Concerns Rest in Bed’s Placement

Question: I’ve just purchased a turn-of-the-century Craftsman fixer in the Mount Washington area. The huge open rooms with wood moldings, little cozy nook areas and, to my surprise, the Asian influence are amazing. I love the airiness, and I’m very happy with my new purchase. But I have one major dilemma: the bedrooms. Where do you place the bed in these rooms when most of the walls have windows? In the master bedroom, the only wall available is the wall opposite the door entering the room, and I’ve read that this is bad feng shui.

SOL M.

Mount Washington

Answer: You are wise to be cautious about placing your bed on the wall opposite the door to the room because this position is a classic feng shui taboo. And the reasons behind it provide a great example of the ways in which feng shui principles combine, among other things, common sense, cultural traditions and mysticism.

In feng shui tradition, when a bed is placed so that the feet of the sleeper point directly out the door, the arrangement is known as the “death position.” This morbid term goes back to the time when people who died at home in bed were carried feet-first out of the house and to the graveyard for burial. For this reason, the position is considered depressing.

Beyond this grim historical association, the foot-out-the-door placement has some highly practical drawbacks. When a bed is in direct line with the entrance to a room, the sleeper is more vulnerable to disturbances from other parts of the house. These include drafts, noises and lights. Worse, if an intruder should barge in, a sleeper right by the door may have less time to awaken and prepare to deal with the disruption. Clearly, these are practical considerations.

But the most important reason for avoiding this bedroom arrangement is that it places the sleeper in the direct path of harmful chi. Sha, or negative energy, is created when chi travels in a straight line instead of moving slowly along a gentle, curving path. Anyone who is bombarded by negative energy night after night will experience some negative effects, which can range from chronic aches and pains to misfortunes in business or personal life.

Assuming the bed must be placed on a wall opposite the entry door (and can’t be moved kittycorner to the door), set up a folding screen at the foot of the bed if there is enough space. If this isn’t practical (or if it would create a claustrophobic feeling), try placing a low chest, trunk or bench at the foot of the bed to break the direct line of chi. A tall plant such as a palm or ficus on a wall next to the door also will help encourage beneficial chi circulation.

Because all your rooms are light and airy, your home probably has pretty good feng shui. You just need to watch your furniture arrangement to ensure that chi flows gently in curving lines throughout your large rooms.

Objects Alone Can’t Provide Motivation

Q: My oldest son’s room is located at the most northeast corner of our home. I am trying to motivate him because he has started college. I have read that his room (and his motivation) could benefit from the following items: either a picture of white-capped mountains or a white stone sculpture and a candle burning in a purple votive that has stars cut into the bowl part of the votive. Does this sound to you like a workable solution?

FRANCESCA K.

Via e-mail

A: The fact that your son’s room is in the northeast part of the house is promising because this direction governs learning, scholarly endeavors and wisdom. There may be some positive effect on his college work from the influence of this magnetic direction.

But I’m sorry to disappoint you with the news that none of the special enhancements you mention will do anything to motivate your son. The catch with feng shui is that the person who is to benefit from enhancements must be the one to form the intention and set the goal to achieve the results. If your son lacks the motivation to succeed in college, feng shui can’t help him.

Web Sites Can Help With Enhancements

Q: I’d like to try using special Chinese good luck items as feng shui enhancements in my home and office. Can you tell me where I can find things like bamboo flutes, Chinese coins, crystals, ba-gua mirrors etc.?

D. KELLY

Fresno

A: A shopping trip in your nearest Chinatown will be interesting and useful. Some New Age stores, garden shops and nurseries feature desk fountains, frog statues and similar items. For the best selection and the least amount of legwork, log on to a Web site and let your mouse do the shopping. Here are a few that I’m aware of: https://www.fengshuiwarehouse.com, https://www.wind-water.com and https://www.dragon-gate.com.

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Kirsten Lagatree is a New York City-area writer whose books include “Feng Shui, Arranging Your Home to Change Your Life” (Villard, 1996) and “Feng Shui at Work, Arranging Your Work Space for Peak Performance and Maximum Profit” (Villard, 1998).

Mail your questions on feng shui to Kirsten Lagatree, Real Estate section, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, fax them to (213) 237-4712, or e-mail them to kfengshui@aol.com or Real.Estate@LATimes.com. All questions will be considered for use but cannot be answered individually.