Mindfulness - The Now Moment

Most of us live in the past or the future. We live in past glory or fantasizing about a future that we desire. Our minds are so into our past and future that we forget to live in the present.

The past is hardened cement. It is cast in stone. We can change it anymore. It has come and gone and will no longer come back. So past glories are just that – past glories. It is not a yardstick to measure your future. In other words, just because one was a multi-millionaire 10 years ago does not mean that one would remain a multi-millionaire 10 years down the road. Fortunes change. And if it does change, hanging on to your past will not help you recoup what you have lost. I have heard of a friend’s friend who used to live luxuriously due to his booming family business 20 years ago. The father passed way leaving the business with the children. Everything was set nicely for them and they were rich. Then the 1987 crash came and affected their business. They lost everything. While some of the siblings have managed to recover and have moved on, one of them continually hung on to the past. Now, in 2012, almost 25 years later in his 50s, he needs to ask friends for money. If you are in your 50s, not born poor, and you can’t go to the ATM and withdraw two thousand dollars, you have got a real problem in your hands. If he had let go of the past and just focus on the reality of his situation then, I believe he would have easily recovered and perhaps achieved greater heights. There were many options that he could have taken: re-education, employment, entrepreneurship etc. But constant living in the past has resulted in inertia and just not doing anything.

Therefore it is very important that we realize that our lives do not happen in the past or the future. It happens NOW. As the clock ticks, the moment is gone. In Buddhism, Vipassana Meditation trains us to be mindful. Mindfulness can be seen as the practice of “being in the moment” – but what does this actually mean? Does it mean that if we’re mindful we should never think about the past or the future, never try to plan or to reflect on our past experience?

Actually, being in the moment means being mindfully aware of what is going on right here and now, in our experience, and this includes any thinking we do about the past or future. Much of the time our experience does not have this quality of awareness or mindfulness. A lot of the time we are like robots, automatically living out habitual patterns of self-pity, anger, wish fulfillment, fear, etc. These habitual tendencies take us over and run our lives for us – without our being able to stand back and decide whether this is what we actually want to be doing. It can be a real shock when we start to realize just how habitual and automatic our lives are.

By bringing our mind back to now moment, we re-connect with our power. The reason that "now" is where all of your power exists, is because "now" is the only time you can think new thoughts and feel new feelings. We cannot think thirty seconds from now, or feel something two hours ago. We can only think NOW. We can only feel NOW. And so this moment right now is your greatest point of power.

The rest of your life awaits you!

Choosing Baby's Birthday, and Time

There are women who would purposely choose the time and date of birth of their child, right to the dot. Especially the chinese and this is mainly done for the sole purpose of having a favourable birth date and time for the child and thus a good BaZi or Astrology chart. There are some who chose a specific date due to expected circumstances on the due date like for example overseas posting for the husband. And this is understandable. Doctors choosing a specific date due to medical reasons are also an exception. What I am referring to in this article is specifically choosing a date because of BaZi or astrological reasons.

I am not convinced that such manipulation or intervention actually does any good or works at all. Well.. perhaps a little but I believe there are certain configurations that cannot be changed. Here's the reason why...

All souls come forth from the One Source to experience its creation hence enriching the One Source in the process. Before a soul incarnates, he has already planned and mapped out his incarnated life ahead with the help of higher beings, and in great detail to perfection. Whether that plan works out perfectly when it is being executed is another matter or together. 

What I mean here is this:

Say you are a soul seeking to reincarnate. You, with the help of other light beings, would then map out and plan that particular re-incarnation from birth all the way to death... right down to the minute details i.e. what kind of parents you want, region, country, state, school, character, school, career, parenthood etc. Everything would be planned to perfection. And all in order to learn certain lessons (called karma) related to the above. After planning it, you as the soul than subject yourself to re-incarnation in the physical plane to live that plan. However, one of the conditions of physical incarnation is that you will not remember what you have planned in order for you to maximise your realizations and experiences. So, life may not work out as perfectly as you (at soul level before re-incarnating) have planned and that is perfectly all right...after all, you have free will. And to know you plan, just get your astrological chart mapped out.

Note that though I use the male gender here, I am referring to both male and female. 

Hence the question is when does to soul enter the fetus?

Different religions have different interpretations on this. Catholics believe that the moment the sperm and egg come together. Buddhist believe it happens at around 40 days after conception. Moslems may believe that it happens at day 120. Medical science shows that the fetus heart starts beating at around 5-6 weeks from conception, still within the 1st trimester. Many asians, especially the chinese, consider it taboo to announce a pregnancy before the 2nd trimester. So while different religions and cultures have different believes about this matter, one thing remains the same...it happens between conception (mostly after 1st trimester) and well before birth. 

In other words, the soul of the baby is already in the baby's physical body by the 2nd trimester.

And we know all souls have already pre-determined (or planned) their physical incarnated lives ahead of seeking re-incarnation. In short, you have already chosen the kind of lessons you would like to learn in this lifetime. Some would call this karma but that's essentially lessons that you have chosen to impose upon yourself in order to experience and enrich yourself (the soul).

Hence, your rightful birthday would already have been pre-determined by yourself (before you are even a baby) and the corresponding Astrology chart would contain your spiritual blueprint from which your path in this incarnation would have been encoded into.

What happens, if your parents decide to intervene to give you another birthdate by choosing caesarian birth on a particular date and time just to give you a better BaZi?

Good question..

I personally believe that intervention of this kind can only work for smaller matters that are not of consequence to the soul's chosen path prior to re-incarnation. For karmic matters of divine proportions (heaven's will) or lessons that the soul has determined that it wants to learn, skewing the birth date and time would not work at all. In fact it creates unnecessary problems as you would then have problems deciphering your "real" astrology chart. Your astrology chart contains the blueprint of your soul for this lifetime. That's why, those parents who go through the whole natural birth process (unless in cases of emergency), are actually doing their child a big favour. Not just that the child has on average less physical problems, the child's astrology chart would contain his real soul blueprint. Hence to know his path, all one needs to do is read the charts. And if anything is not favourable, there are always remedies that can be applied using the laws of the universe.

Whereas, if the mother had purposely gave birth to the child ahead of his actual due date by choosing caesarian, that child's astrology chart would not be the real astrology chart if he had been born on his actual natural birthdate and time. However, the soul is already in the baby's body while the baby is still in the mother's womb. The soul has already pre-determined his path this lifetime. And that path would be encoded into his astrological charts at his real intended date and time of birth. So what good could there be for changing the birth date and time for a favourable BaZi when it doesn't change what the soul has already decided that he would do and learn this lifetime.

Such an action would only serve to create that false sense of security for the parent that the child would have a good future (based on the manipulated BaZi) and... well... let the doctor laugh all the way to the bank (it does cost more to have a c-section than to have natural birth).

In my humble opinion, a better way would be to use the Law of Attraction and source for what you would like to have in your child i.e. filial, creative, normal, healthy, intelligent etc and you will be amazed at the soul that you have attracted to you to be your child.

Spirit Guides

Spirit Guides are generally entities that remain a disincarnate spirit in order to act as a guide or protector to a living incarnated person. Most of us have at least one spirit guide. Spirit guides are not necessarily guardian angels. They can be a deceased family member from many lifetimes before who have decided to atone for some mistakes made during the lifetime and hence follow the incarnated person through many lifetimes as a guide. It is also possible that a spirit guide may also be a person’s twin flame operating from higher dimensions. Some spirit guides are extremely helpful, some only help when asked. There just isn’t any fix rule as to how they would behave and why they are with us.

So having them around can be both a blessing and a hindrance. Therefore it is preferable that we only allow those that are 100% of God’s loving light into your space. Those spirit guides that are not may end up leading you astray even though they are well-meaning.

If you feel that the particular guide that is with you is no longer right for you, feel free to ask them to leave and request new ones. Well, don’t ask them to leave rudely or negatively. Instead thank them for all they have done and the experience they have imparted upon you and gently tell them that it is time to part with you in order for them to continue on their journey towards the light, bid them farewell and bless them. Then when you asks for new guides, you can issue a decree or invocation that only those that are 100% in alignment with your soul growth and God’s loving light be allowed in your auric field. Different esoteric schools have different ways to do this but the foundation is generally the same.

There are also processes that involve cutting ties to people from your past that are still psychically corded into your energy body. There are some specific meditations from various esoteric schools that do precisely that.

You can request a healing from your own I AM Presence, or you can receive a healing from a therapist who specializes in removing discordant energies from the aura. Aura clearing and chakra balancing are important to good psychic health. These techniques can be performed in situ or from a distance.

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear

When you read a personal development book, spiritual text or even watch a spiritual documentary or personal development documentary (like The Secret), you can take into your mind only the knowledge that is on the same frequency as you at the time. The next time you read the same book or watch the same film, you take in much, much more. And this process never stops. You will continue to discover something more in every reading or viewing, and the principles become clearer and clearer and clearer. That is because your consciousness is expanding every single time. Robert Kiyosaki has stated in his books about a person's context i.e. how much a person's "cup" can contain. The more a person develops his mind, the more his "cup" can hold. Jesus has warned not to cast pearls upon swines, hence all teachings are in parables. And as a person grows in the mind, more are revealed through the same text.

This concept is exactly what Buddha meant when he said “When the student is ready, the teacher appears”.

And it is exactly this expansion of consciousness that would deliver all faiths and religion in the world today towards the One Source. What do I mean by that? Let me explain here.

Every religion did not start out as religion. At the time the teachings were delivered, they were philosophy. The teachers, or Avatars if you prefer, were delivering a philosophical teaching to the masses in the form of parables. Truth was delivered watered down to simple understandable parables based on the level of spiritual development of the people at that location at that point in time.

Any other way and the people there would have completely missed the teachings. If one’s context or ability to receive is small, how can one receive higher knowledge? Those same parables, revisited after years of practice would reveal different levels of truth that would then now be acceptable to the people whereas in the past, they would not have been able to accept it.

Just look back in your own life. Were there not times when you were completely revolted by certain things but many years down the road, the same thing no longer revolts you but instead you can actually see how it can make sense? And that is just one lifetime. Imagine matters that are of a grander scale like universal truth.

We now know that when we look at our hands with a sufficiently powerful microscope, we can see smaller than our cells right down to the atoms. And we know from mainstream science that atoms consists of protons, neutrons and electrons. Quantum physics is now exploring even beyond that to the nano scale. So what we essentially call our physical body is actually a whole lot of empty space! Now imagine, if you were to tell that to someone from the time of Christ. Can you imagine the reaction they would have to you? And if you, in all your ignorance, insist on your facts (and they are facts), you will only antagonise the masses and you may just end up like Christ on the cross... or worse.

Do you see what I mean now?

The teachings that were brought forward by the various great teachers of our time were universal teachings/truths handed down since the time of Atlantis and Rama (both great civilizations before our earliest recorded history). But they had to be delivered in parables in order to “neither cast your pearls before the swine”. However, with consistency of practice over lifetimes, those who choose to go on the path, would be able to see more layers behind those teachings. Those same parable would reveal higher meanings and teachings to the initiate in order for him/her to continue on his/her path to the One Source.

Take Buddhism for example:

The 1st turning of the Dharma wheel i.e. Buddha’s original teachings, we have now the Theravada sect. At the 2nd turning of the Dharma wheel, we now have the Mahayana sect. At the 3rd turning of the Dharma wheel, we have the Vajrayana sect. So there are now 3 main sects in the world today. Each sect claims that their path it the path to follow for Buddhist. The Theravadas say that theirs is the original teachings inferring that the other major sects are not following Buddha’s “real” teachings. Mahayanas on the other hand say that theirs is of higher teaching or a “greater vehicle” inferring that the Theravadas are a “lesser vehicle”. The Vajrayana also look upon themselves as the highest teachings of Buddha but the Theravadas and Mahayanas do not buy in to their claim. Actually all 3 sect are merely different levels of teachings. If one is to follow the Buddhist path through the many lifetimes, one would start with the Theravada teachings and eventually over many lifetimes of spiritual practice (not religious practice), receive insights and grow into the Mahayana teachings and as one continue to grow, eventually it leads to the Vajrayana teachings.

The same applies for many other religions in the world. There are outer teachings and inner/higher teachings: The Christians and the Gnostics; Muslims and the Sufis; etc.

When the Student is ready, the Teacher appears.

The Concept of Satan and The "Forces of Darkness"

The concept of Satan is based on the distorted perception that there are forces in the Universe that can oppose God with the goal of unseating God from His throne. This is simply not true. Firstly, God is both male and female. Secondly, there is no throne to be unseated from. Thirdly, God is the One Source that all that ever was, is and will be comes forth from and returns to.

There is only light and the absence of light. And the absence of light is in actual fact, lack-of-light for are we all not light beings? However the issue of "lack of light" can be so acute to the extend it is almost like there is absolutely no light. But actually there is light, just that it is so minute it is negligible, hence "no" light. So where there is little or "no" light, there can certainly be “satanic” experience. All manner of nightmarish worlds can arise within the darker regions. Certainly, there are entities who, in their lust for power, will rise up and rule these worlds. They are the so-called “Dark Lords” or Negative entities. So while it is true that there are negative entities of immense powers, their problem is lack of light. They do not possess a “dark power” capable of removing God.

These Negative entities can be of 3rd density up to 5th density. We humans are presently 3rd density moving onto 4th and the midpoint of the transition is apparently on 21st Dec 2012. The main characteristic of the negative entities is that their primary focus is on Service-to-Self and not Service-to-Others. Their negative polarization is greatly aided by the subjugation or enslavement of others.

Those negative entities in the 4th density is fully aware of possible methods of viewing the universe of the One Creator and it is fully convinced that the most efficient way to progress spiritually is by ignoring and not using the heart chakra. They consciously deny the very spectrum that is the core of the 4th density which is universal love.

When these 4th density negative entities move on to the 5th density, the wisdom density is explored by an entity that has no compassion and no universal love. The negative entity uses anger as a catalyst to control. This should not be misunderstood that anger is all bad. Cayce has mentioned the use of positive anger before. What this means is that anger is but a catalyst that can be used for both positive polarization and negative polarization. Acceptance is the key to positively polarized use of anger as a catalyst. Negative polarization contains a great requirement for control and repression.

Emotion, which is of itself disorganized, needs to be repressed and then brought to the surface in an organized use in order to be useful to a negatively polarized entity. For example, negative entities may control and repress sexual desire in order that in the practice thereof, the will of the entity may be used to enforce itself upon the other-self with greater efficiency when the sexual behaviour is allowed.

Make no mistake about it, these “Forces of Darkness”, as most of us call them, are powerful. They have equal access to the infinite powers of the universe. The aetheric fields that bind everything together in this universe is readily available to both positive and negative entities. This is something that needs to be carefully noted and pondered upon for there is no right or wrong here. The Law of One is available to ALL regardless if it is Service-to-Others or Service-to-Self.

Negative Entities or “Forces of Darkness” are those who have chosen the Service-to-Self path  and have simply used the veiling process in order to potentiate that which is not. And this is perfectly acceptable method of self-realization or and by The Creator. The One Source does not discriminate and sees both positive and negative polarity as the same for we are ALL one.

However, when the 6th density approaches, the negative entities in the 5th density is thrown into confusion. This is because graduation in the 5th density of Wisdom has to be matched with an equal amount of Love. Negative entities would at that point choose to release the negativity and leap into 6th density positive.

At that point in its evolution, the 5th density negative entity is already extremely wise and knows that loving the Creator and realizing at some point that the Creator is not only self but other-self as self, this negative entity will consciously choose an instantaneous energy re-orientation so that it can continue on its evolution. However, according to Carla Rueckert’s channelling of the Ra entity, none has successfully leaped from 5th density negative to 6th density before.

Therefore it goes without saying that choosing the positive orientation is a much easier and surer path. Despite the fact that sometimes, we may perceive it as a more difficult path but that is actually an illusion and our veiled view of circumstances.

As you can see, that which we call satanic or Forces of Darkness is but what that is lacking in Light. Those that have chosen to go down that path will eventually inevitably still merge back to positive polarity as there is no other way but to return to the One Source. However, the journey of the negative polarity entity would become more difficult the higher they get.

So the concept of Satan is not “evil”. It is just that these entities have focused on mental aspects of light and excluded the heart oriented loving light that balances Creation. As a result, this gave rise to a large group of entities known as the Luciferians. A Luciferian is anyone who embraces the cold light of rationality without also embracing the compassion and warmth of the heart. You can see remnants of the Luciferians in today’s society: Large Corporations and Big Banks devoid of any human consciousness that focuses entirely on profits at the expense of the ordinary person on the street. I'm sure all of us know a few of these.

Fortunately, Earth is Positively polarized and her ascension on to the 4th density would see these negative oriented corporations and entities be forced to become accountable for their actions and either switch towards positive or be eventually closed down or disintegrated. The energies will not sustain such negativeness.

Related Post:
Angel Lucifer the Light Bearer

The Pineal Gland, 3 Permanent Seeds and the 3 Silver Cords

An apple tree comes from an Apple seed. Similarly a person has inner seeds which are called Bindus in Sanskrit. Theosophist call these seeds permanent atoms. The three seeds are:

1. The Physical Permanent Seed (Seed of Life);
2. The Emotional Permanent Seed;
3. The Mental Permanent Seed (Seed of Consciousness)

The Physical Permanent Seed is located in the heart chakra and the physical heart. This is the seed that contains the design patterns of the physical body and the energy bodies of a person. One's positive and negative karma are encoded in the physical permanent seed. This Seed of Life gives life to the physical body. Once the soul's energy is withdrawn from the physical permanent seed, the body dies. This is why though in the past medical science views that a person is only dead if he/she is brain dead, now the view is changing. There is astounding cases whereby a person is brain dead but yet the body lives and they could be resuscitated. And I am not talking about nails growing.

A great yogi or a very good clairvoyant can look at your Seed of Life and read your destiny. A plan or destiny of the person is formulated between the soul and a higher being and encoded in the Seed of Life.

The Emotional Permanent Seed is found in the Solar Plexus chakra and in the liver. This Seed is responsible for the design of one's emotional body (or astral body). Everytime the body goes to sleep, the incarnated soul transfers from the physical body to the astral body. The signs that show that the incarnated soul is transferring to the astral body are like: the body may feel a strong energy vibration and simultaneously there may be an inner sound that can be loud at times. Sometimes, a buzzing sound similar to bees or a jet plane is heard. Others experience falling off the bed and are suddenly out of their bodies. The field of Lucid Dreaming has many examples of how one would go into one's astral body.

the Mental Permanent Seed or Seed of Consciousness is the most important of the three seeds and is located in the crown and the pineal gland. It contains the pattern of the mental body. Modern science is only starting to uncover the mystery that surrounds the pineal gland. The documentary "What the [bleep] do we know?" is a great documentary that touches on quantum physics and the pineal gland. 

The Seed of Consciousness also contains all the records of a person's past lives. Highly developed clairvoyants like Bishop Leadbeater can read series of past lives of anyone. In India, the Seed of Consciousness is called the "Blue Pearl". In Sufism, it is called the "Essence". The Seed of Consciousness is connected to the Higher Soul but is NOT the Higher Soul. It is like the computer terminal whereas the Higher Soul is like the mainframe. computer. Meditating on this Seed gives you access to your Higher Soul and have access to inner worlds. the teachings connected with the inner worlds are called "Knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven" in Christian terminology. the reason the great Avatars of our time teach in parables is so that the "pearls" are given only to those who are ready for it. In this new Aquarian Age, these teachings will be revealed to the masses to the extent that they can handle.

These three Seeds mentioned above are connected to the Higher Soul through three Silver Cords, namely, you guessed it:

1. Silver Cord of Life;
2. Silver Cord of Emotion;
3. Silver Cord of Consciousness

From the Divine Spark or Monad, an energy cord called the Divine Cord extends "downwards" to the Higher Soul. From the Higher Soul, it goes down to the Incarnated Soul at the 12th Chakra above the Crown chakra. Here it is differentiated into the three silver cords of Life, Emotion and Consciousness. The Cord of Consciousness if attached to the Seed of Consciousness in the Pineal Gland. The Cord of Life is attached to the Seed of Life at the Heart chakra. And the Cord of Emotion is attached to the Emotional Seed at the solar plexus chakra. The combination of the Divine Cord and the three silver cords is called the Spiritual Cord. The spiritual cord continues down from the crown into the sushumna nadi and exits near the base of the spine down into the earth and ends several metres below the ground. This earthing is necessary in order for the incarnated soul to function on an earthly plane. When this rooting is not strong, a person will have difficulties earning money and feeding the family. The rooting also enables the body to absorb earth prana that is necessary to make the physical body healthy and strong.

Lastly but not least, there is another subtle cord, the most important of them all, the Antahkarana. Antahkarana means the Bridge of Light. This bridge is built by the incarnated soul to the Higher Soul and even towards the Divine Spark. It's purpose is to fomr a strong communication line among the incarnated soul, the higher soul, and the divine spark, thus establishing a continuous flow of consciousness between them. The antahkarana has to be rebuilt in every incarnation but those who have built theirs in a previous incarnation will be able to rebuild it faster and easier compared to those who are just starting.

The Antahkarana is the bridge of light built by the incarnated soul towards the higher soul. the Spiritual Cord is the cord of spiritual light that descends from the higher soul to the incarnated soul and then the physical body. Eventually, the antahkarana and the spiritual cord will fuse and become one.

The Use of Colours in Feng Shui

Recently I heard someone say that a feng shui "expert" stated that painting green in one's bedroom is bad feng shui as it creates arguments in the relationship. What a load of rubbish. Clearly the "expert" who advised that person does not know what feng shui really is or colours in energy work for that matter.

Feng Shui is environmentology science of MINGS founder Dr David Koh puts it. It is not superstition nor mystical science. It is actually based on very sound principles on energy flow (or aether) in relation to the environment. The same goes for the Indian equivalent of Feng Shui, Vaastu Shastra. Incidentally, Vaastu Shastra is 1,000 years older than Feng Shui. It is all the flow of energy and energy is everywhere. Energy (Chi or Prana if you prefer) flows through us all. There are also different types of energy including different colours of energy. To help you understand that, look at white light. Pass white light through a prism and it segregates to its component "colours" that make up the rainbow. Each has its own frequency and vibration. And Light is energy. So there!

Coming back to colours in Feng Shui.

Colour is just one of the ways to shift the energy in your home or office and create good feng shui. As each color has its own vibration and is an expression of one of the five feng shui elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. In chinese Feng Shui, these elements are used in specific areas according to the feng shui energy map of your space, or Bagua. 

Where the colour green is concerned, green is the feng shui colour of renewal, fresh energy and new beginnings. When we say green, we usually associate with greenery hence its no surprise that in the feng shui theory of five elements, green obviously belongs to the Wood element. Some people also like to be around greens because they are sensitive and thus prefer the calming environment of nature. Heck... eating green vegetables are good for you. So, we can concluded that the colour green nourishes your health, calms your nerves and balances your whole body by bringing healing vibrations from Mother Nature. 

Green is also the colour of cleansing in energy healing work. The associated chakra is the Throat chakra. Together with orange (from root chakra), green cleanses. But where orange expels and is expulsive, green is soothing and gentle. 

Hence, to say green colour causes arguments is too general a statement. What kind of arguments? Arguments that lead to cleansing and healing? or arguments that lead to destruction. If it is arguments that lead to healing then I wouldn't say it is a bad thing. Human beings will inadvertently keep many things pent up in their hearts. It could be something a family member said or did that you just didn't like and you kept it in you. You may even have forgotten about it but it is still in you. So as things accumulate both sides of the divide, eventually something will cause an argument. The important thing is that the issues that are pent up are brought out and dealt with so that all those involved can then be cleansed, forgiven and the healing begins. So to say having green colour walls in the house is no good because it causes arguments is too naive and general a statement. Green heals... period.

I've included here an article about colours in FengShui. You may click on the links to read further. 

The right feng shui use of colours can do wonders for any home or office. We are all in love with colour, and we all respond to colour in more or less predictable ways. Feng shui takes the use of colour to the next level, where each colour brings the desired feng shui energies to a space, the energies needed to bring harmony and balance.

From vibrant red to soothing aqua blue and fresh white - which colour is best feng shui for your living room or home office? How about your bedroom feng shui? Would green colour create good feng shui in the bedroom? And if not, then why?

All the feng shui colour tips you need are here. Enjoy!

1. Feng Shui of Red Color - Passion, Courage, Romance - Fire Element

Photo: Inti St.Clair / Getty Images

Red color is the strongest feng shui color representation of the fire feng shui element. Vibrant red color brings into your home the energy of joy, excitement and invigorates  the sexual desire. Red is the Chinese color of luck and happiness, the marriage color in India, and the symbolic color of love and romance, courage and passion in the West.  Read how to use red color in your home

More red color feng shui tips:

• Feng Shui of Color Red in Your Bedroom

2. Feng Shui of Color Yellow - Sunny, Nourishing, Happy - Fire or Earth Element

Photo: Ryan McVay / Getty Images

The feng shui color of sunlight, cheerful and uplifting yellow always brightens any home or office. Yellow color also creates cozy, welcoming feng shui energy in your kitchen, living room or children's rooms. From hot sunflower yellow to pale buttery yellow color tones - there are many options to choose from when you are planning to re-decorate your home.  Read how to use yellow color in your home

More yellow color feng shui tips:

• Yellow Color - Good Feng Shui for Your Kitchen

3. Blue Color Feng Shui - Calm, Tranquility, Peace - Water Element

Photo: (c) Horchow

Blue is a magnificent feng shui color. From clear sky blue to soft aqua blue of the ocean and deep indigo blue - there is an endless variety of blue color tones you can choose for your home. Feng shui-wise, color blue is excellent for use in the following feng shui bagua areas of your home: East (Health), Southeast (Money), and North (Career). Read how to use blue color in your home

More blue color feng shui  tips:

• Feng Shui of Color Blue in the Dentist's Office

4. Green Color Feng Shui - Growth, Health, Vibrancy - Wood Element

Photo: James Baigrie / Getty Images

Green is the feng shui color of renewal, fresh energy and regeneration.  Green color is very nourishing to your health, as it balances the whole body by bringing healing feng shui vibrations from nature. When working with green color, it is important to have at least several different shades in order to maximize the feng shui energy effects. Read how to use green color in your home

More green color feng shui  tips:

• Bring Green with Plants: Best Feng Shui Indoor Plants

5. Feng Shui of Color Orange - Social, Open, Optimistic - Fire Element

Photo: Jupiterimages / Getty Images

When the feng shui use of color red is too intense for your home or office, go for the orange color instead. Color orange is often called the "social" color, as it creates the necessary feng shui energy to promote lively conversations and good times in your house. Orange color reminds us of summertime dreams and  warm glow of log fires. Read how to use orange color in your home

More orange color feng shui tips:

• Orange at Halloween: What's the Feng Shui of it?

6. Purple Color Feng Shui - Royal, Mysterious, Noble - Fire Element

Photo: Robert Kohlhuber / Getty Images

Feng shui masters advise using color purple in moderation. As purple color is a very high vibration color, it might be best to bring it into your home with various decor elements - from pillows to art - rather than wall color.  The best feng shui spaces where you can freely use the intensity of color purple are a healing room or a meditation space. Read how to use purple color in your home

More purple color  feng shui tips:

• Is Purple A Good Feng Shui Color for My Bedroom?

7. Feng Shui of Color Pink - Gentle, Soothing, Loving - Fire Element

Photo: George Doyle / Getty Images

Pink color is the universal color of love, which makes it a perfect feng shui color to soften the energy in any given space. Its gentle and delicate feng shui vibrations have a proven soothing effect on one's behavior. You can have this beautiful color almost anywhere - from your bedroom to your laundry room.  Read how to use pink color in your home

More pink color feng shui tips:

• The Color of Love: Feng Shui of Color Pink

8. Gray Color Feng Shui - Clear, Detached, Neutral - Metal Element

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Gray color is usually treated either as boring (dull gray!) or as a sophisticated, upscale feng shui color. No matter what you think of it, gray color can sure bring beautiful feng shui energy to any space, as long as you choose wisely. Feng shui areas that most benefit from color gray are West (Creativity), Northwest (Helpful People) and North (Career). Read how to use gray color in your home

More gray color feng shui tips:

• Is Gray Good Feng Shui for Christmas Decor?

9. Feng Shui of Color Black - Unknown, Infinite, Absorbing - Water Element

Photo: (c) Robert Aichinger

The color of night, deep waters and universal void, feng shui use of color black adds depth, strength and definition to any space. Are there any restrictions for the feng shui use of color black? Well, you sure will not use black in your baby's room, or on your bedroom ceiling. How about your main entry? Read how to use black color in your home

More black color feng shui tips:

• Is Black Color a Yin Feng Shui Color?

10. White Color Feng Shui - Innocence, Freshness, New Beginnings - Metal Element

Photo: (c) Rodika Tchi

The feng shui color of purity and innocence, white is also the color that absorbs, or contains, all other colors. This explains why we can all be fascinated and deeply satisfied with a pure white space. Is white a good feng shui color, though, for all rooms in your home? Read how to use white color in your home

More white color feng shui tips:

• The Yang Feng Shui Energy of Color White

11. Feng Shui of Brown Color - Strength, Grounding, Stability - Wood Element

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Brown color has become a popular feng shui choice in recent years. It has a nourishing feng shui energy, and is associated with all the good things - yummy dark chocolate, gourmet coffee and beautiful mahogany wood. Feng shui areas that are most nourished my warm brown are East (Health), Southeast (Money), and South (Fame). Read how to use brown color in your home

More brown color feng shui tips:

• Is Brown A Good Feng Shui Color For Your Front Door?

Much Ado about Wind Chimes

Recently I've been hearing a few negative things said about wind chimes that they attract evil spirits. I feel the need to debunk the myth. But let's first begin with some basics.

Wind chimes are popular decorations throughout the world. They have a long and varied history that spans cultures, continents and uses. Historically, it is also one of the earliest musical instruments. Their unique soothing, meditative sound bring harmony and balance to life. For all within hearing distance of wind chimes, their melodic sound provides a calming effect. They make wonderful home and garden accents.

People have enjoyed wind chime music since the earliest days of civilization. Archeologists unearthed evidence of ancient wind chimes made of shells and bone at dig sites in Southeast Asia. Various forms of wind chimes were also discovered in ancient Greece and Egypt. The Chinese perfected the tonal precision of their bronze wind chime bells around 1100 BC. The Chinese connected the chimes to the ancient art of feng shui--the arrangement of objects to achieve peace and harmony. The Chinese believed that wind chimes connect people with nature and the body, creating a greater awareness of living in the moment that leads to a sense of well-being.

Origins of Wind Chimes

The wind chime can trace its lineage back almost 5000 years. The first evidence of wind chimes, found at archeological sites in South East Asia, dates them to about 3000 B.C.  Primitive constructions of bone, wood or bamboo, stone or shells, the earliest wind chimes were thought to be used to scare away evil spirits. However evidence exists that wind chimes had a more practical use as well; digs in Bali, Indonesia show that farmers used the sound wind chimes and wind clappers make to scare birds and other animals from their cultivated fields. By 2000 B.C. the wind chime had been developed independently along the shores of the Mediterranean and was being cast in bronze by the ancient Egyptians.

Over time, they were used by emperors and other high leaders to create inner peace. Throughout Tibet, Bali and Japan, it was common to see highly intricate and decorative wind chimes in sacred places. In China, the pitch of wind chimes helped to determine astrological and climate changes. China and Japan were also the first to introduce wind chimes as decorative art in homes.

It wasn't until around 1100 B.C., when the Chinese started casting bells, that the wind chime found its more modern, musical and artistic evolution.  Highly skilled metal workers created the forefather of the wind chime, a clapper-less bell called yong-zhong, which was used as an accompaniment for religious ceremonies.  After that the Chinese developed what is essentially the modern wind bell, called the feng-ling.  This they hung from the eaves of shrines, temples, pagodas and in caves as wind bells were considered religious talismans thought to repel evil demons and ghosts and attract benevolent spirits.  This practice was adopted in the secular world and wind chimes became common adornments in the home as a way to protect against spiteful supernatural influences. 

The use of wind chimes in the home spread from China to Japan and from there to the western world in the 1800's when Asian art, design and philosophy started to show a distinct influence in Europe and America.  The practice of feng-shui helped to spread the knowledge of a wind chime’s calming and balancing influence in the home.  An ancient system of using arrangement maximize the flow of life energy, or Chi, feng-shui often uses wind chimes as a means of shaping an environment and influencing chi.  The tones and materials of a particular wind chime can affect energy and change the mood and feeling of a living space.

Wind chimes were often hung around Asian temples and thought to attract peaceful spirits while protecting against evil forces. Early on, Buddhists adopted wind chimes and wind-bells into various rituals and the chimes were hung in large numbers on temples, shrines, pagodas and caves. Later, the chimes became popular for secular and decorative purposes and were popular in homes and places of business. In many cultures, a prime purpose of wind chimes is to recall listeners to a seemingly contradictory state combining appreciation of the moment with a feeling of transcending the everyday world.

Types

Wind chimes are usually constructed of a set of hanging rods of bamboo, metal, wood, and even ceramic and glass. A ringer hangs down in the center of the set and makes noise when wind causes it to contact the chimes. Wind chimes come in many sizes from tiny tubes worn as necklaces and earrings, to bronze bell chimes weighing hundreds of pounds. The most popular varieties are several feet in length and made of metal and bamboo tubes. They are hung indoors and outdoors on porches and decks. Wind chimes gained in popularity the 1970s when wind chime companies began developing the sophisticated, precision-tonal musical chimes available today. Contemporary metal wind chimes are available in tunable musical pitches. Some precision wind chimes also have specific cultural tunings including Japanese, Balinese and Hawaiian.

Common Places to Hang Wind Chimes

Wind chimes are traditionally hung outside a house on a porch, deck or balcony. Numerous homeowners hang them at front and back doors to welcome guests. In addition, wind chimes are commonly found in the garden as a decorative accent.

Wind chimes are also used as indoor home decor to decorate a long window or to add an accent to a kitchen window. Many people hang wind chimes in their bedrooms to enjoy their relaxing sounds.

Protection

Wind chimes were, and still are, used to scare away evil spirits and hung in doorways and windows to dissuade bad luck from entering a home. The warning aspect of wind chimes is translated into modern culture through the movies. A common film motif is the ringing of wind chimes to signal imminent danger. For example, sounds of urgently ringing wind chimes are heard at tense moments in Martin Scorsese's 1991 version of "Cape Fear."

Farmers use wind chimes to frighten away birds and other pests. Farmers in Bali place bamboo wind chimes throughout rice fields to scare pests and bring the farmer good fortune and healthy crops. Hanging wind chimes near a bird feeder is counter-productive since few birds will brave ringing chimes to get a snack.

Health Benefits

The sound of wind chimes blowing in the wind has the ability to reduce stress and promote relaxation and calmness. Their sounds are considered to have a healing effect on body and mind. They relieve fatigue and encourage listening, creativity and upbeat feelings.

The tones that reverberate through the wind chimes are believed to unblock emotional stress and bring a feeling of inner peace and conscious awareness. Listening to wind chimes also creates a sense of balance in one's life.

There is nothing more calming than to listen to the sound of the birds, the sea and the wind chimes while relaxing at the verandah of your beach chalet.

Weather Warnings

On a more practical side to their use, prior to modern weather forecasting and technologies, wind chimes were used to detect early, minor changes in wind speeds that signalled oncoming storms. Wind chimes are still used on ships and in farmer's fields to determine wind direction and current weather conditions. They hang the wind chimes in various areas to track wind direction and speed.

Conclusion

So I hope I have put to rest the issue of the sound of wind chimes attracting evil spirits. That is nothing more than an old great-grandmother story to prevent kids from incessantly ringing the wind chime as that would not allow the wind chime to perform what it was intended to do naturally.

And if any feng shui master tells you to get rid of your wind chime, ask him or her why. If the answer is that it attracts evil spirits, then you can tell him (or her) to go jump in the lake. Time for you to find a new feng shui master.