05/04/09 by Master Sarah McAllister | Feng Shui History & Lineage | No Comments »
Sometimes China gets a bad press, what with the Tibet issue and some controversy over the build of the Olympic stadium. I recently returned to China in October 2008 on an incredible Feng Shui study tour with my teacher Grand Master Chan Kun Wah, and was reminded once again how unusual the land formations are there and how the land can sometimes be so overpowering that it is no wonder that Feng Shui was developed there. This time I was in the Hunan province which is rarely visited by tourists, so we were quite a novelty! We saw stunning national parks and ancient villages, and even found time to look at a few gravesites. The topographical Form was similar to Yunnan and Guangxi which I had visited in 2001, but different enough to offer more Feng Shui learning experiences and different chi qualities.
Happily, Feng Shui is a “universal” system of energy management. I now emphasise in my talks and lectures that Feng Shui originates from ancient China, because it is more accurate than simply saying it is Chinese. The practice of Feng Shui in China is experiencing a return these last few years having previously been outlawed under Chairman Mao for years. Many practitioners are found in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, because they had to flee mainland China.
The Feng Shui Language might be of Chinese origin, but in fact, you ask any ordinary Chinese person about Feng Shui and it is as mysterious to them as it is to your average European. Some teachers of other styles of Feng Shui teach accelerated methods, which need no knowledge of Chinese or Cantonese – people sign up for these courses with enthusiasm only to discover that their understanding will never reach the depths available to you if you take the trouble to learn the source language. Why? Because the Feng Shui language has characters that are not included in ordinary Chinese language – it is in a realm of its own and to truly understand the deeper significance of the teachings and increase your skill you need to know the ‘Feng Shui alphabet’! This is why Chue style practitioners learn the characters, and also because this helps us access their unique energy and resonance.
Some of the Feng Shui principles can be traced back to India and Buddha, but most of the development of Feng Shui originated in China. So yes, it is Chinese, but it has its own language – a language of nature, cosmology, mathematics and harmonics. It is universally applicable and I love nothing more than finding a new climate and understanding how Feng Shui theory plays itself out – from Lanzarote to Frankfurt, London to Hong Kong, Sweden, South Africa, Iran, Russia and Austria we take our cues from nature and seek to harmoniously combine the human with the environment.
Sarah
All content Copyright of Feng Shui Agency Ltd 1999-2009
IF YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR WEBSITE OR NEWSLETTER YOU CAN AS LONG AS YOU INCLUDE THIS COMPLETE INFO WITH IT:
Sarah McAllister is owner and founder of Feng Shui Agency Ltd, a UK based Feng Shui consultancy and training company with an international client portfolio and associate Feng Shui architects, Feng Shui Urban Planners and Interior Designers. She is widely regarded as an industry expert and is a sought after lecturer and consultant. She publishes a monthly electronic “Chi-mail!” with industry news, practical Feng Shui insight and advice and great promotions for subscribers. To receive your copy sign up here http://www.fengshuiagency.com/newsletter.html
05/04/09 by Master Sarah McAllister | Feng Shui Business Consultations | No Comments »
Last year I was asked for input into an article on business Feng Shui for CorpComms business magazine.
Always happy to open up my portfolio to scrutiny, I contacted a few of my business clients to see if they would authorise an inclusion in the article. A few were very happy to speak about their experience with my services and the appointed journalist found out more about the success of the Feng Shui consultations than I have ever heard directly from the clients!
These real-life examples of how Feng Shui can be applied to increase business were used in the cases of London Calling, Life After Branding and Courtney Bell Clinic (among others…) and here I will distil a few tips for you business owners to implement:
Front Door – it might sound obvious but your front door is vital, because it is the ‘mouth’ of your building and receives the nourishment of energy and human traffic. If you have doors that open outwards then consider re-hanging them so that they open inwards, otherwise you are pushing the natural energy flow outwards.
Reception – having a spacious reception is also really important because people feel comfortable and feel as if they have arrived somewhere good. If you have a small reception use simple tricks like uplighters or slimline aquariums to create sparkle and movement in the space – but contact me first for advice because water is very powerful and should not be placed in the wrong direction.
Open View – where possible, try not to have large trees blocking the frontage of your office, particularly if they are ugly scraggly trees. Depending on where they are situated they can block the wealth position, cause edgy and spiky behaviour (its true!) and even cause problems with internal organs.
Power Position – it is marvellous to make seemingly small changes and see them have a big impact. This technique has to be the most gratifying and I have seen people turn from timid to assertive, simply by following this advice and placing their desk in the power position, found diagonally opposite the main door or if there are two doors then the area furthest away from both doors. Try to sit with your back protected by a solid wall, even if it means installing cable management to keep unsightly wires organised which were previously all jammed up against the wall. Who wants to face a wall day in day out?!
The above tips might seem ridiculously simple, but how hard we find it to be simple! How rarely do we slow down enough to stop and consider the breath of life in our buildings? Myself included! I love my job as a Feng Shui consultant because it demands that I slow down and when not tearing up and down the motorway I am to be found standing ponderously, calmly and almost invisibly in the forecourts of companies throughout the country with my big red Lo Pan compass …
Sarah
5 Reasons to have an expert Business Feng Shui Consultation
1. Increase protection against the economic downturn
2. Support productivity of key staff
3. Explore untapped environmental factors affecting your business
4. Raise your visibility within the high street
5. Optimise your office refurbishment or relocate to a luckier premises
For a free telephone assessment to see whether Feng Shui can help your business CONTACT US now!
All content Copyright of Feng Shui Agency Ltd 1999-2009
IF YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR WEBSITE OR NEWSLETTER YOU CAN AS LONG AS YOU INCLUDE THIS COMPLETE INFO WITH IT:
Sarah McAllister is owner and founder of Feng Shui Agency Ltd, a UK based Feng Shui consultancy and training company with an international client portfolio and associate Feng Shui architects, Feng Shui Urban Planners and Interior Designers. She is widely regarded as an industry expert and is a sought after lecturer and consultant. She publishes a monthly electronic “Chi-mail!” with industry news, practical Feng Shui insight and advice and great promotions for subscribers. To receive your copy sign up here http://www.fengshuiagency.com/newsletter.html
05/04/09 by Master Sarah McAllister | Feng Shui Benefits & Research, Feng Shui Business Consultations, Feng Shui Home Consultations | No Comments »
A little known fact about Feng Shui is that it is as much about timing as it is about spatial layout and environmental design. Feng Shui consultants use two calendars known as “10 000 Year Calendar” and the “Tung Sing” almanac to determine the most auspicious timings for key activities.
The “10 000 Year Calendar” contains the qualities of each year, month, day and hour. For instance, May 2009 was an Earth Ox year, Earth Snake month and May 4th was an Earth Rooster day. This might all sound a bit bizarre, but the universe is full of energy patterns and energy qualities and the elements and animals represent these dynamics very accurately.
Anyhow, anyone with an ounce of awareness can grasp the fact that spring is generally a time of optimism, new beginnings and de-cluttering! Whereas winter feels a little more lethargic and the reduced daylight hours make us want to sleep more and be cosy and snug. Summer sees us getting up earlier to greet the day and autumn feels crisp and somehow transitional. Some climates don’t have such marked seasons as Europe, but the energy changes are still to be seen in the colours of the vegetation and the behaviour of the wildlife.
The Feng Shui calendars go beyond the general cycles of seasonal change to pinpoint smaller cycles of birth, peak and decline and these cycles may suit some people more than others. They may also suit some businesses more than others due to the nature of the industry.
New product launches or shop openings:
You wouldn’t want to launch a new product or open a new shop on the Void day with the Remove aspect and with an energy pattern (or kua) that drains away from the business owner or manager’s natal kua. But you might want to have a space clearing ceremony or a de-cluttering performed on this day so that you are getting rid of the stale energy.
Sales presentations:
I was invited a few months ago to give a brief talk at a property developer’s event where the focus was on selling overseas property. I was really looking forward to the event, as the MD is a really creative and open-minded soul, and a few celebrities were lined up to introduce the event. I looked in the calendar about a week in advance and was a little concerned that there was a star in the day that meant “Avoid Property Selling” and it bugged me…. However, I stayed positive and thought, oh well, am sure it will be OK, but about 12 noon on the very day itself I received a call saying it had to be cancelled as the property developers could not attend. I asked the MD to let me know of any new dates for the event, so that we can avoid this troublesome star.
Re-financing
If your company needs to talk to the bank manager or business angel then do so when the natural forces are in your favour. Feng Shui timing accounts for approximately 30% influence on our overall luck – isn’t it worth stacking the odds in your favour?! Talk to your bank manager on a Collect or a Settle day, rather than a day that clashes to you or has negative lunar mansion portents.
Some days I can sense there is a Grasp day or a Moon Blessing day, as there is something tangibly clear and vibrant about the energy of the day. I also know that some days are dreadful for me, and it is these days that I will use for filing, cleaning the car, book-keeping and other dull and undemanding tasks, so that I am ready and prepared to make the most of the good days for networking, public speaking, designing and visiting clients.
For information on our Date Selection Service please CLICK HERE
Sarah
All content Copyright of Feng Shui Agency Ltd 1999-2010
IF YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR WEBSITE OR NEWSLETTER YOU CAN AS LONG AS YOU INCLUDE THIS COMPLETE INFO (INCLUDING WEBLINK) WITH IT:
Master Sarah McAllister is owner and founder of Feng Shui Agency Ltd, a UK based Feng Shui consultancy and training company with an international client portfolio and associate Feng Shui architects, Feng Shui Urban Planners and Interior Designers. She is widely regarded as an industry expert and is a sought after lecturer and consultant. She publishes a quarterly electronic “Chi-mail!” with industry news, practical Feng Shui insight and advice and great promotions for subscribers. To receive your FREE copy please email info@fengshuiagency.com with NEWSLETTER in the subject line. For more information visit www.fengshuiagency.com
04/22/09 by Master Sarah McAllister | Eco Feng Shui | No Comments »
Just a quickie! I can recommend the WWF newsletter. Feng Shui is about understanding humans and nature and how we share this fabulous planet, so I always like to keep up to date with good environmental protection charities and organisations. I just received their latest newsletter…you can sign up here…
http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/highlights/
03/31/09 by Master Sarah McAllister | Feng Shui History & Lineage | No Comments »
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
These houses are well protected by strong ‘mountains of support’ and whilst the village is a little steep, the picture does illustrate the Feng Shui ‘mountain principle’ which can be replicated in the Feng Shui of your bedroom and office. Having a solid wall behind the bedhead or behind your chair is so very effective, yet so simple as to almost sound unimportant! How hard it can sometimes be to be simple!
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
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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