Could your prosperity do with a boost? Does it feel as though money is slipping out through that crack in the front door, blowing away like the breeze in the southwest or covering too much ground like the climbing reeds in your Garden? If so, vastu shastra, the ancient Indian architectural science of directions, provides remedies to help bring financial abundance into your home and life. Considered the grandfather of feng shui, this Vedic spiritual practice offers peace and serenity for your desires of wealth creation.

Artha and purity

The Vedas recognise prosperity as one of only four aims of life. In Vedic wisdom, increasing artha — your wealth and abundance — is important to the extent that it is in line with the other three aims:

• Dharma: life purpose,
• Kama: pleasurable experiences
• Moksha: liberation

Harmony occurs when wealth accumulation (artha) supports righteous actions (dharma), such as supporting family, community and charitable organisations. In generating wealth, Sydney-based Vastu consultant Anthony Ashworth warns to be careful of the entrapment of attachment. Author of Vasthu Sastra Guide, Dr T Selva, adds that most people compromise harmony for wealth. “They are chasing after an illusive dream to earn more and more or amass wealth suddenly through luck,” he says. “[However], vastu is very clear about having purity and life will transcend.”

Clutter appears around abundance issues and a sense of lack, so Ashworth advises removing one-third of what is there.

Other Vastu consultants agree. Shastra, a Queensland-based vastu consultant warns that material wealth is temporary and illusory. Spiritual wealth, on the other hand, is within the heart and soul and, says Shastra, “once we have deeply realised this, even material wealth will gradually manifest”.

Karmic influences

If you are struggling financially, it may be part of your karmic lessons for growth. However, Ashworth explains, “Vastu can make it easier by harnessing the energy of the environment to support you … and help you to come to a place of acceptance, ease and balance of what life is.” Selva also notes that suffering should not be interpreted as being a curse or a punishment by God. He advises: “Live in a house that is vastu shastra friendly, [so] you will be influenced by good thoughts, [and then] any negative karmic effects from one’s previous life can be reduced by favourable settings.”

Declutter

The first step towards prosperity is to declutter your Home, as this increases energy flow. Clutter appears around abundance issues and a sense of lack, so Ashworth advises removing one-third of what is there. He says most people build clutter around the front door, obstructing the flow of energy, so start the declutter at the front of your property. Disrepair needs attention also, as it inhibits wealth. “By cleaning up old and unnecessary things, you can let them go and make room for new opportunities and abundance to enter,” assures Shastra.

Creating your vastu altar

A vastu altar honours the natural elements and creates a purposeful, sacred, daily ritual for energising your home with peace, prosperity and health. Creating a beautiful altar will entice you to spend time with it. Shastra suggests placing it in the north quadrant, on a shelf or table.

There are 10 directions in vastu — the eight compass points plus aakash (skywards) and patal (towards the centre of the Earth) — and all need to be represented. Use a square coffee table with a green and white cloth, and green and gold colours on the altar for attracting wealth, suggests Ashworth. Place an image of Lakshmi, the goddess of spiritual and material wealth and prosperity, on your altar in the north. Lakshmi appears with an elephant on either side, bathing her in water from rain clouds. This metaphor symbolises rain fertilising the Earth, symbolic of Lakshmi bestowing wealth in abundance upon you.

Once placed, energise the image with a Lakshmi mantra. Prepare by bathing, then clean and clear the space. Chant with intentions of gratitude and love to bring Lakshmi’s abundance into your life.

Ashworth recommends the following mantra:

Om Lakshmi Nam
Om Namo Lakshmi Namaha
Lakshmi A Swaha

He also suggests placing handfuls of gold coins (real money), rice and grains in the middle of the altar or in the north of its grid, and to never have an empty bowl on the altar, recommending you place clear or rose quartz crystals in the bowl.

Abundance also enters through the northeast: the spiritual quadrant. … It’s important to prioritise keeping both the north and northeast clean, clear and light.

Put crystals and yellow dirt in the south and west of the grid of your altar, representing the earth element; incense and peacock or black feathers in the north and west, for the air element; and a red candle in the fire quadrant of the southeast. In the north or northeast on the altar, place a black Japanese rice bowl and paint the outside of it white, then fill with water. Ashworth recommends placing a vision board of affirmations above the altar, and Shastra suggests representing the ether element in the centre by placing a small plate with a card of your inner wish or desires written on it.

Shastra advises that you attend to your vastu altar as a daily meditation, changing the water each day and lighting the candle. He suggests decorating the altar with fresh flowers or leaves.

Abundant flow of water

“The subtle energy of the water element is the gateway to abundance,” explains Ashworth. Water gives life and wealth, so he suggests to always consider the water element when creating abundance. Mopping the floors is very powerful, because of the flow of water energy, and Ashworth suggests washing down the walls as well. He advises placing a birdbath outside in the north or northeast, and that any water feature, such as swimming pools, ponds and dams, should be in those same two directions. Shastra suggests setting up an aquaculture or water feature that’s easy to maintain or maintains itself, as stagnating water is obstructing.

Ashworth suggests using a symbol for water in the north that represents a chalice; a black circle, symbolising air, with a crescent moon, symbolising water, over the top of it: representing water on air. The crescent moon is seen as a dish, he explains, with the great abundant Mother holding the water she dishes out in life. You can also use a white bowl with a black interior, which symbolises water flowing if you were to tip it towards yourself.

Vastu advises building height in your section of land in the southwest so that weight flows downwards towards the northeast, allowing the energy of water to flow in your home.

Fresh, pure air and light in the north

The north is governed by Lord Kubera, the treasurer of the celestial devas (demigods) in Vedic mythology. As Kubera’s consort, Lakshmi is best placed in the north to assist your requests for prosperity, as seen on your vastu altar. Let light into the north by opening curtains and blinds in this quadrant. Ashworth recommends airing the north each morning as a wealth-creating device, and keeping fresh air and fresh energy in the bedrooms as well.

If you have a solid wall without windows in the north, this can indicate financial blockages. An effective vastu remedy, explains Shastra, is to use the sacred geometry of vastu by installing a gold meru chakra — a three-dimensional sri yantra — in the space. Shastra says, “In my estimation, these ‘healing tools for spatial energy’ are one of the most effective items for an existing home.” You can purchase yantras through online stores such as vastu-vidya-australia.com/yantras.

For a blocked or missing northern wall, Ashworth suggests symbolically creating it by placing images of the sun there, such as a Mexican sun plaque or picture of the rising (not setting) sun. Work with colours of water: use greens and white in the north, and plant green growing plants (without sharp edges on leaves) in the north of your garden. Selva advises the removal of any money plants or climbing reeds from the property and, if you don’t have a view, Ashworth suggests creating a fake one with an image of the sun in the north.

The abundant northeast

Abundance also enters through the northeast: the spiritual quadrant. Ashworth says it’s important to prioritise keeping both the north and northeast clean, clear and light. “Wealth and abundance is all about the magnetism of the north,” explains Ashworth. “We invite the energy of abundance in through the northeast, then hold the energy in the south and west.”

The southwest: the place for your safe

Close the curtains and windows in the southwest in order to harness the holding power of this quadrant of your home. In your decluttering, ensure the southwest is also clean. All valuables and cash should be “held” here. To woo the energy of wealth, Selva suggests placing a citrine crystal in your safe box. The opening of the safe itself should face north, Ashworth says. He suggest that, if you don’t have a safe, place an elephant-shaped moneybox in the southwest, as the elephant symbolises Lord Ganesh, the remover of all obstacles. Use the moneybox regularly and never leave it empty.

“Vastu can make it easier by harnessing the energy of the environment to support you … and help you to come to a place of acceptance, ease and balance of what life is.”

Selva advises to never live in a home with a southwest main door, as this symbolises loss of money. If your house or land is missing the southwest portion, Selva notes that you will experience more expenditure than income, because the wealth corner is absent. In this case, focus on bringing earth energy into your home, explains Ashworth, especially in the master bedroom, with earthy colours and an earth yantra: a yellow square on a square background placed on the wall closest to where the southwest sector would have been, thus “holding” the energy of the home.

Brahma centre

In vastu shastra, the centre of your home is sacred and needs to be kept free of furniture or walls. If the centre is blocked by a wall, the whole property will be out of balance. Ashworth refers to the Brahma centre as the background energy and potential of the universe. He advises creating a sense of space by symbolically representing the heart with either an image of the great Mother, a picture of space with stars and galaxies, or a yantra with a bindi or egg-shaped image. He reminds that a fully compliant vastu altar, representing vastu perfection and energy, will help rebalance your home. A brass om fixed to the wall at the entry to the house is another effective remedy.

Colour of money

Selva says maroon and red colours attract the energy of money and advises to avoid black, grey and blue in any part of the house.

Facing east, facing north

The directions you face when doing certain tasks contribute to their success. Vastu advises to face north when making financial decisions in business (and for bookkeeping and accountancy), and face east when making creative decisions and the arts. Shastra agrees it’s best to face east when writing or studying, because it synchronises both hemispheres of the brain function due to the conductive nature of the main meridians of the Earth.

Get vastu savvy now

Shastra suggests further immediate actions you can take to improve your financial abundance:

• Create a good atmosphere in your home by filling it with pleasant sound vibrations or background music.
• Keep a distance of 2.5–5cm between the walls and large furniture to circulate energy. Place heavy, larger furniture in the south, southwest and west of the room and home.
• Avoid all clutter around the premises.
• Sleep with your head pointing towards the east, south or west (avoid towards north).
• Keep your bedroom simple to support resting, using light purple or earthy colours.
• Use fresh, healthy-looking flowers or potted plants as energisers in the north, northeast and east.
• Place potted plants with round or heart-shaped leaves in the corners.
• Place a medium–large crystal in the cistern of the toilet (not bowel). Keep toilet lids down and doors closed. Rinse or wash the crystal fortnightly.
• Keep the front door and windows in the eastern and northern sides open during the day, especially in the morning.
• Allow for cross-ventilation.
• Ensure picture frames are proportionate to wall size, or use smaller frames displayed next to each other.
• Place rectangular or square mirrors on the northern wall, facing south, or on eastern walls, facing west.

Relax and enjoy

Ninety per cent of our worries are self-created and unnecessary, says Shastra; the remaining 10 per cent, he says, we cannot do much about. Since money likes movement, keep its energy flowing directionally in your home, and in and out of your elephant moneybox. Declutter and repair. Mop the floors, wash the walls and create your sacred, vastu altar. Play relaxing music or yoga chants in the background, let money flow like water for wealth, holding it the southwest without hoarding.

Purify the airflow in your home, purify your thoughts, enjoy wealth within your karma and focus on life’s inner riches: the abundance of Spirit. Surrender your efforts, be generous and extend compassion to the financial needs of others, for they, too, are part of you. Find peace with money energy, welcome it, embrace Lakshmi for abundance and joy, install yantras in your home and allow the prana (life force) of money to flow to all.

May all beings everywhere be happy and free. Om Shanti (peace).