Feng Shui has become a very popular subject. Unfortunately, many people are confused, as there are a lot of terms that are associated with Feng Shui. The confusion usually starts because there are four different schools. The two major ones are called the Compass School and the Black Hat School. The difference between the two schools is that they use two different approaches to locate your individual sectors. Those sectors are: knowledge, career, mentors, family, health, children/creativity, wealth, fame/fortune, and personal relationships.

However, there are many basic guidelines that everyone can follow, without confusion or spending a whole lot of money. These concepts can be applied whether you live in a small apartment or a large house; and you don’t necessarily need to be educated about the different schools.

The most important concept is that Feng Shui will not work in a cluttered, dirty home. There is no way around it, in order to reap the benefits of Feng Shui, the home has to be cleaned and organized. There are two reasons for this: First, Feng Shui is based on the concept of the flow of energy, and energy cannot flow if it is obstructed. Second, too many possessions that were acquired in the past have their own energy already attached to them, and they speak of a closed mind. We need to be unafraid of not having enough in order to attract abundance. A cluttered home achieves the opposite. This is not to say that we can’t have an assortment of nice belongings and furnishings that make our home attractive. It really is the thought that counts.

If you live in a smaller space, try to organize what you must keep in containers and bins. Do not hesitate to get rid of items to get a handle on clutter. Giving possessions to your friends or charity will benefit you, as it will bring abundance into your life. If you feel tempted to buy something new, ask yourself where you will put it before bringing it home. It is even better to actually get rid off one item, before you bring a new one into your house.

Each room of your home has its own symbolism too. The kitchen and bathroom are very important. Unfortunately, these also seem to be the most neglected and unclean places in our homes. Society and the responsibilities we carry don’t seem to give us much time to devote to cleaning and cooking. However, for Feng Shui to help us get into better situations, we should try to get those rooms in order.

The kitchen of course is symbolic of our nourishment. Food older than six months should be thrown out. This may seem like a hard concept to follow, since many of us were told in childhood to not waste food since there were people starving in the world. But think of it, the likelihood that you will use food once it’s that old is really very slim. So in essence you still would be wasting it. Keeping it around would not be beneficial at all. If you have a small kitchen that is overflowing, get rid of gadgets and pots and pans that you don’t use. Keep only the items that coordinate and that make you look prosperous. Get rid of broken and chipped items. Your stove symbolizes wealth, keep it clean and rotate using all four burners to attract abundance.

Bathrooms symbolize wealth and the cleaner they are, the better. Discard anything that is older than one year (deodorants, creams, make-up etc). Unfortunately a lot of apartment buildings design bathrooms to be very small, which does not leave a lot of space for organizing. In that case, use the walls to the fullest advantage. Install shelves and organizers. Place hooks on the back of the door. Keep bathroom doors closed at all times and the plumbing in good working order. Leaks will drain your money away. Never bring food or kitchen items into the bathroom, as this room is mainly for eliminating waste.

Both schools of Feng Shui emphasize to balance the five elements in our living environments. Those elements are: metal, fire, wood, water, and earth. Some of the elements like wood are self-explanatory. But how do we bring elements like earth and fire into our home? Every element is not only represented by the actual material, but can also be included by using fabrics, colors, and shapes. Earth can be represented by ceramics, yellow earth tones, and square shapes preferably in checked patterns. Fire is not only visible in candles and electronics, but can also be included by using silk fabrics, geometric or triangular shapes, as well as animal design and patterns. Pictures of trees and flowers symbolize wood, not earth. Pictures of deserts and landscapes however symbolize earth. Irregular and wavy shapes depict water, so do paisley and tie-dye patterns. Glass and mirrors work real well to portray water also. The colors blue and black symbolize water as well.

Feel free to delve more into the complex world of Feng Shui; there is a lot of literature available on this subject. However, everyone can apply these basics, no matter where they live.