Four Leaf Clover for Luck

The four-leaf clover from the White Clover plant, trifolium repens, considered to be the Original Shamrock.

Other plants sold as four leaf clovers are actually Pepperwort or Water Clover (Marsilea Quadrifolia) or Oxalis (Oxalis deppei or Oxalis tetraphylla) plants that produce all four leaves. Another way of identifying a real four-leaf clover is that the fourth leaf is usually smaller than the other three leaves.

What do the leaves symbolize?

• One leaf is for FAITH...
• The second for HOPE...
• The third for LOVE...
• And the fourth for LUCK!
  

In Irish tradition the Shamrock or Three-leaf Clover represents the Holy Trinity: one leaf for the Father, one for the Son and one for the Holy Spirit. When a Shamrock is found with the fourth leaf, it represents God's Grace.

Here is some "history" of the four leaf clover:

The four leaf clover is a universally accepted symbol of good luck with its origin ages old. According to legend, Eve carried a four leaf clover from the Garden of Eden.

"The clovers also occupied a position in the cultural life of early peoples. White clover (T. repens L.) in particular was held in high esteem by the early Celts of Wales as a charm against evil spirits." Clover Science and Technology". N.L. Taylor, 1985.

Druids held the 4 leaf clover in high esteem and considered them a sign of luck. In 1620, Sir John Melton wrote: "If a man walking in the fields find any four-leaved grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing.

The mystique of the four leaf clover continues today, since finding a real four leaf clover is still a rare occurrence and omen of good luck.

It occured to me that (according to our Feng Shui information)it is advantageous to have an aquarium in your career area. How cool would it be to grow this aquatic four leaf clover in the fish tank? It's not the "traditional" shamrock, but it's clover and it has four leaves and not only that, it's cute! Here is the info on the Clover Fern:

The Four Leaf Clover, also known as the Clover Fern, originates from inland Australia. It has two pairs of leaflets arranged in a four leaf clover pattern. The Four Leaf Clover can grow in a number of different soil types, ranging from sands to clays.

Under the proper conditions, this fern will form a thick carpet with its numerous runners. It is amphibious, and will grow either partially or fully submersed.

The Four Leaf Clover requires high light conditions and water temperatures between 68°-84°F for best growth. It prefers water that has a neutral pH, but can be housed in water with a pH of 6.2-7.5 and still flourish. A nutrient rich substrate will promote growth.

Planting the runners that grow from mature, healthy plants is the best way to propagate the Four Leaf Clover. When the "baby" is approximately half the size of the "parent," cut the roots apart so they may grow separate from one another. They may occasionally produce seeds that can be used to cultivate new plants, and can also produce adventitious shoots to be used for propagation.

Wrapping things up

Well, today is our last day of Feng Shui and De-cluttering, so it's time to wrap things up and assess the effects this project had on our prosperity and our lives. So here is a questionaire to help bring things into focus:

• Did you do the de-cluttering projects?
• How well did they work for you?
• Which one was your favorite?
• What did you like most about the de-cluttering?
• What did you like least?
• How do you feel that the de-cluttering process impacted your life?
• Are you going to participate in the 200 things idea?
• Did you do any of the feng shui cures
• Did they achieve the desired effect?
• What happened?
• What, if anything, did you learn about yourself?
• Are you going to continue to use the principles of feng shui?

Overall, would you rate this months as a "success" with regard to being a path to prosperity?

Here is a picture
of the world's largest wind chimes.
Cool huh?

Feng shui for your car

Here are a few hints, tips, and cures, to help create good feng shui for your car:

Car seats should be taller at the back and have a supportive influence on either side. Cars which slope away to the back, and those which open at the back can leave us feeling insecure. Cars with reclining seats, such as expensive sports models, suggest vulnerability behind.

The rear lights act as our "Tortoise" warning those behind to brake. It is therefore essential to ensure they are clean and in working order, and that spent bulbs are replaced immediately.

Stickers on the rear window can strengthen the "Tortoise" or rear position, particularly those which say "Please Keep Your Distance" or "Baby on Board" and other polite, warning signs. Jokes and stickers which are difficult to read have the opposite effect in that they encourage the car behind to come closer. Stickers should not obstruct the window.

Any ornaments that act as a distraction behind should be avoided. Moving objects, like hanging ornaments can create instability and affect concentration. Do not allow loose items to collect in the back of the car.

Talismans for the car can include a St Christopher symbol or icon as he is the patron saint of travellers. Other cultures have their own protection symbols. License plates containing the number 88 are considered especially auspicious and means "double happiness".

Fresh air is necessary in cars, in order to link the occupants with the world outside and to cleanse the air within the confined space. If the air is not fresh, the driver can become tired and lose concentration. To freshen the air we can introduce natural oils, which also affect our moods. Rosemary, neroli, and lemon oils are helpful for calming anger and promoting clear thinking.

Vision is important in the car and a clean screen and headlights enable us to see and be seen clearly on a foggy day and at night.

If we regard the car engine in the same way that we do our bodies, then we can appreciate that for the car to be healthy and function well, it's tubes have to be unblocked and its components well maintained. Regular servicing is therefore important.

from The Practical Encyclopedia of Feng Shui

by Gill Hale

Here is a 1986 BMW Art car.. cool huh?

Car bagua

Flower power for your car:

Cut a six-inch bagua shape in each of the eight outside bagua colors and cut a nine-inch circle in yellow for the center. Arrange them in the proper order and tape them together. The final configuration should look like a colorful daisy with a yellow center and different colored petals. Place this daisy under the mat of the car. The black petal of the daisy should be closest to the rear trunk, and red (Fame) toward the engine. Place this bagua under the driver's seat, or under the mat that covers the floor board.

Simply having a daisy (any size) somewhere on you (or in your brief case, shoe, or underwear) will assist you while on the road. Since this daisy is a complete bagua representation, it's hard to think of any place that would be inappropriate.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

The Feng Shui Cover Your Butt Cure

The “cover-your-butt” cure

You can bring balance to your home in any gua by using each of the elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

For example, a wrought iron (metal) table with a glass (water) top, holding a plant (earth), a wooden (wood) picture frame, and a candle (fire).

You can use this cure in any section of your house, especially if you have a feng shui situation that you can’t figure out. Each of the five elements is equally represented as a cure in this way.

A quick summary of each area

Prosperity:
Purple, green, gold and red
Associated with the Hip
Associated with number 8


Fame/Reputation:
Red
Triangular, pointy objects
Associated with the Eye
Associated with number 1
The element is Fire


Relationships/Love:
Pink, red and white
Associated with all major organs of the body
Associated with number 2


Creativity/Children:
White
Round objects
Associated with the Mouth
Associated with number 3
The element is Metal


Helpful People/Travel:
Gray, black and white
Associated with the Head
Associated with number 5


Career/Life Path:
Black
Undulating, free-form shapes
Associated with the Ear
Associated with number 6
The element is Water


Skills/Knowledge/Wisdom:
Blue, black and green
Associated with the Hand
Associated with number 7


Family:
Green
Rectangular, columnar, vertical objects
Associated with the Foot
Associated with number 4
The element is Wood


Health/General:
Yellow and earth tones
Square, horizontal and flat objects
Associated with all other body parts not mentioned above
Associated with number 9
The element is Earth

Remove hazardous elements from Health area

General Health area:

Wood will uproot the earth in this area, so get rid of anything symbolizing wood here. This means green items too! Small plants are the exception and can stay.

Tall rectangular objects and columnar objects don’t belong here.

Spiral staircases are a doozy – the chi keeps falling through, and with the spiraling pattern the chi gets dizzy and disoriented. You can counteract this effect by painting the underside of the stairs with the color of the area you are in, or place mirrors under the stairs to reflect the chi back up.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Remove hazards to family area

Family area:

Metal is hazardous in this area. White is the metal color and also does not belong here.

If you have a gun in the house, do not place it in this area or it will become deadly metal.

Get rid of round objects in this area.


From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Remove hazards to Skills and Knowledge

Skills and Knowledge area:

Get rid of clutter here. Thinking clearly requires a clear space.

Alcohol, drugs, poisons, and cigarettes all cloud the thought process and are detrimental to this area.

Newspapers (full of stupid people doing stupid things) don’t belong here.

So this is not a good wallpaper choice?

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Remove hazards to your career

Removing hazardous elements from your Career area:

Get rid of any dirt in this area. When you mix dirt and water, you get mud! Pictures of mountains and clay pots can even muddy up the water. No squares either, since squares represent earth (which is made of dirt…) The same goes for earth-tone-colored items.

Remove pictures from this area of anything you would never want to do in your life.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Remove Hazards from Helpful People and Travel Area

Feng Shui activity for today:
Remove hazardous elements from the Helpful People & Travel area:

Take a moment to stop and see where all your help is coming from. Trace the road money travels to get to you.

Helpful people do not want to hang around a bunch of junk. A mess in this area of the house gives helpful people obstacles to negotiate, so get rid of the junk!

Drains may undermine the support you need to prosper. Tie a red ribbon or red tape around the outgoing pipe to stop your chi from flowing away, and place mirrors in the area to keep the chi up.

Dust and dirt, broken items, trash cans, toilets, reminders of bad times don’t belong here.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

You don't want your helpful friends to have to navigate a road like this one!

Symbols and anchors for your center

Feng Shui activity for today:
Add a symbol

Earth is the element for the center. Add a healthy plant to this area. Include things made of earth here – china, ceramics, clay tiles or pots, bricks, natural stone flooring.

A bowl of fresh fruit symbolizes good luck, prosperity, hospitality and health.

Laughter is the best medicine. Place anything you find funny here – blooper videos, pictures of yourself and friends in fun moments, gag gifts. If it brings a smile to your face, it belongs here, so you can place a child’s hand-drawn picture or an old love letter here.

The shape for this area is square, and horizontal or flat items also belong here. Triangular or pyramid-shaped objects work here.

Symbols of earth, such as a globe, pictures of mountains, crystals belong here. They ground you and put you in touch with Mother Earth.

Fire works here, so if your fireplace is in this area, that’s great. Candles will also work. Stars and sun symbols should be here – sunflowers, sundials, pictures of sunrise or sunset, starfish, the Star of David, the Stars and Stripes.

Any religious object you connect with works here.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Mountain Alphabet by Andrew Kiss

Harmonize and healing with color

Feng Shui activity for today:
Add a color

Yellow, gold, and other earth tones will enhance this area. Yellow bananas in a fruit bowl, the green plant with brown potting soil, yellow flowers will work here.

Red will energize this area. Red candles, placemats, table runners, a red-tassled lampshade, a red throw on the couch, a big bowl of red Christmas ornaments will bring energy to this area.

Yin Yang harmony by Rick Faist

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

General and healing area - an overview

Moving into the General Health area of our homes
Bringing balance to the center of our homes will bring:

• More optimal health
• A sense of balance in life
• Betterment in all life situations

While this may sound really short, and not very important, consider this: If you are not feeling healthy and well, you will not be able to enjoy your prosperity. If you do not have a sense of balance in life, you will find yourself constantly struggling to keep up with this and let go of that. If you seek betterment in all of your life situations, the prosperity and well being you achieve will be well grounded, well founded, and of a much more permanent nature.

Stabilize your Family area with symbols

Feng Shui activity for today:
Add a symbol stabilize

Wood is the element for this area, so wooden picture frames with pictures of your loved ones are great here. Any wooden item will do, even toothpicks and chopsticks. A bowl of pine cones or acorns is symbolic here, along with anything made of paper, wicker, rattan, or bamboo.

Rectangular or columnar objects belong here. Water also works here – pictures of beautiful Venice canals, a water bed, and undulating forms (water takes any shape) are fine here.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Colorize your family area

Feng Shui activity for today:
Add a color to your Family area.

Wood is the element for this area, and green symbolizes wood. Green t-shirts, a wooden bowl filled with avocados or artichokes will work. Green plants can be nurtured here.

Water feeds wood, and black symbolizes water, so anything black will help things start to flow with family, children, and basic money needs.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Family area - an overview

Day Twenty-One:
Moving into the Family area of our homes

Working to balance and enhance this area of your home can assist in the following ways:

• You may feel more secure in all areas of your life
• Improve your sex life
• Build a stronger foundation that allows you to meet life’s challenges with more confidence and less stress
• Improve family relationships and bring harmony into family matters
• Start being treated like one of the family by non-blood relatives
• Enhance your business and increase your income
• Get a promotion
• Create a situation where you always have the money to pay the bills
• Find balance with your emotional stability
• Improve your physical and mental health
• Make better choices in life

Add substance to Skills and Knowledge

Feng Shui activity for today:
Add a symbol

Books are the perfect enhancement for this area. Use bookends that symbolize a skill you would like to master.

Light will energize this area. Lamps with light bulbs, lanterns, candles work here, hence the sayings “Shed some light on the subject” and “Gain enlightenment.”

If you kitchen is in this area, create the intention that all your food becomes “food for thought.”

Symbols that remind you of wisdom belong here – a lamp of knowledge, the scales of justice, a judge’s gavel, a chess game, a straight-A report card, intelligent dolphins will work.

Symbols of mentors or wise people – a statue of Solomon from the Bible, the three Wise Men, Merlin the magician, Yoda, Einstein, or Gandhi can be depicted here.

Metal works here – as in “Sharp as a tack” and “Razor-sharp mind.”

Water invites wisdom your way. Place wood here with the intention that it attract wisdom. Place your meditation items here, or an altar of thanksgiving. This is the area for your hobbies and crafts.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Enliven your Skills with color

Feng Shui activity for today:
Add a color

Blue is the color for this area. Anything blue will do. Hang your blue jeans in a corner.

Black symbolizes water and is appropriate here.

Wood is the element for this area. Green symbolizes wood, so use green plants, dollar bills, green clothes, green paint.

This cool picture is a National Geographic wallpaper of the day. You can visit their website and get all kinds of cool wallpapers, or you can go here and get this image for your computer desktop.

From Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life
by Karen Rauch Carter

Skills and Knowledge area - an overview

Bringing balance into the Skills and Knowledge area of our homes will help to:

• Make better grades
• Make better decisions
• Be more creative
• Be a better businessperson
• Attract opportunities, situations, and people to help in all areas of your life
• Tap into your inner wisdom more often
• Find the inner strength and will to begin a seemingly ominous or overwhelming task
• Have better relationships