Feng Shui to the Rescue Newsletter

Helping you attract wealth, harmony, love,
and much more.

Summer 2022

It's Hot!
I'm a winter personality, and this heat wave is hitting me especially hard. So naturally, I decided to share my Feng Shui ways for keeping cool. I searched for "Summer Feng Shui Tips" to see what my Feng Shui colleagues are posting, and I got a pleasant surprise. One of the first articles to pop up was one I wrote in 2009 when I was the Feng Shui editor at the BellaOnline site! Feng Shui tips obviously stand the test of time. Since I'm too hot to think right now, and headed out for a cooler climate (Canada, here I come!), below are 10 Feng Shui cures for the "summertime burn-out blues.”

Home colors too hot? If your home is decorated in Fire Element colors (red, purple, orange), balance them with Metal Element colors (white, ice blue, pale green) in accents like pillows, tablecloths, or napkins for a calming and cooling effect.

House a mess? A cluttered room will make you feel overheated and tense. Clear the clutter to put out some of the fire.

Too much light? Shut off the ceiling lights and instead use table lamps for lighting. This is especially important in a workplace if you have overhead fluorescent lights, because these represent the Metal Element that symbolically “stabs” at you.

Feeling dry and parched? Create the cooling effect of water with a small tabletop fountain, or play music with the sound of light rain.

Rooms too hot? Change the location of home activities to the rooms with less sun exposure. Or, eat outside on the shady side of your house for a cooling change of pace.

Ceiling fan above your bed? A fan in your bedroom helps circulate the air. But if it is located directly above your bed, its harsh, corkscrew energy can cause pain or illness. Hang a crystal from the pull chain to symbolically lessen the cutting force.

Kitchen too hot? Use your grill in hot weather, or prepare yin (cool) foods like salads and pasta. You do need to use your stove occasionally because an unused stove implies untapped resources and opportunities. But, choose quick-cook top-of-the-stove recipes instead of baking in your oven.

Old furniture on your porch? Your porch or deck is considered part of your home, so choose high-quality outdoor furniture and keep it clean, dust-free, and in good repair.

Desk drawer a mess? Give your desk drawer a vacation from clutter by tossing non-usable items, especially those dried-up pens, pencils with worn-down erasers, and bent paper clips.
 
House unoccupied? When you go on vacation, your empty house becomes passive (or yin), and this can draw negative energies like burglars. To balance this, set timers to turn on some lights and a radio set to music or a talk station to create active (or yang) energy in the house.

Stay cool! I'll be back in the fall when hopefully things will cool down.

Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA
Feng Shui Master Practitioner
www.FengShuiForRealLife.com
TIP OF THE MONTH
Feng Shui Your Vacation Stay

It's better to travel well than to arrive.
--Buddha

Staying in a hotel may feel like a new experience this summer because the pandemic has restricted our leisure travel for the last two years. Before the start of the pandemic, I traveled extensively to work with clients, so I've experienced more than my fair share of hotel stays. To help cope with the good, the bad, and the ugly of hotel rooms, I created this Feng Shui action plan to take control of my room and to help me sleep restfully and enjoy the trip. This list of Feng Shui tips doesn't include any COVID-specific advice, and I urge you to check with the property where you will be staying for their updated pandemic procedures. Whether you are staying in a hotel, resort, Airbnb, cabin, or anything in between, try these tips on your next vacation stay:
  • Assure your safety. Print out the words "SAFE TRAVEL" in a large font on a sheet of white paper and place it in your suitcase - and in your car if you're driving - to set your intention to return home safely.
  • Request the best location. Ask for a room that's away from the elevator, ice machine, vending room, and the housekeeping station. Check out both the bedroom and bath before you start to unpack, and if anything smells smoky, musty, or just plain bad, request a different room or a different floor.
  • Settle in quickly. Unpack as soon as you can to quickly make the space your own. Store your luggage in the closet rather than under or near the bed. Suitcases under the bed represent walking away from a good night's sleep. Bring a memento from home to display, such as a family photo, so your room feels more like home than a borrowed space.
  • Open the windows. Open the windows or door to the patio or balcony, if possible, to help the fresh chi circulate and to remove any negative energy from previous occupants. If the weather is mild, shut off the A/C or heat at night and keep the window open.
  • Rearrange the room. Rearrange the furniture if the setup feels uncomfortable or if you keep stubbing your toes. Don't hesitate to move things around or off the night table. Unplug that alarm clock if you don't need it and store it in a drawer, move the phone away from the bed, and bring the lamp closer for reading. Take a photo of the room before you start so you can put things back in their original places before you leave.
  • Drape the mirror. Pack a scarf so you can drape the mirror if it's directly across from the bed, or call housekeeping for an extra towel or pillowcase. A mirror activates the room's chi, so draping it will calm the energy and help you sleep. Plus, seeing your reflection the first thing in the morning is considered negative in Feng Shui.
  • Pack lighting. Bring a small nightlight for the bathroom so you won't get lost in the middle of night. Keep a small flashlight handy for an emergency. Remember to take all these things home with you.
  • Move your cell phone. If you keep your cell phone on the night table, at least try to place it on the far end so you are less disturbed by the electromagnetic field it creates.
  • Get the chi flowing at home. Unpack as soon as you can when you get home and put away your suitcases. Avoid leaving them near the front door because this represents tying to escape from your current situation. Open the windows for a short while, run the water, and use the stove so the fresh chi begins to circulate. This helps you settle back into your routine quickly while you still have memories of your trip to support you.
CLUTTER CLINIC
Types of Clutter That Make You Unhappy
When you walk into a room, do you subconsciously cheer and say "rah," or do you groan and feel blah? If you have a bad case of the blahs in your own home, it's time to take a long look at the decor and clutter around you. Sometimes, we hold on to things because of a poverty mentality, which is the fear of not having enough. Acknowledging what things trigger negative emotions is half the battle, but you also have to let go of these objects, which is surprisingly difficult. How many of these clutter-creators are making you unhappy in your own home?
  • Broken Things. Holding on to broken things represents a feeling of scarcity.
  • Kids' Stuff. The ever-increasing collection of toys, clothes, sports gear, artwork, etc. makes you feel like the house is never clean and orderly. 
  • Heirlooms and Gifts. When we hold on to gifts we don't like, they weigh us down emotionally and cause physical clutter.  
  • Books You No Longer Love. Books carry a surprising amount of emotional weight because they give us other lives and expanded imaginations. 
  • Childhood Keepsakes. Facing up to the fact that a former treasure no longer holds its old magic is to acknowledge that we have changed.
  • Collections That No Longer Bring Joy. A once-beloved collection can become burdensome when you no longer care about the items.
  • Unused Hobby Supplies. Abandoned or unused hobby supplies can become a form of aspirational clutter.
  • Heavy Drapes. Thick drapes represent shrouding your room in darkness, not to mention the problem with the dust they attract.
  • The Wrong Colors. Color has a psychological impact on mood, so it's important to choose a color you love and that fits the bagua area, rather than just because it's trendy.
  • Old Papers. Excessive paperwork is overwhelming and tedious, and it can represent old memories, good and bad.
  • Promotional Freebies. It's hard to let an item go when it's free because of the perception that you got a good deal or you think it must be worth something.

If even one of these things are driving you crazy in your own home, the Feng Shui solution is simple: learn to value your space as much as your stuff, and get rid of anything that doesn't support you.
Q&A
Ask the Feng Shui Maven
Q: I am enjoying your books so much! I would like your advice regarding the wealth area of my home, a two-story center hall colonial. There is a side entry garage attached to the left side of the home that has no second story. Is the garage considered a part of the home, and therefore in the wealth gua? Or would the wealth gua be the back left corner of the house, which is the laundry room? Sounds like neither is optimal in Feng Shui terms, especially since my husband keeps the trash and recycling in the back left corner of the garage until he makes a trip to the county dump. What should I do?
A: If the garage is attached to your home, then yes, it's considered part of your home. You should include it when you draw the bagua for your home and decorate it as you do with the other rooms in your home. The wealth area is the upper left-hand area as you are standing in front of the house looking inside. That would mean your garage could be in the wealth area. Chapter 6 in the Feng Shui Quick Guide for Home and Office will give you details for using the bagua to map your home. If your garage is in your wealth area, you are right that it would be inauspicious to keep the trash and recycling in that location. Additionally, since you say your garage has no second story, you would be missing the wealth area on the second story. Try to find a new storage area for your trash and recycling. I often suggest adding a storage shed for trash cans so they can be kept outside of the house. In fact, that’s what I did when I first began to study Feng Shui and the difference was immediate. Having a laundry room there could represent “washing away” your good fortune. You can ground the room by adding the Fire Element.

Q: I'm planning to save my wedding bouquet by letting it dry naturally and then displaying it in my bedroom. What do you think—is this a good idea?
A: I often hear from people who want to hold on to their dried wedding bouquets or dried flowers from a special occasion. I'm as sentimental as anyone, but dried flowers are considered negative in Feng Shui because they represent dead energy. And this is especially negative if displayed in a bedroom and in the case of a new marriage or relationship. Instead of drying the flowers, save the ribbons that were tied around the bouquet or the card that came with the flowers rather than the actual flowers.
SUCCESS STORY
SuccessStory
Sara and Tim Cure Buyer's Remorse
Sara was in the middle of a major case of "buyer's remorse" when she called me for a Feng Shui consultation. She and her husband Tim had moved into their dream house three months before. The first time they walked into the home, they fell in love with everything about it: the meandering layout, the separate master bedroom wing, and the dramatic views. They made an offer, settled quickly, and moved in. But almost immediately, they began to have doubts that they made the right move. The couple had been arguing more, their two sons weren't sleeping well, and it felt like as soon as they earned money, it flew out of the house. The couple thought their home would be perfect for entertaining, but their friends and family rarely visited. "If this is our dream house," Sara asked, "why do we feel so unsettled, like we don't belong here?"
 
Here’s what Sara wrote:
We spruced up the front door, as you recommended, by repainting it and placing plants in ceramic planters on both sides of the door to act as "greeters" and to symbolically encourage visitors. Next, we filled in the missing Harmony area to help us feel more settled. We did this by placing a beautiful garden ornament to symbolically mark the spot where the walls would have come together if the house was a complete rectangle. After you explained how the lineup of our front and back doors was like an arrow shooting the energy out of the house, we removed the long runner that ran between the doors that accentuated this straight line. We relocated a floor plant and re-positioned the furniture at angles, giving the space the flowing feeling of a gallery rather than a tunnel. We followed your advice to paint over the too-active yellow in our younger son’s room and the too-cold gray in the older son’s room with warm skin-tone colors. We placed the family's Christmas photo in each boy's room near their beds to communicate love and security. This was especially important because they were sleeping in a separate wing from us for the first time. And finally, we removed the family photos and work-related reading from our bedroom, and we hung the art we had bought on our honeymoon over the bed. It's amazing how just a few subtle changes can make such a difference in how we all feel in the house now. And we are not done yet. Feng Shui works!
FENG SHUI FIXERS
Enhance Your Space!
The Feng Shui Fixer series includes one-of-a-kind creations that are designed as simple, beautiful, and real-world Feng Shui "cures" and adjustments. These art pieces can be placed in a specific bagua area of a home or workplace to fix a Feng Shui issue, or to attract wealth, harmony, love, and so much more. Hang them on the wall, in a closet, near the washer, on the back of your computer monitor to block any negative energy, or anywhere!

Each unique Feng Shui Fixer starts with an imported vintage silk kimono textile. Then, it is embellished with embroidery floss, silk ribbon, vintage or new glass beads, natural stones, or charms. There are florals, geometrics, abstracts, and freestyle! Every Feng Shui Fixer comes ready to hang in a natural wood, hand-stained, or flexible frame. Or, you can display one or a collection of them on a table-top easel. Each design includes a small mirror on the back that symbolically pushes away any negative issues and helps attract positive energy. The collection also features a series of Feng Shui "Spirals" that are especially useful to cure or correct for the missing Career/Self/Work bagua area.

  • Use one Feng Shui Fixer to correct a problem.
  • Group several to enhance the energy in a specific bagua area.
  • Give one as a gift or gift yourself!


FEATURED FENG SHUI FIXER:
Title: "Grateful for Glads"
Target Issue: Grounding, Harmony
Feng Shui Element: Earth, Wood
Materials: Silk ribbon and cotton embroidery floss on imported vintage kimono silk textile
Size: 5" round
Framing: Hand-stained bamboo frame, ready to hang or display
Price: $55
FENG SHUI BOOK OF THE MONTH
FSQGCover
Feng Shui Quick Guide for Home and Office: Secrets for Attracting Wealth, Harmony, and Love
Own the award-winning Feng Shui book that is practical and easy to understand. The book includes easy-to-follow basics plus tips and secrets to make the practical magic of Feng Shui work for you. Sprinkled among the tips are success stories from real people who followed them with big results. The book includes a tip-a-day calendar so you can make small Feng Shui changes each day.
List price: $15.95
Special SALE Price: $10.00+S&H
CONSULTING
NEW SERVICES AVAILABLE!
Virtual Consulting
When you have Feng Shui questions about your home, office, business, or workspace that go beyond the basics you can find on my website, and you need to speak to a Feng Shui expert, this virtual consulting option is for you! I will customize advice for the way you want to live in your home or work in your workspace.

We'll schedule a Zoom, FaceTime, or phone call to answer your questions and help you rearrange your space, shift your energy, and transform your life.

All sessions include:
  • Review of photos or videos of your space.
  • Consultation by Zoom, phone, or FaceTime.
  • Personalized Feng Shui advice and guidance.
  • Follow-up coaching check-in so you stay on track.

CHECK OUT THE OPTIONS:
If you're working in a hybrid situation where some days you work from home (WFH) and some days you work at your workplace, I created this package for you. We'll work on both of your office locations.
  • 45-minute consultation including analysis of floor plans

It's your choice—ask about any room, any situation, any clutter-clearing problem, or any issue that needs Feng Shui help.
  • 1-hour consultation including analysis of a floor plan

Perfect for any room in your home, condo, or apartment.
  • 30-minute consultation

Ideal for the room where you work, either at home or at the workplace.
  • 30-minute

Great for when you want to rev up your relationship, find a new love, move forward after a divorce or breakup, or improve your self-esteem.
  • 30-minute consultation

Virtual consulting services are effective and will transform your life!

Email for more information.
Or, click below if you are ready to purchase.
WEBINARS
NEW!
"Feng Shui for the New Hybrid Workplace"

The new way of working is here to stay. Employees are continuing to work at home, returning to the workplace, or experiencing a combination of both. This hybrid experience is different for each member of the team. The good news is that a few real-world Feng Shui tips can help you achieve balance between your personal and work lives.

For more than 23 years, I have inspired diverse groups ranging from 5 to 500 with my in-person workshops. Now, I'm offering customized versions of the same presentations via Zoom. I have taught thousands of clients, readers, and students the simple secrets of using Feng Shui to improve their lives and careers, and now I can teach them to you and your group virtually. The "Feng Shui for the New Hybrid Workplace" webinar is specially designed to meet the needs of the new hybrid workforce.

This 1-hour webinar will show each employee how to make Feng Shui “go to work” for them. They will learn how to rearrange their space, shift their energy, and achieve calm in this rapidly-changing world. In this fun and informative session, I share simple and often low-cost tips for using Feng Shui to transform both a home and workplace office. There will be plenty of time for questions.

I will customize the webinar for your group, but a typical session includes:
  • Overview
  • Group Icebreaker
  • Five Power Principles
  • Transformation Tools
  • Top 10 Tips
  • Resources
  • Q&A

All my webinars include customized training that I create to meet the specific needs of your organization, office, or group. I also offer this and other training on a one-to-one basis for individuals. Check out some examples on my website.


People are talking about Carol's Feng Shui Webinars for the New Workplace!
Thank you so much for hosting such a great presentation today. We’ve received really positive feedback from everyone, and I’m so happy to know there are small steps I can take to really feel more comfortable and positive every day.
– EG, Operations Manager, Washington, DC
 
Thank you again for the webinar yesterday. We got great feedback and tons of excitement around it. We hope to have you back sometime soon.
– AJH, Senior Manager, New York, NY

VIDEOS & CLASSES
NEW!
Feng Shui for Your Office
Take a look at the video I did for the "Interview with the Experts" series for Interior Motions, a custom office design firm in California. I share tips for bringing Feng Shui into any office. I also talk about the Five Power Principles of Feng Shui, how any office can implement these principles to increase productivity, and what you should avoid doing when arranging an office. And of course, I talk about avoiding clutter in the workplace.


Grow Your Business with Feng Shui
My 90-minute, self-paced video course includes tips for activating the Career/Work bagua area, along with simple changes you make at home to advance your career or business. You'll learn six amazing tips to 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.

People Are Talking About Carol's Classes: 

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
DID YOU KNOW?

Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA, is certified by the Feng Shui Institute of America and earned Red Ribbon Professional Status from the International Feng Shui Guild.

Articles in the Feng Shui To The Rescue Newsletter are copyrighted, but can be shared with credit to Carol M. Olmstead as author and link to www.FengShuiForRealLife.com.
FengShuiForRealLife.com 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.

©2022, Carol M. Olmstead