Feng Shui to the Rescue Newsletter
January 2019  
An e-magazine to help you rearrange your home, office, and business   
and transform your life with Feng Shui.
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From My Feng Shui Window

New Beginnings and Collaboration     
January is about new beginnings. I like to start the year by including positive, upbeat Feng Shui tips to help you move forward. So, it might seem surprising that the feature article this month is about moving on after a divorce or separation. As I mentioned in the last issue, this month I'm starting a new initiative with Divorce Coach Kelly Chisholm. In addition to offering tips in this newsletter, I'm launching a new consulting service focused on the bedroom. This will not only support Kelly's "From Splitsville to Sanity" program, but also help refresh your bedroom and bring new energy into the relationship you already have. Check it out in the "Offsite Consulting" service at www.FengShuiForRealLife.com.  
 
The second collaboration I'm excited to announce is the Feng Shui Gallery, launched by my colleague Martha Brettschneider on her website DamselwingsPhotography.com. I helped Martha
Martha Brettschneider, Scilla
 
curate a collection of 16 of her extraordinarily beautiful nature photographs that work to make Feng Shui changes in your home or workplace. For each photo, we've included a description of its Feng Shui power and the best bagua location. Check out the gallery, and pick your favorites.  
 
In addit ion, I've specially selected a few of the photographs to support the new bedroom consulting service, and you can also order those from the art gallery in the Feng Shui Store  on my website. Martha and I have also put together a "Feng Shui Power Pack" coaster set that will be available soon. I love it when collaborations come together like this!  
 
If you're a long-time subscriber, you know that I start the year with the predictions from Asian Feng Shui Masters for the upcoming lunar year. I'm happy to report that it looks like the Year of the Pig is going to be a good one. I'm an Ox, and here's what I've read for the Ox so far: Go for it! This is a year designed for change and growth, when anything you start gets a strong response from the outside world. That works for me! I hope your "strong response" to my two new initiatives is a good one.
 
Wishing you a January full of positive changes!
  

 
Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA
Feng Shui Master Practitioner
Feng Shui For All Seasons 
 
Feng Shui Tip for January: Starting Over with Feng Shui   
I was surprised to learn from my colleague, Divorce Coach Kelly Chisholm, that most divorcing or separating couples start the process in January. Something about dealing with the holidays can bring couples to a final decision. Whether you stay in your home or move on after a breakup, a few Feng Shui changes in your current surroundings can help ease the pain and begin the healing process.
January is the perfect time to start using the po wer of the Feng Shui bagua to rebuild your life after the breakup of a marriage or long-term relations hip. B efore you start adding things, first get rid of anything that reminds you of the love that turned ne gative. It's especially important to remove dead energy from dying natural plants or dusty silk ones. And, of course, clear th e clutter!  
 
Download a copy of the bagua that fits the shape of your home, then make these changes: 
  • Martha Brettschneider,        
    Ringo Receiving
    Wealth/Abundance Area:
    What makes you feel abundant? Is it a photo from a place you t raveled before you were married? Is it something you bought for yourself? Choose artwork or objects that make you feel prosperous, wealthy, and abundant, then place them in this area. The Ringo Receiving image works especially well in this area.
  • Fame/Future Area: What images or items remind you of how you want the world to see you now that you are on your own? Place these items here. Be sure this area is well lit so you can "shine a light" on your future. You can also "enlighten" this area with candles, or by purchasing a new lamp.
  • Martha Brettschneider,
     Letting Go

     
     
    Love/Relationships Area: This area is not only about romantic relationships, it's also about self-love. Think about what makes you
    feel good about yourself, what makes you happy, and what makes you laugh and enjoy the time you spend with yourself. Display those objects here. Avoid keeping expensive things like jewelry acquired during the relationship in this area. I recommend the Letting Go image to activate this area.
  • Creativity/Childhood Area: Did you have hobbies, interests, or passions you put away while you were married? This is the time to bring them back out into the open and display them in this area. If you have art you created, a musical instrument you no longer play, or games you used to share with friends, this is the place for them so you can reclaim your creativity.
  • Helpful People/Travel Area: This is the area for objects that remind you of people who help you.
    In addition to photos of your friends and family, this includes symbols of your lawyer, accountant, financial counselor, and divorce coach. This is the place for religious symbols if they support you, as well as destinations you want to visit. Surround yourself with things that make you feel supported and loved.
  • Self/Career Area: This is a Water Element area, so include images that show water flowing into your home - not out of it. You can also place a fishbowl, fish tank, or beautiful fountain here if these appeals to you. Mirrors also represent the Water Element, so locate a beautiful mirror in this area of your home to reflect the brilliant life ahead of you.
  • Peace/Harmony Area: This is the area for objects and art that represent peace, harmony, and security. This is also a good place for your books, especially self-help and how-to books to guide you to new activities.
  • Family/Health Area: Images that have trees are especially good here because they represent growth and expansion. This is also a good place for family photos. Display a combination of old photos with new ones to show continuing family growth.
  • Grounding/Stability Area: Images that show mountains are especially good here because they represent lasting stability. This is the center of your home, so it's important to keep it clutter-free.  Any kind of blockage here will hold you back from a new life. Avoid displaying objects or images related to water here. The best colors to use here are yellow and brown.
You can learn all about using the bagua in Chapter 6 of my book, the Feng Shui Quick Guide For Home and Office: Secrets For Attracting Wealth, Harmony, and Love.
 
 
Year of the Brown Earth Pig

  Enter the Year of Joy!
 
Chinese New Year starts on Tuesday, February 5th, and for 2019 it's the Year of the Brown Earth Pig. The Pig is the twelfth in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac sign. In China, the pig is thought to behave itself, with no plan to harm others. That means 2019 will be a good year. The pig is an ethical and idealistic sign for the Chinese, and that represents wealth and generosity.  
 
For 2019, the lucky colors are red, white, and gold.   
 
Each year, when I report on the predictions from Asian Feng Shui masters about the coming lunar year, I make the same disclaimer: I'm just the reporter here, not the predictor. The predictions included here are for fun only, no other claim is made. Personally, I believe that you have control over your actions and create the kind of year you will experience.

That being said, it looks like this year will be good for almost every animal of the Chinese zodiac. The masters are using words like fortune and luck. They're predicting a great year to invest and to make money. The year will be full of joy, friendship, and love for all the zodiac signs.  
 
In China, the traditional New Year gifts that represent prosperity and luck in the New Year include red envelopes filled with money; oranges (signifying riches or wealth); tangerines (established symbols of luck)' plum blossoms (symbolizing hope and courage) or narcissus flowers (symbolizing the New Year);  paintings, stamps, and illustrations with these flowers.
 
You can find my summary of the masters' predictions for each animal of the Chinese zodiac in my new blog: Prepare for the Peaceful Pig.
Clutter Clinic
 
pile_of_old_books.jpg
Let Your Books Go  
My clients often rebel when I recommend lightening their shelves by getting rid of books. I know it's hard - when I made a cross-country move 15 years ago I donated an oversized shopping cart's worth of them to the local library, and it felt like I was saying goodbye to old friends. We only have so much storage space in the best of situations, so remember my Feng Shui mantra: Nothing new flows into your life until you make room for it.
 
Several years ago, I wrote about the Unclutterer blog that suggested categories of books that are easy (well, easier) to give up: books you won't read again, books you won't ever read, books that just don't work for you, books with information you can find online, what-were-you-thinking books, and travel books. Now, that blog is offering more intriguing ways to decide which books stay and which go:
  1. Evacuate your home. Pretend you have been ordered to evacuate. You can take only the books you can fit into three small moving boxes, and you only have 30 minutes to choose your favorites. Set a timer and start packing. When you're done, all the books that are not in the boxes are considered negotiable. This tactic makes you react on instinct and not overthink your decisions.
  2. Practice worst-case scenario. Ask yourself, what's the worst possible thing that could happen if you got rid of the book? Would you lose important information you couldn't find elsewhere? Would you lose a part of your family heritage? If so, the book is a keeper. Everything else that you could find in a library or on the Internet, is negotiable. If the book is essential for working on an active project, it's a keeper - for now. Once the project is complete, the book becomes eligible for elimination.
  3. Play book custodian. Are you looking after the books as if you were a librarian? Do you practice good storage and cleaning techniques? Are you able to keep up with repairs any books might need? Are your books organized in a way that you can find exactly what you need when you need it? Consider letting go of books that you don't feel compelled to give good care.
  4. Make it a game. Have a friend pull a book off the shelf at random and tell you only one significant detail of the book, like the title or author's name. You have to tell your friend all about the book. For fiction, you could provide a brief summary of the plot. For non-fiction, you must give facts from the book. If you can't provide details, the book leaves your home. If you haven't read the book, the friend puts it in a separate "to read" pile and comes back in a month or so. If you haven't read the book by then, out it goes. 
Success Story
 
Denise Creates a Vision Board Revolution
So many of my clients and readers create new vision boards in January, I thought it was time for a reboot of this story. A vision board is any sort of board or paper where you display images that represent the positive things and goals you want to attract. I recommend organizing the images on your board according to the areas of the Feng Shui bagua. Denise told me she never liked to make any kind of goal list at the beginning of the year, because putting her goals in writing was always an impossible feat. But, the suggestion of a vision board made more sense to her. 
 
Here's what Denise wrote:
SuccessStory
Feng Shui is scary on point sometimes. Being artistic and creative at heart, I spent this morning cutting out pictures and words and placed them over your bagua creating a collage of my visions. It makes so much more sense than a list. I keep looking at the board and I can see where I need to add visions and where my goals are good. I placed pictures of jade plants in the Wood area. I just bought a jade plant on Sunday and placed it in the left corner of my home desk to increase job prosperity and today, only two days later, I got very good news regarding my yearly bonus. It was enough for me to finally get my acupuncture license application in to the state! Talk about serendipity! Feng Shui rocks.
 
And then, I received additional good news from Denise:
More serendipity. I just got an email from an acupuncturist friend in town who's been begging me to work with him since he has 3 locations going at the moment and urgently needs my help. I keep making tiny additions to the board when something crosses my path, like a good fortune in a fortune cookie, because I see it as a dynamic rather than a static set of goals. I'm lovin' this vision board! You may have started a vision board revolution.
  
Ask the Feng Shui Maven
Questions
 
Q: How does one determine where the wealth corner is in a condominium home? Also does this apply to every room in the home? Many thanks in advance!
A: No matter what kind of home you live it, you always find the Wealth/Prosperity area by standing at your front door, looking in, and holding the bagua in front of you. For an apartment, you stand at the front door of your unit, rather than the entrance to the building, and hold the bagua in front of you. First use the bagua for the floor plan of your entire home to determine which bagua area each room occupies. Then, stand in the doorway of each room and hold the bagua in front of you to map each room. There is a detailed description of how to use the bagua in Chapter 6 of my book, the Feng Shui Quick Guide For Home and Office: Secrets For Attracting Wealth, Harmony, and Love. It's available from Amazon.com, or you can get a signed copy from my website. 
 
Q: I am working on clearing stuff out of my house. One thing I wanted to ask about is that we have several very large, lovely framed photographs of our family, kids, etc. that no longer work in our house. I was thinking of taking them out of the frames and rolling them up and disposing of the frames. How would the FS maven respond to this?
A: Scan in the photos - or take a photo of each photo - so you'll have a digital record for family history purposes. If they are especially large, have a reprographics shop do them for you. If you think it's not worth spending that much money on preserving, you have your answer about whether the scanning is worth doing. Then, dispose of BOTH the frames and the photos. Yes I know, the Maven's advice can sometimes be tough love.
 
 
Q: Good morning, I am applying for a new position that will essentially be a promotion. I have been applying Feng Shui principles in my home with fruitful results. I'd like to know if I should wear a specific color when I go on the job interview. Thanks for your time. Blessings.
A: The classic Feng Shui recommendation is to wear something red - the Fire Element - for a job interview. It can be as little as a red or burgundy accessory, or even something that doesn't show. The more contemporary recommendation is to wear a color that makes you feel empowered, and choose an outfit that fits with the style of dress for the company or industry where you want to work. Good luck!
 
Feng Shui Consulting

NEW!
Feng Shui Bedroom Consultation 
This new off-site consultation works whether you are looking for a new love, revving up the relationship you already have, moving forward after a divorce or breakup, or improving your self-esteem. A major focus of the consultation is the art and decoration in the room.  
 
Home, Office & Business Consulting
Find out how my Feng Shui consultations can help you rearrange your space, shift energy, an d transform your life. I offer on-site consulting for home or office and business. My off-site consu lting options include phone and Skype consultations, floor plan analysis, and the popular Room Rescue, designed for one room of you r home or a single office. My new Bedroom Consultation will help improve your relationships, whether you are looking to find a new love, improve the relationship you already have, or enhance your self-esteem.

All sessions include 30 days of free Feng Shui coaching by phone and email to help you continue to make changes and move forward.

People Are Talking About Carol's Feng Shui Consultations:
I followed your suggestions and cleared out everything that didn't remind me of success. Thank you for helping me to enjoy going to work again and for helping me to triple my income. --JP

Yesterday, a person came who worked for me a couple of years ago. When she walked in, she said, "Your house feels so good. It always was lovely, but it feels even better now." How about that? I have only started to make the Feng Shui changes you recommended during the consultation and already everything feels so much better! --SD

Just wanted you to know the open house at my store was a huge success with the help of the changes you suggested at our consultation. Thanks again for all of your help. --JW
 
Feng Shui Workshops
 
BRING THIS WORKSHOP TO YOUR LOCATION   
  CEU credits may be available in your area.  
Click here for details. 
 
Modern Coping Skills for Women
Using art, personal energy, and Feng Shui  
Red Chairs Square
to find inner calm in a chaotic world.
 
 
Looking for calm in a chaotic world? This workshop is for you!   
Feng Shui Master Practitioner Carol Olmstead and Clinical Mental Health Counselor Nancy Olson will help you distance yourself from negativity, clear mental clutter, and achieve inner peace. The workshop takes place in a beautiful, healing setting, and includes a gourmet lunch option.
 
Your will learn how to: 
... Identify your own "energy vampires" 
... Distance yourself from negativity 
... Reinvigorate your coping skills 
... Use the support of friends and community 
... Experience art as healing 
... Create a Feng Shui home sanctuary
... Enjoy the power of place as relaxation 
... Thrive despite troubled times 
... Develop a positive world view 
... Find guilt-free self-care strategies
Quick Guide Cover
Feng Shui Media
Books, Videos, Classes, Podcasts 
 
Feng Shui Quick Guide For Home and Office:
Secrets For Attracting Wealth, Harmony, and Love

Winner, "Best How-To Book"
This award-winning book contains my best Feng Shui advice in one place, including Feng Shui basics, success stories, a monthly guide to clutter clearing, and a tip-a-day calendar of 366 Feng Shui secrets. Available in print and electronic editions. Order signed copies.  

People Are Talking About Carol's Book: 
Thank you for writing such a brilliant book. I have just finished reading it and thoroughly enjoyed every page. I am very much looking forward to trying out your tips. Although I am also a Feng Shui practitioner, I love that there is always more to learn and tips that I haven't seen or learned before. I will definitely recommend your book to my clients! --PG
 
It's the first time in years that I carry a book with me just in case I can read another page or two at a stoplight or wherever! When I read it at home, I read a bit and then start scouting for places in our little loft that I can declutter! --SE
 
Your book is my bible! I finished your amazing book and constantly refer to it. Currently I am listening to your video class, which I find extremely informative. --TN  
 
Video Class - Grow Your Business with Feng Shui

My 90-minute, self-paced course includes tips for activating the Career/Work bagua area, along with simple changes you can make in your home that will advance your career or business. You'll learn six amazing tips that will help you create a space that supports you and your business. Watch as I use Feng Shui principles to conduct a hands-on transformation of a client's workplace and create a dynamic home office that opens the door to success.
Watch the class preview.

Peop
le Are Talking About Carol's Videos & Podcasts: 
Carol, you're a rock star! I loved listening to the
podcast of your interview with "Law of Attraction Talk Radio with Jewels," so I took your class. You continue to be an inspiration to me and have forever changed the way I arrange each home I've lived in since I first heard you speak in 2012. Keep up the good work! --GO

I took your class and watched several of your videos. Excellent! You have an absolute warm and welcoming approach. No wonder you are so successful. --CW  
 
This video class is nothing short of a delicious treat for your career. I loved it! Great practical pieces of advice. Well-taught in a fun, inspiring way. --RW 
 
Beyond Feng Shui
 
Plants That Help Your Brain and Memory  
Who doesn't want to start the year off with a stronger brain? Many common garden plants have been shown to help keep your brain healthy and improve memory function. Try some of these options: 

Peppermint. Smelling the plant will give you a boost, according to a study that asked participants to complete a cognitive function test in a room that had been infused with the scent of pepperm int versus a non-scented room. Those in the peppermint room had significantly enhanced memory function and increased alertness compared to those in the non-scented room.
 
Sage. This cooking staple has been shown to improve memory and help Alzheimer's patients. In a study, patients who took daily supplements of sage extract had better cognitive function and appeared less agitated after four months on the extract. Both consuming and smelling sage has been shown to enhance memory function in healthy adults.   
 

Turmeric. In one study, curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, significantly improved memory and attention within one hour after taking a supplement. Four weeks on the supplement enhanced their working memory, energy levels and calmness as well as lowered their stress levels.

 

Rosemary. Recent studies have shown that rosemary increases alertness and improves long-term memory. Simply smelling rosemary increased a person's chances of remembering to do something.
 
Thyme. This plant can increase antioxidant levels in the brain, as well as boost the level of healthy fats, such as omega-3 fats. Both common garden and wild thyme have been shown to be medicinally active.
 
Ginger. Well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties, ginger specifically reduces inflammation linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's. In one study, ginger supplements improved working memory, reaction time and attention in healthy, middle-aged adults. 
 
F Y I
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Schedule a Consultation or Workshop.
If you would like to set up a home, office, or business consultation, or schedule a customized workshop, contact:
Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA
Feng Shui Master Practitioner
Call 1.800.652.9038 or
 
IFSG
Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA,
was certified by the Feng Shui Institute of America and earned Red Ribbon Professional Status from the International Feng Shui Guild.

Feng Shui for Real Life, LLC, and the Feng Shui To The Rescue Newsletter serve as a reference and guide for the principles of Feng Shui and as such bear no responsibility for results that a client or reader experiences. Individual results may vary based on the client's participation and intent.

©2019, Carol M. Olmstead

Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA  
Feng Shui For Real Life, LLC