PUBLISHED ONDecember 07, 2022 8:18 AMByTimothy WeeToys are always a welcome addition to any home unless they happen to be the killer Chucky doll.
Not only do they provide great talking points for house guests, but they are also seen as an extension of the owner’s style and taste.
What happens when your toy collection doesn't spark joy but doom and gloom instead?
In a series of four TikTok videos, three local fengshui masters break down how four popular toys brought and/or represented bad luck to their owners.
Helming from geomancy consultancy firm Circle 96, the three practitioners — Master KK Siaw, Master Erick Leong and Master Guo Hong Wei — dispense modern fengshui tips “to benefit everyone [they] meet with harmony, health and prosperity”.
First up, the cult favourite Kaws companion figures.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you would've encountered the easily recognisable creations of American artist Brian Donnelly on a Uniqlo t-shirt or remember it from its controversial pop-up exhibition last year.
Master KK Siaw, the co-founder of Circle 96, shared a case in which he noticed a crying Kaws placed in the northwestern part of his client's home.
Cautioning that one "needs to be careful of things that [one] might purchase", he sensed that something serious happened to his client between 2018 and 2019 because those years "are considered to be in the northwest sector".
True enough, the sad-looking Kaws figure was hiding something.
When pressed, Master KK's client revealed that his father died during that period in Malaysia and he was unable to see him to say goodbye.
Moral of the story, "try not to have anything that's not auspicious," said Master KK.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@circle96_modern_fengshui/video/7171798225794518273?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=714501783776[/embed]
Marvel superhero Iron Man represents all that is good and is seen as a symbol of hope in the MCU.
But a battle-damaged Iron Man figure might not have quite the same effect.
Sharing a personal experience, Master Hongwei said that he once advised a friend, a chiropractor, to buy an Iron Man figure to display for prosperity.
After all, Iron Man is supposed to be crazy rich right?
Things, however, did not go according to Master Hongwei's plan as his friend brought an Iron Man figure sporting a damaged chest plate instead.
Against Master Hongwei's advice, his friend went ahead and put it up in his office.
A month later though, he informed Master Hongwei that he bought a replacement Iron Man figure with no visible damages.
Curious, Master Hongwei probed further and found out the reason for the new purchase. His friend shared that it was because "his heart almost exploded" due to a particular patient who was "asking him the same thing over and over again until he almost went crazy".
Funnily enough, his friend claimed that the moment he replaced his Iron Man figure, "the patient stopped asking all these nonsense questions".
Main lesson learnt, "try not to buy anything that's broken or damaged" as it may have a ripple effect on your life.
ALSO READ: 6 places to donate your preloved kids' toys in Singapore
A beloved children cartoon classic; The Smurfs have a special place in most children and adult hearts.
But the friendly little blue creatures can turn into karmic pest as Master KK explained.
Growing up, Master KK said that both he and his younger brother were big fans of Smurfs figurines.
His younger brother was so proud of his Smurfs figurine collection that he displayed them above his bed, all arranged in a small circle.
Until a cousin, who is also a fengshui practitioner, came by the house.
Sensing something wrong, the cousin asked their father if he was having any trouble, specifically if he felt that "a lot of people are backstabbing [him]" and "creating problems".
Master KK's dad's business was not doing well at that time, and he told his cousin.
This was when the cousin brought up the toy collection and told Master KK's father "basically [he] had too many small people (Smurfs figurines)" backstabbing him and he had to remove them if not he'd continue to suffer the harmful effects.
After reluctantly getting rid of the Smurfs collection, Master KK claimed that "literally the backstabbers disappeared" and their father's business picked up and they were able to move to a bigger house.
Well. it seems like the Smurfs' arch-enemy Gargamel isn't the only one saying the catchphrase "I hate Smurfs" in this instance.
Last, but certainly not least, is everyone's favourite mouse — Mickey.
The iconic Disney mascot is known all around the globe and his popularity knows no bounds with a ton of toys and merchandise.
But Master Erick is quick to caution that with the Year of the Rabbit approaching, those Mickey Mouse apparel might "destroy your [karmic] progress" and cause health concerns.
Highlighting the incompatible nature between the mouse/rat and rabbit in the Chinese zodiac, he said that possessing such Mickey Mouse toys and plushies could bring the owner misfortune and cause "some bumps and hits on [their] limbs".
Now, before you rush home to dump all your toys and collectibles to rid yourself of any bad juju, the three modern fengshui masters did caveat in the comments that the positioning and location of the toy can also play a big part.
"Place it (the toy) in the correct sector [of the house], it will be fine," was their advice to those curious netizens asking about their own toy collections (Bearbrick and Funko fans, they heard you) in the comments.
Ultimately though, the best advice that the three fengshui masters imparted is to "Google to learn about the story behind any art collection before purchasing".
timothywee@asiaone.com
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