About money plants

[suda]

Dear Cecil,
There has been a series of articles in our local paper on feng shui. This writer maintains that feng shui works symbolically. He uses the bagua. He says that keeping money plants or any kind of plants that require support is not advisable anywhere in the house, and especially in the elders/superiors corner. What say you?
Also, how powerful is symbolism in feng shui?
Is that how one balances the five elements?
I am an advertising copywriter. But my career seems to be going nowhere. I feel stuck and many times at a loss for ideas. Even my idea projection is very wishy washy.
I do a lot of positive thinking and stuff, but would like to know if feng shui can help.
Curious to know - my house door opens into the career area. The main wooden door opens into the house fully, but outside it we have an iron security door, which is in two panels - so 3/4th opens out and 1/4th of it stays put. Any problems with this? I also have money plants in this area! (I must admit, those articles on feng shui are very tempting to try out)
Thanx a lot.

[Cecil Lee]

Dear Anon,
Let me first touch on `corner' "Feng Shui" such as `elder's / superior's corner.
In my opinion, I can understand why such concepts appeal to many people (both "practitioners" and those who feel inclined to follow the `corner' concept.
It is like the equivalent of Traditional Feng Shui i.e. Eight House Compass School where these concepts are easy to understand.
What draws a person to Traditional Feng Shui are usually, initial theories such as the Eight House Theory.
On the same parallel, what draws one to "psudeo" Feng Shui such as fixed templates or corners is also the simplicity of understanding it. But, in my opinion, `fixed' templates are too general to be of use in Feng Shui.
I have mentioned in quite alot of messages that how can it be that e.g. South West is the corner for Romance for every single living soul on earth.
If there are a billion people on this earth, is it possible that SW remains the Romance corner for all of us? So, if 100 of us decide to enhance the romance corner and if all of us are chasing after only 1 girl; then who will eventually marry this girl?
Thus, in my opinion, it is not possible to follow such concepts. Eight aspirations or life associations where each sector has a meaning does not mean that e.g. North = Career sector for all of us.
Worse, if we use the Black Hat Sect `fixed template' format. We should not pay homage to a corner.
I have elaborated that even under the Shapes and Form School of Feng Shui, there is still differentiation.
For example, every main door may have a different `influence'. I may be lucky as there is no lamp post in the middle of my home.
My neighbour may have a pointed corner of a neighbour's home (poison arrow) aimed at his main door. Here, the `Shapes and Form' can be different for each home.
Imagine, it would be silly if the house we live in has no poison arrow but because, we want to standarise, place a `Ba gua' mirror on every main door even if there is no poison arrow.
Please see below:-

Quote

On 7/26/00 6:38:00 AM, Anonymous wrote:
Dear Cecil,
There has been a series of
articles in our local paper on
feng shui. This writer
maintains that feng shui works
symbolically. He uses the
bagua. He says that keeping
money plants or any kind of
plants that require support is
not advisable anywhere in the
house, and especially in the
elders/superiors corner. What
say you?

I do agree that some elements of Feng Shui is based on symbolism. But it should be seen in the context of applying Feng Shui in a holistic way. Using the various theories and `scoring' as many marks in all categories.
Usually, in my opinion, one should either: if they have good intuition or more inclined to Shapes and Form Feng Shui, may try to use intutition or sixth sense.
But for those who are `weaker' or may not be able to sense the environment, should consider applying the Flying Star Feng Shui.
Here, you look at each sector. If there is an imbalance caused, one has to neutralise the sector.
For example, if there is a bad wood or #3, one should not enhance a sector with wood element. Here, depending on the sector which is out of balance, a cure should be used.
Under the Flying Star, for example:-
8 3
4 Here, there is bad wood and the cure should be to use Fire element to neutralise wood.
For another combination:
1 5
2 Here, instead wood would be needed to neutralise Earth.
In another situation:
9 4
3 Here we should use Metal element to control wood.
The above are examples of how, Traditional Feng Shui based on the 5 elements concept in relation to Flying Star is used.
Not any other simple ideas where we call a sector our " Elder's / Superior " corner and then think of ideas on how not to `enhance' it such as avoiding the use of money plant.
Unfortunately, fixed template can be looked at as `non-Feng Shui'. Or, if we want to give it some credence, may just call this Kindergarten Feng Shui.
Therefore, in this forum, we do not discuss on Career sectors and happily talk about simplistic ideas which is too general that if we can sell the idea to a billion people.
Statistically, if we do apply a career sector to a billion population, how can it be that, everyone by enhancing their `career' sector be doing well? There are always unfortunate souls who get retrenched or worse, get into a fatal accident even in work.
Warmest Regards,
Cecil

Quote

Also, how powerful is
symbolism in feng shui?
Is that how one balances the
five elements?
I am an advertising
copywriter. But my career
seems to be going nowhere. I
feel stuck and many times at a
loss for ideas. Even my idea
projection is very wishy
washy.
I do a lot of positive
thinking and stuff, but would
like to know if feng shui can
help.
Curious to know - my house
door opens into the career
area. The main wooden door
opens into the house fully,
but outside it we have an iron
security door, which is in two
panels - so 3/4th opens out
and 1/4th of it stays put. Any
problems with this? I also
have money plants in this
area! (I must admit, those
articles on feng shui are very
tempting to try out)
Thanx a lot.

[Cecil Lee]

Further to what I had mentioned earlier, traditional Feng Shui should be:
1. Based on the Five Elements.
2. If it is not based on the Five Elements, at least, it can be related to Yin and Yang concept. (The only exception is the Eight House Theory where it is still based on the Compass School of Feng Shui)
3. Under Symbolism, it is looked at in relation to "holistic" Feng Shui. It cannot be cited all the time.
If it is `cited' all the time or used as an `excuse' all the time without at least in some instances related to Para 1 (5 elements) or Para 2 (Yin and Yang) most likely in my opinion, the person is simply practising `Kindergarten Feng Shui'.
Usually, if one looks carefully, or deep enough, many who practise `Kindergarten Feng Shui' may use it as a ploy for marketing of products such as wind chimes or other items.
Warmest Regards,
Cecil