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Feng Shuii & Chinese Astrology:
Inside Chinese Metaphysics
Put Yourself Inside a Circle |
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by Barbara Finch |
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Protection.
Comfort.
Beauty.
Lovely concepts, aren't they? Protection, comfort and beauty are what all of us want and need in our homes. If you are looking for a new home or just taking a new look at your current home, these are crucial things to consider.
In my last column I wrote about the Tai Ji, the "yin yang" symbol that most of us are familiar with. This simple drawing contains the entire nature of the Universe. What do you notice about this symbol?
Everything is smooth, rounded and flowing. This is what we want for our homes and offices - to be inside a circle! We want to be surrounded and supported.
There is one area of feng shui called the Form School, which primarily has to do with the external environment around one's home or business. (There is also internal form such as the floorplan of a house, but the larger external environment has the most profound impact on us.) When talking about form, I am referring to the landscape around you, the size and shapes of mountains or other buildings, water or water shapes such as roads and streets, trees and other plants, water towers, high tension power lines, and their relationship with each other and to your home.
One of the first things I analyze when performing a feng shui consultation is the external environment. What is around the house or office, and what is having a positive or negative impact? I can see at a glance what is causing some of the most significant problems for my clients just by my initial walk around the property.
Protection
In ancient China, feng shui was developed as a result of observation of the external environment, or form. When choosing an area to set up camp, nomads looked for safety and security. This included mountains or tall hills which would help protect them from severe weather and marauding bandits. They wanted an area that was not too high up and exposed, but not so low that it could easily be flooded during a heavy rain. They also needed an open area with a good water supply for themselves and their livestock.
This ideal location is shaped like an armchair. You have a tall mountain or building behind you, two smaller mountains or buildings on either side, and an open area in front.
In Chinese astronomy the sky contains 28 constellations that are divided into 4 segments of 7 constellations. Each group of 7 constellations resembles an animal that is considered the ruler of that direction. The Green Dragon rules the East, The Black Tortoise rules the North, the White Tiger rules the West and the Red Phoenix rules the South.
As above, so below: feng shui takes the Four Animals and applies them to the armchair shape landscape around a house:
Again, the nomads preferred this land formation as it gave them good protection from three sides and an open area in front with water. (This concept is even used in yin house or gravesite feng shui. Traditional Chinese graves are placed against a hillside and designed in an armchair shape.)
Land and water formations around your house can be actual mountains or other buildings, or streets, parking lots, meadows and water formations. The presence, lack, size and shape of the Four Animals around a house will have a profound effect on the occupants' experience in that house. It is even better if the forms curve around your home.
The Four Animals
The Black Tortoise
The Black Tortoise is a mountain or building that is taller than or at least as tall as your house behind you. The Tortoise is about support, backing and stability. Without support it is more difficult to get through life. Many houses are built up alongside a road with their backyards sloping sharply downward from the back of the house. These people are more likely to suddenly lose jobs, friends or financial backing, and often find that family members and friends are less numerous or unable/unwilling to help in time of need. The further away the Tortoise is, the further away your support is or the longer it will take to receive support.
The Green Dragon
The Green Dragon is any mountain or building to the left side of the house as you look out the front door (or to the right side of the house if you are facing the house). Ideally the Dragon should be shorter than the Tortoise. The Dragon represents the husband, as well as helpful people in your life. Without a Dragon, there is less supportive qi for the husband or male owner of the house. In many cases there may not be a husband or male owner in the house at all, or the wife has a much stronger personality than her husband. Also, without a Dragon the owners may find they have fewer helpful people such as friends, employees, etc. The further away the Dragon is, the farther away helpful people are from you.
The White Tiger
The White Tiger is any mountain or building to the right side of the house as you look out the front door (or to the left side of the house if you are facing the house). The Tiger should be a bit shorter than the Dragon side, but equal height is fine, too (for example, if other houses on both sides of your home are the same height). The Tiger represents the wife or female owner, as well as your competition if you are in business. The absence of a Tiger can indicate no wife is present in the house or that she has much less authority in the family. If you have a business you want some competition to drive you to give the best to your customers. But a too-tall Tiger can make you more easily overwhelmed and less successful than your competitors. The further away the Tiger is, the further away your competitors are.
The Red Phoenix
The Red Phoenix is symbolized by having an open area, sometimes with water or a road, at the facing side. Think about how a bird needs open space in order to take flight. Without a Phoenix, it can be difficult to think creatively and openly (no room for your ideas to take flight), and to see clearly. Since water is related to money in feng shui, the lack of a Phoenix can also adversely impact your finances. It is all right if the Phoenix slopes down slightly from your house, but there should be no sharp slopes downward as this will also affect the house's ability to hold money.
Many successful shopping centers are U-shaped, with a mountain or taller building behind them, a dragon and tiger on each side, and a large, open parking lot and the major street in the front.
If you have these ideal placements of the Four Animals around your home, think about your house's position. It is inside a circle, surrounded by the three mountains or buildings and the open area in the front. If you do not have this kind of supportive form, it is advisable to look for a home that does. It can take a while to find a home with good form but it is well worth the time, effort and money.
Because we are concerned about protection, it is not good to have your home up at the top of a mountain. You might have a wonderful view and great resale potential, but your experiences in that home will be less than ideal. There are no supportive land formations around you. When I lived in Los Angeles I performed readings in several mountainous areas such as Malibu, Hollywood Hills, etc. The houses at the tops of the hills and mountains have fabulous views, but it is not surprising that many of these clients have very bumpy lives. Why? Because it is much more windy and exposed up there. Part of a Chinese feng shui proverb says that "wind disperses qi". Additionally, with sharp slopes all around there is no place for supportive qi to collect around the house. There is no protection.
Many people have read various feng shui books that talk about the dangers of "poison arrows". I personally prefer the term angle sha as it will not cause undue anxiety in my clients. Sha literally means "evil spirit" and in feng shui refers to any negative influence. Angle sha is anything that points or curves toward one's house or office. It could be the corner of another building or some other object. One of my clients had a Civil War cannon pointing at his office from a historic building across the street!
Obviously you cannot always block or correct angle sha coming from another's property. But you can lessen its effect by planting a tree or putting up a trellis or fence to block the sight of the angle sha. In an apartment or office you can put a sheer curtain in the window to block the offending sha.
You want to avoid any serious angle sha, creating more curving, protective shapes around you. Do what you can within reason - remember feng shui is meant to help you, not scare you. People often anxiously ask if their books should be hidden inside a cabinet or if they should get rid of their venetian blinds which could be positioned to "point" at them. These are far less worrisome than the house's general position and environment.
Aside from angle sha, there can be problems with living near a high-tension power line, water tower or other very tall object. Unless you are working with a highly competent and well-trained feng shui professional, try to avoid choosing a home with these external influences.
Comfort
As you can imagine, being in a smoother, more protective environment is going to make you feel more comfortable.
Is there something in your home or office that you constantly bump into or trip over? Are you using old towels that are scratchy and uncomfortable? Reorganize your space so that it serves you well and replace uncomfortable items with ones that are luxurious to the touch.
When performing readings I always advise clients to move their desks so that they are sitting against a solid wall. If you sit with your desk up against a wall, you will have no space in front of you to allow more open and free thinking, and it does not feel very secure to have others be able to walk up behind you without you seeing them enter your office. I frequently find employees in these positions have much higher turnover than employees who sit in the desired position. If you walk into someone's office and they are wedged up facing a wall with their back exposed to the room, how powerful would you perceive that person to be? It is important that you feel that you have control and authority in your workplace.
An additional benefit of turning your desk so that you sit against a solid wall is that you can put yourself inside another circle. You can place tall bookshelves (Tortoise) behind you, and smaller tables/file cabinets (Dragon and Tiger) to either side, and leave an open area (Phoenix) in front of your desk. You will be not only in a more commanding position but more comfortable with better support and protection in your workplace, with the open space in front of you to allow for more clarity and creative thought.
If you have enough space in your bedroom, you can also create a more circular area around your bed. If your bed does not have a headboard, get one. Place the headboard (Tortoise) up against the wall. Add a night table on either side (Dragon and Tiger) and leave open space (Phoenix) at the foot of the bed.
Beauty
Beauty is critical to good feng shui. The condition of your property will affect you and your family. Look around your property - are your trees and plants healthy? Is your grass green and lush or brown and dried up? Even if you live in an arid climate without a lot of green plants, it is important that you beautify your property to create better feng shui with attractive plants appropriate to your climate, perhaps even some outdoor art.
Does anything on your property need to be repaired? Are your windows dirty? Does your house need to be painted? I have performed feng shui consultations on numerous properties that were strewn with stuff - broken-down cars, overflow from storage sheds, even just junk. Beautiful, healthy qi cannot collect around your house with stuff everywhere.
Look inside your home as well. How does it feel? Is it pretty and well organized? Or do you have things strewn around, perhaps a piece of furniture is broken, clothes are on the floor, or your desk is overflowing with papers? If it's broken, either fix it or get rid of it. If a sofa cushion is torn, cover the entire sofa with a nice slipcover. Get your work area organized and under control.
Do you have clothes that do not flatter you or make you look your best? Put yourself in another circle and surround your body with clothes that feel good and make you look wonderful.
The better we take care of our homes and ourselves, the more energy we will have to help others and achieve success. Find a home that has good form around you. Make yourself more comfortable. Put the time and effort into beautifying your home and keeping it clean and organized. This is your safe place, your retreat from the world where you can recharge yourself - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Aren't you worth it?
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Barbara Finch,
Feng Shui &
Chinese Astrology
Consultant, Writer, Instructor, & Speaker
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Barbara Finch has been fascinated with metaphysics since childhood. Following a vedic astrologer's advice in 1995, she has studied feng shui and other Chinese metaphysics in earnest with Masters Larry Sang and Peter Leung, becoming an instructor for both.
Using both ancient and modern techniques and methods, Barbara has vast experience in residential and commercial feng shui consultations. She also teaches and writes extensively on Chinese Metaphysics.
Barbara is also a professional Chinese astrologer using Zi Wei Dou Shu, a form of Chinese astrology. Additionally, with Master Leung, Barbara has recently written a correspondence course on The Four Pillars of Destiny, another Chinese astrology. This course contains extensive and profound information on Four Pillars, much that has never before been available in the English language.
Barbara has lectured on Chinese astrology for the American Federation of Astrologers and various other groups.
Continually updating and expanding her knowledge of Chinese metaphysics, Barbara is committed to using this ancient wisdom to help those seeking assistance to best harmonize themselves with nature, time and space.
Have a question or comment for Barbara Finch? Contact her:
Email:
barbara@finchshui.com
Website:
http://www.finchshui.com
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