Ancient Chinese philosophy is an inspiration to some persons and plain superstition to others. There is a lot of interest in the practice of Feng Shui, both in the East and in the West. The guiding principles have an effect on each aspect of life for those who believe in it. In the last years, the New Age movement was influenced by elements such as wind chimes and crystals.

The energy flow or lack of it is the core of the philosophy. The flow is dictated by how objects are placed in relation to each others and has a positive or negative impact on the environment. The quality of the energy affects relationships, finance and health. 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 rooms in the home have different roles and they have to be treated in a different way. There should be only one door for the bedroom and the bed must not be positioned in between the door and the window as this could result in troubled sleep. The bed should be constructed from wood and people should be facing the door and sleep at least 45cm above the floor. Pictures of wild animals or water as well as mirrors should be avoided. The windows should be draped by thick curtains and the walls should be painted in blue, red or green shades.

The stove and sink should not be adjacent in the kitchen as the proximity of water and fire can lead to conflict. Stoves should be installed in the south corner, the room must have a wide doorway and microwaves are not suggested. Feng Shui is also applied to living rooms and dining rooms. There must be at least one wall without a window and the walls should be painted in bright colors. Elements that bring luck include 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.

Even the powder room has guidelines. To make sure there is no 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. Stairs must be brightly lit as a dark stairway can bring negative energy. Good fortune will fall through open stairs and confusion will be brought by a spiral staircase. Entrance halls should also be brightly lit but be painted in muted colors. They should be warm and can be decorated with water features or plants. It's fun to experiment with Feng Shui and see its affects, if any.