There is nothing esoteric about being ripped off.

Always remember that it’s your money and you have every reason to expect to get your money’s worth. Fakes and con artists abound in New Age circles, so be sure to use as much of your consumer savvy with Feng Shui practitioners as you would with a car dealer or building contractor.

Consumer protection guidelines can be applied to Feng Shui. Ask questions. You should be able to get satisfactory answers to your questions. Your practitioner should be able to explain everything to you without mystical or New Age jargon and obfuscation. If you are uncomfortable with their answers, find another practitioner!

If you are a committed Christian, Muslim, or Jew, there is no reason to prevent you from applying Feng Shui to optimize your environment.

The Catholic Church sees New Age ideas as a problem and views Buddhism as a “negative” system, “an erotic spirituality,” and the church’s foremost challenge in the years to come. This is not unlike the opinions of many Protestant denominations who are even more negative — some believe Eastern religions are a form of Satanism. Some Jews equate Buddhism with idolatry and apostasy.

Whatever your creed, rest easy — authentic Feng Shui is not Buddhism or any religious belief and it is not a superstition. It is an ancient ethnoscience — ancient traditional knowledge.

Give me money!

There’s nothing remotely mystical about paying a Feng Shui practitioner. As a general rule, authentic practitioners can charge by the square foot, the hour, or rely on other methods of calculating your bill (I’m sure there are some who have charged by the level of volcanic activity on Neptune). Prices do vary, going from a modest amount (but often made up by merchandise sales) to the absolutely outrageous.

Consider the educational background of the practitioner, their references, and all the usual stuff you check on when you’re about to spend some serious money. Eva Wong quotes the old Chinese saying that bogus Feng Shui “can fool you for eight to ten years,” meaning that it can take some time to discover you’ve been ripped off and by then the con artist will be onto their next scam and victims.

If the practitioner is serious about his or her business, you are likel to receive an invoice for services rendered. Some people insist on a spurious tradition of payments in red envelopes. It’s an old Chinese custom to give kids presents of money in red envelopes, but here it’s been elevated into another New Age-esoteric marketing gimmick.

Generally, Feng Shui practitioners like their payments in cash, check, or money order — just like any other business person. The color of the envelope, should you choose to use one, is up to you.