Leib and Associates

Water Features and Feng Shui

My Feng Shui Master and teacher, Richard Ashworth, is remotely (from England), placing a water feature on our property. It requires a lot of calculations, door angle placement, and detailed information about those in the household.

The goal is to place water at a specific time and place to create enduring protection and good fortune for the inhabitants.

Putting water in the wrong place can be detrimental, so it needs to be determined by a Feng Shui expert.

He has identified the specific date, time, size and place to do this, and the best material and shape of the feature.

Our house, Floyd, has a rustic vibe, so we are using a galvanized feed trough that is 6’ in diameter. The placement will be at 11:00 am on June 26. Stay tuned for more details as we approach June 26.

Feng Shui and Mixing Elements

In Feng Shui, you’re never really dealing with 1 element. The mixing of the elements in the space (fire and metal in this cool light fixture, pictured above, in our Cancun restaurant) with the timing (Water Tiger= water element and Tiger is wood element) and the location (Cancun is Southeast from me but Southwest from, let’s say, New York).

And our location in Cancun is next to the Gulf of Mexico, a sea. The beach and the sand are earth.

So, is the predominant element water, metal, fire, wood or earth?

Everything is represented, and in this restaurant there may be predominant metal and fire (think cooking and pans).

How do all of these elements work together? Or against each other? Do they create harmony? Or do they clash?

Based on our dinner, I’d say harmonious, but stay tuned for an in depth analysis next week.

Your Stomach and Earth

These days, who doesn’t have stomach problems? The stomach is associated with the element earth in Feng Shui and is associated with the direction of Northeast.

If you have stomach issues, you may have an earth imbalance. Brick, stone, sand, crystals all represent earth. If you are surrounded by earth, you can lessen it by adding some metal to your space. If it’s waaaaaayyy too much earth, you may need to add wood.

Not enough earth… add earth! Go work in the garden, make some ceramics and/or, add some raw crystals to your space! I need earth so I am trying to get in the dirt these days.

If you have stomach unease, take a look around and assess the quantity of earth in your space and see if your stomach troubles disappear.

In Feng Shui, Lungs are associated with the element of metal. 2020 was a metal rat year, and if you remember, we had a disease that affected the lungs.

Metal and lungs are in the West of the Bagua. If you have too much metal in that area, too much metal on your property, or you are metal heavy in your Bazi, or birth chart, you could have lung trouble or be more likely to.

Adding some water can lessen metal’s effect and a bit of fire can help lessen too much metal if it’s an issue for you.

Your Liver and Feng Shui

If you’re like most people, the state of the world has us raising glasses…of alcohol! So what area and element of Feng Shui is related to the liver? Wood! Guess what the Tiger is (as in year of the Tiger)…? It’s Wood!

So, the first half of 2022, or until summer, wood is a predominant element in Feng Shui.
If there’s a lot of drama going on in the East of your home, your liver may need some TLC.

All Eyes to the South; Compass Direction, Body Parts and Feng Shui

Eyes are windows to the soul, right? In Feng Shui, eyes have a place in the bagua or area of a space-the South.

If you are having eye trouble, chances are you’re having issues in the Southern part of your home.

I recently had eye surgery to remove a cataract and insert a permanent corrective lens. Well, it didn’t go as planned, and my vision is actually now worse 😔. So it got me thinking about the South of our home, where we have a cracked window and we just removed a very “unsightly” non-structural and non-accessible Juliet balcony. It was, as they say, “an eyesore.” Deconstructed, and hopefully looking pretty soon, I hope I will be looking to the South with both eyes soon.

If you have a part of the body in trouble, chances are the direction for the part of the house associated with the body part is experiencing some challenges as well.

Tune in next week as I talk parts of the body and with which part of the compass they are associated.

Feng Shui Floyd

Floyd is getting new kitchen and dining room floors!

The floors we are putting in are slate, which is the element Earth. I need more Earth in my chart, so this is good!

Any tile or stone is considered Earth. If you feel you need grounding, this is a great choice for floors.

How the Pandemic Ignited the Market for Used Furniture

The pandemic has created a bit of a perfect storm for the used and antique furniture business.
All this time at home has made people yearn for a fresh look. The spike in home remodeling and all the moving around people have done created new spaces to fill. Frustrated consumers still waiting for a headboard and bedside tables they ordered six months ago are increasingly willing to buy previously owned sofas, just as they are willing to scoop up used Hondas and Chanel bags.

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I’ve included one of our projects where we refinished and used my mom’s dresser in our room.

Happy Chinese New Year-We’re Back!

Finally, the year of the Water Tiger is up and running! I’ve been not so patiently awaiting this transition. Why was this so important? After several tough years in my birth chart, this was supposed to be my lucky break.

I’m a believer, and I absolutely felt the shift, not on Feb 1, official lunar Chinese New Year, but Feb 7 for me.

How do I know if I’m going to have a good year or not? It’s literally written in the stars. We can’t change our birth luck (1/3 of the luck pie), but we can change the Feng Shui (1/3 of the pie) and we can shift our tenacity, our attitude or person luck (1/3 of the pie).

How do you know if the year will be a good year for you? I talked about animal signs and luck in an earlier Feng Shui Friday post, but here is a checklist that you may need help.

Starting In February:
1. You are not sleeping as well as you were since the beginning of the month
2. Things suddenly seem more difficult to accomplish
3. You are feeling less energetic, or sick.
4. More arguments in your home.
5. Sudden money challenges

There are many more, but if you notice this, and it’s never subtle, you may need some Feng Shui intervention.

Hoping the Water Tiger is helpful for you!

My Closet Before and After

We were feeling the monetary pinch and bought a closet kit that Tom put together over 2 weekends. Now I can see everything I own in one place with great lighting.

Good Feng Shui and good chi.

💡: Recessed lights – Nora Lighting Pearl Series 4” comfort dim

💡: Semi flush pendant – Lotus by Hinkley