In Feng Shui there are not many hard and fast rules, but rather recommendations. The most important thing is that you live with you love. The exceptions are areas that can specifically drain your Ch’i, or vital life energy. For these areas there are a few rules that when followed create a more balanced environment, and hence a more balanced life. In an ideal environment the Ch’i enters through the threshold (Mouth of Ch’i) and meanders happily and slowly through the house, moving in a circular direction through each of the Bagua areas back to the center and continuously around. It does not get trapped in closets, stumbles over clutter, or shoots through windows, down toilets or rushes down stairways.
Recently, a number of my clients are experiencing the dilemma of staircases coming out their front doors, or even more problematic a split stairway at the front door; one leading up and another going down. Each of these clients was experiencing unsettled feelings, lack of energy and trouble moving forward in life.
We call stairs raging rapids and rivers because they can become powerful waterfalls of Ch’i, especially if they point out the front entrance. In this case the nourishing Ch’i pours right out the door, often taking health and good fortune with it. Rooms at the top of a staircase are continually pulled with the force of the decent, while rooms at the bottom are flooded with too much energy.
In Feng Shui there are usually corrections for every trouble spot and for stairs something that stops the flow or repels the energy going out is the key. When you’re working with stairways that face doorways you need to do your best to stop the flow of Ch’i from rolling out the door by installing some kind of aesthetic barrier between door and stairs, such as a screen, plant, furniture or art. When this is not possible, hang a mirror above or next to the door facing the stairs, or hang a round faceted crystal somewhere in the middle above the stairs to catch and recirculate the Ch’i. Be careful not to accentuate the waterfall design by hanging art in a descending order. Use your art to uplift the energy by hanging it in a straight line.
When you have a split staircase use the mirror and or crystal technique for each one. Place a plant, art or sculpture on the wall between the two to give the eyes something to focus on besides the split energy.
If the staircases are in the Center Bagua area, which is often the case, make sure that you bring in a great deal of the Earth Element through earth tone wall colors, art, ceramics and rectangular shapes.
