FENG SHUI TIPS: MIRRORS

In this edition of Feng Shui Tips, we're going to have a look at mirrors, that ever-present household fixture, and how it relates to Feng Shui.
As you may very well know, mirrors are very popular Feng Shui cures. You can't go through ten Feng Shui books or websites without finding something about mirrors in eight of them. The reason for the mirror's popularity in Feng Shui is its versatility. Mirrors are reputed to do many things, depending on who you ask. I'll be sharing with you some of the more popular applications; some fundamental, others more modern, and all will be explained along with some when using mirrors in Feng Shui applications.

Mirrors of protection

Protection of the premises is the most traditional use of mirrors in Feng Shui. A small mirror, placed above entrances, can deflect sha qi away from the premises, where it would otherwise wreak havoc upon the occupants, otherwise. This is not to say that the mirror can differentiate between good and bad qi. It will deflect good and bad qi alike; it is up to the user to place it appropriately. Entrances and openings that face poison arrows like junctions, cracks in the sky, etc., are good candidates for the mirror.

Hence the use of the bagua mirror, which is a mirror fortified with the symbols of the bagua in the Early Heaven arrangement. Mirrors such as these could be plain, concave, or convex. Of the three, the convex mirror is considered the most 'aggressive', as qi deflected off it could harm others, like your neighbours, or even good ol' Spot in his kennel.

Take note of certain details regarding the mirror. Firstly, bagua mirrors should be restricted to the exterior of the house, as they are considered too active for the interior. Secondly, in Feng Shui, everything is governed by scale. Hence it would be unrealistic to expect a mirror (bagua'ed or otherwise) to completely deflect incoming sha qi from the extremely busy six-lane junction directly opposite your door.

Where possible, if the Sha Qi attacking your door is really severe, you may want to consider using another door or tilting your existing one.

A big Do Not Do

A serious "Do Not Do" is sleeping directly facing a mirror. Facing an exposed mirror for the entire duration of your sleep, day after day, is not a good idea. Qi deflected off the mirror and onto your person will play havoc with your internal energies; your body, trying to rest, would receive active qi, and most likely disturb your good nights sleep. A few nights of that and you will definitely feel lethargic in the morning and less than productive.

If a mirror directly faces your bed, simply angle it away if it is movable, or place it under a shroud when you sleep.

Making an area more Yang

In some houses where the rooms are long and the windows are not large enough, light coming through the window do not reach the other side of the room. This space could be excessively Yin, and even gather stagnated qi. Needless to say, this is not desirable.

Place a mirror so that it would reflect sunlight into the "dead" area, resulting in a livelier room. Be careful in doing this. The mirror should reflect sunlight into the room and not straight back out the window. If the latter happens, then most likely the room would end up worse than before.

Hiding poison arrows in the house

This is a rather minor application, in my opinion. Some Feng Shui experts suggest using mirrors to hide protruding corners and pillar edges that serve as poison arrows. While sharp edges could indeed be poison arrows, do remember that in Feng Shui everything is governed by scale. Big edges (like mountains and glaciers) mean big poison arrows, while small edges (like tables and pillars) make for small poison arrows. Hence, while using mirrors to hide sharp edges is a proper application, you could give it a skip if you want to.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mirrors are very useful, Feng Shui-wise, and you should consider incorporating them into your home as the situation requires it.There is no need to start investing heavily in mirrors unless you do see a problem that can be addressed with one. Often, there may be other cures that you can still consider. Do be careful, however, and use your good judgment, because mirrors can cause as much harm as good if incorrectly used.

Source: http://www.dragon-gate.com