LILLIAN TOO, one of my favourite Feng Shui Muster highlights the power of mirrors, explaining in detail how they can be used as powerful enhancing tools for doubling good energy, deflecting bad energy and how they can be cleverly positioned to effectively channel vibrant cosmic energy of lucky exterior views into the heart of the home.
Mirrors have always played an important role as permanent fixtures in the home and in the coming new year when creating and maintaining wealth and good fortune is everyone’s top priority, they are more important than ever.
Mirrors have long been considered a panacea for warding off bad Feng Shui directed at the home from outside. For years, people used the round Pa Kua mirror placed in the center of an eight-sided symbol, reinforced by the yin arrangement of the trigrams on eight sides of the mirror. This simple mirror remedy has been associated with Feng Shui for many years, but I have discouraged its use.
The Pa Kua mirror is actually powerful and drives away bad vibrations caused by secret poison arrows in the environment. But by reflecting bad chi, the Pa Kua mirror simultaneously drives away everything else from your home. The power of this remedy, reinforced by the yin arrangement of the trigrams, is quite indiscriminate and has the effect of scaring away good fortune and friends as well. Therefore, it is necessary to use mirrors skilfully for Feng Shui purposes.
Sometimes I have also seen the Pa Kua mirror hanging over doorways for no reason at all. This not only sends negative, harmful chi to the neighbour across the street, but also harms the house it hangs in as it disrupts the residents’ relationships with outsiders.
Therefore, I strongly advise people to avoid using the Pa Kua mirror as a healing tool and instead use something more benevolent. The 8 Hums Protection Wheel Mirror, which protects against ailments coming from the 8 directions at different times of the year, is a better approach to defensive Feng Shui.
While doing your Feng Shui well, it is equally important not to worsen the Feng Shui of others.
Mirrors must never reflect toilet doors or sharp corners.
In shops, mirrors must double good luck and never double anything negative.
They should ideally reflect customers coming into the shop as this increases the yang chi which is essential for good luck.
Deep inside the home, mirrors work best in the living and dining areas.
In these rooms, floor-to-ceiling mirrors are great for visually expanding the space, which is always a godsend, and even more so when the wall mirror also reflects pleasant views from outside – be it a river, healthy growing plants, or rolling hills – which suggest a wide expanse of pure energy. Views of trees bring “growth energy,” while views of scenic mountains create great relationships.
Views of water bring prosperity!
Mirrors should not be in bedrooms.
This is one of the most important taboos to observe in Feng Shui. Old masters adamantly advised to banish all reflective surfaces from the bedroom, as these often led to third-party interference in the marital relationship and were considered extremely harmful to the family. In addition, if mirrors reflect the sleeping couple during the night’s Yin hours, there is a risk that the “spirit” of the couple will be deprived of its essence, its inherent Chi.
Hence the danger of mirrors here.
At home, mirrors in the foyer visually expand the bright interior space and make room for lucky chi, creating a sense of spaciousness as soon as you enter the house.
This draws good, strong energy into the home. However, be careful that a mirror in the foyer does not directly reflect the main door. This means you should not have a mirror opposite the door. Any mirror in the foyer should be on one of the side walls. It does not have to be a floor-to-ceiling mirror.
Expand a narrow, cramped room with a mirror.
This is a Feng Shui solution for any room that is overly narrow or cramped. The visual effect of the expanded space can be very beneficial. Try to improve the energy of tight corners and narrow passageways this way.
Mirrors in the dining area improve yang chi.
A wall mirror is especially beneficial here if the family frequently eats at home. Plus, every time you entertain guests at home, your mirror will double the yang energy of the house. The effect is very subtle, but also extremely beneficial.
Mirrors should never reflect bills, open fires or old newspapers.
These are just a few examples of things that must never be “doubled”. Therefore, it is a good idea to banish mirrors from your study, where all sorts of bills are placed on the desk before they are paid. This double bill creates the energy of high spending. Likewise, mirrors are best banned from the kitchen, where it is NOT good to reflect the fire on which the food is cooked. And definitely, the reflection of old piles of newspapers suggests a family that is constantly living in the past.
Never allow cracked mirrors in your home.
This is one of the deadliest of interior decor ideas. Even mirror tiles are a bad idea, as this creates distorted reflections of residents inside the home.
When you use mirrors, make very sure they are single piece mirrors.
Deep into the shop, mirrors create depth of energy.
Here mirrors can reflect racks of products so that double products are displayed. All retail shops benefit from the mirror effect mounted deep inside the shop – from restaurants to supermarkets to specialised boutiques.
If you visit some of the more successful establishments of Hong Kong, you will see that the retailers there are extremely creative in incorporating lucky mirrors into their décor.
Mirrors on ceilings can visually raise a low ceiling that makes you feel hemmed in.
This is an effective cure when not used in the bedroom or over too large an area. But my advice is to go easy on the mirror reflecting you from above. In small doses they can work well, but when covered over too large a space, they can become a Feng Shui problem.
Mirrors in the dining area have the effect of doubling the food being served.
This symbolically suggests a doubling of wealth for the family. But because of this, the mirror should not reflect garbage dumps or dirty drains from the outside. When the exterior view is inauspicious, it is better to create good interior Feng Shui by using curtains or blinds to shut out the outside world.
If you live in an apartment, mirrors in the dining area can reflect in the wonderful blue skies, and this is auspicious.
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