Dear Lillian,
I read in your magazines and website that it is inappropriate to give timepieces as gifts. I am wondering if there is any Feng Shui implication for collecting clocks, particularly in my bedroom. I have been collecting old self-winding tin clocks made in China and have a display cabinet for more than 30 of them.

I find that my life has been in a rut particularly over the last two years, and I don't seem to be able to make as much progress and contribution as I would like.
I feel that my energy is very scattered and I end up not accomplishing much.

Is there any good Feng Shui advice for a female Wood Tiger (1974) like me to consolidate my energy and focus so that I can make significant progress in life? I really look forward to hearing from you. Best in wealth and health to you, and family.

Thanks, Lizzie

Dear Lizzie,
Thank you so much for your kind wishes. I was very disturbed to hear that you collect timepieces, such as clocks. You know I don't like to display even a single wall clock in my house and this is because clocks in general signify the passage of time.

To the Chinese, a wall clock is a sign of impending death or some kind of misfortune, so I would suggest that you keep your clocks somewhere where you do not see them. You can collect watches if you like, especially jewellery watches, but keep them in their boxes and think of them as jewellery rather than watches.

As for being in a rut, don't feet bad. You are a Wood Tiger so this is a rather trying year for you. It is a hard time for success to be realized for you. You need to wear lots of gold and peace a five-element pagoda in your Northeast direction. This should help you a great deal. To jump-start your life, try moving all the furniture in the northeast of your room out a few inches, give the nooks and corners a good cleaning and then move the furniture back again. You can, if you wish, rearrange your furniture and bring in some fresh flowers. You will be surprised at what all this will do for you.

Dear Lillian,
I'm 32 years old. I'm a Malaysian working in Vietnam. I have a girlfriend who is of Vietnamese origin. I am getting engaged to her on Nov 7, 2007, which also happens to be my birthday. I met her when I was working in Nha Trang, Vietnam. I love her very much and am even willing to give my life for her. Recently, I got transferee to Ho Chi Minh City. The problem is that I always worry about her wellbeing and safety. What's more, I am constantly afraid that she will get another boyfriend and turn her back on me. My Western zodiac sign is Scorpio and Chinese zodiac is Rabbit. Is it normal to have this kind of feeling? Am I thinking too much? Is there a Feng Shui remedy for the situation I'm in?

Thanks, Martin Woo Ken Hiung

Dear Martin,
No, it has nothing to do with your Zodiac sign or your Chinese animal sign. It is something that every one who is in love feels when they are separated from their sweethearts. Give her a shell. They say this helps lovers who are apart stay faithful to each other. I would however suggest that you took on this separation as a test of your affection for each other. Who knows, you might be the one to disappoint her because you, too, may meet someone else.

So why don't you just relax and take things as they come. I also suggest that you observe all your good directions. At night, steep with your head pointing to your love direction as this will ensure she does not forget you.

Place a romantic symbol in your bedroom. Something like a pair of mandarin ducks or a dragon phoenix image should ensure that your love stays alive and well.

Dear Lillian,
I’m interested in buying a money tree for my home, but I was told that the money tree has to be given to me as a gift and that I should not buy it for myself as the luck will not be activated that way. Is that true?

Thank you, Tonya

Dear Tonya,
It is believed that when a money tree is given to you, it has greater potency, so yes, that is correct. However, you can always buy a money tree for your husband or for your home so that when the tree brings wealth and prosperity, you are also sure to benefit. In any case, all auspicious symbols always have greater power when they are given to you. That is why I so love the tradition of giving gifts to each other at the slightest excuse. My daughter and I are always giving things to each other precisely for this reason.

Dear Lillian,
I'm an ardent fan of yours and every year, I would buy your Feng Shui book.
Anyway, my wealth luck was very good once; every now and then I would strike a smart jackpot through betting on 4D.

But ever since my nephew's wife, who had to have an abortion because her foetus was born outside her womb, visited my home, my luck has taken a dip. Can you advise me on what must I do to bring back my wealth luck?

Regards, Albert Neo

Dear Albert,
The Chinese call this an affliction. The misfortune energy stuck to you and affected your luck. What you need is a purification ritual that you alone should do to yourself, without the help of anyone else. Get some incense and then use them to symbolically cleanse the bad energy away from your body.

Use a sweeping out motion to do this. Then, rub a packet of sea salt from your head down away form your body and have a shower. Next, bathe in a perfumed bath into which you have thrown slices of lime. The lime fruit is said to be one of the best ways of purifying afflicted energy. If you are a Taoist or a Buddhist, you can go to a temple and pray and offer a donation, and this will clear you of your bad luck.