Are your energy levels down, or is your cash flow out of control? Take a look at your stairs! Feng Shui will help you diagnose how life issues might be affected by the location or structure of your stairways.
In my experience as a feng shui consultant, stairways always tell a story about family life and issues. Today we illustrate the most common scenarios:
Stairs in the entry hall facing the front door
We enter through the front door and stairs go straight up to the second floor. Chances are, we experience a split vision; our left eye faces the stairs, up and down, our right eye looks down the hallway toward the back of the house. In classic feng shui interpretations this can cause divisive issues and conflicts among family members. A stairway facing the front door creates falling energy that is often associated with money flowing out too fast and energy levels dropping.
Feng shui recommends adjusting this challenge with the rising energy of the wood element, a tall plant at the foot and on the side of the stairs; pictures or paintings of vegetation, ie best trees, which could be hung along the side wall of the stairs. A light fixture, eg a chandelier at the top of the stairs will be visually attractive and will create rising energy of the fire element.
The split vision challenge can be addressed by creating a visual effect that will capture the eye. A mobile hanging from the ceiling would create gently moving energy and be visually attractive.
A square rug in the entry foyer will anchor the space and provide a visual resting area.
Stairways in the center of the house
Stairs in the center will invariably create health problems as they are located in the health sector of the bagua. Feng shui cures will depend on the structure of the stairwell. Is it straight? Is it curved? Does it have open treads? Or, in a worst case scenario, is it a spiral staircase which is symbolic of a cork screw boring down. Cures will have to be installed according to personal needs or issues of the occupants. Open treads seem to cause instability. I always experience that my pet Chihuahuas are extremely cautious and fearful of stairs with open treads and do not want to go up or down. Animal behavior will often show us where the dangers are.
Our main concern about stairways is safety. If there are small children in the house, a gate at the top of the stairs will prevent a child from inadvertently tumbling down. If the stairs are steep, a handrail or preferably two, one on each side, are a must. If the treads are narrow, a secured carpet strip on each tread will prevent slipping and falling.
Traditional feng shui practitioners may put a small mirror on the inside of the front door, thus trying to bounce the downward qi back up. Or they may resort to the feng shui cure-all of a multi-faceted crystal suspended overhead between the door and the stairwell.
As a general rule, beware and adjust for draining energy in all parts of your home!