If your career is suffering or your relationships are failing, maybe one of the areas of your home isn’t working to summon positive energy and changes into your life. A little Feng Shui might help.

"The Bagua map is a tool used in Feng Shui to enhance certain areas of your life," says Lynn Lee, a Feng Shui practitioner in San Diego, California.

Bagua means "eight trigrams" according to "The Western Guide To Feng Shui Room by Room," written by Terah Kathryn Collins.

The basic blueprint of the Bagua Map is presented in the form of a square (imagine tic-tac-toe lines drawn in it to create nine equal areas). At the top left corner is wealth and prosperity, moving to the top center middle is fame and reputation, in the upper right corner is love and marriage (relationships). The second row, from left to right, has the areas of health and family, center or earth, and creativity and children. The third row, from left to right, has the areas of knowledge and self-cultivation, career, and in the bottom right corner, helpful people and travel.

To determine which areas are represented in various locations of your home, you need to start with a blueprint of your home. Place the Bagua map next to the blueprint (the front entrance should be at the bottom of the page). Then draw a rectangle shape around your home, making sure that your home fits inside it. If you have a rectangular house all of the Baguas end up inside your home. If your home is a different shape some of the Baguas will fall outside of your home, but inside of the rectangle. You then divide the areas as the map is divided and label them. The layout is the same regardless of what level floor you are on.

"It reflects whatever is downstairs. [The Bagua map] mirrors upstairs, and up to the third floor and so on," says Lee.

Once you have the areas clearly defined, Lee says you can start to create and literally will into your life the things you desire. Lee shared some suggestions for each of the nine areas. In the wealth and prosperity area Lee suggests placing objects that are related to generating greater income. A water fountain is a good addition as well as positive affirmations, wind chimes, beloved possessions, and valuable collections.

In the fame and reputation area, place items that are symbolic of what you aspire to be or are representative of the skills you desire to acquire. "The fire element is directly related to this so you want to put, for instance, in a backyard a fire pit," says Lee.

In the love and marriage (relationship) area, "Place things in pairs -- two red candles, a picture of you and your companion, two hearts," says Lee.

The health and family area is a great place to put family photos, a bowl of fresh fruit … something that aspires you to think good health," explains Lee.

The center or earth area should always be clean and clutter-free.

In the creativity and children area, toys and items that unleash your creativity help to stimulate a fun and easy-going style.

The knowledge and self-cultivation area is a good place for a study. In this area Lee recommends tapes, books, or other materials that you are studying.

In the career area water, especially deep water, symbolizes what we all tend to experience when we transition from careers. In Collins’ book she explains how changing careers requires courage and the ability to, if necessary, struggle through deep water and the unknown. Collins suggests placing items that are flowing, asymmetrically shaped or free-form. Running water from a fountain is key item as well as affirmative quotes.

The helpful people and travel area is a place of possibilities, "dream big, open your eyes, and will it into your life," says Lee. For more information visit this site.

Published: June 12, 2006

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Phoebe is a writer, speaker, and author. She is the Director of Business Development for Quality Service Certification and a trainer in customer service for the real estate industry. She is a Realtor with The Guiltinan Group, a division of Prudential California Realty. Her articles, feature stories, and columns appear in various publications including The Coast News, Del Mar Village Voice, and Rancho Santa Fe Review in San Diego. Phoebe worked for KGTV/10News in San Diego as a Newscaster, Reporter and Community Affairs Specialist for more than a decade. Phoebe's writing is also featured in Donald Trump's book: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received. She is the author of If the Trash Stinks, TAKE IT OUT!: 14 Worriless Principles for Your Success. Contact Phoebe at 858.259.3646 or . Visit PhoebeChongchua.com for more information.