ART AND PHILOSOPHY: Feng shui

Don Sherer recalls the negative energy that used to permeate his Century 21 Aadvantage Gold agency. He could feel it on a visceral level, and so would his clients, judging by the agency's sales figures at the time. The place even gave people "the creeps," to use his description.

Sherer turned to feng shui (pronounced "fung shway"). He'd used the ancient Chinese blending of art and philosophy before to help sell a home, so he once again summoned Lin Huang, a longtime feng shui master who had helped with the previous dwelling.

Huang came into the Century 21 office and rearranged select pieces of furniture. She changed the color of Sherer's walls, placed key objects in places such as on his desk, attached more of them to the ceiling, and planted others in strategic spots all the way from the front door to the rear fire exit.

Within six months, Sherer's sales climbed, and no longer did anyone walk in to a case of "the creeps." Feng shui had achieved its spiritual balance for the Century 21 outlet, and it made a firm believer out of Sherer, who has since used it in his own residence and company-sold homes.

"Sometimes, it's difficult to explain," Sherer said of the benefits of Feng Shui, which means "wind-water" in Chinese. "But do you know how you might walk into a house or a building and say, `Man, I like this place. This feels good.' And someone says, `Why?' And you tell them, `I don't know, I just like this.'

"We had Lin come in and bless the place, change some things around, and it just started rolling after that. And now, once a year, we bring her back."

Huang said many of her clients are local Realtors who reap the rewards of the metaphysical art. Whether it be the energy-balancing of a local business seeking to deflect its negative vibes, or the makeover of a private residence where the occupants are seeking spiritual enrichment, feng shui has made a difference locally, and Sherer has his stats to prove it.

He purchased his Rampart Boulevard location in February 2001. The year before that, the office had done $250,000 in business. But the post-Huang figures showed a sizable increase: $1 million the first year; $1.9 million the next; and in 2003, $3 million.

"Certainly, this office we took over was not what I would consider a successful Century 21 office," Sherer said. "Now the brand name is still here, the physical office is still here, and the only thing that changed was Lin coming in with the feng shui."

Huang, a native of Taiwan, has operated Qi Gallery in Las Vegas with her assistant, Hui-Lim Ang, for three years, but has performed feng shui locally for seven. More significantly, feng shui has been practiced in her family's two previous generations, so Huang has a deep understanding and unique grasp on the process.

Central to the art is the term "ch'i" (pronounced "chee"), which means cosmic energy, and with feng shui, the basic idea is to ensure that every object in the building attracts positive ch'i and repels the negative variety.

In the case of Sherer's office, Huang determined what was needed specifically for that environment, and placed several objects, including hanging crystals, an octagonal mirror, and a bronze-like sculpture of a team of horses, each of them symbolizing different feng shui qualities such as prosperity, health, wealth, or fame. Huang hung the mirror over the front door to repel negative ch'i.

The placement of the lobby sofa, for example, also fostered negative ch'i. Before Huang corrected it, the couch faced the window. To achieve proper ch'i, it had to be turned around and placed against the window so that the members of the agency would be in the more "powerful" position, according to Sherer.

Ang said professionals such as doctors enlist Huang's services, and in fact, Ang likens their role to that of a physician, when one considers why their services are required.

"People come because they need some help," Ang said. "When you're sick, you go see a doctor, physically. But for some people who come to us, it's love. For some, it's their health. It's almost as though they themselves know that something's not right.

"It all starts with the person, whether you're going to do your home or your office, because there are two types of ch'i: human ch'i and environmental ch'i, and both must be in balance. That's why, when Lin does charts for a residence or a business building, she must always start with the residents, as the human ch'i must be assessed first."

According to Sherer, his realty office was awash with negative ch'i, a lot of it emanating from the people who worked in it. He remembered that 12 total agents toiled at the place before it got the Huang treatment, and at the time, some of them actually said they "hated" the place.

Now, 80 people are employed at the same office.

"We haven't recruited them with fancy furniture and luxurious offices, and I even turn away people who want to work here on a daily basis," Sherer said. "After it was blessed, it just cleaned up the atmosphere, and the energy just changed. The agents' attitudes became better, and the people who are attracted to working here tend to have positive attitudes."

Over time, Sherer has learned of other causes of negative ch'i, such as furniture clutter, a front door facing another front door, or a staircase winding to where the base of it virtually heads right out the front door. Once, on Huang's recommendation, he disposed of a weeping willow tree from his own yard, because within the context of the metaphysical art, it signified "sadness."

Feng shui, for anyone seeking spiritual balance, contains many more nuances than just shifting one's interior décor or placing energy diverters.

Ang pointed out how the yearly position of the stars factors into the equation, and the building's or dwelling's location, since ch'i flows differently in different areas of the city. The flow also changes every year, which is one reason Huang returns to Century 21 annually.

Sherer became aware of feng shui when he was unable to sell a $300,000 home during the late '90s. Huang turned that negative into a positive, and Sherer has since vouched for the ancient rite's effectiveness.

In Las Vegas, some variations have been necessary with the traditional way of practicing it, since the surrounding environment contrasts sharply with the land where feng shui was created. But it still is a perfect fit for Las Vegas, according to Ang, who said that even local magnates use it on their casinos.

"I think people are becoming more and more aware of it," Ang said. "I get a lot of phone calls from people who have heard a little bit about us and want to know more. I think feng shui is growing locally because people are becoming more and more aware of metaphysical stuff, and I think, in part, it's catching on that people are getting more and more spiritual, even in Las Vegas."

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