Your fireplace could be the culprit. Therefore, a little feng shui knowledge could help you navigate through the volatile Year of the Fire Monkey in 2016. As we approach Chinese New Year on February 8, the feng shui dynamic is heating up and a few preventative measures can help you get on track.

In the feng shui chart for 2016, a lack of water, but an excess of fire energy, will increase the power of all fire features in a home or commercial setting. It is important to create a better balance by adjusting the elements accordingly. We suggest you pay attention to our feng shui tips to create your safe and secure sanctuary.

• First, check all the features of your fire: lights, candles, stove, gas grill, fireplace, oven, and note its position, strength, function and appearance.

• If your fireplace or gas grill is dominating your corner of wealth, you may be burning through your money.

• A dominant fire characteristic must be balanced with the other elements.

• The powerful yang of excessive fire must be controlled with a little extra yin.

• A crystal bowl of still water, refreshed frequently, is an antidote to the overwhelming yang of fire.

• Soft blue cushions could be a soothing cure if your adrenal glands are stressed from too much yang.

• The addition of water can be done with blue or black, but also with irregular wavy patterns if those colors are not desirable.

• If your fireplace mantel is made of wood, decorate it with attractive ceramics.

• If corners stick out and are shot by poison arrows, cover them with cascading variegated philodendron plants.

• Camouflage the black hole of a disused fireplace with an attractive object that draws and draws your gaze.

• In the summer, when fireplaces are not in use, a pot of flowers is an auspicious feng shui enhancement.

• Consider carefully that having a TV on top of your mantel will add more fire.

• A mirror above the fireplace should reflect something positive and attractive.

• Artwork above a fireplace should be uplifting with complex readability that sparks the imagination.

• If you have a gas grill in your area of ​​wealth, you might consider moving it to a protected outdoor location, perhaps in the future/fame sector of your bagua.

Until recently, fireplaces were devices that burned wood and generated a lot of ash and absorbed heat through the chimney. Modern times have created other options. A simple flick of a switch will light a gas fireplace. It will warm your space on a cold winter night. A pilot light that keeps the gas fireplace active also generates heat and therefore must be turned off in the summer.

The most innovative and little known option to add warmth and fire to your home is the invention of ethanol fireplaces. They are the most versatile and least dangerous devices, since they burn clean, they do not need to be ventilated and they do not generate smoke. Ethanol fireplaces offer a wide range of options in design and cost.

Enjoy the cozy warmth of your fireplace, but exercise diligent care of its potential dangers. While it should be fully functional during the colder months of the year, it should also be an attractive design feature when not in use.