Don’t believe it.

...By Julie Tarney

Here’s something you’ve probably heard before: Don’t believe everything you read online or in the news.

Now this is not a new idea. It was cautioned long before some top reporters were caught not long ago writing complete fabrications.

But what does not believing the news have to do with Feng Shui? Let’s just say it’s a concept that is especially applicable to Feng Shui.

Here’s some so-called “news” that has been printed by reputable sources such as CNN and the Associated Press.

“Feng Shui haircuts energize your look from the inside out.”

“…a chi-rich paint formula that will help clear the bad energy right out of your rooms.”

“A (Feng Shui) practitioner’s tools...can include crystals…”

A Feng Shui hair style? Chi-infused paint? Crystals as tools? All of these ideas about Feng Shui are unfounded, untrue and ridiculous. Yet they appeared as news. And it doesn’t stop online or in print publications. The absurdity carries over into broadcast news sources as well.

Angel de Para, Miami-based Feng Shui master with an international reputation, was asked by a national cable network to provide information for a show it was planning on how to ”Feng Shui your car.” After telling the reporter that there was no basis for such a story, de Para called the show’s producer. “He needed to get his facts straight about Feng Shui,” de Para said. “I told him it was shameful they even considered the idea.” After some discussion, the story was killed.

News like this discredits the art and science of authentic Feng Shui. It discredits classical Feng Shui practitioners and students. And, indirectly, such news stories discredit those who apply the true principles of authentic, classical Feng Shui and successfully help clients solve problems or capitalize on opportunities.

So how does it happen that the media report misinformation about Feng Shui? Whether it’s because sensational headlines and stories sell papers or draw viewers, or because there is no clearly established, accredited source for reporter fact-checking and accuracy, the fact remains that it happens. And misinformation begets more misinformation. So it follows that if something erroneous about Feng Shui is printed in the news or reported on TV or radio often enough, people accept it as fact.  But don’t believe it.

The same applies to books and web sites, a whole other story entirely. Amazon has available nearly 9,000 books on Feng Shui. And Google has close to 24 million Feng Shui entries.

As one reporter at a major daily newspaper lamented over the multitude of books on Feng Shui, “Not one of them has come up with a definitive story on how the author’s life took a quantifiable turn for the better simply because a mirror was hung on an opposite wall or a bed was moved within view of a doorway.” 

Those of us who practice authentic, classical Feng Shui have our work cut out for us. Because we know that mirrors are nothing more than a reflective surface and that any negativity related to a bed in view of a doorway is nothing more than cultural superstition. We are determined to be the reliable, much-needed expert sources for the media and online community. The news will be reported, and the stories believable. And it will happen with credible research, sound methodologies and proven results.  That you can believe.

Julie Tarney is a Master Practitioner of Classical Feng Shui and has a broad experience in both residential and commercial Feng Shui assessments.  Her firm, Classical Feng Shui Consulting, is in Milwaukee, WI.