CHINESE NEW YEAR 2024 Marites Allen reveals a life aligned with feng shui
TOUGH and devastating were the words that aptly described life before feng shui for Marites Allen, who made a name for herself in the geomancy industry not just in the Philippines, but also overseas.
Right before stepping into the world of feng shui, Allen went through a lot — from being a single mother to mourning the loss of her own mother in a tragic accident. Following Allen’s annulment with her first husband, she grappled with another tragedy when her mother drowned in a shipwreck, adding an even greater weight to the burdens she had to bear.
“At that time, I felt that life was unfair,” she stressed, “But in moments [such as] these, you have to feel it; you have to feel the pain. There’s no shortcut.”
Life before becoming a feng shui master
Allen grew up in a large family, being the 10th among 14 siblings. Allen admitted it never crossed her mind to enter the world of feng shui until later in life.
In college, she worked parttime in her school’s admin office, where she handled computer work such as transcribing. This experience helped her build a strong foundation and instilled in her a deep appreciation for hard work, shaping the person she became today.
Nine of her siblings worked in government, but she preferred not to follow in their footsteps and opted to work for a private company instead.
At work, she met her first husband with whom she had three children. After 5 years of marriage, she and her then-husband decided to go their separate ways. With only P5,000 in her wallet and a heart that was willing to risk everything for her kids, Allen hopped on a ship going to Metro Manila in hopes of starting anew and finding bigger opportunities.
When she and her kids arrived in the nation’s capital, Allen found herself with no one to rely on in the city. Desperate to make ends meet, she asked her neighbor to look after her three small kids in order that she could apply for a new job.
One day, things took a notable turn. Recognizing her commendable work ethics, Allen’s previous employer in Cebu reached out and offered her an opportunity to manage a business center in Makati. That job not only provided her opportunities for professional growth, but also served as a key factor in her transformation into a feng shui expert.
The pay was good enough that she was able to save enough to move to a bigger space and hire a housekeeper to take care of her children while she was at work. Allen has also managed to pursue her master’s degree at the Ateneo de Manila University while working.
When she finally found balance and stability in her career and personal life, that was the time she became ready to open her heart again for love.
At that point, she decided to further explore feng shui in an attempt to attract love. She acquired lucky charms while following the advice she had read in geomancy books such as placing double happiness symbols and a pair of mandarin ducks in the southwest.
To her surprise, she found herself with suitors approaching her the following week. One admirer particularly caught her attention, and he was the man that Allen had been happily married to for over 20 years now.
Discovering feng shui
While working as a project manager in an Australian company in Cebu, Allen was surrounded by her bosses’ wives, who were feng shui enthusiasts that regularly read magazines about geomancy. It was in this environment that she had access to feng shui principles, which led her to read and apply geomancy in different aspects of her life.
“Everytime I follow it, it surprisingly works,” Allen said in an interview with The Manila Times.
Allen disclosed a critical moment that further cemented her interest in studying and practicing feng shui.
She explained: “I came across this reference, where I read that former Philippine president Fidel Ramos listened to the advice of a geomancer about the landscape in Malacañang. It also said why the then-P500 bill was inauspicious [for] the country. The reasons were that the word ‘500’ appeared 13 times, the stars also appeared 13 times and the number of people on the bill was 13, which, in feng shui, is associated with bad luck.”
She quipped: “It was too much of a coincidence. Since then, I said to myself that I’m going to learn feng shui. That was one of monumental shifts in my life. Feng shui has done a lot of good things [for] me. Now, it’s time to share with the people.”
Living in alignment with geomancy
After 20 years of practicing geomancy, Allen smiled as she reminisced.
“Life is definitely better with feng shui. The beautiful thing about feng shui is you make a difference in somebody else’s life,” she said.
“In the past 20 years, I spent time, money and energy studying in schools of great grand masters in feng shui. I really want to make sure that I’ll be able to deliver feng shui well to clients,” she added.
Allen held certifications from the International Feng Shui Association and received training from Asia’s geomancy great grand masters. These credentials have not only established her good reputation, but also enhanced her credibility as a feng shui master, earning the trust of clients, including influential individuals from various industries.
“Training and learning the craft is important to me. Remember: feng shui masters and experts are just like doctors. We are being asked for [clients’] luck, and we have to give them guidance. It is a very serious business for me,” she continued.
As a believer that everything was about symbolisms, Allen studied at the London College of Fashion and built her own boutique, Frigga.
“I made sure to create amulets that are not only fashionable, but also incorporate elements with luck enhancers on them. Rather than wearing ordinary clothes with no meaning, why not wear something that has meaning for you,” she questioned.
Launching Frigga was one of her career breaks.
“It was sold out. It became one of the destination shops in [The] Podium. We were selling small lucky charms. That’s when it occurred to me that many people in this country believe in luck,” she recalled.
Attracting luck in life, love and career
When asked how she had been incorporating feng shui into her life, it became apparent that feng shui had consistently become part of her lifestyle.
“Since green is my wealth color, I mostly wear green on a daily basis. I have [numerous] clothes of this color in my wardrobe. Aside from that, I follow proper almanac directions. When I work, I face my career direction; when I sleep, I tap my love direction and when I eat, I face my health direction,” she admitted.
At home, she ensured to arrange home furniture according to auspicious directions for prosperity. She also incorporated lucky charms in the household such as a family portrait to keep togetherness in the household and a wealth ship that was facing toward the master’s bedroom to signify luck for the couple.
Inside Allen’s residence, there was also a bird painting hanging in the south corner, a placement she made in 2004. The geomancer revealed it had brought positive results into her life since then.
“Immediately after hanging that bird painting, I was getting interviews, invites and media coverage in the Philippines and abroad. Remember, birds fly out and get opportunities for you,” she stated.
Moreover, she integrated wood elements such as flowers, trees and plants into her abode. She invested in properties such as an agricultural land and a beach resort, aligning with the auspicious representation of the water element in 2024. In connection with water, Allen also strategically placed a water fountain in a fortunate sector of her house.
On unlucky days, Allen warded off negative energy and navigated challenges by making sure to wear lucky colors and taking advantage of the lucky hour of each day.
“Timing is also important in feng shui. If the day, week or month is favorable to me, then I do most of the things that I have to do,” she shared.
“If it’s a challenging month [such as] the month of February, which is my conflict month, and yet it is my busiest season, I have no choice but to work and use my lucky charms from Frigga that I created to help me get through it,” she revealed.
A pair of mandarin ducks remained a staple in Allen and her husband’s bedroom to this day. This was said to be an essential charm to attract peace and harmony in the year of the Wood Dragon, especially with the presence of a center star that was believed to bring about misunderstandings.
However, Allen noted, “Remember, we have our own destiny, and sometimes, things are just really part of our destiny. We have different types of luck: heaven, earth and mankind. What’s meant to be will make its way to you.”
Future plans
Allen disclosed and hoped to pursue her major projects this year, including the further development of her property in El Nido, Palawan that would serve as a private retreat house in order to accommodate clients and small groups that would want a private feng shui consultation with her.
Aside from the resort, Allen hoped that “that one day — hopefully this year — I will be able to establish my own School of Feng Shui. I just give it to the universe. When the time is right, it will come.”
For consultation with Marites Allen, email events@ fengshuiqueen.com. For updates, follow @MaritesAllen on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.