In The Flow
Using Water To Attract Abundance
By Elliot Jay Tanzer
 

Money, money, money, we can't live without that stuff. Everyone is preoccupied with it. But to get to use it, you have to first accumulate it. Over the millennia money and water have become intertwined. Owning property is one thing but owning the water rights has always been more important. Even rivers and sea ports have come to represent financial prosperity as they brought exchange of goods and expanded markets. Water has become strongly identified not just with survival (you can only live about a week without it) but with wealth and power.

Water has become a potent symbol in human consciousness. Metaphysically, we can say money is consciousness in circulation. Our language is rich in watery associations. There is the waters of life, the fountain of youth, the ocean of creation, the sea of tranquility and the best advice that is often given in a difficult situation ­ go with the flow. We even call money currency. No question about it, money, like water, comes and goes. Like water money flows, accumulates, and flows again.

A Feng Shui Challenge

The Chinese word for energy is ch'i. Money is a form of energy and so we can apply the same principles to analysing money and cash flow as we do in analysing ch'i and ch'i flow. The home is like a container. A container that holds energy in all forms. The first feng shui challenge is to evaluate the environment to determine where the home-container, like a money bucket, is leaking and to quickly patch those holes.

The next feng shui challenge is to attract more ch'i/money so that it accumulates quicker than it is spent. Like life-giving and life enhancing ch'i, we want money to flow our way. And when it does, we want to slow it down so we can let it accumulate where we are and dip in whenever we choose. Metaphorically, we want to attract money to our front doors, encourage it to come in, and then get it to stay awhile.

Patching Holes in Your Money Bucket -
Some Ch'i Flow Problems & Their Cures

Once we get the ch'i/money to flow to our front doors, we then want to open the front door and have objects or images that draw us and money in. So money doesn't quickly leave, it is best to avoid placing a mirror directly opposite the front door as the mirror will bounce ch'i/money right back out of the house.

Another way ch'i/money can quickly flow out is when there is a window or back door in direct view of the front door. With this arrangement the ch'i/money will flow quickly through the house and out the back window or door. To patch this hole in the bucket cover the window, hang a crystal sphere to diffuse the ch'i flow, use a runner carpet with a meandering design, and do whatever else you can to slow the ch'i flow down.

Bathrooms can also present a problem. As mentioned in the last issue, it is not a good arrangement to have a bathroom in the Wealth Area of the house so our money gets flushed away. Keep the bathroom door closed and hang a mirror on the door to deflect the ch'i/money away. Even leaky plumbing seems to parallel money leaking away. Fix leaky plumbing and you will immediately notice how much more money you have for spending on improving your life instead of having just enough for maintaining your daily existence.

Using Water To Attract Prosperity

Water, real or virtual, can also be used to stimulate the money flow into the home. Stacked in all the 5 and dimes are table top water fountains of all sizes, shapes and materials. A water fountain can be used to stimulate good ch'i (it actually does generate life enhancing negative ions). Placing a fountain on a table at the front door will attract prosperity to the home, or in the office to attract career opportunity, or a large free standing one in the front or back yard so your life will be improved in all manner of ways. For the most part this is true and often good results will be obtained. However, in some situations the proper placement like inserting an acupuncture needle into the right meridian is the key to the most positive results.

Let The Ch'i Flow To You

To often I come to a home as a feng shui consultant and the home owners proudly show me their fountain. The door opens and there is this fountain to greet me on a foyer table. The only problem is, the water is flowing toward the door. Symbolically, you can say the money is flowing out the door, down the street, and off to a neighbor's house ­ neighbors who are unaware of the source of their good fortune. If you do have a table top fountain, turn it so the water/money is flowing into the house, or toward the center of a room, or toward you wherever you sit.

But Don't Put Out Your Fire

But first you have to determine if you are of the Elemental-type that benefits from water. If you are of the Fire Element, too much water around you might be putting out your Fire ­ dampening your spirits while undermining your enthusiasm and ability to attract good opportunities.

I am not referring to your western astrology, (i.e. Sagittarius is a fire sign) but your Personal Trigram Element based on your year of birth and gender in accordance to the Chinese Five Element Theory. You can find your Personal Trigram Element in many traditional feng shui books under the heading Eight Mansions Feng Shui, or by sending me an E-mail (et@elliottanzer.com) and I'll look it up for you. Don't forget to inform me of your birth month, day, year, and gender. This formula can also be used to determine your Best and Least Favorable Directions to face when sitting at your desk or for your head to point while sleeping in your bed.

Some Special Guidelines for the Proper Placement of Water

1. No Water in the West During Period 7
Feng shui is not a static system but one that is a continuous process of refinement and readjustment. Currently, we are in a 20-year cycle called Period 7 (Feb. 4, 1984 to Feb. 5, 2004). Based on the energetics symbolized by the number/element 7/ Metal, water should not be placed in the West Sector of a home. A water feature in this sector of the home instead of stimulating cash flow may result in money problems.

2. No Water in the East This Year
There are also yearly changes to the energetics of a home. This year (Feb. 5, 2002 to Feb. 5, 2003) the East Sector of a home is considered unstable as the malevolent Yellow Star 5 is travelling through. The Yellow Star 5 is often associated with misfortunes, mishaps and all kinds of upsets. It is best if this area is not activated in any way.

A water feature with its circulating pump would be too energizing. In fact, if possible, remove any energizing appliances (tv, audio, etc), and if there is a door way in the East, try to avoid having to use it. Of course this may not be possible, in which case you can try to absorb the negative impact of the Yellow Star 5 by placing objects made of the Metal Element. The #5 is symbolic of an Earth Element and it is said that Metal drains the Earth from which it comes. This could include a metal wind chimes (six rods is best), a pendulum clock, or an uncovered bowl of salt water (12-16 oz.) with six metal coins inside.

3. Special Water Placement Formulas
There are a few other considerations that are used to determine the best place to put a water feature and which areas to avoid. In order to determine these powerful locations a Chinese Lou-pan is used. A Lou-pan is a special type of compass that is divided into twenty-four subsectors of 15º each. Each subsector has a yin and yang polarity. One of the most important guidelines for the proper placement of water is in regard to harmonizing these different subsectors according to their polarity. When done properly, a house considered unfavorable for money becomes more prosperous.

To make use of these advanced formulations I would suggest consulting with an experienced feng shui practitioner who has studied the Water Dragon Classics especially before installing outside water fountains, water falls, or even pathways to your door. Remember ch'i flows and you want favorable ch'i to flow to you.­ ch'i that strengthens you for vitality, enthusiasm and receptivity so you too can enjoy great good fortune.

Feng Shui Book Suggestion: Los Angeles based acupuncturist, feng shui practitioner and Four Pillar astrologer, David Twicken has just published a new book, Treasures of Tao. It is the best of the books currently available on traditional Flying Star Feng Shui. In this book the author describes how to determine your home's energetic type, what the elemental combinations are for each area of the home, and also provides some of the guidelines for the proper placement of water. David's book also includes instruction in Four Pillar Chinese astrology and some easy to do though very powerful Qi Gong exercises for self-healing. It can be ordered on-line at fengshuiwarehouse.com.