Feng Shui Friday – Email about “Money Bags” is just a hoax

There are several emails circulating relating to a topic around “money bags” and that according to Chinese Feng Shui you need to forward that email to receive money within 4 days, or go without money if you don’t forward. The Facebook version urges you to copy the post as your status to get the money, and if you don’t copy you’ll miss out.

One of the emails I received recently is copied FYI below:

“This year, December has 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays. This happens once every 823 years. This is called money bags. So, forward this to your friends and money will arrive within 4 days. Based on Chinese Feng Shui the one who does not forward ….. will be without money.”

Here’s the deal. This is not Feng Shui! Forwarding the email or copying the status will not make you wealthy or bring in more money. It’s a hoax. Simple as that. So don’t be afraid to simply delete the email and save your friends from yet another chain email they don’t need. And I’m sure you have more interesting things to put as your status on Facebook.

So let’s explore for a bit… Is there any truth at all in this and what is the connection to Feng Shui?

Let’s look at December 2012 first of all. The message claims that December has 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays only every 823 years. So yes, for for December 2012, there are 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays this year. This is correct. The fact that it happens only every 823 years though is simply not true.

December will have 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays every year December begins on a Saturday. This happens every 5 – 11 years. So December will have 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays again in 6 years, then 11 years after that, then 6 years later and finally 5 years after that (due to the leap years in the calendar, otherwise it would have been every 7 years). So December will have 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays in 2012, then 2018, then 2029, then 2035 and then again in 2040. The last time December had 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays was in 2007.

So yes it’s a little rare, and not every 823 years rare!

Now, let’s look at the actual money bags. There is a “money bag” symbol in ancient Feng Shui and it has got to do with the Happiness Buddha. He is said to carry a money bag over his shoulder from which he hands out gifts. There is also a money bag lucky charm that you can make. Take 9 coins and wrap in a piece of cloth and tie the cloth together with a piece of ribbon. Red cloth and ribbon would be best, and you could also use green or gold. Place the money bag where you receive money in your house. So if you make your money online for example, you could place the money bag by your computer.

Personally, I do believe in lucky charms (or talismans) to a certain extent, and I think you’d have to infuse your lucky charm with a lot of energy for it to really have an impact.

From a Feng Shui perspective there are other things that you can do around your house to attract wealth and abundance. Here are just a few suggestions:

1. Keep your entrance open, welcoming and free of clutter. Positive energy and opportunities enter through the front door, and an unattractive door repels abundance.
2. Align your thoughts with abundance. The energetic vibration you put out into the world is very important when it comes to attracting opportunities and money into your life.
3. Clear the rest of your house from clutter as well. Clutter weighs on your mind and keeps you stuck. It hinders the flow of energy in your life.
4. Replace dead plants. Dead plants represent dead energy, replace them with healthy living plants to symbolise expanding and growing wealth and prosperity.
5. Fix drips and leaks. Leaking water represents leaking wealth, fix your leaks and you will keep money from draining out of your life.
6. Replace any broken furniture and other items, or get them fixed. Broken items signal a lack of care and carry an inauspicious energy.
7. Keep your windows clean. Windows are the eyes of your home and when they are dirty your vision is blurred, clean them and you will see clearly again.

So there you go! Delete that email and get to work on something that will really support your wealth and abundance.

Happy Feng Shui Friday!
Sara