Q:  Gabrielle, thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with the Lipstick Mystic about your new book, Feng Shui for the Rest of Us. Before we discuss your book, would you mind telling us a little about how you developed an interest in this fascinating subject? What attracted you to Feng Shui?

A:  First of all, let me give you my take on this science of Feng Shui. It is based in a Chinese philosophy that is thousands of years old. And primarily, there are rather heady definitions of what it is. For example, the serious, Aquarian-age description: the arrangement of furniture in the home and office to induce maximum flow of harmony. But to me, Feng Shui is so much more than that. There is even the Feng-Shui-is-a-crock explanation: New Age mumbo-jumbo. But to me, Feng Shui asks you, because of some of its rather unusual ideologies, to put on a scientist hat and experiment. I also promote these qualities about this artful science:

Feng Shui is a language of symbols. You learn to read what the symbols of your home and office are telling you and whether these messages are in agreement with your goals or not. If they are not serving you, change them. Feng Shui has ways to align your highest aspirations with your environment. Then, miracles can and do happen on a regular basis.

Your microcosm environment (the home and office) reflects and affects your macrocosm environment (life in general). For instance, have a health issue? There is a place in every dwelling that symbolically represents the health of the mind, body, and spirit. You would go to that area, put on your “Feng Shui Detective” vision, read the symbols, compare them to Feng Shui ideologies about that particular area (like what to do in all bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and so on) and intentionally change around the room(s) according to the doctrines of Feng Shui thought. The result is an optimistic shift in your health in your world at large. It is absolutely amazing.

Feng Shui is an incredible problem-solving tool. Whatever your concerns are in life, there are places they exist symbolically in your dwelling. Armed with this knowledge, you can then utilize your home and office as a pallet for solutions to any issue—money, love, children bonds, reputation and more. It is mind-blowing to witness shifts in the lives of myself as well as countless clients just by practicing a few important Feng Shui principles. The transformations are phenomenal!

Prepare “as if” it has already happened. Feng Shui teaches: do not wait for the live-in mate, the abundance of cash, the fantastic career moves, the vital return of health and such. Set up your environment in a way which tells your conscious and subconscious mind that your goals and dreams are possible. Surround yourself in images of things you want to manifest—and have them show you that they are already grounded in your life. For instance, which picture would be a more powerful image for your motivation and your being? A lone figure looking up at the sky, with arms up, waiting? Or a picture of a group of people, smiling and laughing, dancing together all the while holding big baskets of fruit? Which one represents harvest (abundance) already visible?

These above values enticed me into Feng Shui. I was stuck to it like it was a big, strong suction hose. I have never found a more effective problem-solving tool. I became interested in Feng Shui for personal reasons—I had plenty of issues. I would be aware that after I implemented a Feng Shui balance or cure with intention, oftentimes, the problem would disappear or be severely diminished. On top of that, life is so interesting when you read the symbols everywhere. It’s like having a manual to Life. And Feng Shui seems to be the language that works for me and for many of my clients.

I became a Feng Shui consultant because I was so impressed with the results I saw in my own life and I wanted to spread the word. Here is my favorite Chinese proverb:

“When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.”

I take that quote one step further. I am making my contribution to World Peace, one dwelling at a time.

Q:  I love that Chinese saying, too. It's very profound. And Feng Shui has always intrigued me. I’m one of those people who has read several different books on Feng Shui and even taken classes on it, yet I still feel I have so much more to learn. One thing has always puzzled me. Maybe you could help me with this. I took one Feng Shui class held by a knowledgeable metaphysical teacher from the Philippines, and he taught us that, to guarantee positive money flow in a home, that the front door to your dwelling should always face north. Yet other Feng Shui experts seem to have a different view about this. Can you explain for a moment what type of Feng Shui you practice, how this might be different from other styles or schools, and what drew you to practice the type you use? I understand there are sometimes contradictions between different schools. Is that accurate?

A:   There are many types of schools of Feng Shui thought. If you go to a book store or library and get any book that has Feng Shui on the cover, (and there are plenty to choose from), I can guarantee that such an action can lead to frustration, tears, and disenchantment with the Art. It is necessary to choose a school, study its particular elements, decide whether it is right for you, and then stick to that particular way of Feng Shui. Like religion, there are many paths to take that ultimately guide you to a relationship with your Higher Power—whatever you might call Him/Her. Likewise, Feng Shui has various ways to reach a Feng Shui treated house. Some schools of thought do have seemingly different and conflicting ideas. But the conflict arises when you inadvertently compare the two or three types of schools and try to integrate them all inside the four walls of your dwelling. Don’t mix and I can guarantee that your road to turning your life into a work of art will be smoother.

That being said, not all Feng Shui schools are user-friendly. The Compass School of Feng Shui thought, for instance, is the most traditional form. It requires the use of a compass, the understanding of bearings, astrological knowledge, numerology, and usually, the guidance of a Compass trained Feng Shui consultant. For some people, this might be the most favorable choice.

My own orientation is based on Black Hat Tibetan Feng Shui. It was brought to American by Master Lin Yun in 1982. It has many “rules” and “regulations”, yet it allows for intuition, right-brained thinking, and mercy. It seems to flow better in our society, where some schools of Feng Shui thought are impractical, confusing and steeped in a foreign culture’s dogma. Black Hat Tibetan Feng Shui utilizes the power of intention—a huge move towards keeping one’s empowerment. Intention is the energy that you would put into any shift, change, or transformation that I, as a Feng Shui consultant or a relevant Feng Shui book, would recommend. Intention is the super-glue between the effectiveness of Feng Shui and miracles manifesting in the third dimension. That is why after studying the various schools of Feng Shui theory, I chose it.

My interpretation of Black Hat Tibetan Feng Shui includes an even more flexible approach. I found that clients were not making certain shifts or doing certain balances or cures in the dwelling because the information was counter to their religion (though Feng Shui is certainly not a religion), beliefs, or styles. After years of experimenting in my own life and that of my clients, I can guarantee that Feng Shui applications are just as effective when dogma is not followed, your own religion and beliefs are held intact, and your styles and tastes remain your own. You do not have to have a “Chinese Cure House” in order for Feng Shui to help create a fabulous dwelling which in turn will create fabulous things to happen in your life. You do, however, need to make “intention” your most beloved ally.

Like with all things, education is the key. Educate yourself with knowledge. It exists out there. Before you delve into the study of a Feng Shui book, paper, or even a consultant—know where the alignments of philosophies lie—if they are in congruence to your own, continue with what is before you. If not, find the wisdom of people and volumes that are.

Q:  I don't know if you've noticed this over the last few years, but it seems to me that a lot of people are starting to become more sensitive to Mother Earth as a living being, noticing her ley lines and feeling the energy of natural settings. Do you think that this type of sensitivity can aid someone in their quest to master the art of Feng Shui? Does it help them to sense the chi in a room? Can this sense be developed?

A:  Feng Shui is an action that you apply to your dwelling. In return, it affects your life in multi-dimensional ways. It is Feng Shui that will teach and show you, as you make each intentional shift, what such a change can do, what things now “feel” like and how it transforms your life. For instance, when you symbolically hold chi in a room with a certain Feng Shui action, it eventually becomes impossible not to sense the vibrancy in that room and even in the corresponding Life Value area (love, money, health, and more) of your life.

After so many years of assisting clients to actually make these changes, each time a client hangs a chi-catcher (for instance) and applies the recommended intention ritual, I can immediately feel the positive shift in the room. Sometime clients feel the shift as well and smile. Others scratch their heads and think I am from another planet (a different interview altogether).

Regardless, being sensitive to ones environment is always a plus. Because then, you are more likely to be aware that all things—the earth, the animals, even buildings (I said, that is another interview)—are alive and respond to positive, nurturing, and respectful attention. When each of us is awake, gentle and affirmative to everything around us, respecting ourselves and each other, this is when the earth heals. The application of Feng Shui in your dwelling, the awareness of Ley lines on Mother Earth, having a peaceful consciousness—everything helps.

Q:   I know sometimes when I walk into a home or a public building, I can instantly feel that something is “off.” Can you explain to us why this might be? If you get “bad vibes” when you walk into a space, does it usually mean that something is out of alignment with the Feng Shui layout of the space? Or is it the people? Perhaps it is both in combination!

A:   The history of thought forms, beliefs systems, energy patterns, and life memories stay in a dwelling until the building is cleared, with intention, to remove such past. History tends to repeat itself in buildings—examples of this are the couple who get a divorce and sell their house to a happy twosome, who got along famously until they moved into the house. Now they fight all the time.

Another instance is the ill person who inadvertently attracts a house with sick vibes from previous tenants who lived there. They stay sick. Or how about the single woman who wants a mate but moves into a house where a widow lived and died—bitter and lonely about her fate? It is going to be harder for her to find that soul-mate. And of course, we have all witnessed the restaurant that fails, shuts its doors, closes, and another restaurant inhabits the same building—better food, less expensive—but it too fails, then another, and another. There is power in the vibration of a place. The patterns of a dwelling affect your consciousness. The things you want and what exists in the invisible cellular memory of a place might be horribly different.

In a complete Feng Shui treatment of a dwelling, eventually the quality of the energy in general must be addressed and potentially healed so that your goals and dreams are visibly and invisibly supporting you. I ask my clients always if they know what the history of their home and office is. Some do and some do not. Yet, it is undeniable that the “feeling” of a place where a murder took place and the “feeling” of a dwelling where a massage practice flourished are very different. It is imperative to take responsibility for the visible and invisible quality of the dwelling. This is being Feng Shui responsible—so yes, a “bad vibe” place could very well be the need for an energy cleanse—a Feng Shui treatment. But more than likely it is not an alignment issue but the need to purify the atmosphere.

Q:  I can verify what you've just shared, being an energy sensitive myself. Homes carry a tremendous energy charge from past occupants dating back hundreds of years. The old farmhouse my partner and I currently live in needed a lot of healing when we moved here, and it was like peeling back layers of an onion as we gradually learned about the history of the space and the energy effects that were still clinging to the "hologram" of this space. Feng Shui can be a major solution to bringing in good energies. One thing that I've found as I have experimented with applying Feng Shui principles to my home is that its effects can be felt almost immediately. I’ve discovered that when my space is properly arranged, everything flows better in my life. And learning Feng Shui doesn’t require someone to be particularly “mystical,” does it? The average person can benefit from Feng Shui even if they don’t feel that they are “spiritual” or sensitive to energy. Have you ever had any dramatic success stories with someone who was a total “skeptic” who found that Feng Shui created major changes for them?

A:   I am very used to the full spectrum of reactions. Some people adore Feng Shui and think it has surpassed the invention of sliced bread. Others yawn often in my presence and hold their eyes at half-mast because they have found out I am a Feng Shui consultant. “Oh, one of those…sigh…how yesterday!” It is at those times that I wish I had a flyer made up to give them. It reads:

• Attention: Feng Shui IS NOT a fad.
• Attention: In fact, Feng Shui will BLOW AWAY your skeptic mind.

Case in Point… One skeptic client wanted more passion from her husband. I gave her the “Red Cloth Cure” to implement. This ritual includes adding a red sheet between the mattress and the box springs. She was just pushing her mattress back in position after adding the red sheet under the mattress. Her husband came in the bedroom and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Just putting the mattress back in its proper place,” she said.

“Let me help you,” he said. They shoved and heaved the mattress back into its natural position. Then he proceeded to push her on the bed and make love to her.

Here's another success story: A woman attended a Feng Shui class and learned about the importance of keeping the bathroom door closed (water in the right amounts and in the right places stands for abundance. Sure, the bathroom has lots of water—but it also has plenty of drains. Symbolic translation: abundance going down the drain!) She went home and, with resistance, closed her bathroom door and got in the habit of keeping it closed.

Soon after—her income increased three times its normal amount. A happy Feng Shui convert!

Yet another one: A disheartened client wanted to clutter clear his place. He told me he had tried everything to clear the boxes that were stacked to the ceiling in the majority of every room of his house. So as a last resort, he called me. He told me that he had never lived like this and that this particular pattern of slovenliness started when he had moved into the house. I suggested a space clearing before anymore attempts at cleaning and clearing were made.

He proceeded with the space clearing ritual. Three weeks later, when I returned, I entered into a clean, tidy house. The transformation was astounding.

“It was easy”, he admitted. “Ever since I did the space clearing, I have had no problem turning this house into a home.”

I have hundreds of stories—some subtle, some brazen--about the power of a few simple Feng Shui shifts and their effect on the client’s dwelling and life. The changes can be immediate or at times, there are felt eventually. Regardless, Feng Shui heals the breath of the building. Homeostasis, the return to balance, occurs in any dwelling that has received a full Feng Shui treatment. It takes time, dedication, and patience—but you don’t have to be a mystic living in a cave to get the miracles of Feng Shui results.

Q:  That old saying that our body is our temple has always really resonated for me. I feel that the better we treat our body and honor it as a sacred gift, the better our health is and the better our life is. But I think it also may be true that our homes are our temples – and our workspaces even have the opportunity to become sacred spaces. Do you have any thoughts on how people can turn their environments into uplifting spaces that connect them with spiritual inspiration? Does Feng Shui address this in some way?

A:   Feng Shui absolutely transforms any dwelling, home and office, into a temple. Perhaps a temple with a toy-strewn living room/play area, perhaps a temple with the whirl of a fax machine humming in the back ground—but a temple nevertheless. Educating yourself with the Feng Shui principles for every room of your dwelling is a path that can lead to spiritual fulfillment and inspiration. Feng Shui is a multi-dimensional task. It is hardly just about moving a piece of furniture over there and painting your study blue because a Feng Shui book says so. Every task has an emotional/mental/spiritual component and you will see this start to show up in the various places in your life in general as you work on those specific rooms in your home and office. There is no better path to self-improvement and human actualization that I know of.

Q:   I think some people may be concerned as they explore Feng Shui that their living space might not be optimally arranged, and they might worry that because architectural anomalies, door placement, or the direction that their windows face may be “off” that they can’t experience good flow. What are some of the “cheats” or corrections that you recommend when people have a “problem spot?” I remember I used to live in one of those funky converted attics in an old Victorian home, and it was a bear to optimize with Feng Shui. I ended up trying to use a lot of mirrors, I hung chimes, and I tried to put colorful paintings or sculptures in all my “weird” corners to get the flow going. Do you use tools like this? What other things do you work with to help correct a space that has blocked chi?

A:   First of all, absolutely anything can be cured! I do not promote Fear Shui but fun(g) sway instead. In fifteen years of consulting internationally—homes, offices, businesses, you name it—I have never seen an issue that did not have a solution. And most of the time, the solution was a simple one. And this is not because I live in denial. I am a hard-core Feng Shui consultant. I do not let anything slip by. Especially misconceptions about if someone even feels Feng Shui-worthy in their dwelling because they are Christian, or live in a funky space, or don’t quite get the concepts (but they heard it was, you know, good to do).

The more someone understands the principles, relaxes into them, uses their intuition and styles along side the application of traditional cures, the more solutions and answers with a Feng Shui slant appear for any unbalanced situation. I myself do a lot of “listening”—to the person, to the dwelling (to cover that subject would require another interview!), and to my intuition. I am well-versed about the Feng Shui laws. I mix that with my inner knowing and the needs of the client. Voilà—solutions appear like raindrops during a rain storm. Sometimes I even have to get my umbrella out just to keep from being inundated with so much positive Feng Shui drippings!

By the way, fixing a space with blocked chi is one of the easiest things anyone can do--no matter what the space, no matter how stuck you feel it is. Get the umbrella out—it can happen to you as well. That is one of my missions—I believe everyone can be a Feng Shui expert with their space.

Q:   That's so good to hear. I think many of us simply feel overwhelmed by our living space and feel like we'll never have the wisdom to make it flow better. But you're saying that anyone can learn it, and that's great! And your new book, Feng Shui for the Rest of Us, is an excellent place for people to start if they want to learn more about Feng Shui. Tell us a little about what inspired you to write this book and what you hope your readers will learn from the material.

A:  Years ago when I was dealing with a health issue, I found a leaky sink in the Family/Health area of my home. When a love relationship ended, a 30 foot pine tree died right outside my Love Union/Marriage area of the house. These signs scared me and I remained frightened for about five minutes. Then I became excited as my scientist’s brain kicked in. If the symbols around us reflect the condition of life, what happens when you, with intention, arrange and influence the symbols around you to positively affect your world in general? Could that work?

It did and it has changed my life. Feng Shui is an incredible problem-solving tool. After I became certain of this by conducting experiment after experiment on my life and by making suggestions which helped to solve issues in my clients’ lives as well — I wrote the book.

Make Feng Shui work for you, not the other way around. I also am sure of this fact: you do not need to turn your home and office into a Chinese Cure House to have this incredible art/science work for you. Lose the dogma. Keep your religion, beliefs, and styles. Understand why you are doing what you are doing with each Feng Shui shift and perform it with intention. But figure out what makes it possible or gives you “permission” to do it in the first place. If you do not take action on a Feng Shui ideology geared to assist your life—absolutely nothing will change. Many people might think that such and such is a great idea but the action or the cure is too out there and not in harmony with your styles. So figure out how the cure can be altered to be in your style, or even virtually invisible and innocuous. That how you win the Feng Shui game and master life—by doing the recommended balancers in a way that suits you as it also brings in the traditional ideas to the mix.

Q:   You're right, we have to apply metaphysical wisdom in a way that is comfortable and grounded to our experience, and then we can make it work. I love how you express this, Gabrielle! I'd love to take a class with you someday, you explain it so well. I know people will get a lot out of your writing, too, since you’ve put so much research and positive energy into it. And it also sounds like you are doing a great job to demystify the world of Feng Shui. I think that’s so cool. People often get intimidated about metaphysical subjects, and when I first stumbled across one of your wonderful websites, http://www.fengshuigeek.com, I instantly knew you weren’t one of those grumpy guru types!

A:   Like I mentioned before, I have never been more awed by another tool for problem-solving and life improvement as I have been with Feng Shui. I have been fortunate because the rather austere delivery and description of it has not been lost on me. It is my honor then to translate this impressive art into a prose that is accessible and practical in a way that would encourage a person to try out some of its ideas. Feng Shui has been around for thousands of years. This is a signal to me that it has something to offer. By the way, television in our culture has been around only 70 years.

No one is immune to problems. Most people want a means of assistance in this challenging match of existence we call life. Feng Shui is one of those tools that I strongly recommend.

Q:   You have a lot of exciting stuff going on at your websites. Can you describe some of what is developing there?

A:   I have two main websites—both of which are content-rich:

www.homepeace.com This website offers articles, links, back-logs of Feng Shui Newsletters that I wrote for years, and much more. It is the place where anyone would go to begin their Feng Shui education, to find out more about my Feng Shui consulting business, and even to purchase a consultation with me.

www.fengshuigeek.com This is my V.I.P. Feng Shui club—The Feng Shui Geek Society. This site is for the Feng Shui fanatic, like me, as well as the person who wants all the Feng Shui education they can handle.

The Feng Shui Geek Site offers a Feng Shui forum for members to post and reply about various Feng Shui issues and successes. It has access to articles and Feng Shui Tid-Bits written by me (my current E-Zine that has over 5000 subscribers so far) and links that I have compiled which include Feng Shui points of interest as well as environmental, political, spiritual, and just plain interesting places to visit on the web. The site recommends a host of books, some about Feng Shui and some guaranteed to grow your mind into the empowerment and evolution that a consistent Feng Shui practice will encourage.

Feng Shui Geek also has a Q and A section where members can write me questions, and I answer them, and then certain ones are printed for the benefit of all. (I do change the names to protect the privacy of anyone who writes me.) All of these materials are updated on a regular basis. Besides the promise of free tele-conference calls about different Feng Shui subjects, recordings of interviews, and other such audio media in the near future, there is a Feng Shui Geek Quiz to take (and as your education level grows, to retake), a Geek Boutique, which is our Feng Shui shop that offers t-shirts, coffee mugs, stickers, tote bags and more—all with Feng Shui slogans and affirmations, and even a place that lets you nominate yourself or a friend for the “Feng Shui Geek of the Week” award. Being a member of the site also promises you price cuts on select products and services (including discounts on all workshops and classes taught by me, whether in person or by tele-class).

It is a membership only site and is $9/month of Feng Shui value (9 is the power number in Feng Shui, BTW). I am offering a free lifetime membership to anyone who joins before November 9, 2005. Nothing to pay ever. However, the site becomes a paid investment after that date.

Finally, I would like to introduce my latest site and one that gives me great excitement and pleasure:

www.fengshuicarkits.com This site is about the Feng Shui Car Kit™ that myself and two colleagues have developed. Here is the premise. Today, more than ever, we are spending excessive time in our cars. With the Feng Shui Car Kit™, you can definitely make better use of your travel time— adding harmony and peace to your journey. These Kits allow you to problem-solve as well as work on dreams by using Feng Shui while commuting to work, doing errands, shopping or going on your next trip out of town. We have developed four different Kits created especially for the car (or any moving vehicle for that matter)—one to increase and manifest love, one to increase and manifest health, one to increase and manifest wealth and one to increase and manifest protection.

Each Feng Shui Car Kit ™ contains special elements pertaining to the above areas in your life. And in each of the Kits, there is a booklet included with comprehensive instructions on how to transform each item in the Kit to actively work toward the manifestation of your desires. We have a motto with the Feng Shui Car Kit™. It is:

When there is harmony in your car,
There is peace on your path.
Creating World Peace,
One car at a time.

Q:  Oh, I love the idea of your car kit! So many people have long drives now, and it's wonderful that you're providing tools to help people make the most of this time on the road. Now tell us about what services you offer as a consultant.

A:   I give on-site and phone Feng Shui consultations internationally. I live in Santa Cruz, California—my on-site consultations are based in that area and some in the Bay area. I also am open to traveling to places nationally and some international locales where I can give a seminar and then book a few private consultations after that. The majority of my clientele are from my phone consultation business. I consult with people all over the country. The client faxes me a floor plan of their dwelling, downloads materials that I give to all my clients, and has a two hour recorded phone call with me (I send them the tape of our consultation along with more material the next day), and then a month later after the implementation of hopefully a majority of what we discussed in our previous call, we have another recorded hour or so of follow-up, check-in and more specific Feng Shui ideas and cures. You can check out my testimony page at www.homepeace.com/testimonials2.htm to see what clients, on-site and by phone, say about our work together.

I feel extremely lucky to work with the clients that I do. I have a great job on this planet—helping people to make their lives better. There is a mutual gratitude between us on the phone (or on-site) as we problem-solve, create, and manifest optimistic transformation in the client’s dwelling, life, and world. I will always be grateful to my Higher Power that this is my life.

I have not planned workshops in a while because I have been focused entirely on making the book, Feng Shui For The Rest Of Us, the best it could be. But I usually offer beginning and advanced Feng Shui workshops, a Feng Shui Intensive (which is a two day—6 hours a day—need to have a sponge for a brain) extravaganza, plus in the near future, there will be tele-conference calls open for Geek Members, as well as a series of tele-class seminars that I offer to anyone who has a phone and long distance service.

Updates to all of these classes as well as events where I will be in a city, touring for my book for instance, can be found at www.homepeace.com/classes.htm

Also, classes, events, and updates will always go to my list of subscribers’ email inboxes who receive the Gabrielle Alizay Feng Shui Tid-Bits E-Zine. To subscribe to receive frequent Feng Shui ideas, advice, cures, and more: subscribe@homepeace.com

Q:   Gabrielle, you have given us a marvelous taste of the world of Feng Shui. I know my readers will be eager to check out your book and your websites. And I want to encourage them to get in touch with you for a private session if they need extra help in applying Feng Shui in their homes or work spaces.

I also want to remind readers about something you just shared about your membership only site, http://www.fengshuigeek.com. You are offering free lifetime membership for people who register before November 9. So people still have this week to register before it becomes a paid membership site. I just wanted to point that out, since time is running out for this wonderful free offer you are providing.

Thanks so much for providing this great service, Gabrielle, and for agreeing to speak with us today!

A:   Thank you.

Gabrielle Alizay has been an international Feng Shui consultant and educator for over 15 years. She is the author of Feng Shui For The Rest Of Us (more info available at www.fengshuifortherestofus.com). You can also order her new book through the Amazon link below:

Feng Shui for the Rest of Us: What You Can Do Right Now to Change Your Life

She also writes a free email newsletter called, Gabrielle Alizay Feng Shui Tid-Bit E-Zine (subscribe@hompeace.com), and has three educational websites offering Feng Shui information for every level of interest: www.homepeace.com, www.fengshuigeek.com, www.fengshuicarkits.com