The Western Guide to Feng Shui

How can the arrangement of your home influence the flow of money, opportunity, and even love in your life? In The Western Guide to Feng Shui for Prosperity, Terah Kathryn Collins argues that the spaces we inhabit are not just physical—they’re living, breathing environments filled with energy (“Ch’i”) that constantly shape our experiences. When we align our homes and workplaces with positive intention and harmonious design, we literally open the door to prosperity.

Collins contends that wealth isn’t simply about money. In the Feng Shui sense, it’s about the richness of life itself—health, creativity, relationships, and spiritual fulfillment. Money is one expression of Ch’i, but true prosperity flows when your inner state (“wind”) and outer environment (“water”) work together in harmony. Just as nature balances wind and water to nourish the earth, we must balance thought and action to manifest abundance.

Feng Shui for a Modern World

With warmth and humor, Collins translates the ancient Chinese wisdom of Feng Shui into a framework accessible to Western readers. Her approach, called “Essential Feng Shui,” removes mysticism and focuses on practical results—arranging furniture, colors, art, and objects in meaningful ways to align intention with action. Each story in the book demonstrates this transformation unfolding in real human lives—from businesses rescued from chaos to relationships revived through simple changes in lighting and decor.

For example, when Nick replaced a desert skull in his office with photos of rivers (symbolizing flow and abundance), his burnout subsided, and prosperity returned. When Maria placed a water fountain and affirmations in her “Career” area, old doors that seemed closed suddenly opened. These examples illustrate Collins’s core message: when your environment embodies what you want most, the world conspires to deliver it.

Three Foundational Principles of Prosperity

Collins structures her book around three transformational principles. The first principle states that everything around you is alive with energy (“Ch’i”). The way you respond to your surroundings—whether to a treasured photo or a cluttered desk—affects your own vitality and success. Negative objects anchor negativity; uplifting ones attract joy. The second principle reminds us that everything is connected. Your home and your relationships form part of one ecosystem: when your environment supports you with beauty and comfort, your life naturally blossoms. The third principle says change itself is the engine of prosperity. By organizing, simplifying, and letting go of outdated possessions, you create space for new miracles to emerge.

Wind, Water, and You

The Chinese term “Feng Shui” literally means “wind-water.” Wind represents your inner world—your thoughts, feelings, prayers, and intentions—while water symbolizes your outer circumstances: your home, workplace, and the tangible world. Collins argues that just like nature, our lives are shaped by the interaction between these forces. When wind and water move in sync, fair weather prevails; when they clash, we experience turmoil. By practicing conscious alignment through Feng Shui, you become your own “weather maker,” capable of cultivating harmony and wealth through everyday actions.

Throughout the book, this principle unfolds not in abstract theory but through vivid human stories. Dory’s pest-control business, once filled with grime and decay, transformed when she cleaned her environment, added art, and buried quartz crystals to “hold” her intention—the reward was a long-awaited patent. Anna trimmed trees that blocked her doorway and cleared clutter; soon, her husband’s career soared and their marriage lightened. Judy’s addition of waterfalls and affirmations turned “wind” into action, yielding real estate gains. These tales make Feng Shui’s lessons tangible and spiritual at once.

Why It Matters

Collins reminds readers that we’re unconsciously shaping our prosperity every day, whether through how we store old objects or ignore broken ones. The spaces around you whisper messages constantly—about who you are and what you believe you deserve. By learning to listen, you can rewrite those messages. A cluttered garage might echo “I’m stagnant”; an open, flourishing living room might affirm “I’m expanding.”

This emphasis on intention resonates with teachings from similar works—Louise Hay’s affirmations, Marie Kondo’s joy-based decluttering, and Wayne Dyer’s energy of intention—all share a recognition that your external world mirrors your inner consciousness. Collins simply provides the spatial language for it. Feng Shui becomes not a superstition but a mindful choreography of space, purpose, and possibility.

A Living Philosophy of Abundance

Ultimately, Collins’s central argument is that prosperity is not something you chase; it’s something you cultivate by caring for your surroundings with intention, gratitude, and love. Every object becomes a partner in this dance—a mirror reflecting either harmony or resistance. The home becomes a sacred map of goals and desires, with areas such as Wealth, Career, Fame, and Love corresponding to facets of life. When each area is tuned with sincerity and creativity, abundance flows naturally. Through compassion, action, and artistry, The Western Guide to Feng Shui for Prosperity invites you to see every room as a living affirmation of who you are and all that you’re capable of becoming.

Collins insists that your home is not just a container—it’s a living conversation that speaks to and through you every day. Every photograph, piece of furniture, and paint color sends subtle messages about your beliefs and habits. The question is whether those messages are empowering or depleting.

Your Environment Is Alive

In Feng Shui philosophy, everything is alive with Ch’i, the universal life force. Collins explains that this energy exists in objects, architecture, and even empty spaces. If you surround yourself with things that carry negative associations—like unused gadgets or gifts that remind you of painful times—you keep that energy active. Conversely, when you display items that inspire you, they amplify positive Ch’i.

Nick’s skull-and-desert art was a perfect example of how “dead” imagery mirrored emotional exhaustion. When Holly Tashian encouraged him to replace those items with photos of rivers and plants, the atmosphere and his attitude changed almost immediately. Feng Shui teaches that your surroundings echo your subconscious stories; by editing them, you transform the narrative of your life.

Objects as Environmental Affirmations

Collins calls meaningful possessions “environmental affirmations.” Just as a written affirmation strengthens intention, visual ones—symbols, colors, or arrangements—anchor your ideals in physical form. For example, Maria framed her first check as a Feng Shui practitioner and placed it in her bedroom’s Wealth area. That symbolic act magnetized professional opportunities and prosperity. Your décor isn’t just aesthetic—it’s a daily conversation between your goals and your environment.

Healing Through Surroundings

The principle of everything being “alive” leads naturally to healing. Dory’s pest-control office was literally “sick” until she cleaned it, painted, and added art. Gary’s chaotic store evolved into a vibrant retail success when he turned every “no” spot into a “yes.” Collins’s stories show that once attention and care restore the environment’s vitality, people experience emotional renewal, business growth, and family harmony. It’s as if the home and the person heal together.

(Comparison: This concept echoes James Clear’s Atomic Habits in reverse—while Clear emphasizes shaping environment to change behavior, Collins emphasizes changing your environment to change emotion and fortune. Both agree on the power of surroundings to reinforce identity.)

How can shifting the things around you also shift the people in your life? Collins’s second principle—the interconnectedness of all things—reveals that Feng Shui is not just personal but relational. The energy of your home flows outward to touch your relationships, your community, and even your career.

The Principle of Interconnection

Every item in your environment exists in conversation with every other element. When there’s beauty and balance, energy circulates freely; when disorder or discomfort arises, the bonds between people and places weaken. This insight motivated Anna and Tony to prune their front-yard trees and clear clutter—they discovered that light and openness in their home brought renewal to their marriage and careers.

By recognizing that your surroundings are part of a universal web, you engage compassionately with every object. You stop seeing furniture as lifeless matter and begin to perceive it as living support that contributes to your equilibrium. Collins likens the process to weaving threads in a global tapestry—your prosperity benefits others when harmony extends outward.

Relationships, Comfort, and Beauty

Connectedness also includes emotional safety. Feng Shui environments emphasize comfort and beauty not as luxuries but as necessities for well-being. Collins points to Peter and Carol’s story, where a blocked front door created confusion—both for visitors and for the energy of the house. Clearing that entrance restored balance between their work and marriage. The “mouth of Ch’i,” as Feng Shui calls the front door, is where relationships and opportunities enter your life. When it’s inviting, connection thrives.

The Domino Effect of Flow

In the epilogue titled “Dominoes,” Collins’s husband Brian experiences firsthand the chain reaction of clearing energy: moving out one old machine leads to reorganizing closets, kitchens, and even the garage. This domino effect symbolizes how change ripples through connected spaces—just as personal insight ripples through other aspects of life. You never move one piece without moving all.

Feng Shui serves as both metaphor and mechanism for recognizing unity: what you do to one corner of the world affects the whole. By nurturing your immediate environment with grace and gratitude, you inevitably nurture everyone you touch.

If prosperity is stuck, the cause is almost always stagnation. Collins’s third foundational principle—change—is your ally. To invite abundance, you must clear what no longer serves you, whether that’s clutter, outdated thinking, or emotional baggage. Simplifying isn’t superficial—it’s sacred.

Decluttering as Energetic Liberation

In story after story, clutter represents energetic blockage. Joe and Sandra’s health and wealth finally improved only after they cleared decades of junk from their garage and spare room. Collins compares stagnant Ch’i to blocked arteries—when the flow is obstructed, vitality cannot circulate. Decluttering doesn’t simply tidy the house; it opens pathways for life to move forward again.

The Magic of Making Space

As spaces open up, synchronicities appear. Judy’s decision to clean her cabinets was quickly followed by financial windfalls; Monica’s removal of broken equipment unlocked a career promotion. Feng Shui teaches that empty space is never truly empty—it’s a vessel of potential. By letting go of old possessions, you tell the universe that you’re ready for something new.

Gratitude and Affirmation

Collins pairs physical clearing with mental alignment. As you release, express gratitude for what each item once gave you. Jacqui’s creation of a “gratitude list” transformed her mindset from scarcity to abundance—reminding her that prosperity isn’t future-bound but present in every breath. Like affirmations or mindfulness, this practice turns change into a gentle act of appreciation rather than loss.

Minimalism with Meaning

Unlike minimalist doctrines that prize emptiness for its own sake (see Marie Kondo or Fumio Sasaki), Collins sees simplification as an emotional realignment between “wind” and “water.” You don’t strip your life bare; you ensure that every item remaining vibrates with purpose. The result is what she calls “fair-weather conditions”—a balance of form and feeling that makes prosperity inevitable.

At the heart of Collins’s system lies the Bagua Map, a nine-part grid that acts as a spiritual and practical blueprint for life’s treasures. Each section—Wealth, Fame, Love, Family, Health, Creativity, Helpful People, Career, and Knowledge—corresponds to both physical locations in your home and symbolic dimensions of your life.

Mapping the Home

By overlaying the Bagua Map onto your floor plan, you discover where prosperity gathers and where it leaks out. Missing or misaligned areas, such as an absent Wealth corner or a blocked Career space, often correlate with challenges in those parts of life. Judy’s missing Wealth area mirrored her financial instability until she anchored it with palms and waterfalls. Peter and Carol’s absent Love area mirrored emotional distance until they created an outdoor sanctuary with two chairs.

Personalizing Enhancements

Collins encourages you to personalize each enhancement using colors, symbols, and objects that resonate. Purple can energize prosperity; red can ignite recognition; green revitalizes health. The intention matters more than perfection. For missing areas you can’t physically change, symbolic acts—burying crystals, hanging mirrors, or painting markings—anchor energy. Dory’s buried quartz crystals exemplify this practice: a literal planting of purpose that yielded a patent soon after.

Inner and Outer Work

Every Bagua area involves both external design and internal cultivation. For example, Wealth aligns with gratitude, Fame with integrity, Love with receptivity, and Career with courage. As Collins describes, true Feng Shui integrates behavioral change with environmental structure. You learn to honor health through forgiveness, wealth through appreciation, and creativity through joy. The home becomes a mirror for the soul’s maturity.

(When compared to the chakra system in yoga philosophy, each Bagua area similarly represents a level of human energy—rootedness, creativity, power, love, expression, insight, and connection—offering Western readers an intuitive bridge between space and spirit.)

From ancient cosmology to modern design, the Five Elements—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—form Feng Shui’s energetic palette. Collins explains that each element influences emotion and behavior, and when one dominates or disappears, imbalance occurs. Just as too much Fire may breed stress, excess Water can cause drift and lack of focus. The goal is harmony, not monotony.

Reading the Elements

You can read a room’s energy by noticing colors, materials, and shapes. Wood is green, columnar, living; Fire is red, triangular, bright; Earth is yellow and rectangular; Metal is white, circular, cool; Water is dark, reflective, and fluid. Nick’s office burned with Fire—gold walls, fiery art, and agitation—so Holly introduced Water features and Wood plants to soften and balance him. When the five elements coexist, Ch’i circulates smoothly like nature’s ecosystem.

Cycles of Nourishment and Control

Collins presents two cycles: the Nourishing Cycle, where each element supports the next (Water feeds Wood, Wood fuels Fire, Fire creates Earth, and so on), and the Controlling Cycle, where elements regulate each other (Earth dams Water, Metal cuts Wood). Understanding these cycles helps you diagnose environmental moods and prescribe remedies. It’s energetic chemistry—but accessible through paint choices, objects, and lighting.

Balancing Yin and Yang

The Five Elements interact within a larger polarity—Yin and Yang. Yin is soft, dark, curved, and receptive; Yang is bright, angular, active, and open. Western architecture often tips toward Yang perfectionism—large windows, sharp lines, bright whites—leaving us overstimulated. Feng Shui introduces Yin comfort through rounded shapes, rich textures, and warm colors. Balance the two, and you find peace and vitality.

Collins reminds us that being fluent in elemental language is like learning nature’s poetry. As you grow skilled at feeling which element your space “speaks,” you develop intuitive artistry—the ability to compose harmony with walls, light, and air itself. That’s the essence of living Feng Shui: shaping the symphony of your environment to play your soul’s music.

Although Collins’s stories feature physical transformations, their real power lies in personal evolution. Feng Shui becomes a spiritual practice of awareness—learning to listen to what your space is teaching you and reflecting it through inner growth.

From Space to Self

Judith and Jim’s story epitomizes this interplay. When their home felt “low,” they symbolically lifted it with lighting, then applied Feng Shui to Jim’s psychology office: adding fountains, wind chimes, and affirmations. Each change mirrored inner courage and clarity. As their environment aligned with their intentions, both their professional success and personal peace expanded. Collins frames this as environmental therapy—you treat the room, and the room treats you back.

Attention as Transformation

Collins concludes that attention itself is transformative. The act of noticing where energy stagnates cultivates mindfulness and self-responsibility. Like meditation, Feng Shui trains awareness—the moment you observe clutter without judgment, you begin to change it. Carolyn Bratton’s nonprofit center, Lifestream, blossomed when she applied these principles systematically: improving lighting, water features, and even outdoor symbols. Prosperity followed not just because of décor but because consciousness had deepened throughout the organization.

The Home as Mirror for the Soul

Repeatedly, Collins invites readers to view their homes as mirrors for their souls. A dark hallway may reveal emotional avoidance; a neglected room might symbolize ignored dreams. When you approach space as reflection, renovation becomes revelation. You don’t merely rearrange furniture—you rewrite identity. As Brian’s domino decluttering suggests, change is contagious, and evolution prefers motion. Every small shift sends the signal: I am awake, I am ready, I am prospering.

Ultimately, The Western Guide to Feng Shui for Prosperity transforms housework into enlightenment practice. By nurturing your surroundings, you nurture yourself. Through awareness, gratitude, and artistic action, you discover that prosperity isn’t outside waiting—it’s streaming through every corner of your home, inviting you to flow with it.