The 7 Schools Of Feng Shui

Everyone has heard of Feng Shui, but what exactly is it? Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese belief that involves the study of both the natural and the created environments. To achieve a balance between the 2 affects the energy of a room.

7 Schools Of Feng Shui

There are many different versions of Feng Shui, each influenced by culture, geography, and religion. There are 7 predominant types or schools of Feng Shui:

1. The Compass School uses the 8 trigrams of the I-Ching. They are known collectively as Pa Kua, which is based on the 8 main directions of a compass. Each direction is associated with a specific chi. For example, southern is vibrant energy.

2. The Form School, based on the landscape's shape, uses 4 symbolic animals to identify the landscape. Easy to use, the Form School (along with the Compass School) increases chi both in and out of the home.

3. The Black Hat Sect uses a fixed entry point to determine the area. Although similar to the Compass School philosophy, it has differences. The Black Hat Sect also consists of psychology, Buddhism and basic design principles.

4. 8 Mansion School, also known as the 8 House Feng Shui, is based on the individual number of the person living in the home. That number is used to bring harmony and balance to the home. People who use this system have both lucky and unlucky numbers, with the west numbers being 2, 6, 7, and 8 and the east numbers being 1, 3, 4, and 9.

5. The 9 Star Key School uses stars to help identify lucky and unlucky days. This school of thought uses complicated math formulas to pinpoint when a person will get married and the astrological sign of the future marriage partners. It will also tell the practitioner how to live based on his house.

6. The most common form of Feng Shui, based on astrology and numerology, is the Flying Star Philosophy. Difficult to understand and learn, it is also based on mathematical principals and is used to determine a person's fate.

7. Four Pillars, the final school of thought, is not very common. Based on astrology tied to the person's date of birth right down to the minutes, this form of Feng Shui is also used to determine a person's fate.

5 Elements Of Feng Shui

After determining which school of thought is best for an individual, it is important to understand the 5 elements of Feng Shui. They are: Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood. Balance and harmony can be created in a home through the use of these elements. If used incorrectly, however, the energy can be lessened or even destroyed.

Each of the 5 elements is also associated with a direction: Earth -- Southwest Fire -- South Water -- North Metal -- West Wood -- East

Beauty And Balance

In a Feng Shui home, all rooms should achieve a balance of these elements, although some items may weigh heavier than others. A chair might score 3 times more than a throw pillow, for example, because of the size difference.

Properly applied, Feng Shui brings both beauty and balance to the home or office.

Visit Feng Shui Home Design to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer, visit his website at Articles for authors

Feng Shui Is Not Interior Decorating

Many thousands of years ago, in little villages in the Orient, Feng Shui was developed.

Each little village had their own ways and own methods on how to perform Feng Shui. In fact their way of life, was often dependent upon it. These people studied the land, wind and water, including the formations of the land and the ways of the wind and water. Feng Shui, means the way of the wind and water. Over aeons of time Feng Shui was improved upon and even the great Chinese emperors used it to insure their power.

The expert practitioners of Feng Shui were known as Feng Shui Masters and emperors hired them to wage war upon their enemies. It has been passed down, through history, that the Feng Shui masters had power to use water, wind and fog, to win battles. Eventually the emperors became afraid. They felt the Feng Shui Masters might betray them and use their powers to bring them down. Therefore, many Feng Shui masters were put to death.

Those who survived hid away in the many Buddhist monasteries, to continue their practice of Feng Shui. They taught monks their secret methods. Even today there is, what is known as "Black Sect Feng Shui". As you will later read, this method is often preferred by Westerners.

Feng Shui is based upon Mother Nature and the use of her forces. This is the ritual origin of Feng Shui and was originally called, "Form School Feng Shui. Another method is called the Compass School. And this, together with Black Sect Feng Shui, makes up the basis of most Feng Shui theory and practice.

The Compass School basically originated in Chinese astrology and this ties in the magnetic influence of the planets and the earth, to the energy patterns of an area. The position of Jupiter, as the bringer of fortune and lurk, and other numerological information, is what the Compass School way, heavily relies upon, for its function. It uses a 12 part map system and this allows for more detail than the widely spread used 8 part system, which has become popular today.

It is also known as ,"Local Space Chart" and this was produced as a generic form, by using the luopan, or geomantic compass. This compass is very important when determining the directional alignment of buildings, etc. The traditional compass school has changed greatly by the use of new systems which expand the illusions popularised by the Feng Shui master. Unfortunately many are based on ancient texts and concepts and of course mis-translations, are rife. As an example, one refers to the five Chinese elements which are: wood, fire, earth , metal and water. These are not really elements at all, but stages of matter. However, that is what they were called in ancient times and two more qualities; energy and heat were added.

The luopan utilises two primary forms of Feng Shui. The 8 house, or 8 mansion, method, which is also known as the East and West Group. This discusses the directional influence on the people and the buildings, to find out how to place oneself, to one's best advantage, within any building.

A second application, which is interesting to me as an acupuncturist, is the use of the Feng Shui to find orientation. This, combined with the aspect of time, brings forth a detailed chart of the key (qi or ki) inside the building. This is sometimes known as, Xuan, Kong Feng Shui. A method called Time and Space. We look at Qi within the building and then design a floor plan to determine which are the auspicious, or inauspicious areas of the building. After which, we bring into play the five Chinese elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

A good Feng Shui practitioner can bring about a balance of Qi, which is similar to the use of acupuncture needles, correcting any abnormalities, or imbalance, in Qi.

We then come to the Black Sect Feng Shui school, which is often preferred in Western civilisation because it tends to down play the astrological benefits of Feng Shui and emphasise the psychological aspect.

This has of necessity, been a very short and incomplete article on Feng Shui. There are many aspects of Feng Shui that have been pilloried in the West. Many Westerners believe only in their five senses and cannot comprehend any efficacious method outside these very limited parameters. However, the use of Eastern modalities is growing in the West.

Indeed, Proctor and Gamble, Ford Motors Hewlett-Packard's and even the mighty Coca-Cola Company are now using Feng Shui in their plants to benefit their employees, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The author of this article, Ray Cunningham, possesses two diplomas of acupuncture. One from Hong Kong; the other from Sydney Australia. At present, he resides in central Florida. Learn much more about Feng Shui, go here shmyl.com/hgnnson , or at his web site at: raygc1.com/fengshui This article may be used, free of charge, so long as it remains intact and this resource box is always included.

Enhance Love In Your Home And Personal Life Using Feng Shui

Love is an essential element of many people's life, without which they feel an absence of balance and harmony in their every day pursuits. The ancient philosophy of Feng Shui can bring a positive improvement to all aspects of your life, including love. Feng Shui and love may bring a sense of peace and understanding that will help you find success throughout life. Learning how to incorporate Feng Shui into your life one piece at a time may help you achieve greater love, both romantically, for yourself, and for others. The balance that love brings to your life is important in living healthily and successfully.

The love center of the home is an important concept when it comes to Feng Shui and love. Learning the exact location of your home's love center will enable you to invigorate the chi in this area, leading to better luck when it comes to love and better Feng Shui throughout your home. The love center of a house is in the far right corner as you enter. The love center can also be the far right corner of each particular room as you enter into it. Following the practice of Feng Shui, you should place an important earth object in this love center. An earth object includes items such as rocks or crystals. Other items that are appropriate to place in this area of your house and that can increase positive chi include decorative pots, candles, flowers, and depictions of the sun. Earth objects placed in strategic areas of your home such as the love center are believed to increase Feng Shui and love for the occupants of the house.

There are a few extra guidelines when it comes to placing objects in the love center of your home and increasing Feng Shui and love in your personal life. For example, wood is not considered a good choice of an earth object and should be avoided in the love area. Flowers and plants are a great choice, including silk flowers, but dried flowers should never be used. Dried flowers or plants can represent the end of a relationship and can have a negative effect on your home's Feng Shui and love.

If you are trying to optimize the Feng Shui and love in your home and personal life, you should keep in mind a few areas of the house where you should pay special attention to levels of chi. The bathroom is an area of the home associated with negative chi. To combat this negative chi and promote positive chi here, place live plants or flowers in the area. You can also consider hanging chimes directly above the toilet. These simple steps will help to eliminate the negative chi that is associated with the bathroom.

Of course the bedroom is an area of the house that is associated with Feng Shui and love. In order to pursue successful romantic relationships, you want to create an area of positive chi in your bedroom. To do this, keep the bedroom free of clutter, including the closet. Unnecessary objects crowding your living spaces can produce negative chi. Also, remove any objects that point to a past relationship, such as pictures and other mementos. These items will prevent future loves to blossom into all that they can be. You may even want to remove the bed that you have shared with a past lover in order to have the best chances at a successful future love.

Other objects to keep out of your bedroom in order to find the best Feng Shui and love are items that promote activities that have nothing to do with love or relationships. These items may include the television, the computer, or exercise equipment. While live plants and flowers are good objects to increase chi in other areas of the house, they should be avoided in the bedroom. Plants and flowers are believed to bring the level of male chi in this room too high. What you are striving for in the bedroom when it comes to Feng Shui and love a balance of ying and yang. This brings harmony between the feminine and masculine components. To find this harmony, decorate with the masculine in mind if your are a woman and with the feminine in mind if you are a man. As a result, you will find an excellent balance of chi in the bedroom.

By incorporating all of these Fengh Shui and love tips throughout your house, you will be creating a positive chi environment that encourages love and relationships to flourish. Not only will you find yourself experiencing more successful romantic relationships, but love between friends, family, and others will be increased. By designing with Feng Shui and love in mind, such as paying attention to love centers and problematic areas for negative chi, you will be rewarded with long-lasting and loving relationships.

Candace Czarny,ASID,CFM,LEED AP, "Award Winning" Interior Designer, Feng Shui Expert & author. www.artofplacement.com is continually ranked "Top 10" in Google and Yahoo. Clients testify of dramatic results!

Enhance Love In Your Home And Personal Life Using Feng Shui

Love is an essential element of many people's life, without which they feel an absence of balance and harmony in their every day pursuits. The ancient philosophy of Feng Shui can bring a positive improvement to all aspects of your life, including love. Feng Shui and love may bring a sense of peace and understanding that will help you find success throughout life. Learning how to incorporate Feng Shui into your life one piece at a time may help you achieve greater love, both romantically, for yourself, and for others. The balance that love brings to your life is important in living healthily and successfully.

The love center of the home is an important concept when it comes to Feng Shui and love. Learning the exact location of your home's love center will enable you to invigorate the chi in this area, leading to better luck when it comes to love and better Feng Shui throughout your home. The love center of a house is in the far right corner as you enter. The love center can also be the far right corner of each particular room as you enter into it. Following the practice of Feng Shui, you should place an important earth object in this love center. An earth object includes items such as rocks or crystals. Other items that are appropriate to place in this area of your house and that can increase positive chi include decorative pots, candles, flowers, and depictions of the sun. Earth objects placed in strategic areas of your home such as the love center are believed to increase Feng Shui and love for the occupants of the house.

There are a few extra guidelines when it comes to placing objects in the love center of your home and increasing Feng Shui and love in your personal life. For example, wood is not considered a good choice of an earth object and should be avoided in the love area. Flowers and plants are a great choice, including silk flowers, but dried flowers should never be used. Dried flowers or plants can represent the end of a relationship and can have a negative effect on your home's Feng Shui and love.

If you are trying to optimize the Feng Shui and love in your home and personal life, you should keep in mind a few areas of the house where you should pay special attention to levels of chi. The bathroom is an area of the home associated with negative chi. To combat this negative chi and promote positive chi here, place live plants or flowers in the area. You can also consider hanging chimes directly above the toilet. These simple steps will help to eliminate the negative chi that is associated with the bathroom.

Of course the bedroom is an area of the house that is associated with Feng Shui and love. In order to pursue successful romantic relationships, you want to create an area of positive chi in your bedroom. To do this, keep the bedroom free of clutter, including the closet. Unnecessary objects crowding your living spaces can produce negative chi. Also, remove any objects that point to a past relationship, such as pictures and other mementos. These items will prevent future loves to blossom into all that they can be. You may even want to remove the bed that you have shared with a past lover in order to have the best chances at a successful future love.

Other objects to keep out of your bedroom in order to find the best Feng Shui and love are items that promote activities that have nothing to do with love or relationships. These items may include the television, the computer, or exercise equipment. While live plants and flowers are good objects to increase chi in other areas of the house, they should be avoided in the bedroom. Plants and flowers are believed to bring the level of male chi in this room too high. What you are striving for in the bedroom when it comes to Feng Shui and love a balance of ying and yang. This brings harmony between the feminine and masculine components. To find this harmony, decorate with the masculine in mind if your are a woman and with the feminine in mind if you are a man. As a result, you will find an excellent balance of chi in the bedroom.

By incorporating all of these Fengh Shui and love tips throughout your house, you will be creating a positive chi environment that encourages love and relationships to flourish. Not only will you find yourself experiencing more successful romantic relationships, but love between friends, family, and others will be increased. By designing with Feng Shui and love in mind, such as paying attention to love centers and problematic areas for negative chi, you will be rewarded with long-lasting and loving relationships.

Candace Czarny,ASID,CFM,LEED AP, "Award Winning" Interior Designer, Feng Shui Expert & author. www.artofplacement.com is continually ranked "Top 10" in Google and Yahoo. Clients testify of dramatic results!