Creating Home Sanctuaries with Feng Shui: Sacred Spaces, Altars, and Shrines [Paperback]

Shawne Mitchell (Author), Gunning Stephanie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2002

Using this book, you will discover how every room in your home can become a place to increase serenity, mindfulness, and expression, reduce stress, and build harmony. It provides an easy-to-follow, seven-step process for building personal retreats, altars, and shrines. You will learn how to identify a location, cleanse and sanctify the area, evaluate the balance of energy, assemble materials, and energize their intentions. Specific chapters are devoted to communal rooms, intimate spaces, zones of creativity, and contemplative environments. Hundreds of practical tips and suggestions, insightful stories, and life lessons are included so you can see:
- How to use the bagua, a basic mapping device, to map the environment.
- The meaning and power of crystals and gemstones, animal totems, sacred and mystical symbols and artifacts, musical instruments, incense, and essential oils.
- Rituals for celebrations and holidays, to attract spiritual guidance, to manifest divine intentions, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I love this book. It shows you how to easily turn your home into a sanctuary of sacred space." -- Denise Linn, author of Sacred Space

"If you want your home to nourish, rejuvenate, and recharge you, then this book will show you the way." -- Cherie Carter-Scott, author of If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

"In this book Shawne guides us to transform our intimate environments so they nurture our creativity, serenity, joy, and relationships." -- Arielle Ford, author of Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul

Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: New Page Books (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564145700
• ISBN-13: 978-1564145703
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,354,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A more peaceful home, January 18, 2006

By 

J. Rothman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creating Home Sanctuaries with Feng Shui: Sacred Spaces, Altars, and Shrines (Paperback)

I found "creating Home Sanctuaries with Feng Shui" very helpful. I recently lost my husband and learning how to make a very special place for him in my new home brought me peace. Thank you Shawne for your insights and help. Janet Rothman

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No wonder only one review!, July 28, 2005

By 

Fusha - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creating Home Sanctuaries with Feng Shui: Sacred Spaces, Altars, and Shrines (Paperback)

This book like so many has an inticing and inviting title. Like so many books thats about it..since a numerous amount of people especially with buying off the net, will never be able to sift through a book so they will have to go by the title and cover design (the latter being more subconscious effect). Its really not about Feng Shui in any deep sense. Lots of talk but when it gets down to it the Feng Shui is only a vehicle and marketing cash cow.

First off..yes we have the introduction/peptalk formality as in most books. So we're all hyped up and luckly the next chapter gets into the Feng Shui Ba-gua areas (Black Hat school); useful information to help the reader know about each gua, briefly what are some appropiate things to go in the respective gua, and some reasons the help clarify the want or need to focus on a particular gua.

After the Ba-gua areas chapter, comes two misplaced chapters. "Space Cleaning and Santification" and follwing it, "Feng Shui Energy Enhancements". Both are not skimpy which is good..but so wordy it seems to just go on and on into a miriade of things that comprise basic information to everything from oils, pets, plants..etc. The "Enhancements" chapter has an explanation on the 5 Elements.

The 5 Elements would seem more fitting on its own chapter or part of the Ba-ua chapter but definitely...BEFORE both the "Space Clearing" and "Enhancements". The information these authors provide has a bearing on what and why you chose the space you do..so where and when the information is placed can be heaven or totally maddening in the process of application. Basics first...after you choose and clear a space is not the time to then know about the 5 elements..much less everything in the "Enhancements" chapter suggests.

The next chapter, the "power tools" chapter,is generous as well, but it goes into all sorts of things to place on an altar; talimans to diety/statues..instruments...almost the kitchen sink!. The author then goes room by room (not many)and is quite skimpy. Little or no mention of creating an altar per the Ba-gua areas. Instead, Ba-gua areas and Feng Shui, are mentioned here and there in stories about couples, families, individuals...in the usual "happy ending, Feng Shui (consultant) saved the day".The authors do include a niffy short list "Feng Shui Tips/Do's Don'ts". The book focuses more on material objects. However, there is ample attention put toward centering oneself and taking stock/going within...surpising placed well in the book. There are drawings throughout.

This is not really about using Feng Shui. It is a book with an esoteric focus about picking some area (some times Ba-gua and often just some/any area) and making an altar. Feng Shui is a "just passing through" chapter in the book..and an angle. The book is not heavy on the same repetitious cures;its got everything else to talk about...except Feng Shui. The authors offer perhaps way too much information; as if its the only book that exits or that they'll ever right. I wouldnt' completely disqualify the book on the grounds of other mention information in the spirituality, esoteric, self-help genres. In that vain it could be a paperback compendium or dictionary...NOT on Feng Shui..but with Feng Shui mentioned along with all the other things. It professes to be about something it truly isn't...has you looking for something that isn't really there. Glad I didn't pay a lot for this book.