Thinking About Booking a Feng Shui Appointment? Try These 5 Common Sense Tips First

True Feng Shui is very technical and involved, and it is critically important to be aware that what passes as Feng Shui in the US is very different to the ancient practice that has been developed in Asia through centuries of observation and experimentation.

A broad and useful definition of bad Feng Shui is simply whatever annoys you. By keeping these little nuisances around you at home and in your life, you are letting your peace of mind be disturbed.

1. So the first piece of advice for people considering getting in a Feng Shui consultant is: Identify those things in your home and yard that constantly irritate you, and then make a decision on what to do about it. Fix it, replace it, modify it or hide it. If none of these can be done, then simply learn to live with it.

2. The next recommendation is to make sure that the "cure" is not more irritating than the original problem. If your partner bumps their head on the hanging crystal, or the water feature makes you want to run to the bathroom all the time, then undo your "cure" and find an alternative solution. You also do not want your cures to draw undue attention and comments. Good solutions look natural and in good taste.

3. Decorate your home with items that bring you great pleasure to view, to touch, to hear or to smell. Make beauty your main criteria for making home purchases. Depending on the item, function and quality should be the next criteria. So any purchases should look good, do their job well and last a long time. And be a delight to own. Try not to buy too many cheap or kitsch products. Always buy the best you can afford.

4. If you are searching for a Feng Shui appointment to fix your money woes, then please choose a good book on budgeting instead. Make a determined plan to clear your debts and build your wealth base. There are many inspiring stories of people in a mountain of debt who used only sheer persistence and self discipline to change their circumstances into prosperity, and who are happy to share their strategies with others. Do not rely on the rearrangement of furniture in your bedroom to achieve this for you.

Many Western Feng Shui money "cures" are simply superstitious concoctions and have more in common with spell-casting than with true Feng Shui. There is also the question of motivation and the amount of effort that people are generally prepared to put into the serious increase of their financial circumstances. Admit it; aren't you waiting for Gold Lotto to change your life? The popular expectation seems to be that after some Feng Shui tweaking, a miraculous increase in wealth will follow. Wrong. Very wrong.

Traditional Feng Shui wealth cures work by creating opportunities and removing obstacles. Clients know that it is still up to them to follow through in this improved environment with their own efforts.

5. Another frequent reason for requesting a Feng Shui appointment is to improve one's love life. This is usually expected to be with no effort on the client's part, other than putting candles in certain positions around the home.

This life area is tricky because it involves someone other than the client, and the issues of karma and free-will need to be considered. Again, most Western Feng Shui cures for improving relationships are absurdly similar to plain old witchcraft.

Without getting into the big philosophical questions of souls and destiny, there are some very practical things clients can do to improve their attractiveness to others.

First, and most elegantly, is simply to be happy with who you are. Happy people are always more attractive because of their smiling eyes and sheer pleasantness to be around. Desperation, insecurity and loneliness are guaranteed to attract the wrong type of partner, one who is usually manipulative or exploitative. Trust me, you won't find long term happiness here.

The next way to dramatically improve an existing love life is to make your partner feel important and special. Continually. When people stray outside their current involvement, it is because another person makes them feel wonderful. Take a moment to reflect on your usual tone with your partner, and take warning.

Remember though, that whenever there is another person involved with your future plans, there can be no guarantees. So love strongly but love lightly.

Traditional Feng Shui doesn't pretend to be the fixer of all problems. Other factors such as destiny - why are some people born into rich families and others into poor families - and personal effort are given equivalent weighting in the circumstances and outcomes of a person's life.

So when life doesn't seem to be going your way, try these hints first. As the saying goes, "You make your own luck".