In the world of Feng Shui there is a lot of talk about mirrors. Some say they can be used to send back bad energy. Others say they can be used to bring in good energy. And then others tell us we can use them to double or even triple our customers walking in the door. There are countless other mirror ‘remedies’ such as putting a mirror under your bed if you sleep in a room over the garage, or placing a mirror in such a way to complete a ‘missing corner’ or to keep toilet sha from entering your sleeping area. Well, we don’t have enough room in this column to explore all of it so I will give you the benefit of my years of experience working with mirrors.

Mirrors in bedrooms more often than not create sleeping problems. They cause the qi to bounce around (think of geometry) and become too active for such a yin space. Qi moves on its own accord and when you give it something as reflective as a mirror as well as round objects then it will bounce and spin much like a ball set in motion on a pool table.

Mirrors do give the illusion of more space. If a mirror is placed on a wall that is opposite a window that has beautiful flowers or lovely scenery outside, then you have a reflection of that beauty inside. However, if the area on the other side of the wall on which the mirror is hanging is full of clutter then you may have that energy coming through the back of the mirror as well, so the beauty is then diminished. Also, it is important to know what kind of qi is in the wall. Think of it this way, if you like chocolate and you are given chocolate then you are happy about it. If you don’t like chocolate and you are given chocolate then you will be unhappy about it. When you are unhappy, it’s probably that others around you will become unhappy too. So it is a good idea to find out what kind of qi is in the mirrored wall and how well it likes the reflection being brought to it. There is some qi that has a very negative reaction to red roses or a green lawn, while there is other qi that loves the red roses or green lawn. One rule of thumb in feng shui is that when the qi is happy, the people are happy. Yup, it’s just that simple.

Mirrors can help move good qi around to other spaces in your home. Back to the ball on the pool table example – if you have really good qi coming in a door you can place a mirror so that it sends the qi to other parts of the house. Slow moving fans are good to help with this, too, as is color and use of pathways.

I have experimented with ba gua mirrors for years under many diverse conditions. I have found that placing ba gua mirrors to ward of bad energy coming from a neighbor is more likely to cause problems than cure them. If you have a sharp pointing roof coming to your home it may not be as bad as you think. If it is doing harm then there are ways of landscaping or ornaments that can diffuse the qi. Another rule of thumb in feng shui is to consider how to use the qi rather than trying to suppress it or send it away.

In the old days mirrors were really highly polished metal pieces. Today we have glass with silver on the back. The silver wears away over time leaving the mirrors less clear than when they were new. It is said that the image and some energy of every person that passes by or looks into the mirror is held in the silver backing. Fact or superstition? I don’t know for sure. I do know that after removing old mirrors from my home and replacing them with new ones I experienced an instant relief. ‘Clearing’ mirrors in public places such as department stores and hair salons has helped impact the well being and happiness of people working in those places. I have actually seen the mood of customers become happier after the mirrors were cleared.