Clear Englebert – I couldn’t practise Feng Shui if I didn’t believe in it, and I wouldn’t believe in it if I hadn’t seen it work.

Clear is a well known Feng Shui practitioner whose focus is on demystifying Feng Shui principles through the Form school practice. For more information go to his website, http://fungshway.com which provides a range of advice and knowledge. Clear is also available for global consultation.

Welcome Clear, it is great to be able to interview you after all these years! I remember that I picked up your book, Feng Shui Demystified, in a Malaysian bookstore and have followed your advice since. I also realise that you have been mentoring me, and continue to do so, since I lived in Switzerland over 10 years ago. You have advised me on apartments and houses in Switzerland, France, Belgium, NYC and Berlin.

I am thrilled to be able to ask you some questions about your Feng Shui path and also your thoughts on Feng Shui. One key note that you and I have discussed over the years, is that I love the idea that you say that a Feng Shui Master is over 81 years old! It is all about age and experience. Let’s find out more.

How did you find out about Feng Shui?

I was originally a book seller and had a store in Alabama that offered alternative knowledge and books – this was not unusual in the 1970s. I heard about Evelyn Lip, an architect, who wrote about the two different schools of Feng Shui – Compass and non-Compass. I found the Compass part confusing but the Form school really intrigued me. Then in the 1990s, I read books by Sarah Rossbach, who is amazingly clear and her books are about the use of color and the Feng Shui use of placement of objects in the home.  

I started trying Feng Shui and began to get positive results. Her books opened the door for me and I focused on the Form school.

How has this path evolved for you over the years?

Since the 70s, I have known about Feng Shui but it didn’t appeal to me at first until the 90s when I read Sarah’s book. It is a brilliantly written book with common sense and so I started practising the Form school. 

I was living in Hawaii in the 80s and it was my goal to move there. I had read enough to give good advice and started consulting. I knew I needed to study more so I went to San Fransisco which was a great place to find more knowledge. I attended a lecture by Lin Yun. He followed a practice of rituals and although I have not followed a ritualised way, I do believe that making a verbal intention is powerful.

In Feng Shui for Love & Money, I wrote about how this had an important impact on my life and what I did that led me to my husband. I had books published and eventually actually moved to Hawaii. However, at first I was in San Francisco and I was advising a friend about being really stuck. So I asked for her floor plan and I offered her suggestions for placement. Her email was the first appreciative one I received and she said, “It was like a dam burst in to my life, so much positive change!” This confirmation was an affirmation that the advice I was giving made sense and was good for people to act on. I do say though that it takes tact and willingness to express it in a way that clients are able to hear it. Sometimes I have to be tactfully honest.

What are your thoughts on the two schools of Feng Shui?

If the Form school didn’t exist, I wouldn’t practise Feng Shui. The Compass school doesn’t appeal to me. I am sure it works and I know a great person in San Diego, Elliot Tanzer, and he has a website: elliottanzer.com. I would recommend him if people are interested in that path.

In your view, how do the Chinese historical and cultural practices translate to our Western lifestyle for Feng Shui?

They often translate clumsily! I cherish that what I recommend has nothing to do with Chinese cultural practices. I have seen people re-decorate their places with golden dragons and coins, looking to practise the Compass school. I work with symbolism but this use of “Chinese lucky objects” is not the way for me. I don’t imagine most of my clients feel comfortable with Chinese practices in their homes. 

Can you give favourite examples of positive change due to the application of Feng Shui?

I have a long time client in Hawaii. In her previous home, she had placed a fake $1000 bill in the wealth corner. I asked why it isthere and we discussed that it is fake money. I advised her to do the opposite. I told her to put a real $100 bill behind a waterfall picture in the wealth corner as it is real money that can be spent and is also the highest dollar bill. She did this and sent an email saying that since then, she had gotten jobs and referrals that are paying really well. She then moved to a house that was a better place. 

Another example; I have had five couples trying to conceive, who were trying all sorts of methods. By following Feng Shui advice, they now all have children. My advice was simple, I tell people to stop cleaning under the bed. It is the simplest advice and it worked!

If you had 5 key Feng Shui points for a general person to start with, what would they be?

  1. Have yourself sitting and sleeping in an empowered position which is being able to see toward the doorway.
  2. Watch all of the poison arrows in your walls and furniture. This is a sharp right angle corner from a table and is usually a vertical corner. Try to avoid these angles and have rounded corners where possible. This is often seen in Danish modern furniture.
  3. ‘Clutter’ – just one word says it all, people can figure it out.
  4. Don’t move in to, or live in a place, that doesn’t have a back corner where the wealth and relationship corner should be.  That’s a missing area and it often happens where the far back right or left is a patio and not part of the interior floor plan. If you have this, use a small mirror to pull in the room stating that this extends the corner.
  5. Electromagnetic fields – avoid them especially with children, check for them (using a gaussmeter) as they shouldn’t be sleeping next to high level magnetic fields.

Are there are any Western architects you are aware of that are practising Feng Shui?

In New York City, there is R.D Chen – he has a book called Feng Shui Revealed and a website: rdchin.com. I know him as a friend and he is wonderful.

What are you working on now or would like to in the near future?

I have these books in my head.

  • A book called Feng Shui Outside
  • A book called Feng Shui with House Plants
  • A book called Feng Shui for Collectors – with a chapter called Better Clutter!

Thanks so much Clear for your time and knowledge. We look forward to seeing your next blog posts.