When clients of mine have questions about the ideal fountain to use as a remedy, the same questions tend to crop up. What follows are some general truths about water fountains used for feng shui purposes.

  1. A small amount of water is better than no water.
  2. More water is better than a small amount.
  3. Circulating water is better than still water.
  4. Circulating water can be effective when run anywhere from several hours to 24 hours per day. (Turn your fountain off if you leave town for a few days).
  5. The fountain material is not a concern if the fountain holds at least a few quarts of water.
  6. If the fountain is very small with little water, a copper container is better than resin or stone.
  7. Water should make a pleasing sound to you, which is subjective, and related: water should move at a relaxed pace-not too fast and not too slow.
  8. The color of the fountain should not matter, except no red color (fortunately not a common design). Avoid fountains with built in lights or disconnect the lights.
  9. A fountain in a bedroom can be turned off when you are trying to sleep.
  10. Get a fountain that can look good and appropriate in any room, as it might need to be moved around from year to year.

 

Other questions are asked which are less common, such as:

  • Whether or not the shape of the fountain matters. This is subtle and not as important as the volume of water, keeping it fresh, and having it circulate.
  • For outdoor fountains, people want to know if the direction the water moves matters and that can be decided uniquely for each property. Generally speaking, you don’t want water to appear to move away from a house, rather towards it. A multi-tiered fountain simply pumps the water to the highest point and then it falls down each tier on all sides.
  • There are long-termed locations for outside water, which may last for 20 or more years. Indoor fountains may also have long term locations, but they might need another element to counter the water in certain years.
  • Decades ago, a feng shui consultant in my area told her clients to purchase sealed up 5 gallon Sparklet’s water containers as water remedies. No!  Water must be open and available to the Qi in the room, not sealed up.  Aquariums can substitute for water fountains in many cases,  (open lid) even without actually having to maintain fish in the tank.

What else does not count as a good water remedy?

  1. Rooms with plumbing where the water comes and goes.
  2. Pictures of water, lakes, ocean, etc.
  3. Blue or black color on a small scale.
  4. Noise cancellation machines that sound like waves.

And finally, what to do if you just don’t like the aesthetic of most commercial fountains?  I hear ya!  I know that some fountains look cheap or they don’t look appropriate with your own décor and style.  Over the years, I’ve only been attracted to very expensive custom-made fountains, which is just not practical for most.  I’ve made my own fountains, with the purchase of an indoor fountain pump and a cool looking vase or serving bowl.  (see photo of blue glass fountain).

Author: Kartar Diamond

Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®

From the Frequent Client Questions Blog Series