GUIDE: Expert-approved ways to create good Feng Shui in your home for Chinese New Year 2023
Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and it's time to decorate your home to usher in all the good vibes, fortune, and prosperity.
There's more to prepare for the Year of the Rabbit than just putting out fruits or decking your home with red lanterns. For those who want to welcome 2023 with good energy, Feng Shui can help you have an auspicious 2023.
PhilSTAR L!fe sat down with Feng Shui expert and geomancer Frankie Ong Bata for a guide to open your home to the most luck this year.
Every year, flying stars move around in nine different directions in Feng Shui, each of which brings different things—from prosperity to misfortune. Each zodiac animal finds a place under the stars, signifying what they might be exposed to that year. Those who want to fix the energy in their home for 2023 should activate the positive effects of the stars and remedy the negative ones.
"By nature, we as a people want to be auspicious. Wala namang lucky or unlucky, meron lang auspicious and inauspicious so we have to fix the energy," Frankie told L!fe.
The geomancer shared different ways to activate and cure the effects of the energies brought by the star placements—some tips he gave are more practical and incorporate other methods that would be useful to Filipinos.
To start, get a compass (an app on your phone will do) and go to the center of your living room. Then, slowly put your device down to determine the different directions in your space.
Positions and forecast for 2023
Once you determined the sectors in your home, go to the south part of the living room. Frankie said this will be the "lucky money center" for the year. See what this means and what flying stars and zodiac signs are positioned at these locations below.
South
Flying star: Wealth and prosperity
Zodiac sign: Horse
This star brings prosperity and good luck so you can place objects that symbolize the good vibes in the south area of your living room. Frankie suggests putting these objects in this sector:
- A pineapple. "In Fukien, the pineapple is 'ong lai.' 'Ong' means 'swerte' and 'lai' is to come.'"
- Kiat-kiat. "The word in Fukien means 'to grow.'"
- Huat kueh. This is a Chinese rice cake akin to the Filipino puto, which you can find at local Chinese bakeshops. "'Huat' is 'to grow' and 'kueh' is cake so it's a growth cake."
- Citrine crystals.
- Zamio or a welcome plant. "Place it on the south side to welcome business opportunities. Kapag namumulaklak ng puti, it's a sign that your financial stability is starting to grow."
- Palay from Ongpin.
- Lamps or lights. "Dapat maliwanag yung south para yung pagdating ng swerte, maliwanag din."
- Auspicious plants like fortune plant, Japanese bamboo, and yellow orchids.
- A Phoenix figurine or display. "In Chinese culture it connotes money."
- Sandalwood incense sticks. "Pang taboy 'yon ng negativity. Sandalwood brings in prosperity and positivity."
- Bird figurines or pet birds. "Birds in the south connote money."
- Arowana fish figure. "Put them on the south side of your living room but have the mouth of the fish facing the main door."
- Three-legged frog figure with a coin in its mouth and also facing the door.
Some of the objects mentioned are available at Charme General Merchandise in Ongpin.
Southwest
Flying star: Victory and achievements
Zodiac signs: Monkey and goat
This sector of your house will be a place for good luck, as well, especially for students.
"For those who are hoping to pass the BAR and PRC exams, place all your reviewers and IDs on the southwest side of the living room," the Feng Shui expert said.
Displays you can have here to encourage positive energy include figurines of horses.
West
Flying star: Blessings
Zodiac sign: Rooster
"Lahat ng dinadasal natin kay God at hinihiling bilang tao are being granted to us," Frankie shared. "Kung may mga mabuting wishes yung mga tao, something for your family and will benefit the greater good, put it here."
This sector is also where the 3 Killings is found. This symbolizes three types of bad luck: loss of money, relationships, and reputation, so to combat this, you need to put figurines or photos of the three celestial guardians (Chi Lin, Piyao, and Fu Dog) to thwart the misfortune.
Northwest
Flying star: Misfortune
Zodiac signs: Dog and pig
This star brings all kinds of bad luck, afflicting those born in the year of the dog and pig.
"As a cure, you have to keep this sector quiet. Di dapat well lit. Wag maglagay ng stereo or speakers diyan. Lagay niyo yung mga maingay sa south, wag sa northwest. Pag nabulabog to, pwedeng magkamisfortune," the expert said.
North
Flying star: Future prosperity
Zodiac sign: Rat
This star brings success, promotion, marriage, fame, fortune, new partnerships, and celebrations. It's best to keep a phoenix figurine and a water feature in the north of your living room to manifest a good flow of prosperity throughout the home.
Northeast
Flying star: Betrayal and violence
Zodiac signs: Ox and tiger
As a cure for getting afflicted, place an elephant or hippopotamus display facing the main door in the northeast section of your living space. You can also place an anti-burglary plaque by the wall to counter the negative energy.
East
Flying star: Illness and accident
Zodiac sign: Rabbit
Despite 2023 being the year of the rabbit, the flying star in the east brings illness and accidents. Frankie advises those with the zodiac sign to "take extra care and try to be stress-free."
To fight affliction, you can display a Wu Lou gourd (or a figurine of St. Rafael as he's holding a gourd), a medicine Buddha, and a Tai suey plaque. The last object mentioned, which can be acquired at Chinese temples, appeases the year animal to protect the family in the home.
Southeast
Flying star: Quarrels and lawsuit
Zodiac signs: Snake and dragon
"Yung mga by nature na marites na dragon and snake, konting tiklop ng tenga at bibig. You have to be careful because you might get into quarrels or makasuhan kayo ng libel sa mga sinasabi niyo," the geomancer warned.
An evil eye can be displayed on the living room's southeast wall to cure the flying star. Frankie also suggested dimming the lights on that side of the home.
"Baka after Chinese New Year, marami ka na kaaway kasi binubuhay mo yung energy na 'yon with that light," he added.
Center
Flying star: Relationship and scholastic luck
Zodiac signs: All signs
In the center of your living room, you can place Mandarin ducks, rose quartz, and amethyst quartz to manifest the harmony of the family. It's also best to place sticky food like tikoy, biko, or sapin-sapin, as well as fruits like pomelo.
"Yung mga nagkatampuhan na partners here, place the couple’s photo in the middle of the house para maging okay sila. Yung mga magkakaaway na 'di nag-uusap, doon din sila," Frankie said.
He also recommended placing a Bible or Quran, a Buddhist prayer book and beads, and a rosary in the middle of the space.