Do Lucky Charms and Houseplants Work? Here Are Tips from a Feng Shui Master
Who doesn’t want to invite luck and prosperity into the home? Filipinos have always been interested about forecasts, taking into consideration suggestions from Feng shui experts when it comes to buying things for the home. But do the charms we hang and plants we place around the home really work?
Real Living sat down with Feng shui master Patrick Fernandez to learn about the science behind Feng shui and its principles. Contrary to popular belief that it involves magic and incantations, the Chinese traditional practice is a study of energy and makes use of information dating back to thousands of years.
READ: Create a Feng Shui Map for Your Home
“With Feng shui, it’s all about how we harness the right energy. There are certain things that Feng shui masters talk about, for example, what’s good and what’s not good. A lot of times, they get lost in translation because it’s not explained or not expounded on,” says Patrick.
Below, we break down some of the most followed Feng-shui related must-dos and the explanation behind each:
It’s bad luck to hang a mirror in the bedroom.
“Malas kapag may salamin sa kwarto (It’s bad luck if you have a mirror in the bedroom).” How many times have you heard this reminder? According to Patrick, it’s not recommended to have a mirror beside the bed especially if there’s a window on the other side as well.
READ: How to Position Your Bed for Better Sleep, According to Feng Shui
“The reason behind this is there are light energies that we cannot see. Within our visible spectrum, we can only see ROYGBIV (order of the colors of the rainbow). However, there are infrared and ultraviolet rays we cannot see. All day, if we have the mirror beside the bed, as we’re sleeping, these light energies are bouncing back and forth, with our bodies in the middle. As you can imagine, you will feel restless when you wake up like you’re not rested,” Patrick explains.
We all know what happens next when we don’t get the sleep and rest we need—we can feel off and it can mess up not just our day, but our week, too.
We need many lucky houseplants around the house.
When it comes to Feng shui and plants, Patrick mentions the five different elements that govern in the framework of Feng shui which are water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. “Depending on the combination, there are destructive cycles and constructive cycles. If you know how to blend these the right way, these elements can create harmony with your energy,” he shares.
READ: The Do's and Dont's of Displaying Plants in Your Home, According to Feng Shui
The good thing about plants is they serve a dual purpose—first, it belongs to the wood element and can help enhance wood energy and second, plants are living things. If placed in an area that’s lucky, it can enhance the energy. While we would all want to harness good energy, the Feng shui master would like to remind us to choose the plants we will bring into the home.
“Feng shui is all about balance so don’t make your place into a jungle. Try to find strategic places where you can add the plants. Feng shui masters can give recommendations on where to put them. They can recommend permanent places or move the plants around depending on the energy you want to enhance whether it’s for relationships, health, or money,” he advises.
Some of the plants you can consider for your home include the Jade Plant as it connotes protection, the Fortune Plant as its name suggests for money, and the Palm as well as it’s considered lucky based on the shape of the leaves. “Avoid plants that are sharp or needly, like cacti. Some plants also have a lot of thorns. If you can avoid these, that would be ideal as well,” adds Patrick.
Lucky charms bring in prosperity and ward off negative energy.
According to Patrick, these items are based on two things – symbolism and the material used for the item itself. Homeowners must watch out for the disaster energy which shows up annually. “If we’re able to read the plan of the house, we’ll know where it is permanently. Metal is the best element to subdue this,” Patrick says.
To counter the disaster energy, the Feng shui master recommends using a Tibetan bowl which can be placed in the area of the disaster energy. Homeowners are encouraged to hit the bowl six times every day as the sound helps dispel the negative energy.
In terms of symbolism and if you want to foster good relationships, Patrick recommends the Mandarin ducks. “It’s a pair and you put it wherever the romance corner is. Mandarin ducks mater for life so once it’s in the romance corner, what do kids say these days? May forever,” he playfully adds.
Should you follow these Feng shui beliefs or not? At the end of the day, it’s still your call. Patrick says that if someone is encouraged to learn more about it, he or she can make a decision whether to follow it or not. “If it’s something that resonates with them and it makes sense, that’s when they can adapt it,” he says.
Special thanks to Feng shui Master Patrick Fernandez. Visit his shop, Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony at Lagoon Area, Lobby Level, New World Makati Hotel, Esperanza St. corner Makati Avenue, Makati City. For consultations and to learn more, visit their website: http://www.yinandyangshopofharmony.com/. You can also follow them on Facebook: YinAndYangShopofHarmony.
