Just as it is almost next to impossible for us to honestly see ourselves objectively, it can be doubly difficult for us to judge our home’s initial impact on others! Why? Because we become so accustomed to all the sights, sounds, and smells of our home. They become second nature to us.
Sometimes, maintaining harmony and balance can be lost sight of in living our lives. Homes, like people evolve over time. Sometimes we make changes in our station in life, but we do not include our home in the metamorphous. Also,we may have taken on some nasty habits like clutter. Or we get lazy and learn to live with things needing repairs. After awhile we become oblivious to the defects and learn to live with them.
So what you think others see and feel upon entering your home may be a totally different reality from what they actually do. Someone entering your home for the first time, especially, will notice all the mess, clutter, and needed repairs. Just ask any realtor if you have any doubts.
Since feng shui espouses you can change your life by changing your space, it’s of utmost importance that we always try to keep a handle on our surroundings. Therefore, I’m suggesting you do a self-evaluation of your home at least twice a year and ask maybe two friends to independently judge the place too. If you schedule it seasonally, it’s easier to remember.
You and your friends will not be judging the place on good or bad feng shui. What you will be doing is getting everyone’s first impressions and feelings on entering your space. You are not asking for psychic input, but feeling input.
Also no cheating with this test! You will be the loser if you do. The evaluations are to be done during a NORMAL day, not a day after you’ve spent cleaning. “Au natural” is the rule.
It’s really great if you can perform your personal assessment when returning from an extended trip. However, if you don’t have any travel plans, the next best suggestion is to get out of the house for a couple of hours. Leaving preferably in the morning and returning mid-afternoon before 3:00PM. This way, you’ll be able to see the space in sunlight.
An excellent idea to achieve the greatest results is to go to a large body of running water like an ocean, a river or a stream. For those who don’t live near any of these, take a trip to a local shopping mall or town’s square that has a large fountain.
Being near a large mass of running water is a quick and easy way to clear your aura of undesirable energies. All of the major religions and mystery schools advocate cleansing and rebirth by water. The ocean is symbolic of the Great Mother. All life has sprung from her. Since mothers always want the best for us, why not ask the Great Mother for direction and help? After you return from a leisurely day, you can take the test.
When I went to Catholic school, the nuns would always tell us to put our “thinking caps” on. For this test, you are going to put your “feeling caps” on. How the home feels is of utmost importance. If you start to view the space using an intellectual process or start thinking about it, you’ve missed the whole meaning of this exercise. We want to analyze what type of atmosphere is prevalent.
Taking the test, you are to imagine that you are visiting an imaginary friend. You’ve never been invited to their place before and you are eager to see how they live. You haven’t met them in person, maybe just chatted on the phone a few times. This is a great opportunity to see what they are about.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the first impression on seeing the home or apartment building?
2. What type of person would live in this place?
3. When you enter the inside, what is the first thing you see?
4. What is the first sound you hear?
5. Is there an aroma or smell that is apparent? Is the air clear and fresh?
6. Did you spot anything that needs to be repaired, is worn out, or dirty?
7. Since you never met them before, what does the place tell you about their age, health, financial status, and emotional health?
8. Do you feel comfortable or ill at ease?
9. Would you want to be friends with the person who lives here, and why?
If you haven’t cheated and really imagined yourself in the home for the first time some of the answers can be a shocker. Maybe you’ve gotten so accustomed to the smells you never notice how stale the air actually is. Yes, the rug is stained, and you’ve been meaning to clean it for the past couple of months. These are typical examples of what people find after taking the test. Things obvious to you before can morph into a part of your natural surroundings, all creating bad chi.
However, the purpose of the test is not so much to discover what’s wrong with your place. It’s to find out who lives in your place! Beyond the normal feng shui rules of keeping things clean and clutter free, it’s an excellent way to discover you! Maybe you want to achieve certain goals and what’s been holding you back is that your home does not reflect the goal attained. I do not mean by having pictures of fish hanging up or other feng shui cures, for example if you want to become wealthier. What I do mean is that your space lacks a sense of abundance in the colors, smells, textures, and furnishings. Would Donald Trump live in a place lacking a sense of grandeur? The same rule holds true for all the departments of your life. If you want to advance in career, does it feel like a successful businessperson uses your office? You must BE in order to BECOME.
When you have friends take the test, do not ask them in advance. Just do it in a casual way, but ask them to be totally honest. Don’t set yourself up by asking someone who is incapable of being objective. Their impartial responses should reflect what you want to achieve. If not, then some changes are in order.
Good luck with the test!
While she began formal training and became a disciple of the world-renowned Feng Shui Master Lin Yun, Grand Master and spiritual leader of the Black Sect Tantric Buddhist School of Feng Shui, many years ago, her studies on Feng Shui extend longer into the past. Judith has traveled to over 45 countries investigating and researching sacred sites and their corresponding ley or dragon lines. On her many trips to Central and South America, she has studied directly with native shamans to learn their cleansing and blessing rituals. She has also received certification from the Qi-Mac International Feng Shui and Geobiology Institute. The first hand experiences she has gained through decades of travel and study have made Judith one of the most sought after advisors in the United States and Western Europe. Judith’s Feng Shui practice specializes in home, office, and business environments. Many multi-million dollar corporations, risk management firms, doctor’s offices, hospitals, restaurants, law firms, and retailers have commissioned her. Judith is a charismatic public speaker and seminar leader and lectures in the United States and abroad. Her lecture expertise has been engaged by the top world cruise lines to enlighten and entertain their passengers. She is a popular guest on radio and television stations. She taught at Middlesex College in Edison, NJ courses on Feng Shui and the Tao of Color from 1993 to 2004. Judith wrote an Astrology column for NJ Holistic Magazine from 1993 to 2003. To schedule an appointment or for additional info, please go to FengShuibyJudithRyan.com or phone 201-858-1689.