The history of Feng Shui, or the scientific art of optimising your environment, can be traced back for more than five thousand years. Feng Shui has developed and adapted with the changing needs, desires and circumstances of humanity from rural to urban environments. Contrary to popular belief Feng Shui is not a religion. It certainly has links to eastern Taoist philosophy and healing, but does not require trinkets or statues to be effective.
Feng Shui apartment building, Hong Kong
Chinese Origins – Universal Application
Feng Shui originated in rural China where farmers had a greater reliance on the environment (and still do), so they needed to understand their landscape, the seasons, weather and moon cycles to create the best conditions for their crops. They noted the habits of the animals, the changes in the river levels and rates of flow. They took note of the quality, smell and even taste of the earth, and the areas that were boggy, fertile or parched. Most farmers had to toil in the fields and it was the monks and scholars who observed the skies and combined astronomy with knowledge of astrology to understand how human beings fitted into cosmic patterns. Combined with the farmers’ finely tuned practical expertise these astrological observations developed into systems that helped them to build their homes in the best positions, facing the most beneficial directions. They grew their crops in locations where they were most likely to have high yields and they survived well in their harsh environments, building stable communities and prospering. Cities grew where the energies of meandering rivers, deep estuaries, protective mountains and flat lands combined in the most productive ways.
The Imperial rulers of China also became interested in Feng Shui as they realised that it was a powerful science. Men that were skilled in the many styles of Feng Shui such as Ba Chop, Sam Hap, Sam Yuan and Yuen Hom, became Feng Shui Masters who served their Imperial ruler. These highly skilled Masters protected their empire by choosing the best land for the ruler’s palace, the best burial sites for their ancestry and the most opportune times for their ruler to act in order to succeed. This ensured that the ruler continued to reign powerfully and that he kept control and protected his people.
In modern-day societies the focus tends to be on living and working in crowded, urban environments where the pace of life is quick. So, how do we know if our environments are beneficial to us or whether we are being exhausted or harmed by their effects? In Feng Shui various techniques are used to ‘diagnose’ our environments and determine which approach suits best. Here are a few of those techniques and considerations used in a consultation:
Form School
The shapes within our environment affect the way chi or lifeforce energy behaves. In analysing the form of your surroundings a skilled Feng Shui practitioner will be able to apply ancient principles to interpret the modern urban or rural features of a property. For example, a road is considered a type of ‘river’ and an aerial view of a neighbourhood can give some interesting insights into the fortunes of its inhabitants. Form accounts for 60% of the influences on a property. The way chi (vital energy) flows through the interior of a property is also considered part of Form School theory. Good ‘Form’ is always given high priority.
Rice Terraces Southern China
The Physicality of a Building
A building is like a human body. It has a ‘mouth’ (the main door), eyes (windows), heart (often the kitchen) and a spine (the back of the property). It also has a constitutional footprint, which is determined by the Ba Chop method and the relationship between the orientation of the building and the main front door. The quality of design and energy at key points in a building is very important to the overall vitality of the unseen forces.
Feng Shui Lo Pan compass
Feng Shui Lo Pan compass
Compass School
The influence of time on a building is likened to it’s ‘acute’ state, and this is where Flying Star comes in. Flying (i.e. moving over time) Stars are calculated to reveal the cosmic conditions affecting the building during a certain period of time. Within each year and month further refinements can be made to those calculations. The compass assists us in measuring the quality of a direction. It is a little like a computer that stores all the vital reference information for our work. The interpretation and application is then the responsibility of the individual consultant, depending on the situation at hand and the type of building, environment and personal constitution of the occupants. No consultation is alike. All cases are unique and a good consultant always applies bespoke solutions.
Geopathic Stress Detection
The assessment of underground waterways, energy courses and grave site location is part of Yin Feng Shui and there are only a handful of truly skilled practitioners in the world. Geopathic stress is a disturbance in the natural resonance of the earth (7.5 – 8 Hz) causing a vibration of energy in a building that is uncomfortable for the occupants. Over time, it can cause insomnia, irritability, fatigue, ME and in some cases severe illnesses such as cancer and leukaemia. In certain situations Feng Shui remedies are far more effective once the geopathic stress has been dealt with. Interestingly, Gypsies and people with nomadic lifestyles rarely suffer from cancer, as they are never exposed for long enough to any harmful concentrations of earth-born radiation.
Many practitioners can also dowse for negative or ‘black’ streams and underground water and locate the positive or ‘white’ streams, in order to advise on placement of beds and desks. In the case where beds and desks cannot be moved out of the sick energy lines, geopathic stress neutralisers can be installed.
Space Clearing
Space clearing is related to feng shui, but is a separate subject in its own right. Special herbs and resins are burned in a ceremonial and focused way to cleanse the property of ‘predecessor chi’, stagnant energy and negative atmospheres. This is especially recommended in old homes or premises that have been lying empty or have witnessed divorces or deaths. It is also ideal to space-clear a home before you move in.
Horoscope
“Millionaires don’t use astrology….Billionaires do!” J P Morgan
An often overlooked area of Feng Shui is how an individual’s birthdate relates to the property they inhabit, and how their Ba Zi (Four Pillars) horoscope may be impacting them at the time of their consultation. Knowledge of this very accurate astrology certainly helps a Feng Shui practitioner to make more informed recommendations to help their client.
Date Selection
Timing is everything. Feng Shui experts consult the 10000 Year Calendar and the Chinese Tung Sing Almanac to decipher nature’s cycles and find particularly auspicious days suitable for marriage, launching a business, having a press party, moving home, stockmarket trading etc. etc.
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