other comforter away, I think I'll never need it again, but when the weather changes, I am drawn to it as a necessity of life. What do you think is happening?

Answer: The fact that you are addressing changes as the year goes by shows me that you are "going with the flow of life" so to speak and actually noticing! Congratulations! Color IS one of the 9 traditional cures, and a change of color can definitely affect how you feel in your home. I would invite everyone to try a simple change such as color to attempt bringing about a change in your life - especially if colors haven't changed in your home in a long time and you wish things would be different. (This is wake up call for those of you who rarely make changes in your home. Think about it. Do you notice seasonal changes with childlike wonder? Or do you drudge through a crisp fall day just as you would a hot summer day? When you change to cooler colors as the temperatures rise, you are subliminally addressing your need to give your space a tune up that actually helps balance it with the current nature that the space is in.)

We're going for the Goldilocks theory here - not too hot, not too cold - but just right. You are taking charge of your space by aligning it better with nature "in time."

I'd say you are very sensitive to balance, and I applaud you!

Whenever I go to hot places in the summertime (for all you Texans and Floridians out there) I always see the window blinds closed all day to keep the heat out. This is an attempt to balance the hot sun (yang) with a dimmer (more yin) environment. As long as you pay attention to the seasonal patterns and not keep them closed all year long you have created a fine cure for balance. As an added bonus it also will save you money on your electric and fuel bills!

Let's give your electrical system its yearly physical!

1. Avoid overloading extension cords, forcing three pronged plugs into two prong extension cords.

2. Avoid running extension cords (or any other cords for that matter) under rugs, in high traffic areas, and across walkways within the home.

3. Replace all damaged cords.

4. Make sure all appliances meet UL (or your country's equivalent) standards (they will have a sticker on them somewhere!)

5. Make sure all lights, especially halogen filaments, don't come in contact with flammable materials.

6. Select proper bulbs for each fixture. (Using higher wattage than recommended can cause overheating! And we don't want any hot flashes now do we?)

7. Test your smoke alarms.

Every newsletter I recommend a few special products. This month they are all about helping you to make a few small positive actions in judgement and repeat them over time. The first is Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life, and the other is The 100 Simple Secrets of Healthy People. I'm certainly going to give my brother a these two books for his 40th birthday this month. That ought to give him a few things to think about!

I also ordered a few of the All for the Best books for you. This book has always helped me to remember to take life a little easier. We could all use some stress relief, and a fun reminder that life really is "All for the Best"! Technically, it is a children's book, but I find that it makes a great gift for adults that could use some extra confidence that life is looking out for them.

If you are one of my advanced students, my recommendation this month is Between Heaven and Earth, A Guide to Chinese Medicine. Not only is this a great book, it will really help you to take your feng shui practice to the next level. You will read up on the 5 elements with a special emphasis on how to balance the elements for optimal health. Go to Product Specials for more info.

And on another note (basically, since I changed the newsletter from Summer Travels to all about the heart at the last minute) we have the specials that we were going to run on special now anyway. We found the perfect helpful people box for travels! It's a little silver box that looks like a suitcase, complete with red velvet inside! And we also have a new, cool journal on special, and a combo pack of the journal and my book (you know, just in case you wanted to do a little feng shui upgrading on your vacation or give the perfect travel gift!) Once again, go to Product Specials for more info.

Since most of my readers are located outside of California, many of my consultations are what I call "telephone consultations" where I help maximize the feng shui of a client's home or office via photos, sketches and phone conversations. This month, I will give you a telephone consultation half price. So instead of $400 it will be only $200. Also, because I'm getting ready for some upcoming travel, I can only make this offer good for a very limited number of people. So if you are interested, please email my team at management@fengshuipalace.com and we'll send you the details, or simply go to Phone Consultations . Please understand in advance that we can only offer this on a first-come first-served basis, and may have to turn people away or delay the consultation if my travels get in the way.

If you would like me to speak at your company conference, industry convention, or set up a workshop at a corporate retreat, feel free to contact me at karen@fengshuipalace.com and we'll see if the schedule permits!

Southern California (San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, CA)

If you live anywhere between San Diego and Santa Barbara, and from the Pacific Ocean to Indio and you would like a personal feng shui consultation, feel free to call and set up a time at (877)952-2482. The cost of the consultation is $200.00 per hour and the average consultation takes about 2 hours.

Orange, CA

July 21 - From 7:00 to 8:30 I will be speaking about feng shui and optimal wellness at the Cordelia Knott Center for Wellness in Orange, CA A $20.00 donation to the Center will be requested at the door. Call 714-619-3337 for additional information to reserve a spot!

Cincinnati, Ohio/Northern Kentucky

August 19-21 - Karen is available for private consultations in the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky area. The cost of the consultation is $200.00 per hour and the average consultation takes about 2 hours. If you would like a personal feng shui consultation, feel free to call and set up a time at (877)952-2482.

In the Vicinity of Roanoke, VA to Charleston West Virginia (Greenbrier Hotel Vicinity)

August 23-25 - Karen is available for private consultations in the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky area. The cost of the consultation is $200.00 per hour and the average consultation takes about 2 hours. If you would like a personal feng shui consultation, feel free to call and set up a time at (877)952-2482.

Anaheim, CA

October 16 - From 7:30 to 9:30 PM, Karen will be giving a mini feng shui workshop at the Learning Light in Anaheim, CA- Contact (714) 533-2311 to register. $20.00 pre-registration and $25.00 fee at the door.

Orange, CA

October 20 - From 7:00 to 8:30 I will be speaking about feng shui and optimal wellness at the Cordelia Knott Center for Wellness in Orange, CA A $20.00 donation to the Center will be requested at the door. Call 714-619-3337 for additional information to reserve a spot!

Irvine, CA

December 8 - From 6:30 to 8:30AM, Karen will be speaking at the Inside Edge weekly breakfast gathering at the UCI Faculty Club in Irvine, CA. For reservations and additional information, please go to: Inside Edge. First time guests are $25.00 when reservations are made by noon on Monday December 6.

The Western Caribbean

December 25 - January 1, 2005 - Karen will be speaking on a holiday cruise throughout the Western Caribbean on Norwegian Cruise Line's "Majesty" ship. If you've got nothing going on for the holidays, you might want to come along! Visit Norwegian Cruise Line for more cruise information.

Anaheim, CA

March 26, 2005 - Sign up early for this one. There are only 300 spots. Feng Shui Fest. Free gifts and entertainment. I will be speaking along with Professor Lin, Terah Kathryn Collins, Nate Batoon, Daniel David Kennedy, and ton of others! This is being held at the Learning Light in Anaheim, CA. Contact them at (714) 533-2311 for additional information. This one should be a great time and a lot of feng shui fun!

There will also be a feng shui retreat to follow, date and time to be determined.

With intentions of being of service,

Karen

You are receiving this newsletter because you have expressed an interest in Karen Rauch Carter and her work. If you do not wish to receive this, or you are receiving multiple copies, please contact us at management@fengshuipalace.com and state your request. If you are having trouble reading this newsletter, please go to the newsletter that is printed online at Feng Shui Palace Newsletter