Q&A Sunday: My Favorite Feng Shui Crystals

Guest User February 7, 2021

Photo by DDP on Unsplash — Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

I’m curious about working with crystals, but not sure where to start. Do you have any favorites?

Thanks for your question! Crystals have been really popular lately, so I get a lot of questions about them. First, I’d recommend you read my post on following your intuition when choosing a crystal. It’s always beneficial to trust your intuition and choose the things that resonate with you the most, whether it’s colors, crystals, or healing modalities.

To give you some inspiration, I do have some favorite crystals to work with! First, I want to point out that in feng shui we often recommend faceted crystal balls, which are actually made of glass, and not a naturally occurring crystal. I recommend getting a crystal ball like this instead of a cheap glass one, because they refract the light so much more beautifully than plain glass.

When it comes to naturally occurring crystals, one of my favorites is clear quartz. I’ve had the same piece of clear quartz for some time - it’s been in my refrigerator, as well as other places in my home, and I sometimes even take a bath with it. I like to connect clear quartz to the bagua area called Dui, related to children, completion, metal energy, and the color white.

Clear quartz is a natural amplifier, and you can program it to amplify any positive intention that you have. For instance, your refrigerator represents your health and nutrition because it holds and cares for the food that you eat to nourish your body, so I like to program my clear quartz to amplify the nutrition of the food in my refrigerator. A great way to program your clear crystal is to first clear it with salt or sunlight, and then very humbly ask the crystal to receive your intention to increase the digestibility, nutritional quality, and life energy of the food in the refrigerator. It’s important to create some ceremony around this: meditate and calm your heart before you program your crystal, instead of rushing to fit it in between your everyday activities.

I also love rose quartz, which has a gentle pink tone. Rose quartz is calm, soft, and soothing, with a really warm, feminine energy, and it cultivates healing and self love. It’s a great stone to work with if you want to soften your heart or heal your heart to invite in love and partnership. For us to invite a partner into our life, we have to actually heal our own hearts and heal ourselves first. When we feel whole is when we can really attract someone to us that’s going to be a partner in our life, rather than someone who we think is going to fill a hole where we feel empty. We need to learn to fill our own cup.

Naturally, I associate rose quartz with the Kun area of the bagua, related to relationships, self love, partnership, marriage, the mother element, and the feminine principle. Kun is also connected to the earth element.

One way to work with rose quartz is to place it on your nightstand, because your nightstand is very close to you and a private place. If you want to invite a partner into your life, place a pair of rose quartz crystals to represent your openness to work on healing yourself and caring for yourself, in order to invite a partner that you can also care for.

If you want to go deeper when it comes to inviting love and partnership with feng shui, I encourage you to check out Mindful Design’s Feng Shui Love Story course!

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Nine Star Ki for 2021, Year of the Metal Ox

Guest User February 3, 2021

Happy Lunar New Year!

Soon, we celebrate the Year of the Metal Ox!

We have put together a top line review of the overall energy of the year and how it may impact each of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. There is an important energetic interaction between your birth year (your animal) and the current year (Metal Rat). Read here or listen to the podcast to learn more!

Be sure to check out our 2021 new year course:

New Year Reset Package

A new lunar year also means new Nine Star Ki forecasts! In addition to Chinese zodiac astrology, I like to use the numerology of the Nine Star Ki to prepare for the coming year and stay energetically balanced. This practice was developed in ancient China, so it logically goes well with feng shui, and is based on a number system of nine rather than the animal system. It also closely aligns with the five element principles and the I-Ching.

Don’t forget to also grab one of our custom aromatherapy blends for each Nine Star Ki number. Each aromastick is created to provide support and enhance the energy for your individual number in the coming lunar year, and they can be used in conjunction with feng shui!

If you’ve never used Nine Star Ki before, have no fear! Use the guidelines below to find your number, and let’s get started!

You can calculate your principle number by using your year of birth. Beware: this requires a little elementary math ;)

As an example, if you were born in 1986:

Add: 1+9+8+6 = 24
Reduce to a single digit: 2+4 = 6
Subtract from 11: 11-6 = 5

*if you were born between January 1 and February 4, subtract from 12: 12-6 = 6

If you were born in 1940:

Add: 1+9+4+0 = 14
Reduce to a single digit: 1+4 = 5
Subtract from 11: 11-5 = 6

*if you were born between January 1 and February 4, subtract from 12: 12-5 = 7

Here's what all that calculating means for the Year of the Metal Rat in 2020:

If your principle number is 1, in 2021 you will be in the year of Recognition. This year you will be in the house of fire, where you have the best opportunities to be seen and recognized by others. It is a great time to receive any promotions or any other projects that you want publicity for. Be careful, as all things, good or bad, may be unveiled to the public. As a 1 Water person, you will feel be in the spotlight, but be careful to not get overwhelmed or burnt out in the 9 Fire year. Take advantage of this time to work with what you’re passionate about.

If your principle number is 2, in 2021 you will be in the year of Planning. This year will feel quiet and is a time for planning. In the winter, it may appear that everything is dead on the surface, but underneath there is much life and activity. Similarly, it may feel slow, but take this time to reflect, review and plan for the future. As a 2 Earth, you will feel a bit muddy and slower this year. Take advantage of the quietness and rest up!

If your principle number is 3, in 2021 you will be in the year of Germination. This year will be the time to plant seeds. When you plant a garden, you germinate many more seeds than you need. Do the same this year. Put all your ideas out there into the universe and share them with others. Plant the seeds and see what comes up! As a 3 Wood person, you will feel a little subdued while grounded in this 2 Earth year. It will be slower than you’re used to but use the time to work on self-care.

If your principle number is 4, in 2021 you will be in the year of Sprouting. This year will be energetic and full of new beginnings as you catch sight of seeds that you planted last year begin to sprout and grow. Be open to new ideas and cultivate the projects that you start at this time. As a 4 Wood person, you will feel supported but maybe a little speedy in this 3 Wood year. Remember that this is a time to sharpen and expand. It’s going to be a year of pushing through and working to move stagnant energies.

If your principle number is 5, in 2021 you will be in the year of Rapid Growth. This year will be a continuation of last year where you see your sprouts grow into strong, grounded trees. This year will be busy and active, so please take care of yourself and be careful not to get burnt out. As a 5 Earth person, you may sense some speediness in this 4 Wood year, but remember to take care not to get overwhelmed. Don’t take on too much and say no when you need to.

If your principle number is 6, in 2021 you will be in the year of Fluctuation. This year will feel a little chaotic, as this is a time of renewal and rebirth. You may need to reinvent yourself this year. It’s a great time to let things go that are no longer serving you. As a 6 Metal person, you will feel generally supported in this 5 Earth year. Emphasize some self-love and care this year.

If your principle number is 7, in 2021 you will be in the year of Prosperity. This year will feel strong and prosperous. You will begin to feel confident and be recognized for your knowledge and skills. There will still be a lot of effort, but you shall finally be harvesting the fruits of your labor. As a 7 Metal person, you will feel good in this 6 Metal year. Make the most of it!

If your principle number is 8, in 2021 you will be in the year of Celebration. This year will feel celebratory and playful. It is a great time to relax and pat yourself on the back for all the hard work that you put in the last few years. Enjoy yourself, rejoice and have some fun. As a 8 Earth person, you may get a little overwhelmed or depleted in this 7 Metal year. But it’s still an auspicious year for you, just don’t have TOO much fun!

If your principle number is 9, in 2021 you will be in the year of Stillness. This year will be much quieter than the last. It will be a time of stillness, like climbing up a mountain to meditate in isolation. This is a great time to focus inward and do some self-cultivation. As a 9 Fire person, you will feel a little depleted in this 8 Earth year. This is a time to ground yourself and go deep and focus on self-care. Remember it’s ok to slow down.

Each year holds lots of promise and positive energy for all of us, even if the year ahead appears challenging, remember that great things can come from difficulty. Interested in learning more about Nine Star Ki? Listen in on this Holistic Spaces podcast.

Regardless of your number or zodiac animal, remember to take care of yourself during the Year of the Metal Ox!

Start this off by grabbing a three-dimensional Rat charm to carry with you at all times for protection and support. Since the Rat is the Ox’s best friend, carrying this charm will keep you in their good graces. :) Happy Lunar New Year!

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Q&A Sunday: Broken Dishes in the Kitchen

Guest User January 31, 2021

I have a lot of broken dishes in my kitchen. They’re still usable, but some have big chips in them. Is that bad?

In feng shui, your kitchen represents your nourishment, how well you do in the world, and your resources, so it’s an important place to pay attention to.

It’s also one of the most popular areas for people to work on in their homes. I do home renovations, and people spend a lot of time and money improving and updating their kitchens. We also spend a lot of time and energy cooking for ourselves and our families in the kitchen, and that translates to health and wellbeing. How we nourish ourselves also reflects on how well we can do in the world.

While I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily “bad” to have broken items in your home, it is certainly something to take note of. If you do have broken or chipped dishes or other items, that can represent some kind of broken energy, or difficulty and challenges. I invite you to repair or replace those items if you can, and I also understand that it’s not always possible to do this. You have to do the best you can with what you have, and because I’m not working with you directly, you have to be the judge and use your own intelligence and intuition to determine what is right for you.

In general, though, if you have a kitchen full of broken things that are no longer serving you, what does that say about how you care for your health and your inner environment? As I’ve said before, your inner environment and your outer environment reflect each other. Are there any broken dishes you could let go of in your kitchen?

If there’s an item in your kitchen that you absolutely love and cherish, find a way to repair it. One good example is the Japanese practice of Kintsugi, which is a way to use precious metal like gold to repair broken pottery. This makes it into something precious, rather than something damaged or fragile. Again, think about what your kitchen represents: we want to have a lot of strength and support when it comes to our health, rather than things being broken or in disrepair.

I invite you to take a look at what you can let go of in your kitchen in terms of broken or damaged items, take the time to repair any items that you really love, and begin to open up more opportunities for health, support, resources, and strength.

by Anjie Cho