An Introduction to Feng Shui

Fu Xi - The First Feng Shui Master

The origins of feng shui lay deep in ancient Chinese history, with the mythical character of Fu Xi. He was the first to search for the secrets of life and he was convinced that everything was governed by a universal law of existence. He devoted all his time in an effort to discover the secret and it’s said that he observed everything, from plants and animals to the mountains the valleys and even the sky above.

According to a legend, Fu Xi was once meditating by the Li River, a Dragon Horse leapt out of the water. Fu Xi had never seen a creature like this before and he noticed that it had strange markings on it’s back which he drew in the sand, so that he could study them. He noticed that the patterns on the shell of the turtle were arranged in groups of numbers which created the Lo Shu, a magic square - a square in which all the numbers add up to fifteen in any direction.

Gradually he began to realise that this was a clue to what he had been looking for and that these markings represented a key, in understanding the laws of nature and this became known as the Yellow River map. Fu Xi then devised the 8 trigrams, which later were used to create the 64 Hexagrams of the I Ching. The antiquity of this Chinese classic, illustrates just how far back the origins of feng shui can be traced, because the I Ching is one of the most ancient Chinese classics that has survived. The 8 trigrams form an integral part of feng shui and they are shown in the chart below (now known earlier heaven arrangement).

It was Fu Xi’s love of observation that enabled him to realise that everything in nature, including the mountains, the valleys and everything that lived in them, were subjected to a type of change. The trigrams that Fu Xi is said to have devised, are believed to contain the secrets, of all the various cycles of change that take place, even that of the fortunes of man. Fu Xi studied Chi, or Qi now known as the breath of the Cosmic Dragon, the very substance of life and he realised that although Chi could not be seen, it was predictable.

The Luo Map

After the legendary Fu Xi, legends report another mythical character known as the Yu the Great. This story speaks of a giant tortoise that also had strange markings on it’s back and this became known as the Luo Map. This is the basis of what is known as the Later Heaven Arrangement, the so called “magic square” although at first glance, it may not look like it. South, at the top, is represented by 9 white circles, North at the bottom is represented by 1 white circle. In the centre, there are 5 white circles, in the East, 3 white circles and in the West 7 white circles. The rest represent the other directions, North West, South East, North East and North West.

When we look at this “map“ with the numbers and trigrams inserted into the magic square, we can now see what is known as the Later Heaven Arrangement. This is used extensively in feng shui and some of the more popular formats of Feng Shui that have been featured in the press, consist of nothing more than inserting things like the wealth corner, or the helpful people corner into each of the 9 squares. This has been called “The 8 Aspirations” and it has become very popular, but in reality, this cannot be described as proper feng shui.

The reason why this arrangement is such a fundamental part of feng shui, is because it forms the basis of a traditional style known as Flying Star Feng Shui. This is often known as the Compass School and it is the style that is favoured by the vast majority of traditional Chinese Masters.

To use this chart in a static form, is completely against all the principles of feng shui, since one of the fundamental aspects is that it is considered to be changing all the time. This is emphasised by the fact that these numbers are said to move in a regulated pattern and this arrangement forms merely the first step when making the necessary calculations. Anything else, cannot really be defined as “Compass School”, at least not a creditable style.

Form School - The Birth of Feng Shui

Form School Feng Shui began life in the South of China, in an area of outstanding beauty, containing many dramatic landscape features, a very fitting place for the home of Dragons and Tigers. Although feng shui began life as an art of observation, it was soon realised that directions were an important factor. The Emperor’s Palace was always situated facing the South and in the early days, perfect feng shui was a south facing horse shoe site, with mountains on 3 sides.

This led to the 4 Celestial Animals, the Dragon in the East, the Tortoise in the North, the Tiger in the West and the Red Bird in the South. In Form School Feng Shui, the shapes and contours of the landscape surrounding the site are evaluated and although many of the principles remain a fundamental part of feng shui, there are in essence, very few Form School Masters left. The compass school’s that were started in a different area of China have become the popular choice among professionals, the vast majority of whom live and work in urban areas.

Classical Feng Shui requires serious study and involves the study of Form School and Compass School. The fundamental tools include the Luo Pan Compass and a complete understanding of the principles of Yin and Yang and the 5 Phases, or as they are commonly referred to as, the 5 Elements.

The ancient Chinese skill for creating a better living environment called Feng Shui (pronounced as Fung Shway). Here “Feng” means wind and “Shui” means water. These are the basic elements for living which are continually moving and flowing. Once they do not flow they become stagnant, creating negative Chi (energy). Living in  an area with adverse or stagnant flow of energy affects adversely the health as well as luck, in the present and future. Feng Shui has a long history, well over 2000 years old. Originally it was  used by the emperors of China, highest officials and the wealthy to ensure their future. Today, Feng Shui is more commonly used by corporations and private individuals, across the world.

Feng Shui not only deals with the internal environment but the external. If the external environment is very bad, then anything done internally will not have a lasting effect. However,  there are remedies to alter or block negative Chi and enhance the positive Chi. The external survey includes likely problems from surrounding buildings, motorway, flyover or other. Good Feng Shui in both business and home can improve or help your health, career, prosperity and family harmony.

            Feng Shui teaches us how to create harmony and balance around us. This means that if we pay attention to our environment then we will find ways of creating different realities in our lives. Feng Shui is an expression of the oneness and interconnectedness of all things on all levels and all dimensions.

People usually do not like change but Feng Shui has been inducted by many in their day-to-day life having applied and experienced its exciting results. It could be said very simply that Feng Shui is the art and science of capturing chi with water and moving it with wind. As we delve a little deeper into Feng Shui we can see the oneness and interconnectedness of all things at all levels and in all dimensions.  With a discerning eye, we can see if our entrance is welcoming us being open and light, or otherwise it is constricted and dark.  It may be because of dark colours and not balanced by complementary light.

We continue to identify the electronic pollution emanating from the electric power line and transformer just outside the wall and it makes us feel somewhat irritated. By now we have become conscious of the quality of the air, and additionally assess the atmosphere as to whether there are happy events or disharmonious events in the recent past. This awareness or vibration is intuitive and some of it comes from some training. Feng Shui gives us clear distinctions to determine the causes of these energies and to arrange the environment in more harmonious ways.

Form School & Feng Shui

            Form School is also called Landscape Feng Shui also. Form School of Feng Shui is basic and its principles are applicable universally for all other Schools of Thought of Feng Shui.      

The shapes and contours of the land reveal the movements of the Celestial Dragon and this most ancient style of feng shui, uses these to identify sites which contain the most benficial Qi, (Chi) or as it is often called, The Cosmic Dragon's Breath.

In the popular press, feng shui is depicted as some thing which places an emphasis on the inside of the home, or building, but the outside environment is even more important and the location of the premises is a fundamental part of the evaluation.

Although the vast majority of traditional masters practice some form of Flying Star Feng Shui, which can be said to belong to the Compass School, the study of shape and form and the contours of the landscape are always taken into account. In many ways, this demonstrates the view held by many Masters which states that Form School always takes precedence.

In rural areas which contain hills, valleys, streams, rivers, forests and other natural features, the site on which the building, house or burial ground is located, is evaluated by it's location and position within these natural features.

The classic case that is usually given for a site with "good feng shui", is the horse shoe arrangement, which offers protection on 3 sides, while providing an open space at the front, which was south facing.

According to one theory, it is necessary to imagine a Dragon walk swishing its tail from left to right in order to help propel itself forward. As the Dragon moves, its tail leaves two marks on the landscape, one which faces to where the tail swishes Chi towards the Dragon's belly and the other, where the Chi is pushed away from its body. The two movements, like the DNA's double helix, are completely different energy patterns. The movement of Chi towards the Dragon is beneficial, while the movement of Chi being pushed away from the Dragon, is considered to be destructive.

This is in keeping with the principles of Yin and Yang and when the Earth moved and folded, to create mountains and valleys, this was caused by similar, opposite movements, reflecting the parallel with Feng Shui principles.

Identifying the movement of the Dragon is a traditional skill and this plays an important part of Form School evaluation. This focuses on locating the Dragon and then determining the Dragon's Den and the Dragon's Veins, in order to locate the most beneficial site.

The ancient Chinese observed that the Dragon's energy is dispersed by the wind (feng) and when it meets water (shui), it is absorbed and carried along with the flow. The landscape represents the Dragon, the Mountain is the Dragon's body, the Water is the Dragon's veins and the Valleys and Plains represent the Dragon's Den.

Although Form School was developed in an area of China renowned for its dramatic landcape, it soon began to be applied all over China, including towns and cities. Buildings were considered to be Mountains and Hills, while roads were seen as Water.