It's tax time in the U.S. and people are e-mailing me a plenty about getting cash! So, here are my most current ideas on abundance. I do have to say, the old "give to receive" plan is a good one. I have been tithing for quite some time now, and never before have I NOT worried about money like I have not during this time! It REALLY works! Tithing, if you don't know, is giving 10% of your gross income away - some say, so whomever "feeds you spiritually." Oprah gives 10% of all her income away. If she's not the poster child of tithing, I don't know who is! If this sounds "too religious" to you, or you come up with some reason why you can't tithe, what I'd say to you is that you are currently suffering from the illusion that your job is your source of income. It's not. The universe is your source! If you don't get it, you don't get feng shui either, because it takes faith that feng shui works or you wouldn't do it. It is that same faith that can get you more money! So, whatever "your story" is about why you cannot tithe is the very reason that is stopping you from getting the cash you want! I am giving you a time-tested secret to get you to a prosperous life. I've got nothing to gain by offering this tip...so just try it! Is it a head trip to give away 10% of your income? Oh yea, it'll push buttons....the buttons that will free up your money flow if you play the game!

Does it have to be 10%? Yes. Hey, I didn't make the universal energy rules. Just keep thinking Oprah.

There's also a gal in Alabama that, well, if you haven't heard of her, I'd say it's time. Especially if money issues are your thing. Her name is Edwene Gaines. She has a book coming out in August or September (that you can pre-order on amazon.com) entitled The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity. She lays down the law on how to break free of lack thinking and spells out EXACTLY how to create abundance. Trust me...she's good, and funny, too! Her website is Prosperity Products

I also met a new friend, who has WONDERFUL CDs on attracting success and abundance - so I thought I'd share her with you too. Her name is Debbie Friedman. She's a certified clinical hypnotherapist that specializes in, among other things, attracting wealth. I think her CDs are fantastic. Her web site is: Tinyur1

I think this is the easiest way in the world to break free of those negative thoughts that hold you back; because you can practically sleep your way to success!

If you know of anyone else that you think I should share with others - please do let me know!

Hope it helps!

Karen

Question: Help! I've got that toilet in the prosperity gua that you talk about in your book! Is there anything else you can recommend to do about it - so I can start to gather money to purchase a feng shui consultation?

Answer: OK, let's talk bathrooms and toilets once and for all since I do get this question a lot. Hey something had to be the "villain" of my book, right? The poor toilet was chosen for the part.

First of all, based upon this question, I'm not sure what the exact money problem is other than she wants to start to gather it. Perhaps money doesn't show up at all, or perhaps they spend more than they make. Or maybe it just got stuck over time.

I like my cures to reflect the opposite of how I would describe the problem - to bring the situation back to balance or center so to speak. If your life feels stuck, oil all hinges, clear stuck clutter, unclog all drains. If you feel dull, sharpen your knives and scissors. If money is too hard to find, make sure your front door is easy to find. If money goes out as quickly as it comes in, seal the leaks with red tape (around outgoing pipes, hose bibs, etc.) See? If you counterbalance the very language you chose to use to describe the problem, you probably just hit the nail on the problem's head to fix in your house! In other words, listen to your complaints about prosperity and try to find it in your home.

Now, let's think of toilets and bathrooms over time and see if we can learn anything. Have you ever thought of what we did to ourselves when we brought the outhouse in? Back in the olden days (and still in many remote cultures today) bathrooms are mindfully placed within the sphere of the tribe or group in a very thought out way. If you'd ask them, they'd probably say something like "We cook and eat right here, we sleep there, and we poo over there" (pointing I'm sure in a downwind, more distant location.)

Now, swing your thoughts back into your home and see what you've got as far as these relationships are concerned. Is the toilet (bathroom) next to the kitchen? (Pretend you have X-Ray vision through the walls.) Is it in the bedroom? These adjacencies and spatial relationships matter to your life on many levels - and that's what the feng shui rules are all about. Bathrooms are a big source of water element. So, when the outhouse came in along with all its fancy plumbing, so did a lot more water. And since the water has to go somewhere after use, bathrooms are designed with many exits for water. So, when we brought the outhouse in, we added more water and more places of exit within the home. With more exits comes more potential leaks, thereby making more potential money loss. Water and money mirror each other from a feng shui point of view.

If you have the opportunity to design your home, think about the function of hygiene and keep bathrooms as simple and small as possible. Don't place a toilet directly over the stove or entry door if you have multiple floors. Don't have the toilet in view of a bed or bedroom. Don't decorate with more water element (I personally use this philosophy no matter where the bathroom falls in the bagua). Things like fish and seascapes only further enhance the already large amounts of water element in one place.

Here are some common cures for bathrooms and toilets, in case there are some people out there that have yet to read the book:

Red - Place red (can be tape, ribbon, paint, whatever) around the outgoing pipes of the sinks with the intention of stopping the chi from exiting through the drain. If you have a chance to remodel or build, spray paint on the outgoing pipes in the walls and the toilet hole before the toilet is set into place. That way you don't have any part of your cure showing but it will still work!

Balancing With Opposites and the Five Elements - Like I said above, balance out the five elements to help harmonize a bathroom. Since water has a downward energetic pull, counterbalance with "up stuff." Plants like sansevieria ("mother-in-law's tongue" is another word for it) are good choices because it has fiery upwardly pointing leaves and it is living! (Living plants also help with air quality - another items that needs attention in bathrooms.) Since earth controls water in the five element cycle, make sure there's some earth nearby. Granite counter tops, stone flooring or tile, or even a bowl of pebbles or rocks can do the trick.

Light and Air - Lighting and ventilation are important as it can be the difference between mold growing and not. Dehumidifiers and fans can aid in the quality of air in that bathroom and windows and skylights can definitely help with light. In a dream world, you don't want a bathroom in the interior of a home. But if you do have one, I recommend a skylight. It pulls chi up as well as provides a source of natural light.

Two last notes:

1. The entire one ninth of the home is the prosperity gua, and that there may be possibilities for enhancing the prosperity gua outside the bathroom. In other words, don't get hung up with the exact spot where the two walls come together and forget the rest of the gua.

2. In feng shui, whatever is closest to you has the most impact. So, if your home's prosperity gua is overwhelmed by a leaky bathroom, consider enhancing the prosperity gua of each ROOM as well as helping out the home's prosperity gua bathroom. The more prosperity guas you have working for you the better in this instance.

"Karen, My mom gave me a copy of your book after she attended one of your seminars. I finished law school last year, but the first and 3rd semesters were financially straining.

The first semester my student loans were declined due to a couple of "derogatory" remarks on my credit report. I had no money, no job, no food, no money for bills, and no money to even purchase my books. My printer cartridge was out of ink and I could not even purchase one to get resumes out to get a job. I sent in for a cosigner which was also declined. I found a second co-signer and asked to have a new cosigner sheet sent to me...they told me I would have to reapply without the cosigner, be declined again and then submit the second cosigner. So, I reapplied.

While waiting for the response, I fixed my Prosperity corner, putting purple candles (to light the fire under my prosperity), a mirror (for water to turn fire into steam), and a plant (moving water). In my Helpful people section, I wrapped my loan application in tin foil.

While waiting, a friend of mine asked me to make two quilts for him and I gladly accepted as he offered to pay me. I was planning on using that money to purchase a printer cartridge for the resumes. But of course my luck, my sewing machine broke and I could not make the quilts. Freaking out, I called my mom, she told me to take my machine in and have it repaired and she would pay for it, and also deposited some money in my account so I could get a cartridge. I printed up resumes and sent them out. When I got a call back, I put his name in the Helpful people section...and said my prayers!

THAT week....I got TWO jobs, my boss in California (I was in Michigan) sent me an unsolicited check for $500 with no strings attached and no required repayment, my student loan funds were approved - WITHOUT the cosigner!!!, and my sewing machine repair was completed.

Now, I didn't come into a ton of money, but I came into enough to make sure my bills were paid and I was taken care of."

What I like about this story is the fact that she worked with (she had to!) what she had, and that she used several cures with specific intentions for each. Things started to loosen up once she gave it her attention and intention. And the fact that she got the loan without a cosigner after being declined before says something is working for her beyond the norm! That's feng shui, baby!

1. Balance the bathrooms checking for proper ventilation and light.

2. Fix all water leaks!

3. Balance the five elements with the decor.

Check out our specials this months for prosperity! We have the abacus print on special along with a few other fun things: Product Specials is our link!

The universe is conspiring to make me financially free and happy!

I am in the flow of constant abundance.

All my thoughts about abundance attract it towards me.

I am rich in spirit, health and financial matters.

Great things always happen to me.

If you are in the real estate industry and would like me to speak at an event, feel free to visit Broker Agent Speakers for additional information.

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 to request a speaker's packet and to see if my schedule is open for your event.

Orange, CA

April 13, 2005 - From 7 to 9 PM, I will be speaking at the Cordelia Knott Center for Wellness in Orange, CA. A small donation to the Center will be requested at the door. Call (714) 619-3337 for additional information to reserve a spot!

Anaheim, CA

April 23, 2005 - From 1-3 PM, I will be speaking at the Learning Light Foundation. The talk title is: Move Your Stuff Where It Matters Most: the Bedroom! To register and for additional information, contact the Learning Light Foundation at (714) 533-2311.

St. Louis, MO

May 16 - 17, 2005 - I will be available for consultations in the St. Louis, Missouri vicinity. Feel free to contact me with your contact information at karen@fengshuipalace.com if you have not done so already, and I will be calling you to set up a time. Please type in your address or "map-able neighborhood" so I can create the most efficient schedule for the consultations.

Costa Mesa, CA

May 18, 2005 - I will be speaking at the Body Mind Spirit business networking dinner meeting. If you wish to share some time, swap business leads, and hang out with fun like-minded people come on by! Contact Debbie Donovan 949-515-8727 for reservations and information.

Breckenridge, CO

June 5 - 6, 2005 - I will be available for consultations in the Breckenridge, CO area. Please contact me at karen@fengshuipalace.com if you are interested (along with your address and phone number) and I will get in touch with you to set up a specific time and date. I am unsure of my exact itinerary, but if I have to go through the Denver airport, there may be opportunities for consultations there as well.

June 7, 2005 - From 1:30 to 4:30 PM, I will be speaking to the Colorado Association of Realtors Summer Conference at the Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado. For registration information, see Colorado Realtors

Dallas and Houston, TX, San Francisco, CA (Bay Area)

We're getting closer to choosing dates for these cities but nothing is in stone yet. So, if you live in these cities and would like a consultation or would like to book me for a speaking engagement that you are involved with, please let me know by e-mailing my assistant at mary@fengshuipalace.com

San Diego, CA

August 4-8, 2005 - I will be speaking at the International Feng Shui Conference at the Hilton San Diego Resort in San Diego, CA. For registration, accommodation and other details, go to: Feng Shui Seminars - Conference 2005

Southern California (San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles 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.

With intentions of being of service,

Karen

If you are having trouble reading this newsletter, please go to the newsletter that is printed online at Feng Shui Palace Newsletter

Karen Rauch Carter, Donald Trump. Tony Robbins. Rich Dad Robert Kiyosaki, Russell Simmons and Trading Spaces Doug Wilson are all teaching at The Learning Annex. On the same weekend!!!! The details are all below. I hope to see you there!

Karen