Feng Shui Anyone?

Just for fun, I recently analyzed the layout of our tiny casita using a bagua map. Feng Shui practitioners use a bagua map similar to the one below to organize a home in a way that promotes the well-being of the residents. According to the bagua map, each section of your home has a symbolic meaning for a different aspect of your life. (Square 1 corresponds to the main entrance to your home.)


Because the casita we're currently renting is so small, some rooms have multiple meanings. For instance, our bedroom comprises three squares: Wealth, Fame, and Relationships. I find it rather amusing that, according to the bagua map, our wealth is located in the bedroom closet! Interestingly, though, the Study/Knowledge/Meditation square corresponds the area where we keep our computer desk; and right next to that is a loveseat, where I prefer to meditate. The Creativity square corresponds to the area where I keep my craft supplies. Our kitchen is located in the Family square, which makes sense because that's where we make our meals together. It gave me a chuckle to learn that we keep our dog's food and water bowls in the Helpful Friends/Travel Guides area, for Sasha is definitely a wonderful friend and travel companion. The laundry area falls into the Health square, which I suppose makes sense because clean clothing and linens are essential to good health.

While I don't necessarily believe that Feng Shui is an exact science, I did find some eerie truths after analyzing our home using the bagua map. For instance, I learned that decluttering certain areas of our home might help us with the issues in the corresponding square. So now I plan to declutter the area around the entrance to our home to see if it helps us gain clarity on our Career/Life Path issues.

Unfortunately, the small size of my house won't allow me to employ the principles of Feng Shui exactly; so, as long as we continue living here, I'll never know whether Feng Shui really works for me. Nevertheless, this turned out to be a rather fun and fascinating exercise.