With their ability to absorb and reflect positive and negative energy, mirrors can play a vital role when considering the Feng Shui of a space. They bring a sense of refreshment and calm as well as drawing in the beneficial chi or Feng Shui energy. With proper placement they can change the energy flow within a room and as such can 'cure' the space. This is why mirrors are often known as the 'Aspirin' of Feng Shui.

The ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui is over 3000 years old and is the science of balancing energies within a space to promote health and good fortune and reduce negativity and bad luck. The Chinese believe that the earth is alive and creates energies that can be harnessed and enhanced to create a balance within a space that encourage wellbeing.

Put very simply, the art of Feng Shui involves the positioning of items within the home or workspace to enhance a positive balance of chi (energy flow). It takes into consideration the shape of the item, the colour and the position within the space, all of which relate to the five Feng Shui elements of earth, wood, fire, metal or water. Together they represent different aspects of human wellness, shown in the Feng Shui Bagua or map:

*North - Water - Blue & Black - promotes Career and Path in Life.

*North East - Earth - Beige, Light Yellow, Sandy/Earthy Colours - promotes Spiritual Growth & Self Cultivation.

*East - Wood - Brown & Green - promotes Health & Family.

*South East - Wood - Brown & Green - promotes Money & Abundance.

*South - Fire - Red, Orange, Purple, Pink, Bright Yellow - promotes Fame & Reputation.

*South West - Earth - Beige, Light Yellow, Sandy/Earthy Colours - promotes Love & Marriage.

*West - Metal - White & Grey - promotes Creativity & Children.

*North West - Metal - White & Grey - promotes Helpful People, Blessings and Travel.

Representing the element of water, mirrors are symbolic of self-image and clarity of mind. If positioned correctly they can bring the positive chi from outside into the home and mean that a beautiful view can even be seen twice; once through a window and once within the reflection of the glass. This is also true of natural light, which has a great impact on positive energy flow.

There are three categories of mirrors within Feng Shui:

1. Typical mirrors:

Usually defined by their shape and their frame, mirrors can combine elements e.g. the glass means that they are primarily water, however they may have a wood or metal frame. This is fine as good Feng Shui is about the balance of energies and too much of one particular type can in fact have negative effects.

In terms of their shape:

Square and rectangle = Balance
Octagonal = Power
Circular = Unity

2. Concave mirrors:

Are mostly used outside in Feng Shui. They produce an upside down, condensed reflection that draws in energy.

3. Convex mirrors:

Again mainly used outside, these mirrors have protective qualities and are used as a watchful eye. They deflect and push away negative energy.

An example of mirrors being used to promote Wealth & Abundance is to position a round mirror, with a gold leaf frame in the South East of your home or office space (known as the money area). As you can see from the Bagua, the best place for promoting wealth is the South East. The water element of the mirror nourishes the wood element of the South East space and the metallic colour (representing metal and fire) helps to create a strong balance.

Mirrors can also be used as a 'cure' for a negatively energized space. For example, if there is a fireplace on the East wall of a room, this can create negative chi as the fire element can burn the wood of the eastern area. Rather than moving the fireplace in order to maintain positive chi, a much simpler solution is to add a mirror over the fireplace. This brings in the element of water that helps to dampen down the fire and at the same time nourishes the wood.

Mirrors create a strong energy and therefore a hive of activity; this of course can have negative effects as well as positive. In the bedroom for example, an area used for relaxing, quiet, and sleep, is the exact opposite to the type of chi created from mirrors. It is therefore not ideal to have mirrors in your bedroom, but of course due to their functional properties this is more or less impossible. It is therefore recommended that mirrors are covered up at night to help reduce this activity.

There are also many do's and don't when hanging mirrors:

• Do hang a mirror near your entryway, as this activates the water element of the space immediately and means you can take a positive glimpse of yourself on the way out.
• Do hang mirrors to enhance light and space e.g. a mirror at the end of a long corridor draws chi down the hall and through the home/work space.
• Do hang mirrors in rooms or on walls that are missing Bagua in order to generate balance and create a 'cure' e.g. South, West and North West rooms or walls.
• Do use whole mirrors that reflect the entire picture. Position mirrors so that they do not cut off half of the reflection e.g. the face from the rest of the body as this creates a broken picture and negative chi.
• Do hang mirrors to enhance good views as this brings positive chi indoors.
• Do use mirrors to create the command position. In order to generate wealth a leader should always face the door. If this is not possible, position a mirror so that the door can always be seen.

• Do not position your mirror directly opposite a doorway. Although it is recommended to position a mirror near the entranceway, always ensure that the mirror is to the side of the door and at least 5 feet away from the door, otherwise the good energy is simply reflected back out the door.
• Do not, use fragmented or broken mirrors as this represents a broken image and promotes negative chi.
• Do not use smoked glass mirrors as this prevents clarity of mind.
• Do not hang mirrors directly opposite each other as this creates an element of distortion, is disorientating and promotes negative energies of feeling lost.

Finally, mirrors can be used to deflect negative energy and a BAGUA MIRROR is often used outside. A Feng Shui Bagua mirror is a round mirror surrounded by an octagonal wooden frame in red, green and yellow/gold or yellow, black and red. Looking a bit like a cobweb it carries a design that represents early or late heavens. The mirror is usually convex for pushing negative energy away, but can sometimes be concave if used in the correct way to manipulate the negative energies. The bagua mirror is not a decorative item and should never be used as one; its function is to act purely as a cure and nothing more. The bagua mirror should only ever be used outside and only when negative Feng Shui energy is facing your home or business. This type of negative energy is often know as the 'poison arrow' and comes form sharp edges pointing directly at you, such as corners of table, sharp edges of buildings or concrete structures. They can also be create from two windows or doors being directly opposite each other and this should be avoided wherever possible.

Mirrors certainly have an active role within Feng Shui and as well as their obvious reflective qualities that can add light and positive reflections into the room, they also possess many hidden and deeper qualities due to their materials, shape, colours and even their positioning