Feng Shui

Feng Shui is a Mandarin phrase meaning - Force of Wind, Flow of Water. As old as Chinese culture itself, the name originated around 6000 BC. Feng Shui is described in classical texts as ?Auspicious heavenly influence, beneficial topography, and harmonious human actions.? In essence, it?s a means of superimposing divine, archetypal order on the earth, and living in accordance with the Tao, or Way of Heaven. Ultimately, it aims at maximizing the positive environmental forces, or Qi, molding the landscape if necessary to enhance the flow thereof. Its other purpose is to divert, and neutralize the negative Sha Qi forces. Chinese alchemy, especially as outlined in the Secret of the Golden Flower, when applied to Feng Shui, aims to ultimately transcend the inter-death state by building the imperishable diamond body.

More mundanely, Feng Shui considers our residences to be a direct extension of ourselves. It provides the means of living in harmony with nature, and how to benefit from the positive energy, or Qi, in our living environment.

Many Feng Shui Schools have developed over the millennia, reflecting the multi-faceted nature of the discipline, however, most are a combination of the Form, and Compass Schools.

Feng Shui Schools

The Compass School based on the 8 trigrams of the I Ching, known as the Pa Kua, which, in turn, is based on the eight compass directions. Each direction being associated with a season, and a specific energy or ?element?, (more correctly, 5 stages of change).

The Form School, is based on the morphology of the landscape: topographical features, soil quality, and watercourses. The ?Regulating the Qi? school was concerned with finding the ?the Feng Shui spot?, and made detailed studies of the land, and watercourses, and concerned itself with locating the ?dragon pathways?, the ?Dimai? or arteries , and veins of the earth.

Eight Mansion/ House Feng Shui, is based upon an individual?s Kua number. Initially, the male householder?s Kua number is utilized to bring the house into harmonic balance. Each person has auspicious and inauspicious directions, discoverable from the birth-date. The auspicious directions relate to success, health, romance, and development, while the inauspicious directions relate to bad luck, obstacles, illness, and destruction.

Nine Star Key uses the stars to establish lucky, and unlucky days. Astrology dictates when, and whom to marry. Each year, the Nine Star Key reveals what astrological house holds sway, and how best to live in accordance with its principles.

Black Hat Sect, relies on the Ba Gua diagram, which is an orientation device. It allows one to pinpoint the 9 areas of the home: prosperity, fame, relationships, family, health, children, knowledge, career, and patrons.

Flying Star is based on a combination of numerology, and astrology. It allows one to avoid continuing sickness, arguments, bankruptcy, legal problems, loss of wealth, relationship problems, health problems, and accidents.

Four Pillars, based on Chinese astrology, delineates the individual relationship with the zodiacal animals relating to the year, month, day, and hour.

There is much interchange of concept, and methodology between each of these schools. The best way is to experiment personally to find the most temperamentally suitable.

Designer Style At Bargain Prices: Feng Shui At Home

Maximum visual harmony, balance, and beauty ca be reached through the application of Feng Shui. In applying its simple rules and guidelines, you can achieve results comparable to those obtained by a professional interior design after months of work. This ancient art gives any area a designer look without the extra cost of hiring a professional consultant. If you don?t have the financial resources or the creative background, let Feng Shui be your guide. Using Feng Shui, you can take any room or section, make a few effortless, inexpensive changes and create a pleasant and attractive environment.

The guiding principles of Feng Shui focus on the placement of items within a room, specifically, what is already in situ. This approach ensures you can redo your home according to Feng Shui using what is already in place. You do not have to spend copious amounts of money purchasing new items, including furniture and art work. Feng Shui will guide you in rearranging your existing items to produce the optimal visual impression. As a result, your home will appear more balanced, orderly, and aesthetically pleasing ? all the result of your personal time and effort not your bank book. If you are resourceful, you can make rethink and recreate your home by utilizing what you have already. Additional decorative items specified by Feng Shui e.g. wind chimes, plants, and mirrors, are inexpensive. Therefore, if you feel you have to buy something, you can do so without going for broke.

While practical Feng Shui can not cure any architectural spatial problems, it can alleviate serious difficulties brought about through these design flaws. Feng Shui can minimize or hide many of these interior design problems. A room made cramped and stifling through a low ceiling or small windows can feel lighter, less oppressive and more comfortable through Feng Shui. Its guiding principled will show you how to create strong visual lines and teach you practical methods to introduce a multidirectional light system with a gloomy the space, increasing the sense of brightness without being tasteless. In spite of the difficulties presented by integral design problems, Feng Shui will provide a solution easy on the pocket book and with all the style, elegance and grace of any high fashion enterprise.

There is no doubt that Feng Shui provides inexpensive and practical solutions to interior design problems. It can take a room or area of any size or shape and alter it to its best advantage. Feng Shui can create for your home a sophisticated appearance without you spending a substantial amount of money.

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!