Finance Roll

Money is on most everyone's mind. A couple of years ago, a man cashed in on a large load of options and became a millionaire in one day. He explained how he never realized how much he thought about money every day until he had enough that he would never have to worry about it again. Now he says he gets all kinds of work done and has had a burden lifted that he had never known how much he suffered under!

This story illustrates a common theme for many people because many people are under the yoke of money. Maybe even you worry about it, think about it, ponder over it, avoid it by ignoring the last three month's of checking account statements and not bringing your balance up to date, or simply hope the problem (overdrawn statements, credit card balances) just go away. And even though you know it's not the best way to handle finances, you may still do it anyway.

Fortunately, feng shui has ideas and remedies that can help create more energy (read: money) to get your finances flowing again. Try these ideas to see if you can't stimulate more prosperity!

o What's in your wallet?

Old scraps of paper, credit cards for accounts you closed two year ago or for accounts you never use? Toss them. And if your wallet is shot, invest in a new one. If you can, select a red wallet to really energize your finances. These are the most auspicious and excellent for generating more money.

Next, be sure your wallet is clean, neat, and organized. If it is close to the start the New Year consider buying a new wallet. Maybe you could request one as a gift every year when the holidays roll around. Make it a part of your standard gift list for holidays or birthdays.

o Clean out old financial files.

Old energy keeps new energy from coming into your life. Do you have old financial information hanging around? If you are hanging on to credit card statements from five years ago, you are probably holding on to too much old financial energy. Usually, items older than 5 years are considered safe to toss. Of course, you shouldn't get rid of old IRS statements! Use discretion when cleaning out your files and consult your accountant if you have questions.

o Be neat and orderly.

Organize your bills and put them in one place. Make it easy and efficient to pay your bills. It's just common sense and good feng shui. And don't just wad money up in your wallet. Treat it with respect and put the bills in there nicely.

o Declutter.

One of the most important things you can do for your finances is simply to clean up. Throwing out junk and getting rid of things like excess paper, empty boxes, and broken items can go a long way toward energizing your home for prosperity. In particular, declutter your SE corner of your home, of your living room, and of your bedroom. This is the wealth sector and if it has piles of junk, then financial chi can't circulate.

o Enhance your prospects.

What direction is best for inviting more opportunity (read: get a better position and earn more money)? See below.

Kua NumberCareer Direction

1North

2Southwest

3East

4Southeast

5 MenNortheast

5 Women Southwest

6Northwest

7West

8South

Not sure about your Kua number? Go to The Red Lotus Letter Kua Calculator to find out what your KUA number is. Make sure you look at the directions above. If possible, make it so your desk faces the SW, is that's your direction. Don't put your back to it, look in this direction.

o Water, water, everywhere.

Well, not everywhere...only in certain places, really. Water equals money. No water, no money. Consider an aquarium in the North sector of your house, provided it isn't a bathroom or bedroom. Don't want an aquarium? Fine, put a painting or print of water, a waterfall, an ocean scene, a picture of turtles or fish....

These are all fine representations of water. Or, if the North is out your front door, paint it black. This is incredible feng shui and one of the few western-style feng shui tips that works especially well. If you paint the door black, consider painting the shutters black too!

Another good water option is to display sailing ships. Display the ships, either in paintings, prints, or figures as sailing into the front door. Those that are not in rough seas are best. Sailing ships represented commerce and were often laden with all manner of precious cargo. In the US, you can often find ship figures at craft stores such as Hobby Lobby or décor stores such as Tuesday Morning and Kirklands.

Why go to this trouble in your North sector? The north represents opportunities and career. If your career advances, most of the time, your earning power does, too. This is why you want to make sure your North sector is well cared for. Gold objects (such as brass items) in this area are also extremely auspicious. Even if your kua number says your success direction is Southwest, I would not miss an opportunity to bolster my North sector. Be sure to enhance both sectors.

o Get more green.

In the Southeast (SE) wealth sector, that is. Put a grouping of 4 plants of varying heights together in the SE corner of your home. If this is a bedroom or bathroom, put them in the SE corner of your living room. Try to select a jade plant as one of your grouping.

These plants are excellent feng shui, provided the plants are attractive, healthy, and well-cared for. If not, these are very bad luck, indeed. If you want, you can use silk plants, but real ones are best. Don't forget to energize the SE corner of your living room with a beautiful plant. Put this plant in a basket or brass planter.

Don't forget Dragon Power! Display a green dragon in the East and Southeast for improved income. You can usually find these online or in Chinese or Asian emporiums or markets. Wall hangings or figures of dragons are equally good.

Avoid having metal in the SE sector of your home or living room because the SE represents small wood (growing chi) and metal cuts wood. If the SE has a toilet there, put a large rock in the bathroom and tie it with a red ribbon. This will "press" down the negative energy of the toilet.

o Get financial backing.

Just like putting a mountain at your back in the form of a picture on the wall will help you get more management support from bosses or superiors, a picture of a financial institution can give you good "financial backing."

Get a picture, poster, or painting of a bank, Wall Street, or other financial institution, and hang it so that it is at your back. Even bars of gold or sheets of money would be good here. This is especially good feng shui if you own a business! Put this artwork behind your register or your desk.

o Check your financial thinking.

That's right, how you think about money is important. There are lots of books that can help here. Some of the best for addressing the mental side of money are Suze Orman's. Did you know couples fight more about money than they do sex or children? Money is extremely personal and people get very uncomfortable talking about it.

Do you have "poor" thinking?

Do you believe that there is never enough to go around or that you don't deserve success and financial security? You should really take a close look at your financial mindset. Consider investing in some books that address your "money mind" -- because your attitude is often the source of financial difficulty.

Maybe you just need more

Many times people think that to gain more money they have to continue to find ways to cut expenses, rather than find new sources of income. Sometimes that means finding a new job, asking for a raise, getting a rental property, or taking a small part time job to bring in more money. Consider if there is something you can do to earn more rather than cut out more from your budget.