Spot's Feng Shui for Cats... and your Human too!

feng shui banner Feng Shui symbol - means Wind and Water - at least that's what we think it says! <lol>

My beautiful face

and for yourself too!

What exactly is this new craze? Feng shui (pronounced ''fung schway''), the ancient art of placement to direct energy flow used by the Chinese for more than 4,000 years, is a tool to create a sense of well-being in any environment. If Feng shui's good for you, it must be good for your cats! After all, what creature could possibly be more sensitive to its environment than the majestic and fastidious feline? If cats had a choice they'd make sure to create the perfect space -- but, unfortunately, their humans keep getting in the way. Don't let that happen to your pet. If your territory's too cold, too dark, or -- worst of all -- without enough food, remedy it immediately with the ancient art of Feng shui. ( more treats please! )
If you're excited about what Feng Shui might be able to do in your life, as well as in the life of your Cat,
here's a quick "Getting Started Plan" for you.

The CHI ( otherwise known as the life force )

CHI - (pronounced "Chee"), Consider this: the ch'i, or life force, affects every aspect of life. Compass directions also have great meaning in Feng shui -- hence the need to sleep in an eastward-facing room in the morning as the sun rises. And don't ever put an object in the wrong area! No discerning cat wants to sleep in the space devoted to relationships (which would destroy friendships with humans and other cats) or have a litterbox in the zone reserved for wealth. Find out what changes to make by observing your feline and noticing subtle changes in its behavior. If you cat suddenly will not sleep in its favorite bed, check to make sure it is clean and not overly crowded with other furniture objects close by. Your cat will thank you for it! WATER is one of the most important elements in Feng Shui. WATER represents WEALTH. Drink lots of water, place an indoor water garden in your living space.. Don't have an indoor water garden? Fish aquariums work nicely too - plus it provides constant entertainment for curious cats like me! Get creative! Hang pictures of beautiful waterfalls! Mirrors also represent WATER too.
These are just a few suggestions in the many areas we can improve on with Feng shui and keep harmony within the household.

* Thoroughly clean and de-clutter every part of your environment and that of your pets.

This mean, find a place for that cat litter box and leave it there! Too much moving around and changes upset this balance - especially us cats who get our "Chi's" out of whack. Yes, everything. Unfortunately, "there are no hiding places in Feng Shui." ( well, maybe under the bed, just kidding! ) That means you don't get any junk drawers, let alone any junk rooms, or worse yet, cluttered closets! Decluttering is important - maybe even potent enough to overcome your resistance. This is absolutely vital in Feng Shui -

* Take care of any maintenance issues.

Leaky roof, stuck or hard-to-open doors, anything broken or not working, and especially any leaking faucets or toilets, since water represents wealth and cash flow. Keep everything in its best possible working order! Don't forget to keep the Cat box clean too! This is the MOST important in a cats life. You too will avoid the bathroom if noone ever flushed the toilet! Also, keep the Cat box out of the area reserved for WEALTH. Ever heard of "flushing" money down the toilet? In Feng Shui, its best to not have the bathroom in the WEALTH area - ( consult a Ba gua chart - see below for more info ) if this is impossible, you can remedy this by putting a LIVE plant in the WEALTH corner so that it will counteract bad Chi and make your WEALTH flourish!

* Take care of the yard work, keep indoor plants flourishing!

Speaking of plants, make sure the landscaping is attractive, inviting, and well-kept, indoors as well as outdoors. ( your neighbors will love you for this too! ) Remove any dead or dying plants immediately. You don't want any "dead" energy anywhere in your vibrant living space. Don't let any plant material overgrow the walkways or obscure the front door or crowd your front porches. Keep indoor plants away from curious Cats. Plants are just too tempting to eat ( and it's a risk of getting poisoned - remember to check plants for toxicity in animals ) for Cats who are curious like me! Keep lots of catnip growing for your feline friends. A little catnip never hurts our "chi" - Also, get one of those Brass windchimes for your front door area, it is said to bring WEALTH to those who have one! Remember, it HAS to be BRASS! Don't believe me, try a ceramic one instead.

* Remove or replace everything that you don't absolutely love.

Also remove those things you don't regularly use. This is an evolutionary process, rather than something you can do overnight. ( We often donate our items to charity and get a tax write-off too! ) You have lots of things in your house and office that may not qualify as "clutter," but neither do they make your heart sing, feed your soul or nourish you on a daily basis. The goal of Feng Shui is to create a thoroughly nurturing environment for you and your family and especially your sensitive cats. Keep it a practice to not surround yourself by things with bad memories attached, or that are shabby, tacky or ugly, or that don't vitalize you. In Feng Shui we learn that the things in our environment either nurture us or deplete our energy. There is no middle ground. In other words, keep the cat carrier out of sight until needed!
Feng Shui will change your life, a little or a lot. It may not bring you what you want in the exact form you may expect, but rather what is in your best interests. As you free up and generate more beneficial chi, you will grow in all areas of your life, which in turn necessitates further changes in your environment. ( and your cat will love you for it ) It's helpful to remember, as you get excited about Feng Shui and want to do everything at once, that "there is no final destination; it's all journey."
And Feng Shui will be there to empower your journey every step of the way as you grow, change and prosper -- from the very moment you start using it, until your journey has ended.
So, I hope you can all benefit from this new experience of Feng Shui - I know I am still learning and have a long way to go before I am totally "uncluttered" but I can already feel its effects and hope you can all benefit from it as well.

The Basic Ba-Gua - Defined!

There are nine areas in this - The areas are :

CAREER, PARTNERSHIP/MARRIAGE, FAMILY, WEALTH, HEALTH, HELPFUL PEOPLE, CHILDREN, KNOWLEDGE, and FAME. The basic Ba-Gua is octagon shaped and each area represents these life situations and it's 5 elements ( Water, Metal, Earth, Fire and Wood ) - Through this you can better understand how Feng Shui can improve your life, and of course, that of your Cat! The Ba Gua Octagon is one of the tools used in Feng shui to help determine preferred locations for certain functions in the home or office. The Ba Gua is placed with the front door of the floor plan of your home or office placed at the bottom of the Ba Gua octagon - go to diagram link below for a detailed illustration of the Ba gua.

Click here to see Diagram of The Basic Ba Gua

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
Is your Northeast corner missing?

- Here are some interesting FENG SHUI links I have found -

Feng Shui

Explore the secrets of Traditional Feng Shui!

Spotmeister, Master of Feng Shui-in-training

Cat Haiku
The rule for today:
Touch my tail, I shred your hand.
New rule tomorrow.