Have you ever experienced a ghostly presence in real life or in dream time? It could take the form of hearing a voice like this story from Trainee Golem Builder Blog (where I borrowed this great ghost picture from). Or it could be that you are having a problem with shattering glasses and things breaking frequently in your home space. Some people I’ve spoken to who live in centuries-old homes like their ghosts and feel that they add friendly energy to their lives. As a feng shui practitioner I have witnessed many paranormal entities. I always recommend removing ch’i energy that doesn’t belong to you. Get rid of residual energy by doing a thorough smudge / incense/ space clearing. You’ll feel more energized and lighter once you’ve banished the otherworldly energy.
Tag Archives: space clearing
GIVING UP THE GHOST
Filed under Dreaming, Family & Health, Feng Shui, Getting Organized, Healing Energy, Qi
CLEARING RESIDUAL ENERGY: How to stop dreaming dead men’s dreams I – Dream Gates
Here is a story from Robert Moss’s dream circle that illustrates how objects (in this case, dog tags and medals from dead Vietnam soldiers) can retain energy—positive or negative— How to stop dreaming dead men’s dreams I – Dream Gates. Residual energy that doesn’t belong to you or your household can cause nightmares (as they did for Cara in the story) and other feng shui problems within your home. If you’re at all sensitive to energy it can often be confusing to know what feelings belong to you and what you’re picking up from the ethers.
Along with your spring cleaning, it’s a good idea to clear your space of this lingering ch’i energy at least once a week. And if you bring a new object into your home–preowned or antique–smudge it thoroughly to reset the ch’i.
Filed under Dreaming, Family & Health, Feng Shui, Healing Energy, Qi, Self Help
LLOYD WRIGHT MAYAN HOUSE: Can reno remove Black Dahlia’s death chi?
Frank Lloyd Wright’s son followed in his father’s footsteps when he designed this Mayan revival home in Los Feliz in the Hollywood Hills. Later, a family named Hodel lived in it. The son, Steve Hodel did NOT follow in HIS father’s footsteps: Steve’s book “Black Dahlia Avenger” reveals that Steve’s own father was the murderer in this famous case while Steve became an LA homicide detective .
So what happens when a violent death takes place in a residence like this? It could be haunted. Chances are the extensive renovation that was done recently in order to list the home at $4.2M have wiped out any residual death chi. But in an extreme case such as this, where someone was murdered, one should call in a pro like Feng Shui By Fishgirl to do a ritual space clearing and blessing on the space. See more pics of the house’s reno at Curbed LA:
Lloyd Wright’s Los Feliz Sowden House Back on the Market – New to Market – Curbed LA.
Filed under Architecture, Design, Feng Shui, Healing Energy, Interior Design, Qi
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.
Filed under Feng Shui, Healing Energy, Qi, Uncategorized
HALLOWEEN: GHOSTS, GOBLINS, & FENG SHUI
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.”
Filed under Holidays, Uncategorized
RECIPE FOR HEALING A BROKEN HEART
I recently read the “Heartbroken OW” blog and decided I needed to post my recipe for healing a broken heart today.
You’ve heard the expression “love sickness”? The term goes back a long way and many greater writers than I (Shakespeare comes to mind) have covered the symptoms brilliantly. It hits most of us at some stage of life and it can be difficult to shake it off. People can carry the attachment to the wrong person for years and years. It can be crippling to men or women who never seem to be available emotionally when they finally meet a potential new lover.
Some feng shui tips to help you detach (and you MUST detach if you are ever going to make room for a new, healthy lover):
*Take inventory of any gifts he/she gave you, photos of your lover or the two of you together, letters, emails, etc and eliminate them from your life. You can do this by tossing them in the garbage, OR you can ritualize it by burning them in a fireplace or bonfire. Say out loud as you let go of these items that remind you constantly of your lover/the affair: “I let go of (lover’s name) with love as I no longer need (his name) or any reminder of (lover’s name) in my life. I banish all negative energy and make space for a new healthy love to come into my life.”
*Sell off engagement rings or valuables and give the money to charity or to your parents.
* If you have sheets and bedding that you used together with your ex, eliminate them—-give to a pet shelter. They reuse them for pets. Buy a new set. Of course, ultimately if you could afford it, would be a good idea to also get rid of the mattress but if not possible financially you can just smudge your bed real good (see below).
* Smudge yourself and your home with sage or with incense. Waft it all around the space and say “I banish all energy that does not belong to me (and if you have a pet, include them as their energy does belong with you) and I reclaim my space for me (and my pet)!” You will want to do this throughout your home and repeat it nine days in a row and once a week or once a month thereafter. Notice how you feel when all his/her energy is cleared away.
*You may have to cut the invisible cord that is attached to your solar plexus (your energy lines to him/her and his/hers to yours). To do this, you’ll want to consciously be willing to let go, and say out loud that you are cutting all cords to (his or her name) and make a scissoring motion over your middle torso with your hands or with a real scissors, envisioning all cords being cut. They may reattach so you may have to repeat this process several times over a span of time in order for you to be clear of your ex.
*Now this part is difficult but I’ve been there myself and I know you can do it when you are ready: do NOT answer his/her calls, emails, letters etc. Put a block on his/her emails (or have them auto dumped into your trash folder so you don’t even know when he/she has contacted you), block him/her from your facebook etc pages, just DETACH, DISENGAGE, MOVE ON.
*And do not initiate contact with the exlover either. RESIST the urge to reach out when something great happens in your life or sharing when someone in your life dies or calling to tell your ex that you saw so & so and they said to say hi. Etc, etc. etc. Do not look for a reason to make contact.
*Get a pet if you don’t have one. Animals love us unconditionally. There is no better remedy for loneliness and depression than a dog or cat snuggling next to you. Rescue a pet today!
Time does give you new perspective. The recipe above is if you truly want to heal your broken heart and move on. Be gentle with yourself and take it one step at a time. Good luck!
Filed under Healing Energy, Love & Relationship, Qi, Self Help
PORTABLE FENG SHUI:Make your own feng shui travel kit
Many of us travel frequently for business purposes if not for pleasure. Whether it’s an extended stay at a corporate suite or an overnighter at a Motel 6 ®, there’s much that could be done to improve both the “home away from home” quality and the positive feng shui vibe of our traveler’s accommodations. Even the luxury hotels or villas we may splurge for during our vacation time can stand some feng shui TLC. Here’s my recipe for a portable feng shui kit you can assemble yourself.
If there is a large building or dominant structure directly opposite your room’s window, you’ll want to counteract the negative effects by hanging a feng shui solution to deflect the harmful draining ch’i. A bagua mirror faced outward would work, but, it’s much easier to find and to carry a small faceted crystal which serves just as well. Your crystal should be hung from a 9” red cord (simple red thread is fine). I suggest your kit contain at least three crystals so that you may employ one at your temporary office space, if needed, and/or in case you forget one when you check out and move on to your next destination.
Hotel rooms are continually turning over to new tenants. Residual psychic energy—positive or negative– is deposited each time a new occupant claims the space. To clear the space upon arrival, you’ll want to use a stick of incense. It’s much smaller and more convenient for traveling than carrying a sage smudging stick. Light the incense, begin at the entry door to your room and waft the smoke in as you circle the room in a clockwise direction. Set the intention to cleanse the ch’i and claim the space for yourself while you live there.
Your kit should contain a candle, too, preferably a red one. Tea lights work well and are small enough to transport and there are plain or scented versions. Place it in the far left corner from the entry door for good luck with money and a successful trip.
YOUR FENG SHUI TRAVEL KIT:
3 crystals on 9″ red cords
A few sticks of incense
Small red tea lights or votive candles
Matches or lighter
Bon voyage!
Filed under Feng Shui, Qi, Travel, Wealth & Finances
SHA SHA SHA SHATTERED: Can feng shui stop the breaking glasses?
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.
Filed under Feng Shui, Healing Energy, Qi
CLEARING THE VIBES OF CORPORATE GREED

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.
Filed under Feng Shui, Feng Shui Home, Feng Shui Office, Wealth & Finances