The kitchen represents the manifestation of the family’s well-being and wealth.

It is useful for pressing down bad luck caused by bad flying star number or personalized directions of bad fortune. According to the Eight Mansions and Flying Star formulas, certain sectors of the house are deemed to be unlucky. If your kitchen is located in an unlucky sector this is a good thing.

Two Important Elements feature in the kitchen:

Guidelines on the kitchen and stove

The post Arrangement and Layout of the Kitchen appeared first on WOFS.com.

To many Chinese, Mid Autumn Festival (or Mooncake Festival) is the next most important celebration after Chinese New Year.

Held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar at the time of the full moon, it marks the end of the Autumn harvest, and a time to give thanks to Change-Er, the Moon Goddess of Immortality. This year, Mid Autumn Festival falls on Sept 17^th, 2024.

On this brightest of nights, the Moon Goddess is believed to make her annual appearance, bestowing blessings of a good harvest, peace, safety and love. The full moon symbolizes prosperity, completion and togetherness. Family members travel home from far and wide to gather for a meal and spend the evening looking at the full moon (shang yue), lighting paper lanterns and eating mooncakes.

Women set up outdoor altars to offer food and incense, and young singles, inspired by the love story of the Mood Goddess, head out to mingle in the hope she brings them the match of their dreams.

Here are some great ways to boost your good fortune this Mid Autumn Festival.

1. USE “ROUND” or “CIRCULAR” shaped offerings

When praying to the Moon Goddess, make sure your altar faces the moon and that your offerings are round-shaped. This encapsulates the Chinese saying “Zhu Shi Yuan Man”, which signifies everything ending on a good note. Round fruits with auspicious meanings such as apples (Ping Ping An An) and oranges (Da Ji Da Li) are especially popular. Don’t forget to include the most crucial offering, the mooncake! Arrange in sets of 13 to represent the 13 months of the Lunar Calendar.

2. GOOD TIME FOR SOCIALIZING

Mid Autumn is a particularly auspicious day for social networking. The Chinese go visiting bearing mooncakes as gifts to promote closer ties and greater harmony. You can strengthen affinities with your friends and build rapport with the people you work with by celebrating the festivities together. Who knows, you may even meet a potential life partner in the process!

3. AUSPICIOUS DAY TO PRAY TO YUE LAO

Temples of the God of Love and Marriage, Yue Lao, often see throngs of single bachelors and bachelorettes offering incense and prayers. This God of Love is often depicted with a red silk thread that he uses to “tie” potential couples together. Those in search of a soul mate can invoke his blessings, for him to “connect you to a good partner”. How? Obtain a red string by making an offering of an “angpau” (red packet with money inside) to the temple, then say a prayer with your personal details like name, date of birth, address and wishes. After praying, wear the red string around your wrist to signify your wish.

4. DISPLAY FRESH PLANTS & FLOWERS

Bring auspicious chi into the home by showcasing your loveliest potted flower arrangements. Avoid thorny plants such as roses and cacti, as this will shun away Nobleman Benefactor (Gui Ren) luck. Those lucky enough to have a garden should ensure it is properly maintained, ready to welcome the bright night sky of Mid Autumn.

5. CLEAN UP THE HOME

Make sure your home is clean and tidy, especially your most used spaces like your living and dining room, where you spend a lot of time. Fix or replace anything that is not working.

6. ORGANISE A PARTY

Moon Festival is often celebrated with family (direct and extended) but can also be celebrated with friends. When you create a lot of yang chi during the night of this Full Moon, you activate its energies, for a good harvest (which in today’s world also means a stable income), friendship and of course, for love!

The post 6 Ways to Boost Good Fortune During Mid Autumn Festival appeared first on WOFS.com.

In 2024 the Hungry Ghost period starts from 4^th August and ends 2^nd September. In the Chinese Lunar Calendar this is the 7^th month. The most important day falls on 18^th August 2024 which is when prayers and offering are performed. In the month of the hungry ghost, it is said that Yin energies overpowers Yang chi. The Yin forces are thus very strong during this period. When Yin chi dominates a house, it starts to attract ghosts and wandering spirits who thrive in such places. Therefore homes that are not occupied for some time tends to attract them. A house with too much Yin energy starts to become dark and overshadows whatever sunlight that enters. Houses built over previous gravesites or near to cemeteries or hospitals are also attractive places for ghosts to convene.

During the month of the hungry ghost, the Chinese believe it is important to be extra vigilant and careful, particularly during night time. This is the time of year when the doors of hell are open and releases hungry ghosts and wandering spirits to roam freely, making it a very dangerous month. The gates of the ghost realms are thrown open and souls of the dead will return to visit their living relatives, while the wandering spirits will roam about the streets.

To appease them, joss sticks and meals are left outside for the hungry ghosts and dead relatives to enjoy. Prayers and ritual prosperity items are offered to the deceased through the medium of fire, i.e. paper money, paper houses, paper transportation, paper accessories joss paper and joss sticks. This brings great relief to the spirits and affords them some material comforts when they return to hell at the end of the month. The Chinese believe that great merit and good fortune is attained by offering these poor hungry spirits some food and shelter during this time. Prayers and offerings begin at night on the 14th day (17th Aug 2024), with joss sticks and joss papers burning continuously for the entire 15th day (18th August 2024).

It is believed that Hungry ghosts can bring harm to those whose chi energy is depleted or low, bringing them bad luck or illness. To counter this one should wear amulets and ensure that there is an excess of yang energy. Wear bright colours and play music! This why Chinese Temples will put on feasts and opera shows to distract the wandering spirits and perform prayers for them.

WHAT TO AVOID:

1. Avoid going swimming during this 7^th month. It is believed that evil spirits that were previously drowned will look for souls to claim in exchange for a passage ticket to rebirth.
2. Children and young adults are also advised to stay indoors after dark and avoid wandering alone at night. Children are particularly susceptible to spirit possession so it’s advisable for them to wear seed syllable amulets of protection like the seed syllable HUM or HRIH. Alternatively they can also carry the Dorje Drolo Amulet with them.
3. It is not allowed to move houses, start renovation, or to start new businesses this month. It is considered an inauspicious month for such activities.
4. Avoid getting married this month. Weddings are vulnerable to attacks from jealous female spirits who may retaliate by casting curses and bad spells on the couple. AVOID at all costs!
5. Do not go jungle trekking, hiking or camping as these are places where spirits love to go! Chances of injuries, illness, spirit possession and death are high.
6. Drive carefully to avoid accidents. Wandering spirits who died of accidents are on the prowl for new victims they can exchange for reincarnation. Stick the White Umbrella Goddess window amulet on the windows of your car to help ward off accidents.
7. Protect the entrance to your home or office with Chung Kwei, White Umbrella Goddess window amulet or the White Umbrella Goddess. These are the best protectors against ghosts and evil spirits.
8. When burning joss paper and paper “hell money”, spirits will gather around you to receive the “money”. It is advisable not to jump or run around while doing this as you risk offending them. Aggravated spirits can become dangerous.
9. Avoid placing your hands on anyone’s shoulder. Everyone is said to have three flames on the body; one on the forehead, two on the shoulders. Placing a hand on one’s shoulders is said to “put out” the flame, weakening their internal energies and increasing the chances of spirits possession.
10. Keep your forehead clean and free of head cover. If you cover your forehead, this puts out the flame thus weakening your life force, increasing the possibilities of being haunted. Thus, this is not a good month to wear caps or hats at sundown.

APPEASING WITH INCENSE

The best method to stay protected is to wear the right amulets and appease these spirits with regular incense offering. Incense appeases the local spirits and hungry ghosts tremendously. Burn some sandalwood or agarwood incense outside of your house to help appease the spirits nearby.

SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH PROTECTIVE ENERGIES 

When billions of wandering spirits roam the earth, the likelihood of accidents, mishaps and robberies increases exponentially. Thus the only way to prevent this from causing you problems is to rely on spiritual protection to avert negative vibes that shroud the earth this month.

This is easily achieved by displaying appropriate house amulets and images of powerful cosmic guardians near entrance areas. If possible, always wear some kind of cosmic protection on your body – i.e. especially amulets that are embellished with specific protective sigils or carry special mantras. Make sure that these the amulets touch your body, as this is what ensures your body does not get hurt.

1) DISPLAY THE WHITE UMBRELLA GODDESS in your HOME

The White Umbrella Goddess is also known as Ushnisha Sitatapatra – the powerful goddess to completely annihilates spirit harm and black magic. She has a thousand arms that each carry a white parasol, to protect you against a thousand dangers caused by many classes of harmful spirit beings. You can invite her image that has been beautifully glorified on a plaque, or engraved on a mirror.

2) Carry the PEACOCK FEATHERS MIRROR FAN

Peacock Feathers have the power to absorb all the poisons that cause life to be unpleasant. The Peacock Feathers Mirror Fan has the power to dissolve all poisons that cause you misery and suffering. The fan is also imprinted with a special talisman to protect against all forms of killing energy. It causes all harmful and unpleasant energies to evaporate and is strongly recommended for those who might be exposed to spiritual attack or black magic, or those with low levels of Life Force and Spirit Essence in your Element Luck Profile. Carry this protective fan if you suffer from the Yin Gate affliction. Thus for this month, place the Peacock Feathers Mirror Fan in your handbag, or inside your car to guard against this type of spirit harm.

3) Wear the DIAMOND CUTTER SUTRA Prayer Wheel

This sparkling amulet prayer wheel contains eight complete sets of the powerful Diamond Cutter Sutra! It provides excellent protection against physical and spiritual harm. Twirl clockwise daily to benefit from the power of the Diamond Cutter Sutra. Wear it daily as a incredibly powerful amulet for protection against natural disasters, epidemics, physical dangers, spirit harm and untimely death.

4) PROTECTIVE SCARVES

An easy way to stay protected against mischievous spirits or bad feng shui is to out on sacred scarves that have been empowered with powerful protective mantras. The Sacred Protection Scarf has a special amulet that protects you from accidents and dangers caused by spirit harm and is particularly powerful for those who stay out late. If you are travelling, wear the White Umbrella Scarf or the Travel Scarf to ensure that you are protected while you are not within the confines of your own home.

The post Staying Safe Throughout Hungry Ghost Month appeared first on WOFS.com.

Giving and receiving gifts is a wonderful exchange that shows we care. One would think that any gift that is given from the heart is good. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. An inauspicious gift is bad news no matter how noble your intentions are. Taken in a Feng Shui perspective, some things are worse compared to others. Here are the top 5 gifts you should never give to anyone.

1. Never Give Sharp Objects

Gifts of sharp objects are actually more popular than one would expect because most people don’t see them as such. Examples of sharp objects that are unsuitable as gifts include the following: blade, chainsaw, dagger, hunting knife, letter opener, penknife, scissors, Swiss Army knife, sword, etc.

There are a couple of reasons that make sharp items objectionable. Giving sharp objects as a gift will literally sever the friendship. As sharp objects are a natural source of malicious “killing breath” or Shar Chi, such gifts will result in you unintentionally sending bad luck to your friend.

2. Never Give Timepieces

In the West, timepieces are, in fact, quite well-liked as gifts. These include: alarm clock, wall clock, pocket watch, wristwatch, etc.

Timepieces measure the passage of time and this indirectly suggests a limited lifespan, which is very inauspicious. In Chinese (Cantonese), to give a clock or ‘soong joong’ sounds exactly like the Chinese term for attending a funeral, which is naturally very taboo.

3. Never Give Red Roses

Did you know that you should never give red roses? Long stemmed red roses with sharp thorns are terrible as gifts. The longer the stem and the sharper the thorns … the more the relationship will suffer. If you send your lover a bouquet of red roses – romantic and all – it will be the beginning of the end of the relationship.

It is better for you to give cream or pink roses. Feng Shui-wise, yellow roses work even better to help enhance that loving feeling. Remember to have the thorns removed before you deliver them to your lover.

Never send red and white roses to a loved one who is in hospital. These are so inauspicious that in hospitals all over UK, there is the tradition with regards to floral gifts from well-wishers. If bunches of red and white roses or any variety of flowers arrive for anybody, they throw the flowers away immediately and make sure none of them reach the patients. A gift comprising a bunch of red and white blooms are considered to be a DEATH WISH.

4. Never Give Shoes

In Chinese (Cantonese), the word for shoes, ‘hai’, sounds very much like a sigh. This is very inauspicious as it suggests much unhappiness. A gift of shoes to your friend would be akin to sending bad luck his/her way.

5. Never Give Handkerchiefs

Gifts of handkerchiefs are also traditionally frowned upon. This is because a handkerchief is used to wipe away sweat and tears, which suggests a lot of sadness and frustration. Giving handkerchiefs as gifts suggest that you anticipate him/her to be doing much crying in the future. This generates such an inauspicious chi.

Remedy For Your Predicament

What do you do if you have a really fantastic gift? Something that you know your friend will be truly ecstatic about? Well I have some good news for you. The Chinese have a simple remedy for sharp metal gifts that belong to the first category.

Ask for a coin or some change (make sure it is metal) before you present your gift to the recipient. This simple exchange symbolizes a “purchase”, instead of a “gift”. Since your friend symbolically “paid” for the item, it is no longer considered a “gift”. This uncomplicated remedy works only for sharp metal items.

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Mirrors have long been described as the cure-all for deflecting bad feng shui shooting at the home from the outside environment. For years, people used the Pa Kua circular mirror placed in the center of an eight sided symbol empowered by the yin arrangement of trigrams on eight sides of the mirror. This easy Mirror remedy has been associated with feng shui for many years, but I have discouraged its use.

The Pa Kua mirror is indeed powerful and does work pushing away bad vibes caused by secret poison arrows in the surrounding environment. But in reflecting away bad chi, the Pa Kua mirror is simultaneously pushing everything else away from your home. The power of this cure made strong by the yin arrangement of trigrams is quite indiscriminate, and as a result, good fortune and friends also get pushed away. There is thus a need to be skillful in one’s use of mirrors for feng shui purposes.

I have sometimes also seen the Pa Kua mirror hung up above doorways for no reason at all. This not only sends negative harmful chi to the neighbour opposite, they also harm the house that hangs it up, as it messes up the relationships of the residents with outsiders.

Thus I have been strongly discouraging people from using the Pa Kua mirror as a cure and instead to use something more benevolent. The 8 Hums Protection Wheel Mirror which protects against afflictions that come from the 8 directions at different times of the year is a better approach to defensive feng shui. While making your feng shui good, it is equally important not to make other’s feng shui bad.

1. Mirrors must never reflect toilet doors or sharp edges of corners. Inside shops, mirrors must double good fortune and never double anything negative. They should ideally reflect customers coming into the shop as this increases the yang chi that is vital for bringing in good fortune.

2. Deep into the interior of the home, Mirrors work best in the living and dining areas. In these rooms, floor to ceiling mirrors are excellent for creating a visual expansion of space, which is always lucky, and even more so if the wall mirror also reflects pleasant views from outdoors – either a river, healthy growing plants or rolling hills – that suggest a vast expanse of pure energy. Views of trees bring in “growth energy” while views of scenic mountains bring great relationships. Views of water bring prosperity!

3. Mirrors are a very effective tool for doubling good feng shui in the workplace. They are particularly useful for retail establishments and restaurants that are dependent on walk-in customers for business. Having a floor-to-ceiling mirror near the front of the shop has the effect of “pulling” customers into the store and if the cash payment register is also reflected in the mirror, it symbolizes a doubling of business. This helps to literally “double” your sales. Shops presently suffering from the economic slowdown hitting the world might want to try using this to improve their sales revenue.

4. Mirrors should stay out of bedrooms. This is one of the most important taboos to take note of in interior feng shui. Old masters were steadfast in their advice to ban all reflective surfaces from the bedroom, as these often attracted third party interferences into the marital relationship and was deemed extremely harmful for the family. When mirrors reflect the sleeping couple during the nocturnal yin hours, there is also the danger of the “spirit” of the couple being robbed of their essence, their intrinsic chi. Hence the danger of mirrors here.

5. At home, mirrors in the foyer visually expand the internal bright hall making space for good fortune chi to settle, creating a feeling of space as soon as you enter the home. This attracts good strong energy into the home. Take care however that any mirror placed in the foyer does not directly reflect the main door. This means that you should not have a mirror facing the door. Any mirror placed in the foyer should be on one of the side walls. It does not need to be a floor to ceiling mirror.

6. Expand a narrow cramped space with a mirror. This is a feng shui solution to any space being excessively narrow or cramped. The visual effect of expanded space can be very beneficial. Try improving the energy of tight corners and narrow passageways this way.

7. Dining area mirrors enhance yang chi. A wall mirror here is especially beneficial when the family dines in frequently. Also each time you entertain at home, your mirror will be doubling the yang energy of the home. The effect is very subtle but also extremely beneficial.

8. Mirrors should never reflect bills, open fires or old newspapers. These are just a few examples of items that must never get “doubled”. Thus it is a good idea to keep mirrors out of your home office where all manner of invoices get placed on desks before they get paid. This doubling of bills creates the energy of high expenses. Similarly, mirrors are best kept out of the kitchen where reflecting the fire that cooks the food is NOT a good thing. And definitely, reflecting old piles of newspapers suggests a family constantly living in the past.

9. Never allow cracked mirrors in your home. This is one of the deadliest of interior décor ideas. Even mirror tiles are a bad idea, as this creates distorted reflections of residents inside the home. When you use mirrors, make very sure they are single piece mirrors.

10. Deep into the shop, mirrors create depth of energy. Here mirrors can reflect racks of products to double products being displayed. All retail shops benefit from the Mirror effect mounted deep inside the shop – from restaurants to supermarkets to specialized boutiques. If you visit some of the more successful establishments of Hong Kong, you will see that the retailers there are extremely creative in incorporating lucky mirrors into their décor.

11. Mirrors on ceilings can visually raise a low ceiling that makes you feel hemmed in. This is an effective cure when not used in the bedroom or over too large an area. But my advice is to go easy on the mirror reflecting you from above. In small doses they can work well, but when covered over too large a space, they can become a feng shui problem.

12. Mirrors in the dining area have the effect of doubling the food being served. This symbolically suggests a doubling of wealth for the family. But because of this, the mirror should not reflect garbage dumps or dirty drains from the outside. When the exterior view is inauspicious, it is better to create good interior feng shui by using curtains or blinds to shut out the outside world. If you live in an apartment, mirrors in the dining area can reflect in the wonderful blue skies, and this is auspicious.

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The bedroom is where you get your rest and the importance of this part of the home cannot be stressed enough. While the living room is the go-to room to activate the small tai chi of your Home Feng Shui, most of us co-habitate; i.e we are not the only ones living in the house we live in. So unless you’re the head of the household with a free hand to design and decorate as you wish, chances are you’re not in a position to simply move furniture around.

Placing cures and enhancers perhaps is more doable, but completely overhauling your layout each month when the stars change position, for instance, may not be so straight forward. Your personal bedroom however is your own space for you to do with as you please.

Learning to achieve near perfect feng shui in your bedroom is especially useful for college or boarding school students who may be living most of the year in a room away from home, where the feng shui of that room may affect them more than the feng shui of their “family home”, where they spend only the holiday part of their year.

Here then are 10 useful things to remember when planning the feng shui for your bedroom.

1. POSITION OF BED IS MOST IMPORTANT

The first thing to remember is that in your bedroom, the positioning of your bed is THE most important. If there is one thing you can improve, it would be this – to make sure you sleep with your head pointed to one of your four good directions. Check your auspicious directions with our Kua Calculator and have your head point to a direction that’s good for you.

If you’re working, best to tap your Sheng Chi direction. If you’re a student, tap your Fu Wei direction. If you’re a full-time homemaker, your Nien Yen is best for you. Those with health issues should have their head point to their Tien Yi direction.

If you’re a student and having to pick smallish rooms where you have limited freedom to move the furniture within about, the first thing to do when picking your dorm room is to try to go for one where the bed position satisfies the good direction rule according to your personalized Kua.

2. COLOUR SCHEMES MATTER

Your bedroom colour scheme is the other important factor to take into consideration. The safest colour for the bedroom is white, or some other neutral colour like cream or beige which is soothing on your eyes. Remember that the bedroom is firstly your place where you recharge, so avoid large blocks of bright primary colours. If you want edgy, use your soft bedding like pillows, cushions or beanbags to give yourself a splash of colour. Don’t do it with the colours of your walls or other big surfaces such as wall-to-wall carpets or curtains.

3. HAVE A SOLID WALL BEHIND YOUR HEADBOARD

Don’t let your bed float in the middle of the room just to tap into a good direction positioning. Beds should also always have proper headboards, and these should be aligned with a solid wall. If you want to position your bed where there are windows instead of a solid wall behind the headboard of the bed, best if you can cover up the window with heavy enough drapes while you are sleeping, so you cannot “see” the window. Otherwise you will lack stability and support in your life.

4. WATER FEATURES IN BEDROOM CAN CAUSE “LOSS” ENERGIES

Avoid water features of any kind in the bedroom. This includes art featuring water like scenes of ponds, pools, the sea or waterfalls. No matter how restful such paintings may look to you, water of any kind in the bedroom can lead to money loss energies. And definitely avoid tabletop fountains, waterfalls and the like in the bedroom.

5. AVOID “DEATH POSITION”

Never ever have the foot of your bed directly facing the door. Better if your bed is placed diagonal to the door into your bedroom. Do not have your feet aligned with the door into your bedroom as this is the “Death position” and is extremely dangerous from a Feng Shui viewpoint.

6. STAY AWARE OF MONTHLY INFLUENCES

Check which sector your bedroom is located in, in relation to the whole house. Then stay aware firstly of the yearly flying star that occupies that sector, and also by monthly stars that fly in each month. When the month flying stars change position, the new stars of the month that have the greatest impact on you after your own animal sign sector will be the sector in which you reside. Whenever your bedroom gets afflicted by the negative stars of #5, #7 or #2, it is a warning to be careful. Such months, minimize the risks you take, and if possible, install the relevant feng shui cures to counter any ill effects of such stars.

7. ELIMINATE POISON ARROWS

Poison arrows are the other thing you always need to watch out for, everywhere in the home but especially in your bedroom, as this is where you are most vulnerable, since this is your place of sleep. Make sure there are no poison arrows aimed where you are positioned when you’re in bed.

This includes overhead beams, protruding corners or edges from structural beams, sharp corners of cabinets etc. If there are such poison arrows pointed at your bed, look how you can camouflage them or better still, move your bed out of the line of fire.

8. NO MIRRORS IN BEDROOM

Avoid exposed mirrors in your bedroom. Keep these within cabinets where you can hide the mirror when you sleep by shutting the door. Exposed mirrors can cause sleeplessness and will definitely hamper a restful night’s sleep.

9. KEEP TVs IN THE TV ROOM

Keep TVs and computers out of your bedroom. If you’re a student and your bedroom doubles up as your study, try to keep your sleep and study areas distinct if possible. If not, then in such cases, a laptop you can close during sleep hours is preferable to a desktop monitor which you cannot cover up during sleep time.

10. REMEMBER TO DECLUTTER REGULARLY

Lastly, and this point is important, remember to declutter from time to time! Really, clutter builds up so quickly and if you don’t make it a habit to schedule in periodic spring cleans, before long, such a lot of junk will have accumulated and this is definitely not good feng shui. If you find yourself scatter-brained, forgetful, stressed out or disorganized, a good way to snap out of that mindset is to clear and clean out your bedroom.

Clear out your closet of tee shirts that have gone grubby with too many washes, give away clothes that no longer fit you, clear out your desk of old receipts, clothes labels and outdated correspondence, dispose of old makeup and creams that are probably expired.

The mere act of spring cleaning is therapeutic and symbolically representative of making new space in your life for new things and new opportunities to enter.

The post 10 Tips to Feng Shui Your Bedroom appeared first on WOFS.com.

Make it a habit to regularly dejunk your computer. It is better for the running of your computer and keeps it in good condition. You will find it really easy to trash ninety percent of your electronic mail because so much of it is junk anyway. But do make certain that old emails are really thrown away and not simply lying in your trash folder. This can be likened to the basement or attic of your home until you get around to clearing out all the unwanted debris.

RULES:
Once a month, spend an hour or so determinedly deleting all of your unwanted pictures, files, memos and emails. You will find that doing this is not only good for your computer, it feels good for you too, as you are symbolically deleting unwanted information and freeing up your brain space. Don’t forget that doing this extends the principles of clearing clutter to the tools of the 21st century.

Keep Your Work Desk Clear of Junk

RULES:

1. If yours is a working style that requires piles of files and papers on your desk, then at least make sure that the mountains of files and paper is not placed directly in front of you, blocking your view. This will only cause your view of work itself to become blocked.
2. Do not place piles directly behind you either, as this means you will always feel weighed down with work. Instead, keep files and papers to your left in order to simulate Dragon chi.
3. Desk drawers have a way of becoming clogged with a variety of things that cross a working person’s daily life at the office. Do not let these things choke up your career. A congested desk will create “traffic jams” in your working life. Instead, keep the chi moving, especially the chi on your desk. Let nothing stagnate.
4. If you have fresh flowers in your room, for instance, change the water daily and throw out wilting flowers, as there can be nothing more damaging to your working life than dying blooms.
5. Always keep any decorative items on your desk to a minimum. Framed photographs, crystals, pen holders, executive games, feng shui enhancers and so forth, should all be kept to a sensible number. If these things threaten to overwhelm the tabletop, there is no space left for new opportunities to come in.

Keep purses and handbags clear of clutter to attract good fortune and money luck

A woman’s handbag is the ultimate store of junk such as receipts, credit card slips, odd pieces of paper, lipstick, business cards, pens, notebooks and heaps of personal effects. Within one week, a handbag can bulge with a truly amazing collection of assorted clutter.

RULES:

1. 

   Empty your personal handbag once a week to get rid of unwanted rubbish.

2. Place the items nicely in an organized manner to allow the energy to flow in.
3. Always place amulet protection inside your bag.
4. Clean out your bag regularly. A clean purse is very auspicious.
5. Get rid of soiled money and don’t let the amount of coins you carry become too heavy.
6. Separate the receipts, credit card slips and odd pieces of paper in another wallet. It is worth carrying a separate pouch in your handbag for this.
7. In general, it is best to use a red colour which keeps it constantly energized with yang chi. However, do take note on the yearly energies as some years may require different colours.
8. Place three coins tied with red string inside your wallet to attract money luck. And never let your purse become tainted with soiled money.
9. If possible, keep a dollar bill from a rich person’s pocket in your own wallet at all times, to create wealth energy for you.
10. Change your wallet when it is spoiled or tarnished. It is bad feng shui to use a wallet that obviously looks over-worn and old.

The post How to Dejunk Unwanted Files from your Computer and Work Desk appeared first on WOFS.com.

Ching Ming Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival observed each year on the 105^th day after the Winter Solstice. This tradition of visiting and cleaning the tombs of ancestors is observed as a way to honour them and pay respects. It teaches the younger generation the importance of filial piety, and the rituals performed are also believed to bless the surviving family with good luck, abundance and prosperity.

In 2024, Ching Ming Festival falls on April 4th.

What used to be an elaborate ceremony which dates back more than 2,500 years has today evolved into a more modest version which can be performed on any day ten days before and up to ten days after the actual date. But certain rules still apply when choosing the best day to visit the graves.To do so, we consult the Chinese Almanac – a good source for picking dates is Lillian Too’s Feng Shui Diary 2024.

CHOOSING A SUITABLE DATE

RULE 1: The day’s Heavenly Stem element must not be destructive to the year’s Heavenly Stem element. This is known as the Por Yat (破日) or Broken Day, deemed unlucky for both the living and the deceased. In 2024, the element of the year is Yang Wood. Thus days with Yang Metal as Heavenly Stem are unsuitable. These days are March 27th, and April 6th.

RULE 2:The Earthly Branch animal of the day MUST NOT CLASH with the animal sign of the deceased. This means that if the deceased was born in the year of the Ox, you must not perform the ceremony on the day of the Sheep.

PREPARING FOR CHING MING

Once you have decided on the best day to honor your ancestors, you need to prepare these items for the rituals.

• Chinese tea
• Chinese rice wine
• 1 to 3 cups of cooked rice
• 3 kinds of meat – steamed chicken, roast pork and fried fish. This symbolizes the Sam Sang (三牲); the heaven, earth and the sea.
• 1 Red Tortoise cake or Ang Ku Kueh – made from rice flour and sweetened bean paste to symbolise longevity for family members.
• Some Fatt Ko – a steamed rice cake to symbolise increased wealth for the family.
• Some Fook Bao – a steamed rice cake filled with red bean paste to symbolise reunion of the family members.
• 3 plain hard boiled eggs.
• You can also include the favourite dish of the deceased.
• Various kinds of fruits.
• Grave paper and joss paper.
• Paper offerings such as hell bank notes, gold and silver ingots, treasure chest, paper maids, a house, a car or modern technology such as tablets, mobile phones, laptop or even a DSLR camera – anything that the deceased would have used when alive, or that family members would like to share with the deceased.
• 6 Pairs of bamboo stick candles, or traditional Chinese red candles with candle holders. (you can also use butter candles or oil lamps.)
• 1 set of 3 big incense sticks with a pack of normal stick incense. Sandalwood is best but other kinds of prayer incense sticks can also be used.
• Joss pot filled with white river sand for placing the incense sticks.

Remember to bring additional fruit, incense sticks and candles to pay respects to the spiritual gatekeeper at the entrance to the grave and the guardians of the grave. In the event the deceased was vegetarian, you can replace meats, rice wine and eggs with vegetarian dishes.

RITUALS AND METHODS

In modern times, the majority of graves are located in an organized cemetery, so the following method is applicable.

• Upon arrival at the cemetery grounds, you first need to pay respects to the gatekeeper or land guardian, also known as Dai Pak Gong (大伯公). Some cemeteries will have Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (大願地藏菩薩). The offerings here are usually 5 pieces of fruits, a pair of candles and 3 incense sticks per person.
• When you reach your ancestor’s grave, you should start by cleaning the grave and the area surrounding by removing all debris and weeds that clutter the site. You can also repaint the tombstone writing. This process is known as Ching Fan (清墳).
• Next, lay the grave paper; rectangular gold or silver colored joss paper representing money on the grave. Also place a stack of joss paper onto the top of the tombstone, as this symbolizes the changing of new roof tiles for the grave or Gua Chi (掛紙).
• Then it is time to pay respects to the grave guardians. Offerings given are tea, rice wine, fruits, incense and candles, together with paper offerings.
• Once the grave guardians have been appeased, arrange the offerings to your ancestor as follows, starting from the tombstone outwards.

• Now, light up a pair of bamboo candles or Chinese red candles and place on both sides of the Joss pot.
• The eldest family member will then light up the 3 big incense sticks and bow three times in front of the grave, as a sign of respect to the ancestor. Once completed, place the incense sticks on the joss pot.
• This is then followed by sequence of age by the rest of the family members, each offering 3 sticks and making 3 bows.
• When all family members have paid their respects, the paper offerings are burnt for the ancestor.
• All food offerings are then shared with family members to represent blessings from their ancestor.

If the ancestor was cremated, the procedure is the same except for the laying of joss paper on the tombstone and paying respects to the guardians of the grave.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. For new graves less than a year old, the Ching Ming Ritual can only be done 15 to 20 days before the actual Ching Ming day.
2. For those who died young or prematurely, you should only use white candles and incense with green sticks.
3. NOTE: Chinese candles with auspicious wordings; the motif of Dragon and Phoenix, and Dragon incense are NOT suitable for such rituals!!!
4. Parents should never perform Ching Ming rituals for their child’s grave, as it is improper for elders to pay respects to a junior.
5. Never offer watermelon. As melons in Cantonese is Gua, which is phonetically similar to the word “death”. This goes for all melons except for pumpkin, as it symbolizes gold.
6. Menstruating women should avoid Ching Ming as it is considered disrespectful and “unclean”. If a lady menstruates while attending the ritual, they may leave and wait in the car to avoid disrespecting the ancestor. Spiritually, a menstruating lady’s yang energy is the weakest and may attract wandering spirits with evil intentions.
7. Pregnant ladies should also avoid visiting graves to avoid any contact with wandering spirits.
8. Lighting firecrackers can be done during the burning of paper offerings. This will drive away wandering spirits looking to snatch away the offerings. But never light the crackers on top of the grave. Always light it on the side and make sure to avoid the neighbour’s grave site.
9. Do offer incense to the neighbouring graves as a peace offering.
10. Be careful of what you say. Do not use vulgarities or make negative comments such as “what a waste to die so young, so handsome, beautiful and so on.” Such actions may attract unwanted attention from the surrounding spirits.
11. Be aware of where you step as older graveyards are not as organized as modern ones. Graves can be very near to one another, so you must ensure that you do not step over or sit on someone else’s grave. Do say “excuse me” if you do need to walk past another grave.

Ching Ming is the best time to perform karmic debtor pujas that gather merits on behalf of the ancestors so they can attain nirvana. As such, many temples and monasteries conduct liberation pujas during this season. Other merit-gathering activities include offering alms and new robes to monks, and doing charity in your ancestor’s name.

The post Observing the Ching Ming Tradition, The Chinese “All-Souls Day” appeared first on WOFS.com.

Every new year has new lucky and unlucky days. This results from how the elements, attributes and trigrams of the days interact. Experts calculate the effect of these influences to come up with lucky days for undertaking specific events; there are lucky days to marry, to start a new job, to travel, to launch a new project… indeed there are lucky days for almost every kind of activity.

But the calculation of lucky days can be complicated, because to all the attributes listed, there must also be added the influence of the MOON in its passage through the 28 constellations; the planetary cycles, which means the movements of the seven vital planets affecting our destinies. These planets influence the destiny of the seven days of the week, and hence the lunar calendar usually exerts great influence on the luck of days.

Some calendar experts take into account other influences as well. Tibetans for instance examine the calculation of the Kalachakra effects and the Buddha days on the cycles of time, while the Chinese examine the annual chi energies of the 28 Lunar Mansions. The Indians meanwhile also input the impact of their Holy Days.

To determine whether or not any given day is auspicious or inauspicious, we need to calculate how all the elements combine. It is easy to make big mistakes when there are so many variables to consider; it is not advisable then to try and do these calculations on an ad hoc basis. It is easier and more accurate to depend on the calculations undertaken by the experts, who then collate and compile them into an easy-to-use ALMANAC.

THE LUNAR CALENDAR

The Asian traditions place greater emphasis on the impact of the moon, and in fact, we believe that our daily lives are very much linked to the phases of the moon’s waxing and waning cycles. It is already acknowledged that lunar cycles affect the levels of the sea, the growth rate of plants, the weather, the women’s monthly cycles, and also the human beings’ psychic characteristics. We believe that during the time of the full moon, our psychic powers are at their peak. Thus on full moon days, every action is fuelled by stronger and more extreme passionate energy. This is when prayers take on greater power, when actions exert a heavier impact, when accidents and violence tend to occur suddenly and more frequently. Full moon days are always regarded as special days by those who believe in the power of the moon’s radiance to add strength to one’s psychic skills. Feng shui done on full moon days is believed to have great effect, especially when it has to do with the placement of auspicious new objects in the home.

The power of the lunar influence is something Buddhists take seriously so that full moon days are also prayer days and meditation days; these are days when performing shamanic and tantric rituals brings a higher rate of success. The intensity of energy during full moon days can also be harnessed to perform yogic feats such as flying, jumping to enormous heights and walking great distances at superhuman speeds; feats that many lay people might well regard as superhuman or magical. Full moon days are excellent for practising a full round of the Tibetan yogic rites of rejuvenation, a series of five exercises believed to enhance the spinning of the seven chakras of the human body – supposedly a powerful way to reverse the aging process.

The MOON however is regarded as the planet of impermanence, of change and fluidity. It is viewed as moving rather quickly across the great skies and so it is often thought of being a transitory phenomenon. The light of the moon is considered a reflection, much like the mirror of the Earth. The moon is often associated with the occurrence of psychic phenomena, changing emotions, unattainable dreams and illusory imaginings. These associations make the Moon a popular symbol of contemplation and meditation. When you gaze at the moon, any agitation you may be experiencing will leave you. You will become calm. Your mind will get pacified…

When the year nears its calendar end and the energies of the New Year starts to unfold and become strong, that is a good time to gaze at the moon. In the last three full moons of the waning lunar year, it is regarded as incredibly auspicious to use a brass mirror to capture the image of the moon in all its shining glory. The mirror should then be kept close to your body to enhance your fortunes through the following year. Moon energy brings beauty, calm and inner strength that adds to your life force and inner essence.

The SUN on the other hand is associated with the creative worldly self, with expansion, personal will and ambition. The sun personifies the characteristic of domination. The SUN empowers and strengthens, but it is power of a worldly kind. It activates the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water; unlike the moon, its cycle is daily, but the sun alternates day with the Moon’s night. How strong the power of the sun is does not change with the days unlike the moon. The sun is always strong, always bright, always yang!

When you are in need of greater willpower to fuel your actions and projects, you can capture the sun’s energy. This is done not by holding a mirror to the sun but by displaying the three suns aided by the three-legged bird. Having the three suns in the home invites in the energies of the sun, which complements the energies of the full moon!

The solar calendar is more dominant in western astrology, but the Chinese also have their own solar calendar, sometimes called the Hsia calendar. This is one of feng shui’s more prominent formulas that deals with the time dimension uses the solar calendar to chart the quality of days with respect to the strength for different kinds of activities.

The feng shui practitioner and astrologer must thus be mindful of which calendar is being used when it comes to selecting lucky and unlucky days. Both calendars have their characteristics and attributes. The skill of the practitioner lies in selecting the calendar that is appropriate for the activity being performed. It also depends on the formula and method being applied to improve things.

The post Everything Hinges on the Calendar appeared first on WOFS.com.

Chinese New Year marks the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar. It is also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, and celebrations last for 15 days. The first DAY OF CHINESE NEW YEAR in 2024 falls on February 10^th and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon. This is the longest and most important of all Chinese festivals.

Auspicious activities to carry out during this time of the year are:

• Making offerings to household deities.
• Wearing new clothes, particularly in red.
• Hosting a large banquet for family and friends.
• Taking part in lion and dragon dances, as well as festive parades featuring beating gongs and clashing cymbals.

Many children receive “lucky money” in red envelopes and household doors are open to let good luck enter on Chinese New Year Day. It is believed that whatever happens during Chinese New Year, and whatever mood you set, will have an impact on how things go for you for the rest of the year. It is thus important to be happy and cheerful during these 15 days, to hold your temper and not get angry unnecessarily. Surround yourself with people who put you in a good mood.

It is also important to choose good dates for certain activities. For good business luck for the coming year, it is vital to pick a good day to “re-open” the office after the Chinese New Year break. When you re-open your office or business premises, it is good to make some noise with a lion dance. If you can, it is also auspicious to have the lions roll in buckets full of mandarin oranges, Chinese coins and ingots into your office – as this symbolizes the rolling in of gold, wealth and prosperity, and bodes well for your luck in the coming year.

PICK THE RIGHT DAY TO RE-START WORK

Here’s a list of the best days to re-start work. If you cannot re-start on one of these dates, then pick an average day. Try to avoid returning to work on a day that conflicts your animal sign.

BEST DAY TO START WORK

AVERAGE DAYS TO START WORK

If you have travel plans during the 15 days of Chinese New Year, whether for holiday or for work, be sure to pick a good date. Again, this will have a bearing on your luck for the rest of the year. However, avoid travelling during days that “conflict” with your animal sign.

LUCKY DAYS FOR TRAVEL

The post Good Days to Re-start Work & to Travel During the Year of the Wood Dragon appeared first on WOFS.com.