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Milking the Matter of Money
Sunday Star,
August 18th 2002
By Kee Hua Chee
Lillian Too is Malaysia's highest profile feng shui expert with her 45 books having sold nearly 6 million copies. Today, she is internationally recognised as the master of the esoteric science of the way of wind and water.
Her glittering career peaked when she became the first woman in Asia to run a bank, the Grindlays Dao Heng Bank, then the sixth largest local bank in Hong Kong. If this Harvard MBA graduate insists her success is due to good feng shui and its correct application, even corporate bigwigs sit up and listen.
Her lectures and private feng shui courses are immensely popular. For the first time, Lillian Too is answering oft-asked questions on diverse subjects, and on hand to jot down the answers is KEE HUA CHEE. This week, she answers questions about a matter dear and near to our heart - money!
According to Too, "feng shui is not magic, so don't expect wads of ringgit to fall from the sky as you sit at home doing nothing! However, feng shui offers a multitude of cures for cash flow crises or to stimulate money opportunities. Once these windows of opportunities open, it is up to you to make full use of them using hard work and diligence.
"The most powerful symbols of wealth, which in turn help generate money, are the three-legged money toad, three Chinese coins, arowana fish, money trees crafted from semi-precious stones like yellow citrine, the Chinese god of wealth and even the creeper plant popularly known as money plant.
"Display a sailing ship in the south-west corner of your living room or wear quality jewellery featuring the above symbols - like those in my Auspicious Jewellery Collection exclusively available at OE Fine Jewellery and World of Feng Shui at Mid-valley.
"Tie three Chinese coins with red ribbons or string and place them in your wallet. Or a yellow citrine will do.
"And be charitable by giving your hard-to-come-by money to the less fortunate! This sounds as if it's going against your intention of making money; but remember feng shui abhors a vacuum. Once you give money away to good causes, the vacuum (in your bank account) will draw in bigger things and more money to fill the void!"
Q: I live in a small condo decorated in black and white, with minimal furniture. There are no overhead beams over my waterbed and no sharp angles from neighbouring buildings shooting "poison arrows" at me. I have cactus plants on the balcony and wind chimes. I have two larges pieces of crystal quartz on my worktable. I earn a good salary but at the end of every month, I end up in debt. Should I change the decor colour, which some friends say are too funeral or get rid of the cactus?
Too: Get rid of the waterbed! This is most detrimental to finances. A waterbed will lead to financial and even business loss and bankruptcy. A waterbed used for regular sleeping is financially disastrous. You are sleeping on an unstable base every night so how can that be good feng shui?
Q: I love flowers in my house but fresh flowers are expensive and need to be changed once they wilt. So I am using dried flowers for my arrangements, like dried grasses, lotus pods, papyrus, preserved gypsophila etc. I also display the dried garlands from my wedding in the living room. I am told dried flowers are unlucky. Is this true?
Too: Dried flowers and leaves emit strong yin energy that, over time, could accumulate to an excess that might bring bad luck and illness. In feng shui, it is better to be surrounded by living things rather than dead, even if they are symbolic. I recommend hardy indoor plants like the iron plants, Japanese bamboo or money plant, which won't drain your finances. If you must have flowers, install realistic artificial ones or better still, plant your own and do a bit of gardening!
Q: How can I be rich and famous?
Too: To be famous, take care of your south corner. Make sure it is painted red or have something red near it and keep the lights turned on day and night. Or place a lamp and keep it lit. To be rich, you must activate the number 8 Water Star in the Flying Chart of your home. It's more complex so you must get my book on Flying Star or ask your feng shui master. Once the number eight Water Star is located, place an aquarium there, containing eight fat goldfish and one black goldfish. However, the aquarium must not be inside your bedroom.
Q: I bought a sailing ship to place in my office but after three months, sales have not increased. Should I put more ships and why isn't mine working?
Too: Did you put any "treasure" in the ship? You should put gold coins, gold nuggets or jewellery in the ship. An alternative is to put imitation gold nuggets, or jewellery in the ship. An alternative is to put imitation gold nuggets, our yellow RM1 coins, crystals or yellow ingots. Make sure the ship is sailing INSIDE your office, not sailing outwards! What kind of ship are you using? I hope not flimsy boats or sampans, which cannot sail the seven seas! It should be the sailing junks used by Chinese merchants in the 19th Century as they brought much gold and wealth each time they sailed into the harbour (now your office). Please note: merchant ships are different from warships or battle ships. Ensure there are no cannons onboard! Yes, it is fine to have several sailings ships in your office as they turn your workplace into a teeming and prosperous harbour! Each ship represents one source of wealth so now you have the wind and water bringing money from various sources to you! Sailing ships also make great gifts.
Q: Water is associated with wealth, so should I have plenty of water features like fountains, tabletop water decorations, large bowls filled with water or perhaps a swimming pool which I am thinking of building in our south backyard?
Too: Water is symbolic of money and cash opportunities but should not be inside your bedroom as they will be in a position to wash away your money instead of ushering them in! Some experts even forbid pictures of waterfalls or paintings of lakes and ponds inside the bedroom. I am a bit wary of swimming pools as they are such a large body of water and can overpower the owner unless he has protection. A swimming pool should always be used by the family regularly as the splashing and laughter generate good feng shui. If left unused for long periods, it could accumulate excessive yin energy and cause ill effects. To avoid the water becoming moody and sullen, install a fountain jet so the water is always moving and "alive". While water brings great money luck, it can also cause severe money problems if pools are placed wrongly or if they are far too big in proportion to the house. Wealth energisers should not be overdone as too much water can drown you!
Q : I have three-legged toads. Is it true I have to place them facing the door in the day and turn them round at night so they face inside?
Too: A three-legged toad is just that - a toad that hops all over the place! Don't place one in front of the door as though they are about to hop out and away. Just have fun with them, I have nine three-legged toads all over my living room. |
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Talk 640 with Lillian Too. Live! Lillian Too on feng shui. |
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