Tag Archives: smudgesticks

December 17, 2009 · 11:32 pm

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY FENG SHUI IF A LOVED ONE DIES AT HOME?

When a loved one dies at home, where does the energy go? Does it have an impact on your feng shui? That’s a good question and one I encounter often. If a person dies under disturbing circumstances, that energy may stick around and cause problems for the living. But if the person died peacefully, and certain steps are taken to clear the air and reclaim the space, the feng shui can be very positive again once everyone has completed their grieving process.

My own father died in a NH hospice room several years ago. I was impressed that the nurses there had created their own ritual for the residents that passed away. I was just outside his room when my father passed. The nurses went in immediately without me and carefully cleaned my father’s body and tucked him into his bed so that it appeared he was sleeping peacefully. They had placed his hands folded across his chest with a single red rose and they had opened a high window across from the bed despite the freezing temperatures and snowstorm outside. I inquired why they did this and I was told that they wanted to give their patients’ spirits a chance to leave the premises. They told me further that they would leave the body in this state at least overnight instead of rushing to call the undertakers in to take it. This might give the deceased some time to “find the window” and leave. Very interesting, isn’t it?

What if a spirit/ energy can’t leave? That’s when you have some feng shui problems. If a loved one has died at home, you can try the window method same as the hospice workers. But in addition, you might want to consider space clearing with incense or a smudge stick. Bless the energy of the departed and send it back to the creator as you waft the smoke around the room and the rest of the home. Be sure to do this after a good crying jag, too.

You may live in a space where a previous occupant has died but you did not know it. Or even worse, someone may have killed themself or others in your space. In an old historic home, there could be ghosts from centuries past still residing there. What happens is that the residual chi energy in all of these cases needs to be displaced so that you can claim the space for your own. If you try to do a space clearing method on your own and it doesn’t work, call in a qualified feng shui expert. In addition to smudging, there are sound cures and other sacred methods that a pro may use to clear the space so that you can claim it and live there in harmony.

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October 28, 2009 · 11:42 am

HALLOWEEN: GHOSTS, GOBLINS, & FENG SHUI

basket
This sacred basket with monkey skulls has a scary feel to it and could carry residual energies too powerful to handle outside of a museum setting.

A few years ago, I was called on to feng shui a building belonging to a Hollywood post-production company. I pulled up in front of a very sleek building with 60’s modern glass block façade in Burbank not too far from Disney Studios. The client’s business was editing film for features and commercials, so, naturally most of the space was filled with electronic equipment used for that purpose. The bold design of the building matched the high-tech business occupying the space perfectly. Or so I thought.

Within a few minutes, during my interview with the client in his office, I began to experience a strange sensation. I kept hearing the word “mortuary” in my mind and became distracted by the persistence of this thought. I struggled to keep my focus on the client and asked him what the building’s history was, who occupied the space before him, etc. He told me that the building had been his for more than twenty years and that prior to that it was also used for film editing for at least a dozen years.

“Mortuary” kept getting louder in my head and I began to feel uncomfortable in this office. I said to my client, “Okay. So this building has always housed your type of business then. Let’s move on to the next question.” He then said, rather casually, “Well, but originally it was built to hold a mortuary.” He eyed me nervously, noting my skin had just turned a shade whiter, and asked me, “Is that bad feng shui?”

Here’s the bottom line: it’s not good feng shui to have stagnant, dead, negative energy in any space, let alone your work space. Residual energy was lingering even decades after the mortuary had been closed and replaced by high tech businesses.

There could very possibly have been ghosts in that space, too, although I didn’t see or feel any at the time. We did a feng shui space clearing ceremony and blessing ritual and cleared out all negative vibes. Often, that is all that needs to be done to reset the energy to a clean and positively charged space.

Recently, I have come across more cases of corporate office buildings inhabited by ghosts and sane working people who are encountering strange energies. Maybe it’s just the onset of the Halloween season, but, there does seem to be a heightened awareness of spirit energy around this time of year. A technician at a computer chip company told me that he was sitting in his office and felt a strong tap on his shoulder. He turned around expecting to find a colleague only to discover there was nobody there. At a bank in Santa Monica, a Vice President told me she had felt a presence hugging her at her home and she was afraid to return to her apartment. Also, she was concerned the entity might follow her to work. I worked with these clients on strengthening their feng shui and clearing their space with a Native American smudgestick and reclamation ceremony. They’re now ghost-free.

However, some situations involve much darker forces. Heavy—maybe even “evil”—energy does exist. To clear a space of this type of energy takes an experienced healer or a spiritualist with ghostbusting knowledge. Deita Klaus and her partner Deirdre Devlin are two such people. Their company, Hollywood Ghostbusters, handles calls from individuals and corporations desperate to remove paranormal energies from their homes and office buildings. Although Deita said they have encountered poltergeists and demons, most cases they work on involve simply helping the spirit of a departed person move on.
Their fees depend on the size of the job and the type of entity to be ousted and each case is different.

I asked Deita if there were any notoriously famous haunted buildings in LA that she knows of. She told me that The Brewery Arts Complex, Paramount Studios, and the Comedy Store all have spirits residing there. She also claimed that the Hollywood Hills area has many haunted homes because they were built above sacred Native American burial grounds. “The Magic Castle has many spirits, too, yet they want them there. The magic you see there is really the ghosts!”, Deita said.

Deita and Deirdre have been practicing their gifts for a long time. I asked Deita if it is dangerous to deal with paranormal energies? She told me, “Oh yes, they can take over your spirit…you must know how to protect yourself and not be afraid. Fear is what they invoke and then they try to get into you.” Is it dangerous for someone to do their own ghostbusting? “Yes, we ask people, unless they have the experience, do not try and take the energy out.”

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June 18, 2009 · 10:49 pm

SHA SHA SHA SHATTERED: Can feng shui stop the breaking glasses?

Photo courtesy of Wii Have A Problem

Photo courtesy of Wii Have A Problem

I recently got an intriquing email from someone I will call “J”. It made me recall an earlier incident I had with my own feng shui. On a lighter note, check out the “Wii Have a Problem” blog—it’s a hilarious look at one household’s problems with breaking glass via Wii.
Hi Katy,

I hope this finds you well. Just this evening I happened upon your blog and it’s just great! I am an Interior Designer with an Architect hubby and we are really curious about Feng Shui. Also, we recently moved into a new house. Well, it’s not really very new; built in 1961 with one previous owner who died in the house.

So, I have had an interesting problem since we moved in. We, and mainly myself, keep breaking glass. More glass has been shattered in the 2 months we’ve been here than I think I have EVER had in my lifetime.

Is there some kind of clearing I can do?

I know this is a quirky problem but I’d really appreciate your input.

Blessings,
J

Here’s what I wrote back:
Hi J,
The good news is you already know the root cause of the problem (the previous owner died in the house). Yes, there are space clearing methods that can be done. When dealing with this type of problem
it is best to use a professional because whenever dealing with paranormal energy, you are dealing with the occult and portals that are opened need to be closed properly so that no harm comes to anyone as a result of trying to cure the problem.

That being said, I had a very similar experience when I moved into a loft in downtown LA a few years ago. The first 3 months I was there, I was dropping and breaking glasses (and so were guests) and this had never happened to me before. I actually felt something pushing my hand to knock a glass over.

Through research and synchronicity–and oddly enough my own dreams and the dream of an overnight guest– I discovered and confirmed at the library that the original use of the building was a bootleg saloon back in the roaring twenties during prohibition.

Spirits will often seek out those that are sensitive to knowing their presence or seeing them. IE: others could live in your house and may never have the same problems you do because they are “immune” / unconscious and unreachable. Sometimes children will be the way the spirits will come in because children are more open and don’t have defenses up. You must be particularly susceptible. I should ask: has there been any recent activity that may have indicated you accidentally invited the ghost to show up? IE: playing Ouija board, reading tarot cards, having a psychic or astrology reading at your home or over the phone from your home…even telling ghost stories can sometimes trigger paranormal portals to open.

Are the incidences still occurring since you wrote to me May 28th? Do they happen at certain times of day or at any time randomly? Does the glass shattering happen in one location or many in the home? Please get back to me and I’ll give you more information.
Best,
Katy

Katy,

Thank you for getting back to me. I’m in a rush and will have to keep it a bit short, but so excited to talk to you about this!!

The glass has continued to break, same spot in the house and usually by me. It’s in the kitchen which happens to be in the Marriage corner of the house – feng shui. Not at any particular time of day, but it never happens at night for some reason.

The area used to be a farm and other than the previous owner dying, nothing i know of has happened on the land, except for finding the neighbors dead bunny rabbit while i was gardening. i’m hoping this is random.

i pulled out my tarot cards only once and that was just a few days ago. no other invitations. that being said, i’ve always had a, “touch of the gift” as i call it, so i think that’s why i’m picking up on things.
i’m having the house cleared professionally very soon. i’ve felt it needed it since we moved in and just haven’t had the time.
J

Dear J,
I’m glad you are hiring a pro. I hope you got good references as there are a lot of inexperienced people out there. If they are a feng shui expert, expect to receive a space clearing that involves smoke (sage or incense), possibly a sound cure (Tibetan bells, for example, or loud clapping), intentions for banishing and clearing the space, as well
as a final blessing when space is cleared. A feng shui person will use sacred hand mudras and incantations specific for clearing this residual ghost energy. Good luck!

When you work with your tarot cards, it’s always best to do a formal open and close. Here’s what I do:
Light a candle. Ask for your guides to come in to help you read as well as protect you and any others present from harm.
(Your guides can include your angel, animal, ancestor guides etc. ) If you’re reading for someone else, ask permission for
their guides to help and protect all concerned as well. Do your reading as usual. When finished, do a completion/closing
by thanking all guides for their help and protection. Then blow out the candle and put away the cards. Do not leave them
casually lying around.
Best,
Katy

I am counting on “J” to let us know how her professional space clearing went. Have you ever had problems with breaking glass? Comment please, I’d like to hear from you.

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March 29, 2009 · 9:06 pm

WHY PRESIDENT OBAMA NEEDS TO REDECORATE HIS OFFICE NOW! (The feng shui of the country depends on it!)

Photo courtesy of Pal2pal.com

Photo courtesy of Pal2pal.com

According to The Washington Post’s Binyamin Appelbaum and Michael A. Fletcher, as of this past Saturday March 27 President Obama “has held himself up as an example, saying that he had not yet renovated the Oval Office and was still using George W. Bush’s furniture, even noting the stains on the carpet. He urged the banks to show comparable “constraint and responsibility,” adding that the nation had undergone a cultural shift.”

As a feng shui consultant, and a Democrat, this makes me very nervous! The residual Qi (energy, pronounced “ch’i”) left behind by 43 and his administrative cronies is still lingering in the Oval Office. Ever hear the term “the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife”? That’s what happens when heavy potentially negative Qi builds up in a space. Eight years of the heaviest vibes—think 9/11, Iraq, Katrina, the worst financial crisis since 1929— have built up in the Oval Office and need to be cleared out so the president can feel at ease and really focus on his job without any negative influence. The air in there is probably so thick, he’d need a machete to cut it. I’m not suggesting there is a magic wand. But letting in some fresh air so he can think clearly without the ghosts of the past administration tainting the atmosphere should be a feng shui priority, and feng shui is a bipartisan issue.

From a visual standpoint alone, the symbolic nature of a stained carpet in the office of the most powerful person on earth does not enhance the image of the presidency. While it’s a laudable intention behind holding back on a spending spree, it really is necessary for the good of the country to freshen up the Oval Office. How to get the good vibes back? President Obama needs to claim this space as his own. And just for the record, an Oval Office facelift doesn’t require a lot of taxpayer’s money:

*Repaint the walls. This is the simplest way to change the feel of the room.

*Replace the carpet. Stains represent blemishes from the previous administration.

*Seat yourself. If you can, replace the entire office suite. If not, start with a fresh chair.

*Choose personal symbols. Bring in art and personal objects that inspire you.

*Clean all fabrics. If the curtains and upholstery is not being replaced, give it a good steam cleaning at the very least.

*Clear the air. Space-clearing with a sage smudge stick has become very mainstream in many of the most successful urban corporate offices from Donald Trump to Donna Karan. If Oprah can’t refer you to someone, give me a call.

And remember, Mr. President: you’re representing We the People. You deserve a clean slate and a decent space to work in. Enhancing your feng shui can’t hurt, it can only help!

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March 13, 2009 · 2:04 pm

CLEARING THE VIBES OF CORPORATE GREED

 

Feng Shui By Fishgirl Smudge Stick

Feng Shui By Fishgirl Smudge Stick

  Ever walk into a vacant conference room and want to leave immediately? You may have even wrinkled your nose unconsciously, as if the air had a peculiar stench to it. Chances are you were picking up on some residue from the past usage of the room. It might have simply been a long drawn out meeting with a lot of tension between the attendees. Or, worse still, the room may have been used to deliver bad news such as a mass layoff or firing of staff after a takeover by another firm. Imagine the ick-factor in the room where former NASDAQ chieftan Bernie Madoff admitted his entire operation was nothing but a Ponzi scheme.

    When harsh words are spoken, voices are raised in anger, or emotions are running high for whatever reason, the chi (energy) does tend to linger in the atmosphere. Those of us who are sensitive to it will pick up on the ‘bad vibes’ even if we don’t quite know what the source is. Many of us will suffer the symptoms of the drained chi even if we don’t connect the dots. For example, if you’re working in the vicinity of such a heavy atmosphere, you may have a lethargic feeling, a headache, or an inability to concentrate on your work even if you’re blissfully unaware of any disturbances in the corporate jungle nearby your cubicle.

    To remove past psychic residue that is impacting present workers, space must be periodically cleared. This can be done after every meeting—negative or positive—to keep the chi on an even keel. One can clear the air with sage, incense, or scented oils. Chi an also be refreshed with sound cures such as Tibetan bells, gongs, or chimes. Light also helps, as in lighting a candle to reset a balanced, peaceful mood. Opening windows and literally letting fresh air in is also suitable for a quick feng shui fix.

    It’s easy to implement these ideas at home and but what if your employer is not open to the practice of feng shui, most of the above chi-lifting cures can be introduced by staff under the guise of ‘cheering up the place’ or simply done after hours when the big boss is absent from the premises. Clearing the air is a subtle but powerful feng shui practice that costs next to nothing and has instant results. Try it!

Feng Shui By Fishgirl offers a smudgestick made of sage + several herbs collected and hand made by a Native American shaman in northern California. Complete instructions for usage, these 10″ large smudgers make awesome gifts and last a long time! $25 includes s & h to most places in US. Please inquire.

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