What is feng shui?
You’re not an idiot if you’re confused about feng shui (pronounced fung schway). This ancient Chinese tradition has bulldozed its way into the West, becoming the craze du jour. It seems everyone is either doing it or dissing it. Feng shui articles, books, entire magazines, complete schools, and comprehensive websites have crowded the market. Some of these offer advice and techniques that are far removed from the real thing. They all seek to cash in while misleading the unsuspecting, taking full advantage before the uninformed consumer wakes up and begins to question the myriad inconsistencies.
Actually, this dilution of the classic tradition can be likened to playing “telephone.” Remember that childhood game? One kid whispers a sentence into the next kid’s ear. Something like, “My 50-foot alligator lives in a black lagoon.” By the time the sentence reaches the end of the line of kids, it may have become, “My pin-striped crocodile swims in a pink polka-dot pool.” Get the idea? This book will avoid such silliness and present to you a clear, concise explanation of feng shui. Let’s get started by taking a little quiz.
The Feng Shui IQ Test
Before you learn what feng shui actually is (and what it isn’t), let’s test your feng shui IQ. For each of these questions, pick the answer you believe is correct. (Hint: Some questions may have more than one correct answer.)
1. What is feng shui?
a. A specialty of Chinese cuisine
b. The study of time and space
c. A belief system of warding off evil spirits using mirrors
2. You should always sleep with your head pointed north.
a. True
b. False
3. Which instruments are used by a feng shui practitioner?
a. A smudge stick
b. Crystals
c. A compass
4. You’re practicing good feng shui when you:
a. Open the window to let fresh air in
b. Hang a mirror in a small room
c. Hang a wind chime in your entrance
5. Which sort of house promotes a more healthful well-being?
a. A house made of bricks
b. A house built on a level lot
c. A house built on a hilltop
6. You and your significant other have submitted an offer on a new house. At the last
minute, you discover the previous two sets of owners divorced while living in the
dwelling. Do you withdraw your offer?
a. Yes
b. No
7. You should always keep toilet lids down so
your money qi (pronounced chee) won’t
flush away.
a. True
b. False
8. Feng shui can help you:
a. Find love and romance
b. Increase your earning potential
c. Gain fame and respect
9. The object of feng shui is to activate your
fame, marriage, children, helpful people,
career, knowledge, family, and wealth qi sectors
within your home.
a. True
b. False
10. Feng shui is practiced by:
a. Individuals like yourself
b. Major corporations
c. The Asian population
Feng shui IQ answers:
1. b, 2. b, 3. c, 4. a, 5. b, 6. b, 7. b, 8. all of the above, 9. b, 10. all of the above. So, how did you do? Did the correct answers surprise you? Or maybe you feel more confused than ever. Don’t worry—we’ll tell you everything you need to know to understand feng shui. It’s time to embark on a unique journey that will change the way you view the world. Let’s start by discussing what feng shui isn’t.
The Theory Behind Feng Shui
Feng Shui is more than simply rearranging furnishings; it’s a routine. Lifestyles require dominant mindsets or concepts. Feng Shui experts say no to a number of things without reason. Nearly all the things they do come with a line of reasoning that many people might not embrace.
However, it is still a point of view that, amongst other things, requires cautious contemplation. So, what are the thoughts that prevail at the onset of Feng Shui? Here are some common concepts that a Feng Shui enthusiast or researcher could find useful.
Sense of Stability
The number one thing that Feng Shui promotes is stability. This equilibrium comes in several forms: the color palette, the spatial factors, and the numbers that concern your workspace or environment. The equilibrium is further promoted by the five Earth elements of Feng Shui and the bagua, which are symmetrically designed and fully aligned with the different elements of the earth according to Feng Shui principles. The standards of Feng Shui are customized for every person, but it all boils down to having the right set of things that complement and balance each other.
Sense of Positivity
Feng Shui promotes a sense of positivity. Positive energy is the detail sought after most by people seeking the services of Feng Shui consultants. This positivism needs to be maintained. On the other hand, it wards off all negative energy that may come into a particular space. This is why there are gems that assist in curing the bad luck in a particular place, especially those that have been established without the assistance of Feng Shui.
A Natural Leaning for Beauty and the Effects That Promote It
Beauty in symmetry and symmetry in beauty are among the foundational concepts of Feng Shui. It appeals to the physically inviting and adheres to the idea of fighting for beauty and balance in things. In some ways, Feng Shui is a celebration of beauty in design and other physical elements of the space being designed.
Love for Your Environment
Feng Shui promotes the conscientious contemplation of the environment before establishing places. Good Feng Shui complements the elements of the earth and makes the Feng Shui aficionado more watchful of their surroundings. They don’t merely work instantly in any oppressive place, but strive to eradicate any existing negativities in the surroundings.
Love for Self
Feng Shui also promotes self-love. You perceive energy based on what normally feels good to you. Self-love involves not subjecting yourself to oppressive places or harboring negative energies that can be counterproductive to your diverse activities.
Dreaming big and making the atmosphere jive with that dream
In conclusion, Feng Shui is more firmly rooted in the broader scheme of things. When you have a vision and propose to execute it in various ways, the best way to begin is to have an environment that embraces those dreams. If you dream big and work hard, but your environment cancels all the things that you are striving for, it will be an exceedingly demanding task for you.
Feng Shui ensures alignment between the things you want and the things manifested in the objects you see day after day.
What Feng Shui Is Not
From the many questions we receive from readers, clients, and students, there is great confusion about the different schools of feng shui: “They all conflict.” “Which one is right?” “How do I activate my wealth corner?” “Where is my wealth corner?” To address these concerns, we have added information to this chapter that will help you separate fact from falsehood; information that will help set you on the proper feng shui path.
Unfortunately, feng shui is plagued by many misconceptions. Largely steeped in myth and superstition, a discriminating feng shui enthusiast can easily learn to distinguish faux from authentic schools of feng shui by several telltale factors. Here are some attributes associated with faux schools of feng shui:
◆ They are often linked with Life Aspirations or Black Sect (also known as Black Hat Sect, Tantric Buddhist feng shui) theory. Developed during the 1970s and 1980s, these commercialized schools are referred to as “modern” or “Western” schools of feng shui.
◆ They divide a home into eight “life aspirations” or eight “life stations” of career, knowledge, family, wealth, fame, marriage, children, and helpful people.
◆ They use the location of the front door to determine the orientation of the eight life aspirations/stations. See the following figures (Life Aspirations theory and Black Sect theory).
◆ They match each of the five phases of qi (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood) with its affiliated direction. Stated another way, fire “activates” the southern fame aspiration/station; earth activates the northeastern knowledge and southwestern marriage sectors; metal activates the western children and northwestern helpful people sectors; water activates the northern career sector; and wood activates the eastern family and southeastern wealth sectors. The five phases are the subject of Chapter 6, “The Principle of the Five Phases.”
◆ They also use “cures” such as mirrors, crystals, bamboo flutes, red ribbons, and statues or sculptures of fu dogs, frogs, and cats, among other things, to “activate” the eight life aspirations/stations. Statements like “A mirror will help to ward off evil spirits,” “A fish tank placed in the north will bring prosperity,” or “Hanging bells inside your door will ring in joy and happiness” are commonplace among these schools.
It’s a pity these inaccuracies have clouded the nature of feng shui. In fact, these widespread assumptions have made the practice seem like a fad reserved for the gullible and eccentric. As you get further along in this book, you’ll understand how these misrepresentations have never been part of classical feng shui. For example, 2 + 2 = 4, correct?
Could you be convinced otherwise? Surely not. Just to set the record straight, feng shui is not a charming Eastern philosophy grounded in superstition. It is not a religion, nor does it derive from any religion. Feng shui does not provide elixirs or cure-alls for your problems. It is not magic. It is not a New Age discovery.
Feng shui will not reduce your wrinkles, zap your fat, or help you win the lottery.
Who Practices Feng Shui
Interior designer, architect, or landscaper. Nor a philosopher, scientist, or celebrity. In fact, there are no prerequisites to practicing feng shui. Yet, this is not to say that feng shui practitioners don’t share common traits. They do.
Generally, feng shui practitioners:
◆ Have an open mind.
◆ Are willing to try alternative forms of therapy.
◆ Believe that the world and its peoples are interconnected.
◆ Believe in God or a Higher Power.
◆ Believe harmony and balance are essential to our well-being.
◆ Believe in a sense of fate or destiny.
Feng shui practitioners are global. They transcend cultural, racial, economic, and political barriers.
Twenty Ways to Benefit from Feng Shui
1. Getting a job, raise, or promotion
2. Improving health
3. Getting married
4. Getting pregnant or preventing miscarriages
5. Guarding against separations or divorce
6. Increasing motivation
7. Creating more harmonious family/work relationships
8. Developing better study habits
9. Increasing creativity
10. Feeling more in control
11. Feeling more comfortable in your home/office
12. Eliminating depression
13. Stimulating social life
14. Spurring better business
15. Preventing lawsuits or malicious influences
16. Preventing accidents
17. Finding an apartment, home, or business
18. Warding off addictions
19. Promoting better sleep
20. Bringing respect and fame
Even if you feel your life is on track, practicing feng shui is fun. Get involved. Enlist your
friends and family.
How to Feng Shui Your House for Health, Happiness, and Prosperity
The general idea of Feng Shui is to attract chi, which is a positive energy force, into your house and keep it there. It enters (and exits) through doors, windows, and other openings such as chimneys, vents, and even plumbing. Positive feelings from within yourself greatly enhance chi. It likes clean, organized, and open
spaces that flow well from one room to another, and prefers having a good view from any particular point. Chi is also attracted to living things: Plants, pets, and wildlife.
So, the first and most important thing you must do is eliminate clutter. This can be a big project for some of us, but it is critical. Dedicate a Saturday to cleaning up your house and throwing things out. Do not designate a cluttered room or closet, as everything that you know about the Chi also knows about it: there is no hiding from it. Once the clutter is gone, you can move on to strategic decorating and furniture arrangement.
Spring Cleaning with Feng Shui
If you are striving to improve your health, get rid of all the items cluttering and blocking energy flow in your kitchen (especially in your cupboards and freezer). The state of your kitchen is the state of your health, so do yourself a favor and thoroughly clean that kitchen!
De-clutter the refrigerator; clean the stove and all the pots and pans. If you would like to welcome a new relationship into your life, make space, and I mean actual, physical space, for this new person to be in your home. You have to create an open, free flow of energy in your physical space so that your life can attract and manifest more of what you seek. This applies to all aspects of your Life.