After one interview… comes another ! Well done Leona de Ridder
When time is right, fame knocks at the door… Ask yourself if you activated something in your sector ‘9’!?
Surely it must have been the case for Leona de Ridder, Landscape Architect and Feng Shui consultant in New Zealand.
Follow this link to find Leona’s LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AOTEAROA interview and spread the word, book her for a garden, park, home or business development consultation and your live will never be the same again.
I had the honour to be invited to see the closing ceremony of the Argyle mine in the East Kimberley where Rio Tinto extracted diamonds for many decades.
Creating ceremony for small or important events in our lives or – in this case – Respecting Country and bring peace again after long time mining, local Land Custodians used smoke and water to clear space and people.
When did you smoke your place and aura last?
The best time is during full moon, but please don’t wait… When you are feeling stuck and feel ready to let go and move forward: smoke/smudge your place and body (in all safety) verbalising your intents aloud. Favour local herbs/tree sticks from your area for a more powerful result.
Roseline Deleu (Feng Shui Steps.com.au) interviews Leona de Ridder (Design by Leona.com)
Leona de Ridder – Landscape Architect New Zealand and Australia – studied with Feng Shui Master Roseline Deleu
1. Please Leona, tell our readers briefly WHEN, HOW, WHERE or in WHICH circumstances we met? I met Roseline in Canberra, Australia, 1998, where Roseline was teaching a night class in Feng Shui. I remember thinking, this is a fascinating woman of the world who has many stories to tell, and I am still enjoying hearing the stories of Roseline’s life of adventure!
2. Since then, could you share what is the most interesting Feng Shui result that you have experienced? I have seen life changing situations evolve, reactions that have affected health and wellbeing in a positive way. And a privileged experience being part of life in a terminal phase of illness, we created a peaceful place to rest and pass.
3. Let’s talk more about you now Leona… Tell us a little about yourself and your business. I can say studying Feng Shui with Roseline cemented my decision to attend University in 2000, to study a Bachelor Landscape Architecture. It soon became obvious the broader Landscape Planning discipline was a serious consideration, so returned back into the fold of University to study Masters Landscape Architecture (Landscape Planning) in 2004.
A short stint practicing in Australia 2007-2009 gave me a broader understanding of landscape scale and another approach to landscape assessment.
My current practice, Design by Leona, was born in the last decade, along with two children. I needed a family friendly practice, so returned to residential design and volunteer work with community groups.
In more recent times, I’ve delved back into the world of landscape planning, focusing on Integrated Farm Plans and indigenous cultural decision making process.
This is where Roseline and I have reconnected once again, always evolving. I have observed Roseline integrating what she has learned during her extensive work with Aboriginal people in 24 remote communities around Australia. Roseline has shared with me how she evolved to respect culture and a more connected practice integrating Oneness, Language Ancestors, Land and Nature Elements within our landscape and homes.
To me, Feng Shui is really creating harmony in our landscape and buildings; after all, the first impression you give to your visitors is the harmony of your garden, your landscape, your front entrance and only then your interior. Practising Feng Shui regularly has helped me strengthen my connection with the Land and clearly understand that we belong to nature.
4. What are the five words that people would use to describe you? 1. thoughtful
2. caring
3. interested
4. a wee bit controlling
5. fun
5. What was the purpose for starting your business? To find my purpose in life really, and that is healing of the land and the people. To leave something in a better state than before (preferably).
6. What are the most common reasons people contact you? Some are wanting elegance in their life, some are wanting to find more peace, some are just bored and want a change, it is all so varied. Usually it is a form of crisis or trauma that instigates change, and wanting to seek help towards change.
7. Tell us more about your services that you provide to your clients? Mostly my service is centred around landscape design at both the residential scale and the broader scale. Some clients don’t want to hear about Feng Shui principles, this is ok and I respect this. I can still incorporate Feng Shui principles into the design without the client necessarily knowing about it, or feeling the need to listen to the explanation, but they can feel it when the end product is built. Others that come into the space can feel it too.
8. Tell us about your process for working with clients? The initial meeting is so important, this when the essence of the vision or the desire is shared by the client. As the design process unfolds into budget discussions, it is important to hold onto that first conversation, to hold onto what is important, to retain the integrity.
9. What advice can you offer to people who are just discovering “Design by Leona”? There is no time like the present to make change, life is too short to procrastinate, to hold onto fears and old patterns. Let’s create those changes together in a safe and supportive way.
10. Do you have a book/s that you would like to recommend? “The Gardeners Garden” by Cox and Musgrave
The study spans seven centuries to spotlight more than 250 of the globe’s finest permanent gardens by leading garden designers, horticulturalists, and landscape architects, brought to life via more than 1,000 sumptuous photographs and in descriptive texts by leading garden writers.
“Your first easy steps to Feng Shui” by Roseline Deleu
Simple, easy to understand for all, this little red book has gone everywhere with me.
After a couple of years of Yin time… deep inside me I found the essential benefits of reflecting.
I recall what one of my old Masters said to me many decades ago: “It is when you are in the deepest Yin, when you think that nothing is happening… That’s when BIG things prepare!” That is SO true!
Indeed, we are living in the area of technology, when everything we want comes at a click (very Yang). Then Covid19 hits (or what the governments decided to do with us). I was isolating like many of us in Australia. People were loosing their jobs, hardly any opportunity was available for months. I thought of all the stress that people endured when isolating and loosing income, being stuck at home, seeing no-one, so what to do? I started offering weekly Zoom sessions on Feng Shui and many people joined, friendship formed, hope and motivation emerged 🙂
I then thought, “What if the worst happens? How can I/we prepare?” I looked at my backyard and for weeks, started to dig and revamp. A vegetable garden was the way! Winter did not stop us, we fed the soil, made a compost, planted seeds – everything grew… I never ate so much dark green kale in my life 😀 The results were worth every minute of our time – eating our own season (organic) vegetables -> our bodies became stronger, talking to the Land -> our minds and spirits connected and we had so much fun!
Seeing GROWTH was inspiring and healing. Today, more than a year later, again, our season vegetables are growing, many parts of Australia are in lock-down due to a Covid19 rapid increase of cases. Time for me to separate those little ones again and look forward to eating some yummy warm soups.
New Zoom sessions on Feng Shui and Emotional Sanity are coming up soon again in English. Register your interest by emailing me at fengshuisteps {at} hotmail.com and I will send you info and invite link.
May calmness and reflection bring you Peace. Take care,
When was the last time you did something new? or… Did something that you haven’t done for decades? During this current COVID19 lockdown, I decided to crochet a beanie! I had not done this since primary school and then, it was not the best result at the time either. Send me a photo of what …
After one interview… comes another ! Well done Leona de Ridder When time is right, fame knocks at the door… Ask yourself if you activated something in your sector ‘9’!? Surely it must have been the case for Leona de Ridder, Landscape Architect and Feng Shui consultant in New Zealand. Follow this link to find …
“OVER THE BONNET PODCAST” – Interviewing international Feng Shui Master Roseline Deleu, Australian journalist Mark Piepers shares with you her secrets and how Feng Shui evolved from a simple approach to encompassing her adventure discovering Aboriginal Culture, connexion with Country and Languages and some amazing concepts unknown by many non-Aboriginal people. Click here for the …
Creating ceremony for small or important events in our lives or – in this case – Respecting Country and bring peace again after long time mining, local Land Custodians used smoke and water to clear space and people. When did you smoke your place and aura last? The best time is during full moon, but …
Roseline Deleu (Feng Shui Steps.com.au) interviews Leona de Ridder (Design by Leona.com) 1. Please Leona, tell our readers briefly WHEN, HOW, WHERE or in WHICH circumstances we met?I met Roseline in Canberra, Australia, 1998, where Roseline was teaching a night class in Feng Shui. I remember thinking, this is a fascinating woman of the world …
Suzie was Here! Intuitive Psychic. Multi medium artist. Angelic Reiki.Roseline Deleu (Feng Shui Steps.com.au) interviews Suzie 1. Please Suzie, tell our readers briefly WHEN, HOW, WHERE or in WHICH circumstances we met?I met Roseline through Josè Toussaint’s, Sunday morning toolbox sessions. Roseline was running the session on Fung Shui, the Australian way. 2. Since then, …
Walking in nature allows and helps your mind wander and connect on a deeper level without daily stress of modern life.
Where we were born influences our lives: location and its surrounding nature – these our roots, our strengths.
Native animals, Family, school, friends, work environment are among many more factors that will shape us – our shape are the equivalent of the tree branches and how these grow.
The tree is well balanced, it can show its equivalent of branches in the quantity of its roots system.
How about you?
Look at the photo of this tree and meditate on the way it is growing. Can you find the positive points in this illustration?
Nature is our greatest teacher, we are part of it.
Whenever you feel threatened in life, especially since you realised that it has been happening ever since you moved into that new home… It may be a good idea to check how and where your home is located!
In Chinese Feng Shui what is called a “Poison arrow” could well be what is making you uncomfortable. That “poison arrow” comes in many different ways, for example: a tall tree or line of trees right in line with your front door, a “T” junction of streets, protruding corner, a hospital or a cemetery across the street and many other Sha Chi (rapid or negative Chi) that is coming towards you!
Large Ba Gua in a Garden
In Chinese Feng Shui, people use a Ba Gua, an octagonal protection decorated by I Ching lines and often with a mirror in the middle. This Ba Gua is said to deflect negative energy and protects your home. It is important that the Ba Gua remains outdoors. So its best placement is often above the front door, on the fly screen above your head height or above a window if there is a poison arrow aiming at it.
A gate incorporating a lovely Ba Gua
I recently took a few photos to illustrate what Ba Gua may look like. And for those of you who can’t find one in their local shop… make your own, it is often very powerful because you add your strong intent of protection into yours.
This special Ba Gua was located above a Car Repairer in Thailand
Whichever protection you will choose, depending on your culture, they all seem to be working amazingly!
Many of us would like a life change or simply are wanting to receive good news… you know, something that happens and that makes us feel ‘good’.
Today is the 1st day of my Feng Shui Challenge with you.
DAY 1 – Clean your Mailbox at HOME
At HOME
Our mailbox outside our home or in the entry foyer of our building is the symbol of receiving news. I looked at like mine this morning, a bird had left his ‘track’, the dust was outside the mailbox and inside too! 😦 “Oops”– I thought – “How can I get something good happening in my life when my mailbox doesn’t look very welcoming at all!”
So, I cleaned it, dusted it and added a note so I won’t get any junk mail anymore – I was meant to do this for a long time! ( Yes, I am normal 😀 )
It already does look and feel much better! Now, time to buy some shining product from the shop and make that number 42 shine.
Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing your before and after photos in reply to this post.
Thank you to Pete, a subscriber from Alice Springs (Australia) who shared his photo of his day 1 with us – “Done and dusted or should I say… painted – day 1 🙂 “
During my latest trip to Asia in January 2018, I became aware that a Buddha decoration isn’t as appropriate as we thought!
Many religious organisations put a lot of effort in their street signs and forbid trade of Buddhas to foreigners.
Buddhas heads as well as tattoos are wrong too and illegal.
Many Feng Shui books recommend the placement of Buddhas in specific areas because initially those books were aimed at Asian readers that were Buddhists!
Now that we are aware of this, I believe that it is to each one of us to make our decision and ask ourselves what the Buddha truly means for us… before using it as decoration.
Personally, I have no Buddhas as home (and never had) and ever since I have consulted and taught Feng Shui, I have always been encouraging people to use their personal Feng Shui Cures and adapt this ancient art of placement to their own culture and in respect of the energy of their Land.
Dear Roseline, How can I decorate my master bedroom inside the Feng Shui Magic Square? Shall I do this in relation to the main house plan/Feng Shui grid (magic square) or shall I only place the grid onto my bedroom? Areas will change as the two Magic Square (grids) overlap. How can I do to make this right? – Cheers, Alice (Perth)
Dear Alice,
The Feng Shui Magic Square – also referred as Feng Shui Grid or BaGua – can be placed on many levels as long as the placement always aligns the side ‘8-1-6’ with the entry – this is valid when we follow the Black Hat School of Feng Shui (not the Compass school).
You can thus place the Feng Shui Magic Square as follows:
Grid A – On your Block of Land Chi Kou, which means the mouth of the Chi = relates to the entry of your block, it is where Chi (energy) enters. This is generally located at the widest entry point which most of the time corresponds to the driveway. Align the side ‘8-1-6’ of your Grid A with the driveway.
Grid A of your block of land will be the first one to check from the Feng Shui point of view. Look for any dead trees, where your bins are placed, where flowers are blooming – each and every details will have an influence on your life.
Grid B – On the plan of your apartment or house Chi Kou is the entry door of your home/apartment as designed and defined by the architect and by your address. It is the door people would normally come and knock on when they don’t know you. I strongly encourage you to open that entry door at least once a day – especially for those of you who would use their back door which is not really good Feng Shui. Align the side ‘8-1-6’ of the Feng Shui Magic Square (Grid B) with your main entry door.
Grid B which gives you the opportunity to live and scan your Feng Shui inside. Place Grid B on one level of your house or apartment, for two levels, you will have another grid placement upstairs, at the top of your stairs which becomes your entry point upstairs.
Grid C- On each of your main Rooms Yes, the Feng Shui grid can again be placed on each of your rooms, generally the main ones such as living room, rumpus, bedrooms. Always place the C-Grids aligning side ‘8-1-6’ with the entry of the room (if two entries, the widest or the most used is the one you’ll choose).
When placing C-Grids is when you strongly emphasise what you wish to manifest the most.
That means that all grids are on top of one another?!
Yes, indeed, they often have different entry door directions so they will easily overlap – to avoid confusion, simply stay focus on your each intent you have in mind while doing the adjustments for each grid and everything will be all right.
Intentions are your keys to success!
Please Note
One of my clients had enhanced her Romance sectors ‘2’ of her garden, home and of each rooms. She is a single mum with a young girl with special needs. She cannot imagine having a relationship with a man until her daughter is old enough to leave home one day… Nevertheless, she activated the energies in that part of all her grids! This lady does not socialise much at all and only goes out of home to school or for grocery shopping. During that time, she sees men smiling and sometimes talking to her. She never makes a step to keep in touch with them as she believes that a relationship for the next decade is impossible. – So, may I ask you… why activate Romance when you are not ready!? The grid offers 9 sectors to choose from and each opens doors to something new in life.
Feng Shui always starts with common sense and logic. Activate energies and enhance your sectors only when you are ready to welcome its magic… because it can happen very fast!
Hello Roseline, I hope this email finds you well. We have put a water feature into area 3 with big blue pots and blue and white flowers. I have 2 plastic gold pots with fake plants at the top of the feature and know by rights these should be real flowers not plastic. Can you advise please what type of plants or at least colour I should replace these plastic ones with please. Also we were thinking about putting a cascading plant that would hang done above the Buddha’s head but I don’t if that would be ok or not? I know this is not the money area but I really need to stimulate our money areas so that things get better in that regard. Its been a real struggle and problem the last 12 – 18 months financially. – X.D. Darwin (Australia)Dear X.D. Thank you for your question!
I would suggest a couple of options: Option 1 – Purchase a light fabric Safran colour and run it from top of buddha’s head (on top of the bricks) till bottom of the sitting area, letting it flow to cover the 3rd level of bricks under the Buddha (below) so it covers the electric wire too. This will bring a lovely colour AND the effect of wind that you need. Option 2 – Plant cascading down AND plant cascading UPWARDS (departing under the floor where the lilly is for the moment – can you do this?
Many of us would like a life change or simply are wanting to receive good news… you know, something that happens and that makes us feel ‘good’.
Feng Shui always starts with common sense and logic. Activate energies and enhance your sectors only when you are ready to welcome its magic… because it can happen very fast!
Feng Shui Steps 