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Feng Shui for your Haunted House

Feng Shui is a practice that dates back millennia, and a large part of Feng Shui is based on Taoist practises that date back even further. Not all ghosts are bad, but if you are having inexplicable problems in life then you can try some Feng Shui methods to clear the space.

Many people who believe in ghosts, especially in Asian societies, believe that you can use feng shui to drive out unwanted spirits. You can ward off evil spirits by rebalancing harmony using various rituals and the rules of feng shui. By reducing the sha (bad or negative energy), the space will become uninhabitable for negative spirits and ghosts.

As many as 45% of Americans, including some famous celebrities, from a recent survey of 1,293 people believe that ghosts are not only real but can haunt places too. This is up from a 2005 Gallup Poll, which found only 32% believed in ghosts. The number in my home country Australia is slightly higher at 48%, but with as many as 69% saying they believe that we all have souls.

In this article, I will highlight the components of Feng Shui that you can use to ward off negative spirits and ghosts. Continue reading for tips to generate positive energy, which will keep unwanted spirits out of your home.

Signs You Might Be Haunted

Do you have a room that is much colder than all of the others? Or maybe you see little movements from the corner of your eye? Perhaps you’ve woken up feeling like you’re being choked. Now this last one can be attributed to obstructive sleep apnoea, and you should be checked by a qualified specialist to make sure.

In my experience, clients who have had this happen were all living in homes older than 80 years (some 120+ years old) and the phenomenon ceased when they did their Feng Shui or once they moved out.

Other signs of hauntings can include -

 • Feeling like you’re being watched. This is becoming very common as more and more tall apartments are being built and it is to be expected because there is a whole series of windows looking at you. In other circumstances though, a Feng Shui landform called Peeking (or Peeping) Head can activate these feelings. More on this later.
Noticeable personality changes. Either you or someone in the family becomes more anxious, depressed, angry or other unusual behaviour. Some spirits are trapped in their own dark vision of the past and are attracted to the light of the living to share their dark past.
This can extend to pets – cats that stare into the exact same spot at the same time every day. Dogs that are on edge and ready to defend you for no reason that you can see. Is there an area that attracts insect infestations? This can be a sign of spirit activity as well.

 • Previous homeowners can have an enormous impact, especially if there was a death, drug use or violence. Read how you can avoid bad Feng Shui before you move in.
Unexplained and ephemeral smells. These can be pleasant and comforting like grandma’s favorite perfume or bad ones like cigarettes, alcohol or something putrid.
Strange sounds such as whispers, scratching, footsteps. All coming from areas and at times when they shouldn’t be.
Feeling of being touched. This is medically known as tactile hallucination, but doesn’t really describe the feeling an average person gets every now and then. Here is a lovely article about receiving messages from your Guardian Angels.

 • Very cold rooms, especially ones that are on the sunny side of the house. It may not be the temperature, you could experience feelings of grief or fear in specific rooms.
Lights, TVs, or electronic devices turning on and off. I’d recommend calling an electrician before trying any ghost busting techniques.
Missing objects. Where did you put your keys?
Weird or scary dreams that you’ve never had before. This one can really be attributed to your bed placement though.
Doors and cupboards opening or closing without you touching them, or even slamming shut. A naturopath client of mine had a room that she always had trouble renting out. Not only was it cold, but any therapist using the room would start to lose clients and bookings. The morning after she had placed her cures and rearranged her clinic, she came in to discover that a vase of flowers had been thrown across the room to smash against the opposite wall. No alarms had been triggered, all the doors and windows were locked. After that day, she has happily had full tenancy, sometimes spirits are not happy to leave.

Different Types of Ghosts

Not all ghosts and spirits are detrimental according to Taoist traditions and in many parts of the world. Ghosts can be –

 • Benevolent, helping you get through life.
Stray or wandering, not set to one place. These spirits usually died away from home in an accident, war, at sea or other violent death.
Murderers and their victims. These types can be responsible for cold rooms or unexplained feelings of sadness, fear or anger.
Unfinished business ghosts that can’t release what they started in life and want to see it done, or just don’t want to leave.

Apparitions created by residual memories imprinted onto an object. Scientists at UC Berkley have been able to holographically imprint false memories into mice, and this is the type of mechanism said to create loops of memories within buildings. Note that these aren’t considered to be spirits as such, just the memory imprint of the people there.
The recently deceased may visit their loved ones soon after death. They will usually move on within a week or so.
Tricksters/playful spirits tend not to be ghosts of people, more often than not they are nature spirits having some fun at your expense.
Hungry Ghosts that have been greedy in life and are made to go without in the afterlife, or those whose graves have been abandoned by their descendants.

Click here to read about the world’s most famous ghosts.

Hungry Ghost Month

This is a Chinese celebration of the dead where ones ancestors come back to visit and check up on you. It usually goes for two weeks despite the name, with the festival day being the 15th of the Monkey Lunar month. In 2022, it coincides with the Full Moon.

You can celebrate by making offerings to your ancestors, and boost your Karma by unselfishly helping others. There is also a list of do’s and don’ts associated with the Hungry Ghost month that can keep you safe from spiritual harm during this time when the veil thins and the dead can return.

The Ghost Axis – Northeast to Southwest

The linking of these two directions in a buidling can activate the “Ghost Gate”, creating a weakness that wandering spirits can take advantage of to enter your home.

In Feng Shui both directions are Earth, with NE being Yang Earth and SW being Yin Earth, connected through the center by the 5 Earth. The NE also contains the Tiger direction, and the SW has the Monkey. In 2022 and every Ox, Goat, Tiger and Monkey year, it is especially important not to have much activity or sleep in these areas, as it can bring disorders in the stomach, spleen and pancreas.

One theory as to why this is so is that the Earth’s magnetic Poles, the rotational axis, and the orbital direction are all at angle to each other. The image above was an indication of the magnetic poles in 2005, the (North) magnetic pole at the Earth’s geographic South has moved closer to Australia and away from Antarctica since then.

What Attracts Ghosts to a Home?

Some things that attract negative ghosts to a home can include black magic or noobs doing spells when they don’t understand the repercussions, fighting and arguing, low ground or being at the very bottom of a hill, darkness, dampness, drug abuse, death in the house, being near hospitals, religious buildings or cemeteries.

Feng Shui formations that can attract ghosts and spirits are the NE-SW activation mentioned above, active 2 and 5 stars in the flying stars charts (especially when paired with Yin stars and a Yin environment), having mismatched incoming or exiting water, or having three or more of the “24 mountains” activated in a row (depending which ones of course). These are only a few examples, as each Feng Shui school has their own determination of what can open the spirit realm.

Can Feng Shui Keep Ghosts Away?

Feng Shui can definitely help keep ghosts away, but it is not really the main aim unless you have told your Feng Shui practitioner that it is something you require as part of your consultation. Most of us will believe you, however there are some strong cases where you might be better off calling a specialist “ghost-buster” or asking a member of the clergy.

Don’t Feed the Ghosts

Chi is energy, which we can split into sha chi and sheng chi. Sheng chi is the good stuff, and you want as much of this energy as possible. Unfortunately, so do many ghosts and spirits.

Traditionally, chi is said to be the life force inside of every person and functions like energy, which can not be destroyed or created, only transferred. When a person dies, they leave their bodily Chi behind so that they can move to the next plane of existence. If they stay or get trapped, then some types of ghosts will move from person to person feeding from their life force.

Doing mindfulness exercises, Tai Chi or Qigong and generally keeping yourself fit and healthy is usually enough to strengthen yourself and remain immune to ghostly attacks.

The Feng Shui of Hospitals and Cemeteries

The location of your home can bring negative energy indoors, especially if your home is near a hospital or cemetery. Both hospitals and graveyards are obviously places that firstly produce ghosts of the deceased, and the cemetery is where the can become trapped. We should also include places of worship in this list since they are the ‘step’ in between for most people.

Most Feng Shui experts advise you against purchasing or moving to a home near a hospital or cemetery. Despite this, you can still rebalance the house to suit positive energy. 

In fact I would say that living near a church or school brings a higher chance of attracting negative wandering spirits and hungry ghosts due to the large disparity between Yang and Yin. Churches are used for both happy and sad events, while schools go from busy and bright to dark and quiet.

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The Feng Shui of Liminal Spaces

This is a relatively new concept invented in 1909 by Arnold van Gennep and refers to spaces that are only meant for passing through, the in-between or abandoned places. Things like a hotel hallway at 3am, abandoned warehouses, basically anywhere that makes you feel creeped out, alone, maybe you walk a little faster.

Most homes don’t have a liminal space, maybe under the stairs or the center of the house if it gets no natural light, but generally not. Apartments are surrounded by liminal spaces within the building (hallways, stairwells, carparks).

The thing is that we all pass through these spaces, sometimes daily, and this is where wandering ghosts can congregate to find their next energy source. You may not have had a ghost in your home to begin with, but you can bring one back with you without realizing.

If you notice a change in your own energy or behaviour, then check back on the places you’ve walked through. You can perform an Elemental Space Clearing if you feel a negative attachment draining your energy –

Check your Feng Shui Facing Direction

If you face Southwest or Northeast you are more prone to ghostly activity, however you could also be on a “Void Line”. These are also called ghost/spirit/evil/etc lines depending on which Master you learn from, and there are ways to utilize them which depends heavily on the Feng Shui school you learn from.

The Void lines most used are the divisions between each of the 24 mountains. In the 2022 Luo Pan below, you can see two types of Void Line marked but only for the Southwest, use the same pattern for every sector:

It is considered bad luck for the living to be in a home that aligns to any of these directions – but again the treatment depends on the Master and School. Some say that you have be exactly at the degree for it to take effect, others say anywhere within 3 degrees can have an effect, while others say that it depends – some of these lines will attract blessings. Check with your teacher as to what they believe.

If your home does land on one of these directions, then you can use a Bagua mirror over your entry doors, and try not to use any door that has any of the division lines running through it (check this after you divide your floor plan into sectors).

I personally would suggest engaging an experienced Feng Shui practitioner if you find yourself in a property like this.

Using the Feng Shui Elements to Protect and Balance Your Home

You can help keep spirits out of your home by implementing the elements as recommended by many feng shui websites. Remember that each element has its own set of colors and serves different purposes, so be mindful of what you are using and why:

 • Earth. The Earth element is tied to earth colors, specifically brown, orange, and yellow. It represents self-care, knowledge, and stability and impacts familial and romantic relationships. Adding clay or terracotta decor is a way to incorporate the earth element into your home. Aim for supporting the Metal directions and avoid overwhelming the SW and NE with too many Earth items and colors.
• Fire. The colors associated with the fire element are orange and red. The fire element is also related to light. A fireplace and even lamps can add fire elements to your home. Traditionally, red is the color to ward off ghost, spirits and demons especially during weddings. Only use Fire if you are certain that it will NOT activate a 2 or 5 star in your Flying Star chart or the Wu Gui direction in your BaZhai 8 Mansions. It is better to allow natural light into the space to increase Yang.

 • Metal. Whites, grays, and metallic hues are associated with the metal element. This element is associated with creative energy, productivity, and organization. Metallic accents and mirrors add the metal element to a room and home.
• Water. The water element colors are dark blues and black. The water element is associated with fluidity and wisdom. These colors are not really suited to removing ghosts as they are very Yin.
• Wood. Green, purple, and brown are wood element colors. The wood element is said to represent healing, growth, and vitality. Houseplants, wooden furniture, and wooden decor bring the wood element into your home.

Check your Flying Stars Feng Shui for Yin Formations

As mentioned before, the 2 star and 5 star tend to be the culprits when dealing with the supernatural but to do they also need to have the right conditions. Check your flying stars chart here. You’ll need to know your facing direction and the year your home was built.

You are looking for either the 2 or 5 stars in the top right or left positions on the chart, then checking your house to see what is in that direction. Look out for dripping taps, signs of mould, drains, doors, beds, electrical appliances etc. Check outside for drains, graveyards, neighbors air conditioning units, “ugly mountains” eg dead trees or broken down buildings.

The traditional cures for the 2 star are the Wu Lou, also called Calabash. For the 5 star you can use a Five Element Pagoda. For both stars I also use saltwaters cures, and ascertain whether the flow of Chi in the external environment can be altered to avoid allowing excess Yin into the building.

Feng Shui Principles for Bad Spirits in Bedrooms

Here are some tips to protect your energy and keep your spaces from intersecting with the spiritual realm:

 • If possible, avoid using a northeastern or southwest corner room as a bedroom. Specifically, you should not use these corners for young children’s bedrooms.
• Ensure the bed in the commanding position, definitely not aligned with a door.
• Check your Ming Gua and avoid placing your bed in the Wu Gui or Jue Ming directions.
• Make sure that one of the Void dividing lines doesn’t pass through your bed.

Other Feng Shui Principles for Ghost and Supernatural Prevention

 • Entrance. The main door should be bright, broad, and welcoming with good landscaping.
• Doors. The front entrance should not be in line with the back door, and the front entrance door should consist of sturdy and solid wood.
• Toilets. Bathrooms or toilets should not be above the front entrance, above a dining table, atop the kitchen, or share a wall with the master’s headboard.
• Mirrors. Remove mirrors from bedrooms. These mirrors may attract spirits such as hungry ghosts, which may meddle in your relationships and interfere with your sleep and dreams.
• Chimes. Carefully placed ceramic, metal, or wood chimes can bring energy and good luck.

Keep Your Home Psychically Protected with Feng Shui

Yang Feng shui is a system that creates a positive flow of energy for the living. Yin Feng Shui is a system for the burying the dead and bringing luck to their descendants. By incorporating Yang styles of Feng Shui, especially checking what type of Chi you allow into the home, you can keep yourself protected not only from ghosts and other spirits, but also from people who drain you in real life.

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Dean French

With over two decades of practical Feng Shui experience, Dean is known for his down-to-earth attitude and his direct and honest communication. A writer for Wellbeing Predictions and former writer for Wellbeing Astrology magazines, he has turned to a wider audience through this website. Visit deanfrench.com.au to book an Astrology reading or Feng Shui consultation.

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