The major source book of Feng Shui is the I Ching. The I Ching is a text rich with the wisdom of the ancients.

Meanings abound, some obvious, some hidden, all derived from the eight mysterious and deceptively simple three-lined trigrams that double up to become the 64 hexagrams of the Book of Changes.

Both branches of Chinese philosophy — Confucianism and Taoism — have common roots in the I Ching and its origins go back to mythical antiquity. As a book of divination or as a book of wisdom, the I Ching has occupied the attention of China’s most eminent scholars through the centuries. Read the rest of this entry »

Feng Shui finds beautiful expression in the flows of invisible energy that gently waft through the earth and the sky, floating on its waters, carried along by gentle breezes, bringing abundant happiness and prosperity wherever it circulates and settles. The Chinese refer to this intrinsic energy as Chi.

Chi is the unseen delicate force that moves through the human body and the environment, invisible and unnoticed, yet always potent. Chi can be compared to radio waves, telephone signals, radar, and magnetic vibrations Yoga practitioners allude to “Prana,” the inner breath that mysteriously energizes the human body, giving a strange sort of strength, an extraordinary kind of vigor. The Chinese regard Chi as the mysterious inner energy, which gives strength and soul to mankind. Read the rest of this entry »

Each trigram comprises combinations of three straight lines that are eitherbroken (— —) or unbroken (—). These trigrams collectively represent the trinity of the universe comprising the subject (man), the object having form (earth), and the content (heaven).The lowest place in the trigram is that of the earth; the middle place in the trigram belongs to man; and the top place in the trigram to heaven.

A global concept of the universe is fully expressed by the aggregate meanings of the eight trigrams. Another significant feature is that they intermingle when they become hexagrams. Read the rest of this entry »

Since Landscape Feng Shuiaddresses land contours, theshape and orientation of mountains exert a huge influence on the luck of homes built in their vicinity The Chinese have always considered mountains (shan) as desirable places in which to live. Convinced that celestial dragons nestle in elevated landforms, they shun flat plains, which represent the discarded droppings washed down from the mountains. Undulating mountains epitomize all that is best in Feng Shui.

Keeping in mind the cardinal rule of never allowing the main door to face or confront a mountain, there are methods of analyzing the auspiciousness of surrounding mountains. One method is to learn to discern five different types of mountain, categorized in accordance with the five elements, the shape of the peak determining elemental essence. Read the rest of this entry »

Metal

Energies of the metal element are both dense and inward-flowing. Metal is synonymous with gold and silver, and these precious metalshave always been the symbols of wealth and prosperity, but thiselement is also cold and lifeless.

Unlike the other elements metal is unbending. It is a manifestation of wealth and energizing its essence in the correct metal corners of the house will be of great benefit to the whole home.

A pot of gold is the best representation ofmetal. In Feng Shui allthings are symbolic, but placingyour left-over change coins in a metal container and theplacing it in the metal directions, the northwest or the west,magnifies the energies of these sectors and adds to the harmony and flow of energies moving within the home..

Anything metallic like coins and gold bars is suitable for metal corners. Those born in metal years or in rooster and monkey yearshave a special affinity with metal. The energies ofelements arenot static.

They interact with each other all the time in either productive or destructive cycles.

Understanding the way the energies of the five elements affect each other enables the practitioner to know how to achieve Feng Shui harmony in the living space. Study the cycles of the elements carefully as this will enhance your successful practice of Feng Shui considerably.

Earth

The earth element epitomizes the core of Feng Shui. Powerful earth energy moves sideways and horizontally, spreading its essence each time the seasons start to change, aiding the transition from summer to fall to winter to spring, and back to summer once again. Earth is produced by fire so those places that lack this vital energy are enhanced by the presence of bright lights. But earth is destroyed by wood to which it gives sustenance. In earth corners, therefore, reduce the presence of wood. It is also a good idea to reduce the presence of metal in earth areas since earth produces metal. This is why metal is said to exhaust earth. Read the rest of this entry »

The amateur practitioner is advised to learn how to recognize auspicious and inauspicious shapes, features and orientations, topography, and levels in the environment. Examine the hills and topography behind the home. This is usually defined as the part of the house that is opposite to the main door.

Some texts describe the back of the house as that part which is farthest away from the main road fronting the house, irrespective of where the back door is sited.

Others consider the place of the back door to be the back of the house. For practical purposes, I suggest that you use your own judgment to determine which part of your home you consider to be the back. If you are unsure, consider the place of the back door as the back of the house. Read the rest of this entry »

When looking for a place with good Feng Shui, be particularly alert to the contours of the surroundings. When the road is sloping, sites that are halfway between the highest and lowest point are better than those right at the top or at the bottom.

The top of a hill is said to be inauspicious since there is little protection from the elements.

Valleys are less problematic but in general look for sites at midlevel rather than at extremes. Read the rest of this entry »

The practice of Feng Shui always starts with location. If the whereabouts of your home are auspicious according to basic Feng Shui tenets, this alone will assure you and your family of a good life. Superb luck will accompany you and all you do will meet with success as long as you live in such a home. The natural environment is extremely powerful; even if the interior of your home might suffer from some negative Feng Shui features, the effect will be insignificant if the location of your home enjoys excellent classical Form School Feng Shui.

Landscape Feng Shui focuses initially on the physical surroundings of your home. If you live in an apartment, use the whole building in which your apartment is situated to determine if your location follows good Feng Shui landscape criteria. Read the rest of this entry »

All the energies of the Earth — which can be regarded as synonymous with the breath of the dragon, the Sheng Chi — are said to be either Yin or Yang in nature.

All the elements of the Earth too are said to have either a Yin essence or a Yang essence. The cosmology of these two opposing yet complementary forces is the conceptual way the Chinese view the universe. Yin and Yang have their own attributes and their own magnetic fields of energy. They are diametrically different but they are nevertheless mutually dependent. Each gives existence to the other; one cannot exist without the other. Read the rest of this entry »

Wood

Wood symbolizes expansion, epitomized by the happiness and growth of springtime, when plants germinate and start to grow. Of the five elements, wood is the only one with a life of its own. Wood represents the waxing moon, gathering strength and radiance with each passing day. Its energies radiate outward in each and every direction, like the branches of a tree. Wood is therefore an excellent element to energize since all its connotations are associated with positive development. Read the rest of this entry »

Water

Water is considered a Yin element. Like fire, water is extremely forceful and at its zenith water can be even more destructive than fire. Indeed, in the I Ching water is regarded as a sign of danger. Water above a mountain, i.e. water in a high place, is one of four critically dangerous Feng Shui indications. This is because the symbolism is one of water overflowing its banks. In the cycle, metal is said to produce water because metal can turn into a liquid state. Thus water is said to exhaust metal. In practical terms this means that placing water in a metal corner tends to weaken that corner. Read the rest of this entry »

Central to Feng Shui’s many rules and recommendationsis the belief that all physical things, all tangible and intangible energy, all directions and all seasons possess element attributes that relate mutually to each other. Additional to this belief is that everything in the universe is one of five elements and how they relate to each other causes energy near them to become either auspicious or inauspicious.

When the affinity is harmonious, all things move smoothly, bringing happiness. When the relationship is jarring and hostile, the energy causes anger, sadness and frustration. Read the rest of this entry »

When there is hilly land close to your home, it is vital to ensure that the orientation of your home isdesigned to tap the luck and protection of the mountain. Orientation means the way the main front door faces. Thisdetermines the orientation of the home. The orientation isirrespective of what your personal auspicious directions may be according to the Eight Mansions Pa-Kua Lo-Shu Compass Formula. It is ideal Feng Shui if you can tap both the luck of the mountain and of your personal direction at the same time. The challenge facing a Feng Shui practitioner is to design a home that ingeniously taps both. Read the rest of this entry »

Mountains that are visible from your home are also auspicious orinauspicious according to the number of peaks they have. Particular numbers of peaks have certain connotations. (Numbers of peaks not specifically mentioned are neither lucky nor unlucky)

Mountains behind your home, or on the left of your home

When there are six distinct summits visible, your family will always have the support of the leader and of powerful people in the country. This is very auspicious. Read the rest of this entry »

The old texts also offer variations of perfect configurations, explaining shapes of mountains, river flows, and contours in terms of the five elements and how they interact with each other to generate good or bad Feng Shui.

Many of the suggestions in the old books, however, have over the past hundred years been adapted to the modern practice of Feng Shui. Using their knowledge of fundamental explanations of balance and harmony, and by going back to the source books of Chinese thought, practitioners have successfully penetrated the language of the ancient texts to understand and reveal the symbolism locked within them. Read the rest of this entry »

The interpretation and meanings of the numerals and combinations of numerals are based on two significant symbolic relationships, i.e:

• Based on the meanings of the numbers themselves.
• Based on the relationship between the numbers and the elements and then on the implied interaction of the five elements as expressed in the form of numbers. This dependence on the five elements, or Wuxing, is the key to really understanding flying star.

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While Landscape Feng Shui emphasizes the contours and shapes of mountains and the direction of flow of rivers, over the centuries Feng Shui practitioners realized the importance of also aligning the environment’s Chi to the human Chi of the people living with the environment. This alignment was considered important to man’s destiny and led to the development of specific calculations and techniques that were based on thesymbols of the Pa Kua and the number arrangements of the Lo Shu square. The connections between these two main symbols of Feng Shui were the eight directions of the compass, leading Compass School Feng Shui to develop into a distinct and different school from Form School Feng Shui. Read the rest of this entry »

Before embarking on learning the formulas it is fundamental to understand the importance of the compass. In the old days Feng Shui practitioners used the Luo Pan — the ornate and extremely complex master’s compass. Today, you can use a good modern compass. Select one that gives you readings in degrees — many of the formulas require very exact readings. These readings are usually related to the direction of the main door. The direction the door faces looking out plays a very big role in determining the suitability of the Feng Shui of the house for particular residents. Read the rest of this entry »

In addition to spaceconsiderations, Feng Shui alsohas a time dimension. This is related to the relevance of time cycles, and the technique of analyzing the Feng Shui of time periods is collectively practiced under what is known as Flying Star Feng Shui. This focuses on the significance of changing forces during different time periods. The process highlights the intangible influences of the numbers and combinations of numbers of the magic Lo Shu square.

This adds vital nuances to”good” and “bad” Feng Shui and explains that good or bad luck in terms of the harmony or disharmony in the environment does not necessarily occur continuously or last forever. Nor do auspicious and inauspicious orientations remain the same throughout one’s entire life. Read the rest of this entry »