Illustrated Encyclopedia
of Feng Shui
by Lillian Too

Oh, at last! After years of living in a WAY too small (24’ by 36’ one story) house, the financial path has been cleared to build an addition, which will give us 50% more room. And while we’re at it, we’re planning to do room-switching and renovation in the existing structure. Sure, it’ll take five years or so for everything to settle in – but then it’s DONE and it’s our little dream bungalow. However, this isn’t just about hiring an architect and going to Home Depot for choosing the kitchen cabinets. I see this as a fabulous opportunity to completely renovate the house energy-wise – and that means, first and foremost, Feng Shui. About which I know Absolutely Nothing.

Luckily, the local Barnes & Noble had Lillian Too’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Feng Shui on sale, and I grabbed it. Lillian Too is a top writer on Feng Shui, having authored over 80 bestselling books on the subject which have been translated into 30 languages. The Illustrated Encyclopedia covers the origins, principles, and practices of Feng Shui from its source as an ancient science in China more than 3,500 years ago to how you can takes its principles and bring it into your own home and work life today. It divides its information into eight parts, covering most any situation you can think of: background and fundamentals; Feng Shui for the home, the garden, and the business world; Feng Shui for personal use and that of enriching your family’s life; cures, antidotes and poison arrows; and (thank goodness!) a dictionary to pull it all together for rookies like me.

Dry this book is not. Too understands that pictures serve not only to illustrate, but to inspire and clarify. It’s full of photographs, diagrams and graphics. Too’s writing is clear, practical and user-friendly – vital for those of us on our first wade into the koi-pond, as it were. And you don’t have to memorize everything in the volume to make use of her suggestions: it’s an encyclopedia, and like all good encyclopedias the vast amount of knowledge is there, but doesn’t need to be absorbed all at once. For example: Feng Shui for the home doesn’t just mean a house for Too. She addresses mansions, bungalows, bachelor apartments, semi-detached and town homes. Each of these living arrangements can benefit from different cures and adaptations.

If you are of a business frame of mind, it’s not just about where you put a dragon symbol in your personal office. Too discusses placements of roads, highways, overpasses and railroad tracks and how they will affect your business chi! Who knew?

And for those of us who are entrepreneurs, there is a whole section of entrepreneurial tips and tricks, from placing a mountain (a picture will do) behind your chair to burying nine coins on the path to your office. Since folks who make their livings using metaphysics or alternative health modalities are often solo practitioners who are their own CEOs, this chapter will prove especially useful.

There’s even (hooray!) a section on the Feng Shui of house renovations. Apparently, I need to take note of Grand Duke Jupiter, whose location changes every year. You’re not supposed to disturb his corner (north to northeast this year, east to northeast in 2010). Luckily, the plans call for the kitchen and my home office to be constructed on the west and southwest corner of the property, so I suppose I can still call the contractor…

Feng Shui is an immensely detailed system, and one can spend a lifetime learning its intricate ins and outs – or “yins and yangs.” But for first-timers and those who want to use it for immediate practical matters, Lillian Too’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Feng Shui is in harmony all the way around.