Third Time Isn’t a Charm Here

Question: My fiancee and I just bought a house that is 5 years old. We are the third owners. The first owners bit off more than they could chew financially and had to live out of a cooler and eat out of a microwave. As for the second owners, the husband lost his job and fell into desperate financial straits. The wife tried to sell her horses to ease the financial strain, but the horses ended up having accidents, making them lame and ineligible for sale. Then the couple got a divorce.

Two weeks after we moved in, my fiancee moved out while I was at work. I am not a superstitious person, but maybe this house has a bad feng shui thing going on. How do I find out more about this? Can I hire someone to tell me if it is a “bad” house? Can it be corrected? Is this all a bunch of malarkey? Am I being stupid and wasting my time?

JOHN F.

Moorpark

Answer: Sight unseen, I can’t tell you whether this house has bad feng shui. But from the history you give, I’d venture a guess that there could indeed be a “bad feng shui thing going on” at your address. Of course, there could be other explanations for these occurrences. But in the case of so many unfortunate coincidences, I would be inclined to investigate the possibility of bad feng shui.

Here are some of the things I would be curious to know: Was the house in bad shape when you bought it? What is the condition of the immediate neighborhood? Is the house below street level? Is it located at the end of a dead-end street? None of these situations, in itself, spells disaster for a homeowner. But they may reflect bad feng shui (in the case of a rundown house or dilapidated neighborhood) or contribute to it.

I’m just mentioning a few of the possibilities. There are many, many others. Before you spend the money to hire a consultant, pick up a good basic book on compass-school feng shui and see what you can figure out on your own. I suggest titles by Lillian Too, Angi Ma Wong, Master Lam Kam Chuen, Master Larry Yang and Evelyn Lip.

If you decide to hire a consultant, here are a few of the questions you should ask: What school of feng shui do you practice? Where, with whom and for how long did you study? What is your fee and do you bill by the hour or as a flat rate?

You will want a practitioner who follows the compass school of feng shui and has spent a minimum of five years studying (not practicing for money, but studying). Ideally this person has learned from a master or practitioner who has at least twice as many years’ experience.

For names of candidates, check ads in alternative newspapers, look at some feng shui Web sites, call a few local adult education schools to get names of those who teach feng shui classes. You may also write to me for a recommendation.

Do-It-Yourself Plan Should Keep It Simple

Q: I am learning about feng shui and I have read two of Lillian Too’s books on the subject. Unfortunately, I am confused about the changes I have made in my two-bedroom apartment because my new husband and I have had experienced several months of bad luck and stress: ants in our refrigerator, bounced checks, car tickets, slow business, big arguments, etc. It seems like a daily uphill struggle.

I am trying to incorporate what I’ve learned about chi energy and placement of furniture into our apartment.

But I’m wondering if I am making a mistake by following the kua number system. I am a No. 1 and my husband is a No. 4, so we are both east group people. I have a home office in one room and have placed my desk facing southeast, according to the kua system.

And in the bedroom, I have also placed the bed direction according to the most favorable kua direction. However, the best kua direction in the office and bedroom is at odds with the basic principles of feng shui placement.

For example, in the bedroom, our heads are facing north but our toes are pointing out the bedroom door. And in my office, my desk is facing southeast but my back is up against a window.

Can you help me determine which rules to follow? At this point, I feel there is some big negative force affecting our lives and we need all the help we can get.

M. SHAALAN

Via e-mail

A: You are definitely on the right track in wondering about whether your attempts to practice the kua system of numbers and directions has inadvertently caused you to set up negative forces in your home.

Kua is an alternate spelling of gua, as in ba gua, the eight-sided chart that lays out which life aspects are governed by the eight compass directions.

In a previous column I gave a formula for calculating one’s kua, or most auspicious direction.

But unless you are working with a highly experienced feng shui practitioner (and preferably a master), it is difficult to put this information to work in a positive way and you will be better off sticking to basic principles.

Your own experience is a perfect example of this. In trying to incorporate the highly complex kua system, you found yourself in conflict with such important fundamentals as correct bed and desk placement. Feet should never point out the bedroom door and desks are best arranged so that one faces the entry door and has a solid wall behind.

The negative forces you are feeling could definitely be caused by these feng shui problems. But they could also represent the normal stresses and strains young couples experience in a new marriage.

Stick to the basics you’ve learned from Too’s books and your feng shui should improve.

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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.