Feng Shui

Feng Shui is the practice of Chinese geomancy, the art of using the immediate surroundings to affect one’s life, health and wealth. The practice traces its roots back thousands of years to when Chinese farmers first established their homes and sought to live within their natural environment in a way that brought them maximum security, peace and prosperity.

The earliest type of Feng Shui would have been a mixture of divination and religious  ritual. During the Shang dynasty for example, the direction and position of gravesites were carefully selected in the hope that happy ancestors would bring prosperity to their descendants. In time, the same principles that were used to bring contentment to the dead were applied to the living. Believing that the location of every hill, tree, river or wall would have a direct affect on their lives, early Chinese farmers sought ways to plan their living arrangements in a way that maintained a harmony with nature, and in turn, brought them luck. These beliefs developed into a complex system of positioning oneself in relation to the environment in order to benefit and support the invisible energies that flow through the universe.

From its use as a method of planning the positioning of graves and farms, Feng Shui has spread to include the choice of battlegrounds and the planning of temples and palaces, and even cities. The layout of Beijing for example, is carefully plotted with the royal palace at the center and the temples of Heaven, Earth, Sun and Moon to the south, north, east and west. Even today, architects in Hong Kong are known to consult geomancers when designing buildings, and Feng Shui has acquired a growing popularity amongst designers in the West.

The Elements of Feng Shui

Feng Shui literally means “wind” and “water,” but these are more than just two important natural features—they are also vital life-giving elements: air which provides the breath of life; and water which quenches thirst and provides sustenance to humans, animals and crops. In Chinese, the life-giving force contained within these elements is called qi, which is also the word for “breath.” Feng Shui is the art of defining one’s living space in a way that enhances and supports the natural flow of qi.

According to Feng Shui, there are Three Realms of Influence which affect the flow of qi and define the type and amount of luck a person will receive. Only when all three realms are correctly aligned will someone achieve the highest success.

The Heavenly Realm provides positive energy based on a person’s time and place of birth. In essence, this kind of luck is based on timing. When something happens “in the nick of time,” it was because the action was begun at the right time to guarantee success. This timing can be calculated in advance.

The Earth Realm governs the luck that affects physical wellbeing: health, wealth and physical prosperity. This is defined by the arrangement of the natural surroundings and one’s place within them.

The Human Realm governs the kind of achievements that comes from human relationships. Knowing the right people, surrounding yourself with the right friends, maintaining proper, respectful relationships with peers and superiors will bring good luck and success.

Most people in the West would recognize that starting a project at the right time and having supportive or well-connected friends is likely to bring positive results, but few pay attention to the Earth Realm, the luck that is affected by their surroundings. This is where practicing Feng Shui can help.

The Practice of Feng Shui

Although a number of new Feng Shui schools have arisen in recent years, particularly in the West, there are two traditional methods of calculating whether an environment is laid out according to the rules of Feng Shui.

Landform Method

Landform Feng Shui practitioners base their calculations on the lay of the land. They note the contours of hills, the local climate and the shape of nearby trees and hedges. They concern themselves primarily with the relationship of a house to its surroundings and how the house will be affected by local flows of qi.

In many ways, Landform Feng Shui can be seen as a direct descendant of the benefits Chinese farmers found they enjoyed when they chose their homes carefully: building halfway up a hill on the north side of a river gave them the most sun, protection from harsh winds and floods, and still gave them close access to water. Building your home in the right place can give provide equally positive results.

Compass Method Feng Shui

Compass Method Feng Shui is concerned with direction. Practitioners note the orientation of the front door, the bed, the stove, the desk and other features of the house, and compares the direction they face to the owner’s date and time of birth.

Both these methods are ultimately concerned with achieving harmony, a balance of yin and yang. According to Chinese belief, everything in the world can be classified as either yin or yang, although nothing can be completely one or the other. Female, darkness, silence, introspection and passivity for example, are all mostly yin; male, light, noise, extroversion and activity are mostly yang. One of the goals of Feng Shui is to ensure that a location contains a harmonious balance of the two. An apartment that faces a busy road for example, would have too much yang, resulting in the owner not getting enough rest, and becoming depressed and irritable. Similarly, a home that overlooks a dark alley would be too yin, and could make the resident gloomy and lethargic. Feng Shui practitioners would look for ways to restore the balance and enhance the flow of qi.

Also see Feng Shui Tips for a Balanced Home