NEW Year’s resolutions – it’s the most hopeful – and hopeless – exercise known to man. Even if we repeatedly fail to lose 10 pounds, stop smoking, exercise regularly, save money or vow to spend more time with our family and friends, we nonetheless greet each year with a self-improvement list. While researchers say that resolutions work only when the people who make them map out an action plan – and many of us don’t – we continue to look to the future with a mental magic wand. For many of us, the new year isn’t a time of resolve but a chance to dream and dream big. Thus, a survey that bears out our giddy optimism, a feng shui master who forecasts our future and tells us how our main doors hold they key to good fortune, and the stars of a morning television show who mirror many of the things we wish for ourselves.

Tips from a psychic feng shui master

In this life, we have three laws: the laws of God, the laws of Nature, the laws of Man. Don’t violate any of these laws.

FRANCIS Gaw, 43, is a feng shui master who also happens to be a psychic. While he looks into the layouts of hotels like the Waterfront in Cebu to ensure auspicious configurations, he is aided greatly by his extra-sensory gift which he says he has known for the past 20 years. However, it wasn’t until three years ago that he began his “mission” of dispensing feng shui and psychic advise, thanks to other psychics who admonished him to use his gift to help others improve their lives. An interview coaxed out of the media-shy man yielded not only the usual predictions for the new year but also tips on maintaining harmony in life and at home, stories about spirits and a few techniques to attract positive energy.

About the coming

Year of the Pig

The Philippine economy, almost all sectors of the economy, will be better than last year. The Americans will have more problems, real big problems. It’s punishment for their atrocities in Iraq and Iran, payback for their intervention in the issue between Palestines and Israel. America shouldn’t have meddled into those issues. I believe in the law of karma. There will still be many calamities.

But let’s not be too keen on divining predictions. Life is what you make it. In this life, we have three laws: the laws of God, the laws of Nature, the laws of Man. If you violate any of these laws, there’ll be imbalances and therefore, not everything will be fine.

How spirits affect the way we live

Feng shui is about balance in everything. It has logic. But feng shui doesn’t matter if there are bad spirits in the place. There are people who can discern bad spirits and make them go away. If there are no evil spirits in a house, the relationship of people who live there is harmonious.

There are neutral spirits, too; they don’t meddle in your affairs, they’re just waiting for the second coming of Jesus. And then there are good spirits, the Holy Spirit; these you don’t shoo away.

I have to spread the word about negative spirits. I’ve known a lot of married couples who separated— they have negative spirits on their doorway. I have once been asked to see someone who’s been working for 18 years in a pawnshop. She has lupus. People didn’t tell me where she sits, but I saw where instantly. Under her chair resides a bad spirit. I’ve had two clients whose kids supposedly had mental illness, but they’re just influenced by evil spirits. Through constant visitation, their mild possession was put to an end. They became normal; they became whole again.

What to do with ‘bad spirits’

For starters, don’t make them feel at home. Don’t say you’re friends with the spirits inhabiting a place, they’ll feel you invited them.

Prayers will help. No matter what your religion is, prayers help.

In case there are bad spirits in your place, make a settlement with the dead. Use incense to cleanse (the place) of negative energy. Gold dusts at the tip of every incense stand for positive prayers. Better if you could ask help from psychics who can discern them and make them go away.

The feng shui of main doors

It’s great if your main door faces east, or southeast, or south, or, okay, even southwest. North position of main door is only good for some people.

Why door on south is good? When you’re lost in the jungle, the advise is to follow the stream which usually goes down south. And what is water to us? It’s a blessing, it means life. If your door faces southeast, you have both the sun and water coming to you; if just south, you have water. Life and blessings come to your door.

If your main door faces northeast, place an aquarium or fountain. It your door faces southeast, you don’t need a fountain or aquarium anymore. If your door faces west, place water facing southeast and north. If your door faces northwest, place the aquarium or water so that it faces east and southwest. Now if your door faces the east, place your water so that it faces southwest and north.

If, meanwhile, your backdoor faces north, northeast or northwest, use a convex mirror BUT please, place it inside your house on top of your backdoor. The reason, water flows out north, you’re placing the convex mirror there to block water or life or chi from going out.

If your door faces south, southeast or southwest, don’t ever use convex mirrors outside. It’ll block the chi or water or blessing.

On crystals

I surround myself with crystals to get positive energies. Crystals have different functions. Smoky quartz for instance is good for blocking negative energy. If you wear it, it (develops your) personality. Crystals can also be used for healing. It’s really great to have a crystal. Don’t worry about negative energies if other people touch your crystal. Just wash it later.

Middle to upper classes (Classes
ABC) – 92 %
Masses (D) – 91 %
Poorest (E) – 91 %

The middle to upper classes showed the greatest signs of optimism this year based on their rating last year of 73 percent.

As for the resolution that tops the list among Pinoys this year, ACNielsen’s global online survey of more than 22,000 consumers in 46 countries show over 70 percent of Pinoys vow to exercise more in 2007. Which is just as well, seeing that 2007 is the lunar Year of the Pig.