What is Feng shui?

Introduction: What is 'Feng shui'?

'Feng shui' is not something most people have probably heard of. So. What is it? It is another one of those quirky practices involving awareness of energy. Its name is Chinese for "Wind and water".  It is used to ensure that the qi (energy) is balanced and life-promoting in one's house and garden (and can be used elsewhere such as at one's office). This practice believes that energy travels in curved lines, not lines with corners. And, if the Feng shui of the house and garden isn't good, then disease may result (!!!)
  This article aims to explain what Feng shui is, as well as how and why it differs from other approaches to energy.

The five elements

A number of different spiritual and complementary therapy practices use the concept of the five elements in their work. These include systematic kinesiology, Feng shui, Native American rituals, and shiatsu. They use these elements in order to address 'energy imbalances'. For example, in Ayurveda, inflammation is seen as an excess in heat. In order to address the inflammation, the sufferer is advised to avoid or cut down on foods and other things that are associated with the element of heat - such as avoid tomatoes and peppers in one's diet and, according to Ayurveda, eat more "cooler" foods as well as consume foods that belong to the opposite element.
  Anyway, a key principle in Feng shui is that of the five elements. These are assigned a totem animal, a colour, a shape and a direction.

The differences in the different approaches

In systematic kinesiology, the muscles tested may be done so through a specific cycle that correlates with the order of the five elements. What are the elements? The five elements are:

• ·         Wood
• ·         Metal
• ·         Earth
• ·         Water
• ·         Fire

Earth gives wood, wood is cut down by metal, metal is melted by fire and fire is put out by water. Water is provided by earth. In systematic kinesiology, the muscles are associated with a particular element. Similarly, in some spiritual beliefs – and with Native Americans’ rituals which involve the Medicine Wheel, the elements are assigned an animal, a direction, attributes and a colour. Their rituals are where they give thanks and blessings to the spirits of these directions – these elements are governed by spirits. However, these elements differ to the list above because in this case the elements are:

·         Wood

·         Metal

·         Water

·         Air

·         Fire

What are these spirits? They are:

·         Wood - wood elves (possibly some other supernatural being as well)

·         Earth – gnomes

·         Air – fairies

·         Fire – sylphs

·         Water - nymphs

Feng shui also believes in the elements of Wood, Metal, Water, Air and Fire. According to Feng shui, p.11 by Belinda Henwood, the element of Water is associated with the direction of North, wavy shapes and the colour black; for the element of Fire the direction of South, pointed shapes and the colour of red; Wood is associated with the direction of East and tall and slender shapes, and the colours blue and green, whilst Metal is associated with the direction of West, rounded shapes and the colour white; and, finally, the element of Earth is associated with the direction of Centre, square and boxed shapes and the colour of yellow.

This is similar to the Native American medicine wheel. According to https://crystal-cure.com/article-medicine-wheel.html, the attribute of the direction of Centre is element ether, totem butterfly and colour green; the direction of East has element fire, totem hawk or eagle and colour yellow; the direction of West has element Earth, totem bear and colour black; the direction of South has element water, totem coyote or mouse and colour red; direction of North has element air, totem wolf and colour white.

 Feng shui vs. Dowsing

A form of dowsing that has an eye (and a dowsing tool!) for energy imbalances is the practice of geomancy. Geomancy is where a person goes round a household or/and garden with their dowsing rods or pendulum seeking out where there are energy imbalances in the earth. These tools can be used to find "dark streams" which are underground streams running under the property which are said to be linked with ill health. The reason for this link is that the streams have a negative energy as a result of being damaged energetically - through fracking, or the leakage of heavy metals or chemicals from farming near interlinking streams or bodies of water. The spirits also play an important part in this practice, and if necessary, the geomancer will offer a prayer up to them or offer them some food (such as an apple).

        Energy blockages are released through inserting short, thick sticks (made of wood such as hazel) into the ground where the imbalance or blockage has been identified. Some people are said to have seen a grey mist of energy be released at the top of these - this is believed to be the release of the energy causing the problem. 

In comparison, feng shui deals with different forms of qi, that are manifest in the different elements described earlier. 

The benefits of feng shui? Practical feng shui

It appears that feng shui is just about how you order your house, garden or place of work. But if that is all it really is, then it's a pretty ancient philosophy of designing home, garden and workplace decor and layout.  To all appearances, that seems to be all there is to Feng shui. Yet that is wrong.

Underlying the pricinples and philosophies of feng shui is a belief in energies - specific types of qi to be more exact - as well as an understanding of the "psychology" of those energies. But that's not the whole story. 

Numerology

There are some other beliefs sewn into the practice of Feng shui. For example, in Feng shui by Belinda Henwood, p.55: 'Goldfish ... could boost your finances because their activity and color can help stimulate qi. The most auspicious numbers of goldfish are three, six, eight or nine.'

So it seems - according to this passage - that there is an awareness of numerology (which is the meaning or study of numbers and their significance) that is also involved in Feng shui. It is interesting that goldfish are seen as a sort of magnet for attracting more wealth. They are the colour gold, and gold is associated with the rich and wealthy. In this respect, goldfish have a good symbolism behind them which results in their supposed ability to "boost" one's finances. The recommended numbers of goldfish is interesting, too.

  The numbers of 3, 6, 8 or 9 are attributed to have spiritual significance. The number 3, for example, has traditionally been associated with good luck and fortune. According to Numerology, by David V. Barrett, p.21, the number six is 'one of the most harmonious numbers' and is '...both a female number and 2x3, and can therefore represent the nurturing side of womanhood - the safe, stable, warm, domestic aspect of womanhood.' However, it must be remembered that the significance of numbers varies according to culture. For example, the number 7 is considered unlucky by the Chinese, whilst in other countries,  the number is considered to be lucky. Likewise with the number 13. Some people or social groups (perhaps more spiritualists and New Age people, though not necessarily) believe that the number 13 is unlucky, whilst other groups do not believe that the number brings misfortune at all. In fact, some groups, such as the Freemasons, are said to believe that it is quite lucky. 

In the garden

Whilst feng shui in the home is based primarily on being aligned according to the 5 elements and their attributes (such as the colours and shapes associated with them), as well as having an accordance with the flow of qi, feng shui in the garden, according to Success with Feng Shui for your garden by Gunthor Sator, p.16, concerns having a plan of the garden - split into 8 parts in an octagonal shape. This doesn't mean that the garden should be octagonal, but rather it should be visualised like an octagon. This 'plan' Sator called the 'bagua'. According to the pull-out sheet, this 'plan' consists of eight areas which are designated to, or representative of, eight key parts of one's life. The three parts of the top consist of wealth, fame and partnership. In these areas, a feng shui practitioner would put appropiate items that link in with those areas. For example, in the 'wealth' section, they could place a pond of 3, 6, 8 or 9 goldfish, as they are associated with (and creating) wealth. In the 'fame' section, perhaps they could place items that are personally symbolic of what the connotations of fame mean for them. For example, they could put particular ornaments in that part which are appropriate towards the concept of fame.  Perhaps for the area designated to 'partnership', the practitioner could place object - or specific flowers or plants - that have some numerology about them. In other words, objects that relate to 2 - perhaps they could include the Tao symbol of the yin and yang there, or a small statue of two people, or perhaps a plant that has flowers or leaves that represent the number. 

The row below that is divided into areas relating to family, Tai chi and children. Sator says (p.16) that the 'family' area of the garden '...represents the flow of your life and shows how close you really are to your destiny in your professional as well as private life. For this reason, this area should convey a flowing appearance through design, pathways or shapes in the terrain.'

The last three areas on the row below are 'knowledge, career and helpful people'. 

Feng shui & solutions

In order to "correct" the negative flow of qi, the layout of the house or garden must be changed accordingly. However, there are some simple alterations that can be included. According to p.79 of  Feng shui by Karen Farrington, mirrors are used in feng shui to "bounce back" shar ch'i 'as it heads towards a property'. 

Candles and lighting are also used as 'remedies', and they are seen as being "yang" because they are associated with the element of Fire. Clearly, if a room is seen as being "too yin" - perhaps it seems to have too much relating to the element of water - lighting and/or candles could be placed in order to change the "feel" of the place and to change the qi in the room. Colours - which were mentioned earlier - are also seen as a remedy for the qi. These can be used according the the element which the room faces and with which the colour is associated.

Feng shui & Health

Not only is Feng shui believed to help one's life generally - through applying one's knowledge of the flow of qi in a way that is beneficial - but it is also thought to help one's health, too. According to Feng shui by Karen Farrington, p. 26: 'Often feng shui can diagnose problems which cause ill health. Overhead beams are frequently responsible for headaches. A main entrance which runs straight into a kitchen or bathroom can cause nagging health problems as can long, narrow corridors where energy is constricted. Use remedies to counter the effects, including screens, fabric, mirrors or windchimes.'

 

References

According to Feng shui by Belinda Henwood

https://crystal-cure.com/article-medicine-wheel.html

Numerology, by David V. Barrett

Success with Feng Shui for your garden by Gunthor Sator

Feng shui by Karen Farrington