Fall is a time of turning inward and re-grouping; winding down from a fast-paced "yang" summer, and preparing for the inwardness of winter. This is a great time to think about more "yin" activities like reading (instead of getting into the fall TV habit.) I recently read the back of one book and it said that watching too much TV can triple your hunger for more possessions, while reducing your personal contentment by about five percent for every hour a day you watch.

Since I've recently plunged back into my I Ching studies, I decided to read a book that relates to each area of the bagua this winter. I searched and looked up several books for each gua and am honing in on my choices. (If you are interested in my choices, see the product specials below.) By spring I hope to blossom into a more educated, knowledgeable and spiritual person.

Happy Autumn!

Question: I read that you are a landscape architect on your website. How do you relate your background with your current work in feng shui and is there any specific landscape feng shui advice you'd like to impart? I'm currently redoing my front yard, but I don't even know quite what to ask other than what would you do?

Answer: Although I speak a lot to private groups in the real estate and building industry about this subject, I certainly welcomed the question as it reminded me to put it in the newsletter.

I think my background as a landscape architect certainly helped me when it came time to learn feng shui. Prior to my feng shui training, I had studied the psychology of space, personal space (look up the work of William White if you're unfamiliar,) anthropometrics, and design theory - ALL of which are intertwined with the concepts and theories of feng shui. I consider the book, A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander, my "bible" for design as it is filled with the answers to many questions about what makes a space work and what makes it not feel right.

When it comes to landscape design, I obviously think feng shui concepts should be employed just as I think it should in any architectural pursuit. After all, feng shui originally was used more "in the landscape" than "in the home," with building and gravesite orientation and layout on the top of the list! The theories of the five elements and yin and yang are in everything, and seem even more obvious in the landscape when you stop and take a look (trees and plants = wood, lakes, streams and irrigation = water, mountains and hills = earth, sun = fire, round river rocks = metal, etc.) I also always think it's best to consider the basic "armchair position" when contemplating building anything on the land.

Since this is a subject of which I could go on and on, I'll try to simply offer a bullet point list of information that may be helpful.

When considering a front yard makeover, think about:

The Siting of the Building Within the Landscape

The land should support the home. Think "creative cycle" here. (Water feeds the wood, wood fuels the fire, fire creates earth, earth creates metal and metal creates water.) When you connect the landscape terrain's shape to the associated element, you can figure out what shape building would be supported by your particular landscape.

For example:

An A-frame home works great in the wooded mountains because the wooded landscape supports the fire-shaped home (wood fuels the fire.)

An English tutor home with turrets and steep sloping roof pitches also suggests a fire-type shape.

Tall high-rise buildings (wood) are supported by an undulating "water" landscape (think about the tall buildings in Hong Kong all looking out at the water with the undulating-shaped mountains behind them.) A high-rise out in the middle of a flat desert doesn't feel right. Why? Because that is an earth-element landscape, and earth does not support wood.

What works great out in the desert? Rounded domes, geodesic domes and tents, right? They are metal-shaped and the earth landscape supports or creates metal in the creative cycle, right?

A typical ranch-style house with a fairly flat roofline would be considered earth. This means that a low ranch type home could easily exist neatly tucked into a steep hillside where its levelness would counterbalance the ups and downs of the mountainous landscape (fire), in this case fire supports earth.

Typical two-story homes in subdivisions with nondescript or undulating roof lines would probably be considered water (I'm generalizing here) which would be supported well by mounding terrain symbolizing metal.

The more you practice using the creative cycle, the easier it is to figure out what landscape best supports your home. The rule in deciding what element a house is most describing, you would first consider its shape (just like I talked about above), then you would consider the material that it is made out of (wood frame or steel-frame, a ton of glass [water] etc.), then you would consider its color (green = wood, red = fire, white = metal, yellows and tans = earth, blues and blacks and other very dark colors = water)

The Front Door

Keep the path to it wide, obstacle-free, and clearly defined (you don't want people erroneously guessing that the garbage can side of the house is the side that holds the front door.)

I'd also consider having the address clearly visible as well.

If you do not have an easily visible door, add a sound cure (like a chime on the non-hinged side of the front door) or possibly a moving object or bright color to attract people and the energy towards your front door.

Walkways

Optimally, I prefer that vehicles and pedestrians be separated. So, if you can, have the sidewalk from the front door meet up with the street and not just connect to the driveway. This will avail more opportunities your way.

Boundaries

For the most part, there should be clear definition between lawn and planting beds (I'm talking mow strips here, people! It saves on maintenance and helps with your boundaries in life!) These lines are best when they are smoothly curving (no kinks!) and end at a 90-degree angle to another surface like the house or a sidewalk.

Balancing the Five Elements

The landscape is such a natural place to achieve five-element balancing. So why not "give it your all" when considering what to place in your yard? Knowing what stuff equals in the five-element world is a must, though. Things like pools, spas and fountains are obviously water. Trees are obviously wood. However, think here about the colors, the accents and furnishings and even the shapes when placing stuff within the landscape.

Consider Tree Shape and Location

If choosing a tree, consider its shape and how that relates to the elements and the bagua. Then place that tree where it can support your yard the best.

For example:

Columnar trees and palms - Family, Fame and Reputation

Round Trees - Creativity / Children

Multi-trunked trees - Relationship, Family, Fame and Reputation

Pyramid-shaped trees - Skills and Knowledge, Fame and Reputation

Weeping trees - only in front - Skills, Career, Helpful People

It's best not to have trees in the center of the lot in the Health area

**Do not plant a tree directly in line with your front door**

Symbols and Hidden Meanings of Landscape Items

You may want to consider the traditional meaning of certain symbols, colors and plant species. Think about the more subconscious identifying traits of your landscape features.

Consider the Bagua of the Lot for Item and Function Placement

If you are defining a FAMILY gathering space, why not put it in the family part of the lot and supply wooden furniture to sit on within the space? Need a lover's bench or retreat? Try the back/right part of your lot in the relationship gua! I think you get the picture.

Function of the Outdoor Spaces

Another big thing to consider is the function of the space. Is the front yard merely to "present" the home, or is it to toss a frisbee or play croquet? Do you want to have a place to sit and watch the kids or the neighbors? (This is where that book a pattern language comes in if you don't have a professional designer on board.) Consider how much space your functions take up and try planning them into the landscape rather than trying to squeeze them in later.

Like I said, I could go on and on, but I hope I at least got your mind stirring about feng shuiing your landscape!

One last thing to consider: I can do a telephone consultation for the landscape as well as for the inside of the home. Feel free to use the telephone consultation program online at: Feng Shui Palace Workshops/Phone Consultations

With the requested information supplied for the telephone consultation, I can get very specific on what to do with your yard.

My assistant took the above information (and a bunch of additional landscape information that I had) and created a landscape brochure (similar to the real estate brochure we have). If anyone wants this handy little brochure, feel free to order it online in the product specials this month.

Just to keep you all up to date, we're still working on the index. We did not like the first index we received ("toilet" was not even in there!), so we're hiring another indexer...I promise I'll get this out there as soon as possible!

Obviously - take a look at your yard and see if it is supporting you or not! Try using additional 5-element features in the landscape of the lot if the home is not being supported by it.

Here are all the books for the bagua as well as the landscape brochure we created for this month's landscape conversation. Also, if you want a copy of A Pattern Language, I'll get some in to sell.

Feng Shui Palace Product Specials

Once again, here is the link to the telephone consultation if you are interested in a landscape consultation (or a regular indoor one for that matter!)

Feng Shui Palace Workshops/Phone Consultations

I am comfortable in the stillness.

I am in harmony and balance with nature.

For those of you who showed interest in a free group telephone chat about post-disaster re-building with feng shui, we're going to postpone it until mid-October until power is restored throughout the Southeastern U.S. Feel free to contact us at management@fengshuipalace.com if you are interested in getting in on the conversation.

In the meantime, for those of you who still feel traumatized by going through the hurricane (and thinking about IVAN on its way) try doing some "emotional release therapy." Some people call it "tapping." We'll discuss more of this during the phone call but if you want to begin a healing process now, try looking it up online. It does work!

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.

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 gathering in Irvine, CA. For reservations and additional information, please go to: Inside Edge

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

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