The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Room by Room

by Terah Kathryn Collins

Filled with photographs, stories, and many practical Feng Shui "tricks of the trade," this book is packed with ideas and tools that you can easily apply to your life to increase your prosperity and improve your health, creativity, and overall happiness. Terah covers every room in great detail—including your living room, dining room, bedrooms and bathrooms, home office, kitchen, family room, and storage areas. She also explores the attitudinal and spiritual work—the inner Feng Shui—that complements and strengthens your outer Feng Shui enhancements. Includes a 16-page insert of color photos to emphasize the author’s points.

Genres: Nonfiction, Paganism, Reference, Spirituality, Self Help

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

Terah Kathryn Collins is a best-selling author and the originator of Essential Feng Shui®, which honors the essence of Feng Shui’s eastern heritage while focusing on many benefits it provides in today’s world. Her 6 inspirational books on the subject have sold over a million copies worldwide.

Terah’s first book, The Western Guide to Feng Shui, is filled with practical suggestions and inspiring before-and-after stories. Her alphabetized Home Design with Feng Shui, A-Z provides a quick reference to Feng Shui solutions, while The Western Guide to Feng Shui, Room by Room offers more in-depth information and includes over one hundred photographs. Terah recounts the enriching experiences of Essential Feng Shui® practitioners and their clients in The Western Guide to Feng Shui for Prosperity, and the connection between love and environment in The Western Guide to Feng Shui for Romance. Her newest book, The Three Sisters of the Tao, Essential Conversations with Chinese Medicine, I Ching, and Feng Shui, explores how to sustain – or regain – balance in your life.

With a passion for transformational education, Terah founded the Western School of Feng Shui in 1996. More than 2,000 people from 26 countries have taken her signature course, the Essential Feng Shui® Practitioner Training. This intensive course includes pre-training projects, prerecorded class videos, live interactive coaching calls, and a series of post-training projects to earn a Certificate of Achievement as an Essential Feng Shui® Practitioner. WSFS offers other interactive online courses, including the Lifestyle Program for those who wish to enrich their lifestyle or integrate Essential Feng Shui into an existing career.

Featured on the PBS Body and Soul TV series, Terah has spoken on Essential Feng Shui® at many special events, including the Magical Mastery and Today’s Wisdom Tours in Australia, and the Women of Wisdom, I Can Do It® Hay House, and Empowering Women Conferences throughout the United States.

Reviews

[Charmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

HIGHLIGHTS:
1. HEALTH & FAMILY:
- strength.
- Round leaves, fresh flowers, artwork depicting ideal health, floral prints, wood products, pillars, pedestals, photos of friends and family.

2. WEALTH & PROSPERITY:
- Gratitude.
- Wind chimes, prayer flags, valuable possessions (antiques, art, crystals, coins); posters, paintings, photographs like to buy/experience.
- Blues/purples/reds – quotes.

3. FAME & REPUTATION:
- Integrity.
- “My integrity inspires goodwill and good fortune. I am trustworthy in all that I say and do.”
- Symbols of accomplishment, pleasant lighting, the art of people or animals, items from animals. Images of people you respect.
- Symbols of goals for the future; objects triangle.
- Red-subtle, bright deep shades.

4. LOVE & MARRIAGE:
- Receptivity.
- Artwork portraying romance and love; pairs of things (candlesticks, flowers, books, statues)
- Mementos from romantic experiences.
- Favorite photographs of you and love.
- Red, pink, and white. Love quotes.

5. CHILDREN & CREATIVITY:
- Joy.
- Art/objects are playful and whimsical, colorful.
- Photographs of children, hand-made.
- Rocks and stones, circular and oval shape metal.
- White and light pastels.

6. HELPFUL PEOPLE & TRAVEL:
- synchronicity.
- “I attract the perfect people, places, and things into my life every day.”
- Spiritual figures, spiritual association. Photos of helpful people, mentors, teachers.
- White, gray, black.

7. CAREER:
- Courage.
- “I call my next set of life instructions to myself now.”
- Water features—fountains, waterfalls, aquariums, the art of water; a personal symbol of career.
- Free-form, flowing, asymmetrical.
- Mirrors, crystals, glass items. Black & dark tones.

8. KNOWLEDGE & SELF-CULTIVATION:
- Stillness.
- Books and tapes, the art of mountains or quiet places, photos of accomplished and wise.
- Black, blue, green.
- Meditative and inspirational.

9. CENTER:
- “I remain grounded and centered all the time.
- I am always in the secure and loving embrace of Mother Earth.”
- Put hands in the soil, plant garden.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure how this book found itself in my stash, but since we are building a house I decided to read it. Well. Absolutely I agree with taking charge of your life, clearing out clutter, broken things, and things with bad memories attached, and arranging rooms to suit their purpose. There's nothing mystical about why that can improve your life. I'm also on board with balancing textures and materials. But again, not because of anything do do with "the flow of Ch'i," but because it is more aesthetically pleasing. There was just too much silliness in this book. I flat don't believe that doing a Bagua map of your home will magically fix what's lacking in your life. And I don't believe replacing a cactus with fresh flowers will make you quit smoking. I don't believe that draping a yellow t-shirt over a pillow will utterly transform a room into a stunning place from which "everything else pivoted and flowed." And I don't believe that crystals can "modulate the raging Ch'i in long hallways." So sure, clean up your house, be kind to yourself and others, and decorate in a way that pleases you and evokes good feelings and memories. No woo required.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I love the way this books is written, its is so easy to read and understand. and what can I say, I love the colors, pictures and just the way this book is writen. It makes you want to continue reading just to find out how the people in this books situation turned out. Hubby is not to happy though, because now I want to change things around the house...alot of Feng Shui books are hard to read and understand, but not this book, easy to read and it does capture your attention and makes you think, huh I might be able to do that...If you come across it grab it...

[Ann Kucera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend The Western Guide to Feng Shui Room by Room by Terah Kathryn Collins as the first feng shui book to read. Collins' book is easy to read and covers the basic feng shui concepts: yin/yang, the five elements and the bagua. It also discusses basic feng shui cures and their application. In addition, the book guides you through each room of your home and office, pointing out how to address common feng shui pitfalls.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a GREAT book. It is easy to flip through based on which room your in, or which section of the Bagua Map you're in. Very easy to follow design suggestions for quick and easy changes to a room or apartment/house. I definitely recommend this a good place to start if you're interested in tinkering with Feng Shui but not sure you want to read a full book or commit a lot of time yet.

[Larisa Aslanyan · Rating 1 out of 5]

She added a mirror in her living room and one week later she got a new job, got married, earned a million dollars while giving birth to 5 babies, and finally planted the Mediterranean herb garden in the new house that she bought that week.

It felt like I was reading a woo-doo book. The first half was informative and nice, the rest was really not that good.

[Joanne Tognarelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if I agree with all the spiritual aspects of Feng Shui but found the practical guidelines and arranging & decorating rooms interesting & useful (alot is common sense) - just need to work my way the house putting some of the ideas into practice

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned how to diagram my house for best life. and this area where I am writing this is in my prosperity quadrant and
it's true~!

[Pia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought Feng Shui would be super easy , but alas it is not. This book helps explain it in easy to understand chunks and a lot of the tips have been noted for future furniture purchases.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished this "almost finished" book (I left one chapter unread). I purchased it in 2002 and Terah signed it for me while I was doing a training with her. I agree with another reviewer who said that it's a great first book on Feng Shui. I disagree that it's woo hoo. I love having feng shui in my tool box as I tackle finicky spots in my house. It's a helpful lens to view our environments through. I'm newly applying feng shui to my current house - like I've done all my other houses. Of course, it's a living art and a work in progress, but I do like to begin by looking over my whole space and laying the bagua map over my floor plan. Usually something jumps out at me!

[Dawn Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is in my reference library. Now that I’m furnishing a new house, it has a place of honor in my dining room cabinet. It’s that good. I’m reading another book about Feng Shui, but it isn’t organized as well as this one. Nor does it have the illustrations, photography, or room by room setup.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The room-by-room approach leads to much repetition and the ebook formatting was disappointing since the quotes and reflective exercises appeared as one letter per line. I eventually gave up trying to decipher them. If you are going to read this book, get a hard copy so that you can see the photos properly.

[Ian M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dated, but still wonderful

I enjoyed reading this over the past few days and look forward to reading more. After all the reading on feng shui, there was actually plenty of insights I hadn't come across before!

[Moriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never related to Feng Shui until I came across this book. My whole life I been about the design and function of spaces, so I appreciate this book adding to my arsenal of knowledge and expanding my thinking.

[Bri Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very knowledgeable and easy to read. The book gives a lot of insights on how to make your home a magickal oasis. Will be referring to this book in the future as I slowly start to transform each room following the advice of Mrs. Collins

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and informative. Well organized with many different examples of how to design and arrange your home.

[Dr. Ruth Neustifter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came to me from a good friend at the perfect time in my life. It's an easy to read guide that includes some of the background philosophies but focuses on applied approaches for using Feng Shui. You could read it to create positive energy around key goals in your life, or just use to find new ways to have a less cluttered and happier space. Feeling the nesting itch, or the urge to move your furniture around? This book will validate those feelings while simultaneously giving you some guidance on how to get a nice new look from what you already have, or with basic and cheap additions. It helped me to consider major elements that create balance in a room, and how to manipulate my surroundings to communicate the right feelings for my needs. Light, easy and fun to read. Very non-intimidating and useful for beginners but won't be what serious experts are seeking.

[Narariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written & clear, the book isn't quite as detailed in a few cases as it could be. But it doesn't overwhelm with the various other forms of Feng Shui. The black-&-white photos are spread throughout the book & all the color photos are in one area, which I found frustrating & confusing at times. I think the photos could have been better arranged, even though the comparison (on different pages) of black-&-white vs color was useful. The writing is done in a light, conversational style that I found appealing. I expect to keep re-reading as I work on my house & would like to own a copy as a reference.

[Sally Kilpatrick]

This book was an awesome discussion of the basics of feng shui. Sure it had some of the "just put a plant in the prosperity corner and your great Aunt will send you a check" business, but on the whole it broke the principles of feng shui without devolving into such madness. I got a lot of great decorating ideas from this book and found it to be a fun read!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still fairly new to Feng Shui, I read this after the Dummies guide... I liked this book, it's quite practical, but it felt somewhat light overall to me. I don't know what kind of "meat" I was really looking for while reading this, but whatever it was, I didn't find it! Still liked it and applied a couple cures almost immediately.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes it easy and fun to Feng Shui your whole house. I will keep this as a reference guide. I has good decorating ideas and helps you balance types of materials used. I don't know if any of this works but the decorating tips are interesting and functional.

[Margot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collins' "Room by Room" guide to Feng Shui is very straight forward, easy to read, and implement. This guide, unlike Collins' previous "Western Guide to Feng Shui," features color photographs to illustrate her points.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelley - you would LOVE this book. VERY practical, very do-able. I bought this over a year ago, and it wasn't until you started reviewing the Feng Shui books that I even remembered I had it. Now, it's my mission for the new year!

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended by the Feng Shui practitioner in a two-part class I took. Of the four books I've read on the subject, this is the most helpful. I refer to it often. Oddly, the "cures" really work!

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://rantsravesreviews.homestead.co...

[Sidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Feng Shui and I enjoyed this book. I really enjoy putting some of the practices of Feng Shui into my home and found this book had some excellent ideas!

[Shumei · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have more highlighting and bookmarks in this book - a sure sign of a good read! I am superstitious. I belive in the benefits of feng shui. I use this philosophy in my life and my house.

[Jsvaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reference this book all this time. It is a wonderful resource.

[Victoria]

This book helped me get organized. Now if I could only stay that way.

[Jonathan]

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