A lot of people associate feng shui with the items that are used in the practice, such as bagua mirrors, animal figurines, and Five emperor coins. That’s why I’m not surprised that a lot of the questions I get from our readers have to do with the correct usage and placement of these. People get worried about the type of item they should have, what material it should be made of, and where it should be placed in the house.
What are the feng shui principles that guide the usage of these items—and do you even need them at all? I’ll share my opinion on this by answering two questions I’ve gotten from the same reader: one about bagua mirrors and one about wind chimes.
On Bagua Mirrors
A reader posted the following query for me:
Dear Uncle Dixer: Our house is located in the Northwest area. Is it okay to hang a bagua mirror? What should I use – concave or convex?
For my answer, let’s revisit the purpose of a bagua mirror. First off, mirrors are important in feng shui because they are believed to multiply the energy within a particular area. They are also able to reflect incoming energy and disperse that same energy back outside. The specific purpose of a bagua mirror is to deflect “sha qi,” the metaphorical “poison arrow” or qi that is unpleasant and detrimental to growth.
I advise against hanging a bagua mirror above your front door just for the sake of it. You should only get one if you feel that there is a need to deflect harmful potential; otherwise, if everything else in your home is going well, you shouldn’t be excessively worried about the specifics.
Do you have potentially harmful Qi outside your front door? If so, shop our store’s bagua mirror collection.
Whether the mirror should be convex or concave depends on the particular situation. I will honestly not be able to give you an answer without knowing what we are looking at.
On Wind Chimes
The same reader gave me a follow-up question:
I also want to hang a wind chime. What is good to hang – a metal, wood, or glass wind chime? And how many pieces of rod? Thank you!
My answer to this question is similar to my answer for the one above. You may actually not need a wind chime, and you may not need to worry about whether the wind chime should be in metal, wood, or glass and how many pieces it should comprise, if there’s nothing wrong with your current home situation. Otherwise, it may actually do more harm than good!
Wind chimes are as an interesting a case as bagua mirrors. The energy comes from the sound the wind chimes make. Silent and stagnant wind chimes are mere home decorations with little to no feng shui purpose. You also have to be careful about placing wind chimes within the proximity of your house’s so-called “ghost line,” as a wind chime located near the Line of the Spiritual Gates may bring further trouble into your home.
Conclusion
In summary, I think you should be extra careful about the feng shui items you bring into your home and not purchase them just because it seems like the trend. Be wary of aggressive feng shui merchants who insist that you absolutely need these items, without them knowing anything about your particular situation. I’d exercise caution in this context, and I think you should, too.
Uncle Dixer is a Chinese-Australian Feng Shui Expert. He is here to answer your Feng Shui questions so we can better understand the workings of Feng Shui. Read more about him or submit your question to an expert.