Guest Author - Diane Kern

Open the door to your future and walk through, because your front door tells a story of your life. The location and direction of your door is very important in all schools of feng shui.

One of the most important issues is whether or not your door can receive energy and the quality of that energy. Your dooryard should be clear, clean and open. Of the four mystical creatures, this area is represented by the red phoenix. Make sure she has plenty of take off room to fly your dreams into the future.

Obstructions of various kinds can cause a weakening or even totally block energy from reaching you. Avoid locations with large trees or rocks blocking the area in front of your door. A hill or mountain too close to your door is also to be avoided. If there are too many steps leading to your door it can be difficult for energy to reach you.

The direction and shape of incoming and outgoing roads must also be considered. It is not auspicious for a road to be coming in towards your front door. The energy is too strong for a residence. Think what would happen if a car was out of control. At night the constant flashing of headlights through your windows will disturb your peace and sleep.

Your entrance is the focal point of your home for you as well as visitors. The area outside your door should be attractively landscaped. Plants must be healthy and well trimmed. The path leading to your door should have a gentle curve or at least not point directly to your door. A functioning porch light or lamp post is required for safety as well as for aesthetic reasons. Your door itself should be in proportion to the size of the house. Not too wide or too tall. Not too short or too narrow. It is popular to paint doors red. I suggest this is not a good idea. A red door can strengthen inauspicious energies that appear at your doorstep. Better to keep to more neutral tones in colors that reflect the trigram location of your door.

Make sure your interior entry is clean and clear of clutter. Give that positive energy room to enter your home and circulate. The entrance hall needs to be welcoming, bright and open. Remember this is the first place your guests will see. So don’t fill it up with shoes, coats, old mail and dead plants. A well organized closet with room for your guest’s coats as well as your own belongings is necessary. Create an upbeat mood with good lighting. Bring lively qi to the foyer with a healthy plant. And add something personal to the area to give a hint at what lies beyond. But keep it simple.

It is preferable not to have a stairway coming down towards or going away from the door. This can drain away energy. If the area is spacious enough you might redirect the energy flow away from the door with a plant or screen.

Take stock of the front of your house. Does it invite qi to your door and welcome it in? Or are you making it difficult for beneficial energies to arrive and help you?