May 1, 2023
In this comprehensive outing, Taoist scholar Wong (How to Win) offers guidance on how to arrange one’s home in accordance with feng shui, the Taoist concept that seeks to create “harmony” in a space through the positioning of its constituent elements. Blending practical advice on decorating with philosophical background on feng shui, she explains that the practice is rooted in the belief that “land and all living things” have energy, or qi, and that the relationship between the features of a room or landscape determines the mood of the space (for example, “architecture with strange and grotesque features is associated with fearful energy”). Wong dispenses useful tips for furnishing one’s home, recommending that readers avoid clutter (open space makes room “for energy to gather and circulate”), placing beds against windows (which “let in unpredictable energy from the outside”), and using red kitchen appliances (which enhance the “energy of fire” in the room). Other suggestions are harder to implement, such as her advice to “destroy” negative energy from “gnarly” tree branches by mounting a handsaw on a stand between the branches and one’s home. However, the more pragmatic guidance is well complemented by the thorough background on the spiritual and philosophical underpinnings of feng shui. The result is an ideal primer on modern applications of an ancient tradition.