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| The Role of Trees and Plants in Feng Shui Theory
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Any living plant or tree is considered the Wood element in Five-Element theory and if Wood is needed to correct an imbalance within the home, then the live plant is more appropriate than wood furnishings. The plant has a nervous system and it can absorb or re-direct chi in a room as well. An example might be the common front door alignment with a back door. Having a live plant somewhere between the aligned entrance and exit could help slow down and buffer chi flow (air currents). The effect is that occupants can be healthier and save their money easier.
Right now there are not a lot of houses which specifically need the Wood element to correct the Flying Star combination of elements in a room. (Unseen influences). But here is an example of where a live plant may be helpful: A house which was built between 1944-1963 AND facing North or South, will have energy at its center which translates: water dominating fire. The way to mitigate this imbalance is to weaken water and strengthen fire and it is done with the Wood element. (Wood makes fire stronger.)
If someone had a floor plan, where the center of the house was open enough to place a live plant (big hallway, living room, etc.), then a plant may help with this imbalance. The problems which can result from water dominating fire include heart or eye problems. Some practitioners debate about whether or not you can treat the center of a structure, unlike other directional areas of the floor plan, but it certainly can t hurt!
Large, tall trees behind or in front of a property can become "virtual" mountains if they are substantially taller than the structure. Some houses and buildings specifically benefit from having a real or virtual mountain on one side of the house, so the tall trees can act as a substitute for a real mountain or hill.
Trees, bushes, and thick plantings surrounding a property can also act to shore up energy which would otherwise flow away. An example of this is a house with significantly lower land level on some part of the property. Planting a hedge or even positioning a row of potted plants can help keep the chi on the property and close to the occupants. This can improve both health and finances. An old-age Feng Shui belief is that a house with a severe slope behind it will be a difficult house to conceive sons in.
Some Feng Shui books refer to trees as possessing spirits and the need to be very careful in terms of what type of tree is planted and whether or not it should ever be uprooted. In many Asian neighborhoods, residents often unnecessarily remove trees in front of houses because of an oversimplified and superstitious way of relating to Feng Shui. There is a notion that a tree in front of a door will block chi or be bad luck. Obviously, if the tree is huge and literally blocks easy access to the door, then there is a problem.
If the tree casts so much shade that an area inside or outside the house is chronically dark, then a good trimming is in order. If the tree is buckling pavement and threatening to damage the house s foundation, then you have problems which supersede Feng Shui theory--or create other Feng Shui problems which are much worse (like a cracked foundation or strangled plumbing.)
Dead or dying plants should be removed as quickly as possible, although I have never promoted the theory that dried flower arrangements have bad Feng Shui. One client has her wedding bouquet mounted to her bathroom wall and it not only looks nice, but also provides her with the happy memory of her wedding day on a regular basis. I can t believe that this is bad Feng Shui in any shape or form.
An odd-shaped lot, like a pie-shaped lot which narrows in the back, can be partially remedied or squared out with proper landscaping. When it is difficult to grow healthy greenery on your property, it may be an indication that the chi in the ground is lacking healthful energies. Some Form School Feng Shui Masters will note the moisture and dark richness of the soil as a routine part of their evaluation. One type of plant which tends to attract ghosts (don t ask me why!), is the banana tree. They often seem to be on the properties of clients who complain of ghosts.
Popular Feng Shui books also like to make a fuss about plants with sharp leaves, as though they were the worst manifestation of "poison arrows." Except for an actual cactus, I have not seen many plant leaves that I would be the least bit concerned about. For those of you who live near West L.A., drive by a house on the corner of Bundy and Exposition Blvds. You will see large cactus all around the outside of the house close to the windows. I think it is a perfect natural security system.
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This article is brought to you by |
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Kartar Diamond
Kartar Diamond is a certified consultant and instructor from the American Feng Shui Institute. Her teaching schedule includes weekly classes in many parts of Southern California. Her consulting business, Feng Shui Solutions , specializes in existing residential and commercial property, as well as the design phase of new buildings and additions. Kartar's clients have included architects, designers, therapists, medical practitioners, artists, CEO's, entertainers, attorneys, restaurant owners, schools and photographers.
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