Ancient Oriental way of life is an inspiration to some individuals and mere superstition to others. Both East and West practice Feng Shui with a lot of interest these days. The guidelines affect each aspect of life for those who believe in it. Recently, the New Age society was influenced by elements such as wind chimes and crystals.

The energy flow or lack of it is the core of the philosophy. How objects are placed in relation to each other dictates this flow and has a positive or negative effect on the environment. Relationships, finance and health are affected by the quality of the energy. Many people arrange the contents of their homes, following the rules and recommendations of FengShui. (Some call it Fen Shui or FenShui but its an error)

Different places in the home have different roles and cannot be treated in the same way. There should be only one door for the bedroom and the bed must not be positioned in between the window and the door as this will result in troubled sleep. The bed should be made of wood and inhabitants should be facing the door and sleep at least 45cm above the floor. Mirrors and pictures of wild animals or water should be avoided. The windows should be draped by thick curtains and the walls should be painted in red, blue or green shades.

In the kitchen, the cooker and sink should not be adjacent as the proximity of fire and water can lead to conflict. Cookers should be positioned in the south corner, the room must have a wide doorway and microwaves are not recommended. Feng Shui is also applied to dining rooms and living rooms. There must be at least one wall without a window and the walls should be painted in bright colors. Mirrors to reflect food on the table, the hanging of family pictures and television sets or hi-fi systems that stand at the west wall are among the elements that bring luck.

Even the powder room has guidelines. To keep out negative energy, the door and toilet lid must be kept closed. The room must always be clean and having plants and pictures in there brings bad luck. A dark stairway can bring negative energy, so keep the stairs brightly lit. Good fortune will fall through open stairs and confusion will be brought by a spiral staircase. Entrance halls must also be brightly lit but be painted in muted colors. They must be warm and can be decorated with water features or plants. It's fun to try Feng Shui and observe its affects, if any.