Articles
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Entrance to the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing
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1. Feng Shui Starts at the
Front Door
2. Feng Shui in the Kitchen
3. Feng Shui for the Home
Office
4. Feng Shui, Bedrooms and Relationships
5. Classical Feng Shui Gardens
6. Feng Shui for the Southern Hemisphere
For more articles on Feng Shui and related topics: www.fengshuiseminars.com
FENG SHUI STARTS AT THE FRONT DOOR
by Paul van Wetering
One of the most important aspects of the Feng Shui in a home is the
front door and the entrance hall. The Chinese call this area the Ming Tang which translates to Bright
Hall. This describes a transitional zone, where chi or life-force is attracted and transformed from the outside
yang domain to the inside yin domain.
The nature and character of the entrance to your home determines the
type of energy you attract. If the approach to the house and the area
around the door is pleasing then you will encourage favorable energy to
enter. But if your gate, path, door or entrance hall are in a poor state of
repair, or cluttered and untidy, then that will be the nature of the energy
that you invite into your home.
A good way to welcome life-force to your home is to place a pool or pond
at the front. Semi-circular or kidney shaped pools and ponds are best, with
the outside of the curve facing away from the house. You can achieve this
effect without actual water by simulating water with moss, sand and rocks.
The gate and door should be clean and well presented, with no peeling
paint and no cracks in the glass. The surrounding area should be tidy and
free of rubbish bins and clutter. Plants, flowers, decorative pots and
rocks are great ways to attract energy, as are colorful doormats and rugs
and decorative items hung on the wall.
The Chinese place peonies, small pine trees, lotus plants, camellias,
plums and money trees outside their front doors. These bring good fortune
and have a yang or expanding
nature which suits a front door. Avoid placing roses by the front door or
gate - these are better placed on the side boundaries of the section. You
can place a pair of lamps outside your front door, one on either side, to
act as guardians. Make sure you replace expired light bulbs promptly.
An attractive entrance will encourage the energy to move more slowly as
it enters the home. Energy that moves slowly through the home, like a light
breeze or gentle stream, is favorable. If the energy moves too quickly it
can damage the containing and protective properties of a home so if this is
the case you must slow it down.
Curved paths approaching the front door are beneficial. If the energy,
once inside the house, energy moves too quickly you can slow it with
mirrors placed down the side of the hallway, with natural fibre rugs on the floor, and with strategically placed
furniture and plants. This is especially important if there is a straight
line between the front and back door.
A solid wooden door is best. Clear glass in and around the door is too open,
but opaque glass is acceptable. The Chinese call the front door a
‘passage of mystery’, and usually place a screen inside the
door to slow the energy and provide a sense of mystery. A door to the side
of the building can often be more intimate than one at the front,
especially if the front is too exposed to passers by.
The size of the door should be in proportion to the size of the
building. A generous sized entrance hall will help to welcome visitors and
energy. If the area is too confined install a mirror to make it appear
larger. Any artwork should be uplifting and inspirational.
Once you are inside the home, you should look to create an area that can
become the ‘heart of the home’. This should be a welcoming
place, and could be the Family Room, Living Room, Dining Room, or even the
Kitchen Table. The energy here should be gathering, with an appropriate
balance of stimulation and rest.
The ‘heart of the home’ is ideally situated on the sunny
side of the house, on the ground floor, a little removed from the front
door. The ‘heart of the home’ is never a formal area, but
rather a place where the family can feel at home. The furniture should be
comfortable and the atmosphere warm. Avoid impractical furniture and
glass-topped tables. Rectangular tables made of wood are the best shape and
material for both coffee and dining purposes.
The front door is where life force enters the home and the heart of the
home is where it is nurtured. In following issues we will look at some
other important locations in the home, including the Kitchen where food
creates strength and vitality, the Study and Home Office where financial
concerns are paramount, and the Master Bedroom where health and
relationships are protected and maintained.
FENG SHUI IN THE KITCHEN
by Paul van Wetering
The kitchen is a place of nurturing and support. It has an affect on the
health, wealth and relationships for the whole family. The atmosphere in
the kitchen and quality of the food produced there influences the entire
household.
The attitude of the cook should be one that reflects the importance of
the task of nourishing the household. If the cook is sad or angry, this
energy will go into the food they are preparing, and if they are distracted
or careless, then the food will not contain healthy, uplifting energy. The
cook should be made to feel comfortable.
The kitchen should not be a thoroughfare. It should not contain a
telephone, television or paperwork. If the cook has their back to the
doorway, place a mirror or some reflective object on the workbench or stove
to prevent them being startled.
The quality of the food has a direct effect on the fortune of the
household. The kitchen is a symbol of wealth, so spending a little more
money on natural, organic, GE-free produce is worthwhile. Displaying
natural foods, such as fruits, grains and beans, creates good energy in a
kitchen.
Fire is the method of cooking to which the body is most used, and humans
evolved with wood as their traditional fuel. A wood fire has a long
wavelength, which is good for the body. For these reasons, gas is
preferable to electricity as a gas flame has a longer wavelength than an
electrical element. The stove relates to the circulation of chi (life
force) in the body, so use all the burners regularly and keep them clean.
A microwave has a very short wavelength, and produces more mutations in
the food than any other form of cooking. Microwave ovens also cook food in
a manner that the body does not recognize. The body is influenced by
nervous, digestive and circulatory meridians which all have a yin spiral
(inward) nature. The body easily recognizes as food those nutritious
substances that are cooked from the outside-in. Microwaves cook food in a
yang spiral, inside-out, which the body has difficulty recognizing, and
they also emit microwave radiation.
Good kitchen design uses a triangle made up of the sink, the stove and
the fridge. This is also good feng shui as it helps to separate the fire
energy of the stove from the water energy of the fridge and sink. Water and
fire energies are not compatible in the Chinese system of five elements,
but wood can harmonize them. If the stove is too close to the sink or
fridge then put something made of wood between them. If you have a sink-tap
mixer, point it away from the stove, and it is good
if the fridge door opens away from the stove.
The kitchen should be spacious, brightly lit and well ventilated. Avoid
too many hard, metallic or stone surfaces in the kitchen, and don’t
use too much black and white. The hardness (yang) of metallic and stone
surfaces is contrary to the nature of food (yin), and the water and metal
energy of the colors black and white are not helpful to the fire energy of
the stove. If there are many hard surfaces, install wooden objects and
wicker baskets to soften them.
The stove is best against a solid wall, although an island cooker is
acceptable. The sink is best next to a window. Place a window box outside
the window if there is no view. The kitchen is best situated on the sunny
side of the house, and is ideally situated in the East, Northeast or North.
The East and Northeast have wood energy, which supports the fire energy of
the stove, and the North is the location of fire energy. If your kitchen is
not in one of these locations, try to place the stove in that location in
the kitchen. A square or rectangular shape is best for the kitchen.
Altars and pictures of ancestors are appropriate in a kitchen. You can
place a bowl of fruit or grains as an offering if you wish. Before the
fruit deteriorates, either eat it or add it too your compost. Keeping
compost ensures you always have enough of life’s necessities.
FENG SHUI FOR THE HOME OFFICE
by Paul van Wetering
Nowadays, many of us either work from home or spend a considerable
amount of our time at home in a home office or study. If we work from home,
it is important to separate our home life from our working life because the
two have very different natures. A workplace is active and invigorating,
while the home is restful and nurturing, so if they invade each other this can
have a detrimental effect on our careers and home lives.
Physical separation of the home office from the home can be very
helpful. A home office in a separate building is good, or it could have a
separate front door, or we could place the office in a quiet corner of the
house. Anything we can do to keep our work life contained and prevent if
from spilling over into our home is good. If we have visitors to our home
office then a separate toilet for the office is a distinct advantage, as it
means the workplace visitors won’t intrude on the home.
We can also create routines to start and end our working days. We can
dress for work, start the day with a trip to the corner shop to get the
paper and finish it with some time in the garden or a bit of housework. This
can create a transitional time-zone between our work life and our home
life.
We should take our meals outside the office. It is good to separate
eating from working as the two have different energies, work is yang and
eating is yin, and a lunch break can provide a rest from work. A separate
phone line for the office is also advisable, with an answer phone, and a
ring tone that we can switch off after working hours. We should make sure
the door stays closed when we are not ‘at work’, and we should
have set working hours and stick to them to maintain our home life.
The home office is best placed in the east or northeast in the southern
hemisphere (east or southeast in the northern hemisphere). Work is
‘yang’ in nature and the energy of the rising sun helps
generate an uplifting and prosperous atmosphere. The climate of can have an
impact on the choice of location; in a hot climate, the south (north in the
northern hemisphere) may be cooler and therefore more comfortable.
The west and northwest (west and southwest in the northern hemisphere)
are not the best locations for an office because the glare and penetrating
heat of the afternoon and setting sun can make working uncomfortable. A
study can have a more enclosed and settled atmosphere than a home office,
and can be situated in the southwest (northwest in the northern
hemisphere).
The work area should have an active feel. Music can be helpful to keep
the atmosphere lively and encourage activity. We should, however, avoid
placing our office close to a noisy area of the house such as the kitchen
or family room. Generally, we should paint the office with cool colors to
make it soothing and calm, but if it is situated on the cold side of the
house a warmer color may be suitable. A home office can benefit from polished
wooden surfaces and moving water, but if the room is intended as a study it
should have a quieter atmosphere more suitable for concentration,
contemplation and reflection.
All the surfaces should be kept clean and free of clutter. Desks made of
wood are best, and we should buy the best office furniture that we can
afford. A desk that is too large is actually a disadvantage, as our desk is
for working on the task at hand and we can only utilize a certain amount of
space for this purpose. If there is too much desk space, we tend to fill it
with clutter and items that are not associated with our current activity.
Pending trays and filing should be located away from the desk.
We shouldn’t position our desk right under the window. Natural
light is best coming from the side of the desk, and a solid wall behind is
helpful. It is best to keep ourselves a little removed from the activity of
doorways. The area behind us, and to the sides, is better for filing and
other items of office furniture, while the area in front of our desk should
be kept open to give us somewhere to go energetically. If we have no
alternative but to place our desk facing a wall, then we should place a
picture on the wall so we have something to look at.
Wooden floors are more suitable than fitted carpets. Computers should
have LCD screens or anti-radiation screens fitted, and plants should be
included to help clean the air and reduce the effects of electro-magnetic
radiation (the peace lily is the most effective plant in this respect). Miso soup with seaweed, daily, is a good antidote for
the effects of electro-magnetic radiation.
We should make sure of good quality light that is gentle and indirect.
Full-spectrum lighting is best, but Halogens are OK as long as the
transformers are located away from people. Fluorescent lights are bad for
our health.
If our study is part of our bedroom, we should place the desk with the
window to the side and try to keep the centre of the room clear. We can
also energetically separate the two activities with appropriate flooring; a
wooden floor for the study area and a rug for the sleeping area. And we
should make sure we turn the PC off before we retire to bed.
FENG SHUI, BEDROOMS
AND RELATIONSHIPS
by Paul van Wetering
The bedroom is an important consideration in the Feng Shui of a home. It
is where the body and spirit are regenerated and where relationships and
health are nurtured. The bedroom should be a place of peace and rest.
Bedrooms are best situated at the back of the house because the energy
there is more protective and quiet. The master bedroom is ideally situated
diagonally opposite and furthest from the front door, because this is the
most commanding and protected position. The northwest corner of the house
is regarded as good for relationships, early risers can benefit from being
situated in the east while the west suits late risers.
If the bedroom door opens opposite a toilet door, place a pleasant
picture on the toilet door. If the bedroom door is opposite a smaller or
mismatched door, place a pleasant picture beside the offending door. If the
doorknob clashes with another, re-hang one of the doors.
The best shape for a bedroom is a rectangle. If the room is L-shaped,
use furniture and flooring to delineate the area into two rectangles and
place the bed in the larger rectangle. If the bedroom is too large this can
disturb the feeling of restfulness, so use furniture arrangements or a
four-poster bed to keep the energy in the sleeping area more contained.
The best position for the bed is with the head against a solid wall, and
placed so that the door is past the foot of the bed and to one side. If
your bed is close to the door, try to place something near the door to
attract and arrest the energy, like an uplifting picture or a decorative
rug. If the foot of the bed points towards the door, place a piece of low
furniture at the foot of the bed or a decorative rug on the floor.
Do not position the bed too close to a fireplace or a window. If it is
under a beam and you cannot move it, place two small (make-up, compact
size) mirrors on the underside of each end of the beam, or hang a hollow
metal wind chime from its underside. If your bed is under a sloping
ceiling, and you cannot place it elsewhere, use up-lighting and tall plants
to counter the downward pressure.
Beds are best made of wood. A simple, solid, wooden headboard provides
the best environment for sleep, and the protection this affords is
important for relationships and health. If there is a footboard, it should
be lower than the headboard.
Metal springs and frames and electric blankets are not recommended, as
they harbor and generate electromagnetic radiation. Waterbeds are not
recommended because the volume of water and the electricity are not
healthy. The bed should be at least one hand’s length off the floor
to prevent stagnation.
Do not store items under the bed. You can use a valence if you wish, but
not as a means to hide clutter. If you have a bed with storage drawers,
keep the drawers empty.
If the bed has a mattress in two parts, this can cause relationship
problems. To solve this, place a piece of red cloth over the join to
symbolically join the two halves. A bed with rounded corners can take the
edge off a rocky relationship, but a bed with missing corners is not recommend.
Place your bedroom furniture so that there are no sharp corners pointing
at the bed. Mirrors can disturb the restful atmosphere so if you must have
one places it so that you cannot see your own reflection when you are in
the bed. An oval mirror is more restful than one which is rectangular.
Make sure that any images you display in the bedroom are both positive
as well as relaxing. Do not hang any items over the bed (this includes fans
and lights). Keep large items of furniture away from the area of the bed as
they can unsettle the energy.
You should avoid electronic items in the bedroom. Their activity
disturbs the restful atmosphere and the electromagnetic radiation is
unhealthy. This includes TVs, stereos and radio alarm clocks, and
telephones disturb the peaceful atmosphere of a bedroom and should be
confined to living areas.
Plants are acceptable in the bedroom, as long as there are not too many
of them. Fish tanks are not advisable in the master bedroom as they can
have a negative affect on wealth, but they do not cause a serious problem
in a child’s bedroom.
Wooden floors are seen as the best floor surface in any room. In active
rooms they encourage activity, while in relaxing spaces they can be covered
with appropriately sized rugs. The advantage of a rug is that it can be
taken outside of cleaning, whereas fitted carpets tend to hold onto stale
energy.
If a bedroom has a dual use, which is often the case in a child’s
room, try to separate the desk or study area from the sleeping area. You
can achieve this with different floor surfaces and furniture arrangement.
You should also try to energetically “close” the work area when
the time comes to go to bed.
Matching bedside tables and lamps are important for a balanced
relationship. If you are looking for a partner, make sure there is some
room in the wardrobe, a spare drawer, and don’t place the side of
your bed up against the wall. Jasmine, Rose and Neroli
oils and fragrances appropriate for weddings and festivities and a
beautifying affect on emotions.
Pink is regarded as the color of romance, happiness and relationships,
and is especially good for attracting a partner. Objects in pairs have
relationship energy, so place a pair of ceramic ducks, a symbol of
fidelity, in the “relationship corner”. In the southern
hemisphere, this is the corner which is at the far-left from the door by
which you enter the room. A rose quartz crystal is also appropriate here.
Kerria plants mean individualism and this
emotion can be damaging to relationships. Spiky plants like yucca and roses
can scare people away. But Jasmine and Peach plants both have friendship
energy, and Orchids mean patience and endurance. Pear plants, Thuja, Pines and other evergreens have longevity
energy. Pomegranates mean fertility, and a Spiraea
plant means marriage.
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Garden at the Sanzen-In
Temple in Kyoto
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CLASSICAL FENG SHUI
GARDENS
by Paul van Wetering
Garden design is regarded as the highest achievement in Feng Shui.
A garden must appear to be ‘heaven sent’, an imitation of
nature which clothes the house.
The Feng Shui garden should be a mixture of ordinary and exotic
components, high and low, fast and slow, yin and yang. A walk through the
garden should be a journey of mystery, revealing itself in stages. A
traditional English garden is controlled but the Feng Shui garden presents
its natural, asymmetrical elements in stages, using variety and contrast.
The basic constituents of a garden are the entrance, water, bridges,
pathways and seating.
In a Feng Shui garden there are many ‘places’, some fixed,
some empty, some with movement, all in harmony. There can be places to
walk, farm, visit, relax, sleep, show friends or meet people. The house and
gardens’ main focus is hidden from the entrance to provide privacy
and mystery. The entrance may give a glimpse of a fountain or waterfall
through a hole in a wall or gap in the trees.
Each garden must have a chief aspect or main attraction, creating a
destination or focal point. Gardens need high and low points in terms of
terrain, views of both the inside and outside of the garden, large and
small features, and a mix of enclosed and open spaces. Windows can be used
to restrict views and create the impression of an even greater space.
Feng Shui gardens use curved paths and avoid the placement of buildings
and other objects in straight lines. Walls and buildings in the garden use
circle shapes to represent heaven, squares for the earth and octagonal
shapes for the directions of the compass. Where zigzag bridges are used, an
odd number of lines represents the yang element
and the water running beneath is the yin.
The garden’s design pays close attention to the productive and
control cycles of the five elements - wood, fire, earth metal and water -
the natural extension of yin and yang. A map of heaven and earth, a mandala, is often incorporated. Numbers that signify
the relationship between heaven, earth and man - the three gifts - are
important in the design of buildings and structures.
Ideally, the garden should be orientated to face the sun at noon i.e. North in the southern hemisphere,
but facing East or West is acceptable. Seasonal changes are important and
Compass and Flying Star Feng Shui formulas can be used to design the garden
in harmony with the invisible forces of Heaven and Earth.
Mountain Dragons and Water Dragons are terms for the energy that is
represented by hills and watercourses. The shape of mountains, hills, rocks
and watercourses are significant and, if they resemble auspicious animals
or humans, can bring good fortune.
Every Garden must have a water feature and a mountain feature. Even
dry-landscape Zen gardens have water energy in the form of sculptured sand.
The Chinese often create the mountain feature using the earth moved to
create a lake. Water’s movement is important for people and the
garden, so the water should be of good quality. Compass formulas determine
the best location for water to enter and leave a site. Since water
signifies wealth, it should enter at the front and leave at the side, not
the rear.
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Toranoko-watashi garden, Nanzenji Temple, Kyoto
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The Toranoko-watashi (young tigers crossing
the water) garden at the Nanzenji
Temple in Kyoto
is a dry-landscape garden, with mountain energy in the form of rocks and
trees and water energy in the form of sand. Dry-landscape gardens such as
this one are made for the purposes of meditation.
Symbols and symbolism are used extensively in Feng Shui garden design,
especially at the entrance.
The garden is like the body, the mountains and water are the bones and
blood, the trees, grass, roads and buildings are the garden’s skin,
limbs and clothes. The door is the face of the garden and the signs are its
make-up.
Traditionally, a Feng Shui master would live on a prospective site for a
year. He would plant a small tree and taste the soil to test its quality
and potential. Minerals and magnetic fields can affect and disturb energy,
so a site that has been mined is not recommended. Too many stones in the
ground make planting trees difficult, natural bores or underground streams
can dry up, and dirty irons and gases [radon] can create ill-health. An
examination of the soil and vegetation can tell a lot about the energy of
the site. Yellow or dark soils are good but red earth may indicate minerals.
A site’s history is very important. Seek out places where people
of status have frequented and avoid places that have a violent past. If you
find your garden is on a site with a bad history, a protective talisman
should be installed.
It is essential to read the landscape in and around the site to decide
what would be suitable. Gardens can ‘borrow’ from the landscape
around the garden. If there is a picturesque tower nearby or adjacent lake
or river, this can be incorporated into the garden’s design. A city
garden can be protected from noise by creating mountains and bringing a
sense of the countryside into the garden.
Everything in the garden must be in proportion, so a small garden must
have a small mountain, small buildings and a small lake, every garden must
have a centre, the main building should be placed on a central axis, and
the back door must be smaller than the front door. You can consider
changing the environment if necessary, e.g. if the area of water is too
small, make it bigger. If it is too big, cut it in two with a bridge or
match it by building a bigger hill. If a space is too large, fill it in but
leave enough room for people!
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Garden at the Heian
Jingu Shrine, Kyoto
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This lake in the garden of the Heian Jingu Shrine in Kyoto
has been made to appear smaller by the addition of a stone bridge. The
round shape of the stones adds yang energy to balance the yin of the water.
It’s said crossing the lake using the stones brings good luck.
Taller trees at the rear of the garden provide mountain energy, lower level trees in the front keep the garden
hidden from the outside. Most trees and plants have special meanings in China,
some from the sound of the plant’s name, others from the
plant’s characteristics - fragrance, shape, color and seasonal
character. You can apply these meanings by choosing plants for your garden
that signify your aspirations or the qualities you would like to improve.
For example, the peach tree means friendship and juniper plants mean
tolerance. Old trees are seen as auspicious.
Animals are often placed at the entrance of the garden for protection,
with the phoenix and dragon popular choices. Care needs to be taken with
more ferocious animals like the lion and tiger as they cause bad luck if
positioned incorrectly. Dogs placed at the rear of the house or garden
guard the space, the tortoise represents longevity and the crane is a
symbol of ideals. Two cranes represent harmony.
When you build a Feng Shui garden it is expected you will copy at least
some aspect of another garden, as a sign of respect and humility.
The garden is an expression
of life, a reflection of the soul and an offering to heaven.
FENG SHUI FOR THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
by Roger Green
I originally came across feng
shui when I was living in London twenty-four years ago. It became part
of my study of macrobiotics, traditional Chinese medicine and shiatsu. At
this time, there was little written about feng shui so I began my own
research to understand the principles. When I established the Australian School of Macrobiotics in Sydney sixteen years ago, we ran programs in
natural medicine and oriental philosophy including astrology and feng shui.
Achieving balance with the seasons and incorporating cultural differences
was part of the school's curriculum, and this was necessary to successfully
apply feng shui principles in Australia. The process of adjusting feng shui for
the southern hemisphere is something I have been working on since that
time. While Daoist principles remained universal, their application needs
to be adjusted to the energetics of the southern
hemisphere.
Feng Shui
Design with the Red Bird and Black Tortoise
Ideal feng shui design for the northern hemisphere, in a temperate zone,
is to orientate to the sun in the south and to protect against the cold
winds from the north. The terminology used to describe these two energies
is the red bird and black tortoise. These symbolic creatures are associated
with the type of chi emanating from the southern direction
(heat-bright-yang-red bird) and northern direction (cold-dark-yin-black
tortoise). The red bird is used in feng shui to describe the nature of more
yang and active rooms such as the kitchen, living room, balcony and social
areas. It needs to be more open (yang), allowing the sun's vital energy
into the dwelling. It should incorporate larger rooms, openings and
windows. The opposite direction to the red bird is the black tortoise and
this is located in the north. The feng shui principle is to 'close down'
the area, to design with smaller windows and openings, and to place rooms
like the bedrooms, storage areas and bathrooms. The classical feng shui
arrangement for the red bird and black tortoise has a mountain in the north
and open land, with a gentle rise, to the south.
Common sense suggests we adapt these
principles for the southern hemisphere where the red bird appears to the
north. The sun rises in the east, goes to the highest yang point in the
north, declines in the northwest and west, and is cold towards the south.
Ideally, dwellings in the southern hemisphere are orientated to the
sun’s position in the north, with protection from the colder winds
emanating from the south, southwest and southeast. The red bird area
suggests an open space to allow the sun's penetration, so a design aspect that
is open and active to the north is good feng shui for the southern
hemisphere.
Landscape features, such as
higher land, buildings and trees, in the black tortoise direction of the
south is good feng shui - they won't block the sun and will give protection
from the colder yin elements and winds. This in turn protects the feng shui
'spot' where chi is gathered and contained. Placing yin rooms such as
bedrooms, storage areas and toilets to the south, southwest and southeast
strengthens the principle of 'mountain like' energy in these directions.
Imagine if you made no adjustments, the red bird would end up in the
coldest location and the sun would be located at the black tortoise. This
would not be following feng shui principles as originally intended by the
ancient sages who clearly defined the yang as the sunny side of a dwelling
and yin as the shady side.
The Ba Gua and the Lo Shu
The ba
gua is at the heart of many feng shui
considerations and represents the eight primordial trigrams arranged as a mandala. It maps the energetic qualities of the eight
directions including the seasons, colors and life situations. The trigrams
are a combination of three lines showing humanity between heaven and earth.
The ba gua is a clear
and precise observation on how energy moves and circulates in our outer and
inner worlds. It is an energy notation of natural phenomena describing the
chi pattern that exists between Heaven and Earth. The first ba gua originated in ancient China, and describes the energetic flow of
the northern hemisphere's seasons, sun pattern, directions and the
alignment of the five elements.
Numbers, trigrams, elements and
compass directions are used in the ba gua. Each has a resonance and association with other
aspects sharing the same qualities of chi. For example, the number 9 in the
ba gua is the most yang
number and indicates the highest position of the sun - in the northern
hemisphere this is south. The ba gua map has traditionally been drawn with the south at
the top because the top represents the fire element. In this direction we
experience what is called in the feng shui classics ' the radiance of the
sun'.
The ba
gua is an extension of the principles observed in
nature. In the northern hemisphere, the element water is generated from the
cold north, and is associated with the lowest ebb of chi, winter, and the
number 1. Wood elements are generated from the rising sun and springtime in
the east and southeast, and are represented by the numbers 3 and 4. The
fire element is generated from the hot south, and has the number 9. Metal
elements are generated from the yin contracting and consolidating energy of
the west and northwest and are represented by the numbers 6 and 7. Earth
elements represent the transitional phases of southwest, northeast, and the
'centre' and have the numbers 2, 5 and 8. The trigrams, being an expression
of the directional influences, align with these same qualities. The trigram
‘fire’ is in the south, ‘water’ is in the north,
‘thunder’ and ‘wind‘ are in the east and southeast,
‘lake’ is in the west, the stillness of ‘mountain’
is in the northeast, ‘earth’ is in the southwest and the strong
metal chi of ‘heaven’ is in the northwest.
The clear mapping of these
universal energies makes feng shui holistic. The ba
gua of the northern hemisphere describes the
energy pattern and qualities of the sun's movement. The direction of this
movement is clockwise. It also indicates the dominant direction of wind and
water movements in the northern hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere,
water goes down a sink in a clockwise direction and all the major ocean and
wind patterns are clockwise. The southern hemisphere is the counterpart of
this movement, the major wind and water patterns flow anticlockwise, and
the sun's position is highest to the north.
The ba
gua for the southern hemisphere, which I
developed 13 years ago, symbolically represents the chi pattern that we
experience, and keeps the unity of the numbers, seasons, elements and
directions. The energy of the east and west are the same in both
hemispheres because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west in both
hemispheres. However, in the southern hemisphere the element fire,
representing of the radiance of the sun, is in the north. So the trigram
‘fire’ and the largest yang number 9 are placed there. The
quality of the water element and the number 1 manifests and is generated by
the south. The integrity of the numerological sequence is maintained, with
all numbers adding up to 15 across each axis in what is called the magic
square or lo shu.
You can see that northeast on
the southern hemisphere ba gua
has the number four, representing the wood element, and the early Daoists placed the 'wind' trigram here. Wind signifies the
warm winds that flow from the southeast of China, and the same quality of chi is
experienced in the southern hemisphere’s northeast direction. Wind
represents morning, spring and the rising sun's rays. The ideal location
for the kitchen is the position of the morning sun - in the northern
hemisphere is the southeast, but in the southern hemisphere is the
northeast.
The southern hemisphere ba gua is the one I use for
all of my design principles in Australia. It aligns with the chi pattern
experienced there, and is complementary to the ba
gua for the northern hemisphere. When the numbers
are linked, the southern hemisphere chi flow is counter clockwise,
representing the natural forces at work. This is in keeping with the
intention of feng shui - to make a dynamic balance with the forces present
in our environment and local conditions.
The Tao Of
The Seasons
In the southern hemisphere, we
need to make allowances for directional influences and the associated
seasons. The underlying principles of feng shui are observed in the flow of
nature. Traditionally, yang and yin were described as the sunny side and
shady side of the hill. Yang is associated with heat, activity and
stimulation. In the northern hemisphere, this is south, towards the heat of
the sun, and the seasons spring and summer representing the rising yang
chi. In the southern hemisphere, yang is associated with heat towards the
north, and therefore the months from July to December, approaching the
summer solstice.
Feng Shui calendars are based
on the mixture and flow of yin and yang energies. The solar calendar is
divided up into equal parts based on the winter solstice (most yin) and the summer solstice (most yang). In the
northern hemisphere, February 4th is the starting point of the solar year,
as it is the beginning of the spring and its associated element 'wood'.
February 4th is the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring
equinox.
The Southern Hemisphere
calendar follows the same observations of cycles in nature. The energy of spring
begins in August, when the wood element arrives in the southern hemisphere.
This is the time of the 'chi movement', halfway between the winter solstice
and spring equinox. It is through an understanding and respect for the
patterns of nature that the theory and applications of southern hemisphere
feng shui have evolved. The southern hemisphere is the counterpart of the
northern hemisphere, with opposite seasons, wind and ocean currents. The
following illustration demonstrates this relationship.
Drawn together, the hemispheres
form complimentary and opposite wave forms, creating a dynamic balance of
seasons, winds and ocean patterns. The lines represent the seasonal waxing
and waning of chi in each hemisphere. Everything in nature is acted upon by
the forces of heaven and earth. We live in a vibrational
world and vibrational frequencies are wave forms.
Feng Shui
and the ‘San Cai’
The study of feng shui and its
practical applications depend on three aspects called the ‘San Cai’ or Three Treasures. These are the Tao of
Heaven, the Way of Earth and Human Chi. Feng Shui is the study of the
Heavens and Earth in relation to humans. The forces alive in the Universe
are referred to as the 'Tao'.
The Tao of Heaven is the study
of constellations, weather patterns, planets, astrological mappings such as
12 Earthly Branches (animals signs) and 10
Heavenly Stems, the ba gua
and divination of the I Ching. They are all generally grouped into the
study of the feng shui horoscopes and Lo Pan compass, and are referred to
as the 'Heaven luck' or 'Tien Chai'.
The study of Earth includes the
factors that effect a community’s feng shui, for example landscapes, buildings,
rivers, town planning, colors and shapes. This is the study of the
manifested world and is generally referred to as the Form School of feng shui.
The human predicament is
referred to as 'Ren Chi ' in the Chinese
language, and means a persons disposition,
attitude, stage of consciousness, degree of health and vitality.
The feng shui practitioner
brings all three together in a consultation, and aims to harmonize the
heaven, earth and human forces. The Tao of the Ren
Chi and the Earth are relatively the same in each hemisphere. Adjustments
are made for different locations, climatic patterns, cultural tendencies,
and a person's sense of aesthetics and health.
However, the 'cosmic order' or
the Tao of Heaven needs to be looked at closely,
otherwise we will be out of step with the flow of the universe. Let’s
take a look at some of the more important schools of feng shui in regards
to adjustments for the southern hemisphere.
Over thousands of years, many
techniques of feng shui were developed. The most popular methods today
include 'BaZhai' (Eight House) and 'Ming Kwa' (Destiny Number), "Fei
Xing' (Flying Stars), and the Chinese horoscope referred to as the 'Four
Pillars of Destiny'.
Ming Gwa and Ba Zhai
The Ming Kwa
(Destiny Number) and the Ba Zhai
(8 House method) are both based on the 'Pa Che'
or East and West life groupings of the eight trigrams. The writings of Wang
Ch'ung during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220)
allude to planning houses according to eight 'schemes'. Both house and
person fall into one of two groups and are matched accordingly. The east
life group consists of trigrams associated with the elements water, wood
and fire. These are used for site selection, orientation, sleeping, facing
and traveling directions.
As discussed in the preceding
pages, the principles behind the southern hemisphere bagua
govern the assignment of directions, numbers, trigrams and elements. For
the southern hemisphere, the east life group directions are as follows:
1 Water - South
3 Wood - East
4 Wood - Northeast
9 Fire - North
The West life groups refer to the more yin cooler aspects of Earth and
Metal, which are represented in the southern hemisphere by the following
directions:
2 Earth - Northwest
7 Metal - West
6 Metal - Southwest
8 Earth - Southeast
Flying
Stars
The Universe is by no means
static and natural influences change with the passage of time. This method
of feng shui is called the Flying Stars or 'FEI XING PAI', which makes it
possible to assess the fortune of a dwelling and predict happenings within
it.
Flying Stars involves time
cycles that are mapped onto the bagua and the
numbers expressed in the ancient Lo Shu diagram.
Time is divided into 9 cycles and each period is associated with a
'trigram'. Given the age of the building, along with the direction that it
'sits and faces', the flying stars are read from the feng shui compass and
are 'flown' over the bagua in a forward or
reverse pattern. This creates the location of the 'water' and 'mountain'
stars that are associated with prosperity and health. The outcome is a
horoscope for the dwelling from which the practitioner assesses vital
information that can be applied to the activities of the inhabitants.
The Flying Stars shows the
effect of time on a dwelling. Using our bagua for
the southern hemisphere we can create the 9 cycles of change with trigrams
that representing the appropriate directions and elements.
The Four
Pillars of Destiny
Used extensively by feng shui
experts in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the Four Pillars is the ancient system
of constructing a horoscope based on the hour, day, month and year of
birth. It forms the basis for all feng shui advice for the client including
directions, colors, cures, lucky and unlucky times, and names. It is used
for destiny and character readings as well as fine-tuning feng shui advice.
The Four Pillars are analyzed
by the strength and weakness of the five elements – wood, fire,
earth, metal and water. Rather than reflecting the position of the stars,
the Four Pillars describe the elements associated with the Heavenly Stems
and Earthly Branches at the time of birth.
Different characters are needed
depending on whether you were born north or south of the equator, as
opposite conditions are reflected by opposite elements. Unless adjustments
are made for the southern hemisphere and for local time, the elements in
the chart, which represent the forces present at birth, will not resonate
appropriately. For example, if someone is born in the spring time in the
southern hemisphere, wood must appear in their monthly signs i.e. tiger or
rabbit. If no adjustments were made then we would see a reflection of the
seasonal aspects in the northern hemisphere i.e. monkey and rooster, and this would be completely inappropriate.
The 12 animals signs follow the
seasonal flow of chi - for the northern hemisphere:
- Pig,
Rat Ox – Winter, night, water element, North, November to
January
- Tiger,
Hare, Dragon- Spring, morning, wood element, East, February to April
- Snake,
Horse, Sheep – Summer, day, fire element, South, May to July
- Monkey,
Rooster, Dog – Autumn, evening, metal element, West, August to
October
For the southern hemisphere, we
place the 12 animal signs with their associated seasons and directions in
the southern hemisphere:
- Pig,
Rat Ox – Winter, night, water element, South, May to July
- Tiger,
Hare, Dragon- Spring, morning, wood element, East, August to October
- Snake,
Horse, Sheep – Summer, day, fire element, North, November to
January
- Monkey,
Rooster, Dog – Autumn, evening, metal element, West, February to
April
In 1976, Prof. Wallace A.Sherrill and Dr. Wen Kuan Chu published ground
breaking translations of ancient feng shui manuscripts under the titles
'Astrology of I Ching' and ‘An Anthology Of I Ching’. In these
books they stipulated that northern hemisphere feng shui astrological
techniques cannot be properly applied to the southern hemisphere without
making adjustments. The metaphysical view described in feng shui astrology
and numerological techniques are a mirror of the pattern of nature on
earth, notated by the 5 elements and the seasons. The spiral of energy
movement in the southern hemisphere as mentioned earlier is anticlockwise,
reflecting the major wind and water directions. The 8 Trigrams, the 12
Earthly Branches (animal signs) and the 10 Heavenly Stems need to be
oriented in both space and time to reflect this pattern of the unified
field.
The Ten Heavenly Stems:
1 Yang Wood 2
Yin Wood
3 Yang Fire 4
Yin Fire
5 Yang Earth 6
Yin Earth
7 Yang Metal 8
Yin Metal
9 Yang Water 10 Yin Water.
The heavenly stems and earthly
branches combine to create the feng shui calendar of 60. The first heavenly
stem with the first earthly branch gives us the wood rat. Each Earthly
Branch will have one of the 5 elements from the Heavenly Stems associated
with it. For example, Wood Rat, Fire Rat, Earth Rat, Metal Rat and Water
Rat. 12 animals signs with a possibility of 5
element types equals 60 combinations. This cycle of heaven and earth flows
over 60 years, 60 months, 60 days and 60 hours. To readjust this cycle to
the southern hemisphere, we first need to establish its starting point. The
earth cycle is based on 12. If we take half, represented by the 6 month
difference between the northern and southern hemispheres, and combine this
with a 5 year difference for the cycle of heaven represented by 10, our
calculations can be effectively adjusted to the southern hemisphere flow.
Keep in mind that the northern hemisphere wood/spring season starts on the
solar time of February 4th and the southern hemisphere wood/spring season
begins on the 7th August. February 1984 in the northern hemisphere was the
beginning of the Wood Rat year, or the first combination. The Wood Rat year
in the southern hemisphere therefore began in the August 1989, based on the
5 year difference in the heavenly stems and the 6 month difference in the
earthly branches. The months, days and hours can be worked out based on
similar principles, enabling a complete feng shui picture of space and time
for the southern hemisphere.
The Lo P'an compass
The Lo P'an
is a very useful tool for feng shui surveys - it enables us to map the
unseen influences and balance the client’s horoscope to the dwelling.
The Lo P'an incorporates the Taoist concept that
Heaven (unseen influences) and Earth (manifested influences) should be in
harmony for our wellbeing and prosperity. The Lo P’an
analyses the directional aspects of a given site in terms of the
relationship between the Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, Heaven reflecting
the position of the stars, and the 4 pillars elements of the Heaven Stems
and Earthly Branches.
To create a
lo p'an for the southern hemisphere, first
you must realize that the lo p'an is a
sophisticated sundial – this is how it started. The bagua is placed at the centre of the Lo P’an. Fire is placed in the North on a Southern
Hemisphere Lo P’an. The elements, trigrams,
earthly branches and heavenly stems associated and resonating with the
north, fire and the apex of the sun are drawn using concentric circles
around the centre ring, the tai chi. The same applies to the water, wood,
metal and earth directions. The southern hemisphere compass has the same
order of rings as the northern hemisphere compass, and the same meanings
and applications. However, because of the different directionology
and flow of energy, the order is placed into an anticlockwise flow along
with the resonance of the original meanings of the trigrams, stems and
branches, and five elements.
The I Ching
in the Southern Hemisphere
The I Ching is a spiritual
treasure and one of the most beautiful books of the planet. It is a
divination tool as well as an instrument to develop intuition and
perception. It contains a lot of Taoist Knowledge about synchronicity. The
Chinese ideogram for the I Ching is made up of pictures of the sun and
moon. The word 'Ching' means classic. The word ‘I’ means
change. The authors of this book knew that the world of phenomena is a
world of ceaseless flux or change. Everything is constantly changing, evolving,
devolving, being born, growing, reaching maturity,
decaying, and dying. Within this constant flux and movement, the world
seems to change in an orderly or rhythmic fashion.
The phenomenal world, according
to Chinese philosophy, is created by the 'tai chi' or the ‘supreme
ultimate’ which arises spontaneously from the 'wu
chi' or ‘ultimate nothingness’. The supreme ultimate creates
the universe and phenomenal world through the interaction of yin and yang,
the great primordial forces of nature. The I Ching, the most fundamental
expression of yin and yang philosophy, states "The changes of yin and
yang contain the measure of heaven and earth. Therefore they enable us to
know the Tao of heaven and earth and its order."
The 64 hexagrams that make up
the readings and energy notation of the I Ching are arranged on the lo pan compass to express this order. To adjust this
sequence to the southern hemisphere, the hexagrams are placed in a reverse
order. Starting from the winter solstice, 22nd June in the
southern hemisphere, is the most yin hexagram and this is placed in the
south, the water element. The most yang hexagram is placed in the north to
signify the summer solstice. From these beginnings the sequence continues
to complete the 64 possibilities of change.
Conclusion
No one aspect of Feng Shui
should be seen in isolation. Feng Shui can be at its most effective when
several useful diagnostic "tools" have been acquired and a
holistic approach is taken. No one tool is best because all have their use
in different situations. With adjustments for the southern hemisphere, we
can efficiently capture the cosmic order and bring it into our lives to
improve our health and harmony.
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