Feng Shui and Mirrors

The obsession with mirrors in Feng Shui has been an ongoing and celebrated subject. Yet we are still plagued by the confusion on how to actually use it properly. For example, one popular myth is that mirrors “deflect” bad energy. In other words, by placing a mirror to face an ugly object such as Sha Qi (negative external Forms) or low vibrational buildings like a cemetery or hospital, that the mirror would “shoo away” the bad energy.

This thought process is actually false—and dangerous. Because mirrors are considered an important object in Feng Shui, if used and placed incorrectly, it can trigger more harm than good. Therefore, it is important to know the ABC’s of Feng Shui remedies and enhancements before you start hanging mirrors!

Myth Debunked

Mirrors do not deflect or push away energy. Mirrors actually attract or pull in energy. The idea is that the mirror helps to draw in and absorb energy.

Bagua Mirror

Perhaps you are familiar with a Chinese Bagua Mirror. An example is shown below.

A traditional Bagua Mirror has an octagon shape, or 8 sides. The 3-line composition pattern is called the Early Heaven Bagua Arrangement. It represents the 8 Trigrams of nature in a static and stationary state. In other words, it depicts the arrangement of nature in perfect harmony without interferences from the cyclical change of the seasons, passing of time, or human manipulations.

Bagua Mirrors are traditionally used in Feng Shui to face a negative object or ominous sighting not to deflect, but rather to suck in the bad energy and keep it trapped in the center–inside the Early Heaven Bagua Arrangement for eternal protection. This way, whatever idea or feeling of “spookiness” from the outside world does not move inside the home wreaking havoc or provoking conflict.

If you need to visualize it, just imagine the 1984 movie Ghostbusters. When a paranormal activity is suspected, the ghostbuster team would point their proton pack devices at the supernatural being and the accelerator system would suck in the ghost inside their trap, which was used for detaining and controlling busted ghosts.

Well, you can just imagine the Bagua Mirror has a similar purpose when it comes to trapping negative Feng Shui energy!

That’s why it is considered rude–and even offensive–to hang a Bagua Mirror facing your neighbor, because it means you think your neighbor has bad energy!

Bagua Mirrors are also rarely ever placed inside the home. Their purpose is as stated above: they are hung outside the home facing something haunting to suck it in and trap it inside the mirror so as to prevent it from entering inside the house.

You can read more about the history and purpose of Bagua Mirrors here: Feng Shui and Bagua Mirrors.

Besides the Bagua Mirror, there are other kinds of mirrors and their functionalities for Feng Shu purposes are also very specific.

Flat Mirror

This is the most common mirror found in many homes and shops. A flat mirror can behave the same way as a Bagua Mirror in that it absorbs and takes in an object from the opposite side. That’s why, it is actually ideal to use a flat mirror to face a prosperous Water Star so it can attract and bring in the positive energy from one side of the room to the other side.

You can also use it at times when a prosperous area is too small. By placing a flat mirror on the wall, for instance, it can expand the space, creating an illusion of a larger and more open area so as to activate a positive Water Star.

One note of caution. If you are using a flat mirror to attract a good Flying Star number, make sure the mirror does not actually look at something unpleasant from the outside; otherwise, the mirror will attract that energy into the space.

Finally, mirrors in bedrooms are fine so long as they are not facing the bed, at the foot, head, or sideways, because you never want to reflect the resting (yin) body directly into the mirror when a person’s body and soul are most vulnerable. This is a very common traditional Feng Shui saying.

Convex Mirror

A convex mirror is one that attracts images from a wide angle. You can often find this kind of mirror in a supermarket as a security devise, like the one shown below.

Because this mirror is too wide and attracts too many energy from various angles and directions, it can inadvertently attract both positive and negative energies at the same time. Therefore, it is not the best option for a Feng Shui object. However, it can sometimes be used to dissolve sharp objects because it stretches the sharp angle sideways.

Concave Mirror

This is a magnifying mirror and it enlarges an object making them appear closer than they really are. Similarly, it can also reverse the image of an object if it is at a certain distance away. You can also find this kind of mirror as side-view mirrors in automobiles.