What exactly is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui, pronounced ‘fung shway’, is arranging your surroundings where you live and work so that they are in harmony with the forces of the universe. The Chinese have been following the ways of Feng Shui for thousands of years in order to bring harmony and prosperity into their lives; in earlier times people would search forests, woods and hillsides for the perfect Feng Shui spot to build their homes, studying the Sun, the shadows and the directions, once they had chosen the perfect place they would take part in a ceremony to decide on the best time to begin building. The earliest use of Feng Shui was concerned with burial; in a similar way to how some Western religions consecrate ground for burial, the ancient followers of Feng Shui principles would find the most harmonious spot to bury their loved ones. Master Guo Pu wrote in the Funeral Book:

“To bury is to take advantage of the Sheng Qi (Alive Energy). The Qi or Chi (pronounced chee as in cheese or key in Japanese, as in a house key) moves when it meets Feng (wind) and gathers when it meets Shui (water). The ancient people would try and make it stay, but not stagnate, to flow but not dissipate. That is why it is called Feng Shui.”

Feng Shui today focuses much more on the home or working environment, but the principles written by Master Guo Pu are taken as the authentic definition and origin of the Feng Shui concept. Feng means wind and Shui means water; the movement of wind, or air, and water are a symbol of the natural elements, the Qi field is the main focus of Feng Shui practice.

Feng Shui used to be called ‘The Black Bird Craft’ in ancient China; The Black Bird was the name given to the man in charge of astrology and geology at the emperor’s court; it was observed by contemporaries that the black bird, when flying along the river to its nest, would take the route of least resistance, would build its house in the most fortuitous place in accordance with air flows along the river.

Feng Shui is the art of balancing our surroundings, like the bird, so that we may live and work in optimum environmental harmony. Wind is the moving, firm, strong Yang aspect; represented in the landscape by mountains, which should lie behind or supporting a building. Water is the more still, far-reaching, soft Yin aspect; represented in the landscape by rivers and lakes and should be in front of the building but not too close. Taking the aspects into consideration harmonizes the Qi field and brings a better living and working environment; the Qi field is paramount when deciding on whether a place is good to build on or not.

The Animal Spirits

There are many animals in ancient Chinese folklore, both real and mystical, and the landscape is said to be alive with their energy, with different geological landmarks being associated with certain animal spirits. The mountain range, full of energy, is known as the Long Mai (Dragon’s Line); a river is known as Shui Long (Water Dragon), which shows a high regard for the significance of water as a natural element. The best place for people to build something like a city, village or palace is where the site is in balance with the surrounding mountains and rivers; so a house would be built with the Dragon’s Line behind it and a river or lake some distance in front, often with protective hills left and right.

Another Feng Shui thinking is to associate the four directions surrounding a site with different animal spirits; the back is associated with the Black Turtle, inducing stability and security from attack; in front is the Red Phoenix, representing an open mind and vision, and collation of knowledge; The Green Dragon on the left and the White Tiger to the right symbolize privacy and protection; they are known in whole as the Four Spirits, connected with the four seasons and the four cardinal (compass) points. The animals may also be connected to the elements with the colours they represent; if this is the case a fifth animal is included and placed at the middle of the site, the Yellow Snake is protected by the other four spirits and signifies the perfect spot for Feng Shui.

Further Reading:

Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston