1. Remove or recycle anything that is old, damaged or has not been used for at least 5 years. Many of us are like pack rats, holding on to old clothes, knickknacks and other ’stuff’ thinking maybe ‘we will find a use for it one day. Clutter of any kind is bad Feng Shui. Clutter creates stagnation, attracts ghosts and traps negative Qi. Negative Qi being defined as any energies not wanted in a specific area. Qi, itself is quite neutral and adapts itself to any situation.

Have a garage sale, donate to the Salvation Army, or just throw out all the old stuff you have been collecting and hoarding.

2. Remove clutter wherever it occurs; especially in entrances, hallways, closets, and shelves. It is important for the Qi to be able to flow easily like a meandering mountain stream.

3. Cleanse with a smudge stick of Sandalwood, Sage, or Sweet grass, at least once a month to remove negative energy.

4. The most advantageous direction for the entrance to a home is from the South.

5. The luckiest number is 8. It is good to have 8 in your street address or telephone number. Three and Nine are magical Yang numbers. Six is a magical Yin number. Four is the unluckiest number.

6. It is good for a home to be higher than the surrounding ground. It is considered a good omen if your driveway slopes away from the house. If your driveway slopes toward the house, you may have bad luck and a flooded basement.

7. All entrances and pathways leading up to a home should be in good repair. It is a general Feng Shui principal to keep things in good repair.

8. Meet the neighbours. Friendly neighbours create good Qi.

9. Main doors should be clearly visible from the street. Large trees or shrubs blocking the view of main entrances will block the inflow of health and good fortune.

10. If people around you often fall sick, try giving them a wind chime key chain. The wind chime breaks up negative energies around them.

11. In your home, the places where children dislike to go are usually places with bad Feng Shui. Clean or hang a wind chime.

12. It is best to fix anything that is broken or throw it out. Clean out storage areas regularly. Organize and clean up work areas.

13. Two rounded lights or large porcelain planters at the entrance to your home will give it a solid welcoming feeling.

14. If people around you love to gossip and complain,they are creating bad Feng Shui for you. Avoid them or change the subject. If you are the gossip. Stop.

15. If you are learning Feng Shui or are just becoming aware of it, don’t become too superstitious. This is bad Feng Shui for the mind. Learn to look at things logically and with common sense.

16. Refrigerators and stoves should never face each other in the Kitchen. This causes friction between Fire and Water and creates disharmony in the home. Likewise dishwashers and washbasins should not be placed opposite the stove. The cure is to move them or place a wind chime between them to dissipate negative energy.

17. Always smile deeply and from the heart. This is the secret to success.

18. If you wish to buy a new clock, buy one that has a pendulum below it to allow Qi to circulate and one that chimes every hour creating beautiful music.

19. Tapes and cassettes of music are preferable to a radio station for background music in your home.

20. Bunk beds are not healthy for the one sleeping below. Qi is not able to flow freely here. But if you must, due to space restrictions, use bunk beds in children’s rooms, monitor their health closely and try hanging wind chimes to help the Qi circulate.

21. It is best to clean children’s rooms frequently and open the window for at least 20 minutes every day, even in Winter.

22. Rectangular desks are better for making money. Round desks are better for creative work.

23. Black or brightly coloured desks make work more difficult.

24. Do not place sofas or chairs under a beam, especially one that is showing. A beam above causes the Qi to compress creating a feeling of oppression for anyone sitting under it.

25. Marble dining tables are too heavy and may cause work or family pressures. Oak is better. The same is true for heavy glass dining or coffee tables.

26. Cactus plants should not be placed in offices as their thorny leaves give rise to quarrels if placed on tables where people gather. Cactus plants, strategically placed, on the other hand, may have the effect of getting rid of unwanted people.

27. Always sleep with the head of the bed against a flat wall to give support and comfort.

28. Generally speaking square and rectangular is better Feng Shui than round or oval for rooms and homes.

29. Sleep with one side of your bed against a wall only if you do not want anyone else in there with you. If you do want someone else in bed with you, then make sure it can be gotten into from both sides. This allows the Qi to circulate more freely.

30. For couples wanting children, try shifting the bed to another part of the room and hang wind chimes to break up negative energy if having difficulty.

31. There should not be a staircase near the main entrance of a home or business. When Qi enters it will have a tendency to scoot upstairs rather than circulate around the main floor. Qi will then stagnate on the main floor. The cure is to place a large plant or coat rack by the stair case to redirect the Qi.

32. When entering a home you should not be able to see the back door. In this case, Qi will have a tendency to rush right through the house and out the back door taking luck, prosperity and health with it. Put a partition or a large plant to block the view and encourage Qi to circulate like a stream rather than rush like the wind.

33. Always sleep in a bed that has plenty of space beneath it to allow free flow of Qi. It is not good Feng Shui to sleep on a mattress on the floor, or to store things under a bed.

34. Do not buy a red sofa unless advised to by a Feng Shui expert. Red is a colour of activation and excitement and should be used sparingly.

35. If you wish to buy a new house without consulting a Feng Shui practitioner, bring a new born baby into the house. If the baby cries, it means the house does not have good Feng Shui. If the baby smiles it means the house has good Feng Shui.

36. It is not good Feng Shui to hang a heavy object over your bed, especially where your head is. This compresses Qi and may affect sleep, cause bad dreams or fall on you in the middle of the night.