The History of Feng Shui

Feng Shui is an element of the Mysteries of China, but ultimately, it?s transcendent; its inspirational sources are the archetypes of the noumenal realm and its medium is the Tao ? the Way of Heaven: the principle of wholeness, and rhythmic balance through cyclic change. Feng Shui acts as the interface between the invisible noumenal realm ? ?Kan? (Heaven),, and the phenomenal realm ? ?Yu? (Earth). Previously, Feng Shui was called 'KanYu' ? ?between Heaven and Earth?.

In pre-dynastic times, the antecedent of Feng Shui was Xiangdi. This practice helped the Chinese determine the most appropriate site for settlement and the location of shrines, temples, and fertile lands.

The two most seminal elements of Feng Shui, however, are the ?River Chart?, and the ?Lo Writing?. The ?River Chart? (Ho T'u) was a diagram borne from the Yellow River on the back of a dragon-horse during the reign of the legendary Fu Hsi. Of whom it is said:
"He looked up and contemplated the forms exhibited in the sky (the constellations), and he looked down contemplating the processes taking place on the earth. He contemplated the patterns of the various habitats and places."

The ?Lo Writing? (Lo Shu) also emerging from a river - the Lo River, inscribed on the shell of a tortoise. Referred to as the ?Ba Gua? or ?magic square?, it?s an arrangement of numbers reflecting the cosmological order of the seasons, directions, and 8 trigrams.

Integral to this was the Five Element Theory, having its origins in the dynamics of yin, and yang, it depicts their evolution into five fundamental powers, agents, and phases of change: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The exposition of which was outlined in the Nei Ching, a medical compilation c. 400BC.

From the 11th century BC to 246 BC, divination, and astrology were practiced using oracle bones, and also for determining solar and lunar eclipses. Zhan Bu elucidated the mechanics of water movement, and that of underground streams.

From 475 to 221 BC, the I Ching began to exert a significant influence on Feng Shui. The Form (regulating the Qi), or Mountain Top School focused on landscapes, studying topographical features, soil quality, and watercourses. It located the the Feng Shui or power spots, and mapped the dragon pathways or energy lines of the Earth. Contemporaneously, Taoism and Confucianism, especially the concept of the ?superior man? (ch?n-tzu), began to profoundly influence Feng Shui, introducing the concept of decisive intervention in terrestrial events inspired by the archetypes of heaven.

The next phase of Feng Shui evolution was inspired by Guo Pu's the 'Book of Burial (276 -324), and Form School principles of siting became well established in Chinese literature.

Between 960 ? 1279 AD, Feng Shui bifurcated into two major schools -the Form and Compass Schools. The Compass School (Regulating the form of energy), used a form of Ba Gua compass to dowse the Feng Shui of the environment. During the Song Dynasty, the Book of Yin Yang Celestial Poles was written by a Feng Shui master, Wu Jin?Luan, who persuaded Yang Yun-Sung to establish one of the first formal schools of Feng Shui in Take Jingo Province.

These are the major elements in Feng Shui?s development.

Feng Shui Baby Names

There are various ways to pick a baby name. The ways vary from different Feng Shui schools. Feng means wind, while Shui means water. Feng Shui Masters found a way to relate Feng Shui with baby name.

Chinese astrologers use Feng Shui on how to pick a baby name. The name at birth is very important to the baby and couple. A good shape name brings good luck to the holder of the name.

Kua Numbers

The astrologers determine the Kua number of your birth year. Kua number tells whether the name is auspicious, or inauspicious. The Kua number calculations vary between female and male. The general idea is to add the last two digits of the birth year until you produce a single digit. Then, you subtract to 10.

For example, 9 is the Kua number for 1973 birth year for male. First, you add 7 and 3. You will get 10. Then, you add 1 and 0. You will get 1 which is a single digit. You subtract 10 by 1. And, the Kua number is 9.

For female, the calculation varies slightly. You add 5 after you add the last two digits of the birth year. For example, 4 is the Kua number for 1973 birth year for female. First, you add 7 and 3. You will get 10. Then, you add 10 and 5. You will get 15. Next, you add 1 and 5. You will get 6 which is a single digit. Finally, you subtract 10 by 6. The Kua number is 4.

Eight Characters

The eight characters are more commonly known as Ba Zi. The astrologers look at the eight characters to tell the useful element. There are three commonly way to use the eight characters. First, the astrologers find any lacking element to complement another element. For example, the wood is a lacking element. The astrologer finds a name that is associated with wood such as timber, branch, forest, and bark.

Second, the astrologer finds the required element. For example, the word requires water and earth. The water is a missing character. The astrologer supplies a character associated with water.

Lastly, the bad baby names are used to ward off evil spirits on the old days. They believe the evil spirits lose interest with a bad baby name. For example, rat, and snake are good example.

Yin and Yang

The Chinese characters compose of strokes. In Feng Shui, the total number of strokes also matter. Depending on the school, Feng Shui master tells you the correct number of strokes. The Ying is the even number of strokes, while the Yang is the odd number of strokes.

Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of unique baby names, origin of baby name, and baby names meaning where you can find the stories, origin, and meaning of names and babies.

Feng Shui And Home Staging

Staging your home in preparation for its sale is a very important factor you have to consider. It?s an effective way of attracting more buyers and speeding up your home sale. Just like marketing any product which entails good packaging, presenting a comfortable and organized home is always a plus.

In staging your home, you may want to incorporate some feng shui practices to increase your home?s value and attractiveness to buyers. It does not matter if you believe in this ancient Chinese practice. The important thing to remember is that feng shui just might contribute in the fast sale of your home and in selling it at a higher price.

The first thing you will have to focus on is to engage the senses of your prospective buyers in as many ways you can think of. A home that has lots of horizontal space will surely engage the sense of sight. So be sure to clear your kitchen counter tops, dressers and shelves. Keep in mind that most buyers go for a spacious home and not a crowded one. To engage the sense of smell, cinnamon or pine scents are highly recommended over the vanilla or floral scents. And to engage the sense of sound, a gentle or soothing music playing or the sound of a fountain during a buyer?s visit will be well appreciated.

First impression in home selling is vital for potential buyers. Make sure then that from your driveway and front yard up to the different rooms in your home, everything is pleasing to the eyes and provides a comfortable homey feeling. Feng shui should come into play in this aspect. The front door of your home should be clean and well-lit if a buyer is visiting after dark. A nice doormat should be in place and fresh flowers or plants should be on both sides of the entrance.

As early as possible, you should get your own personal stuff out of the house. This is to bring more positive and moving energy into the house. Take away all clutter from your front yard to the different parts of your home. Clutter is negative chi that can keep your energy down and might be passed on to your potential buyer if not thrown away. Clutter may take the form of dirt and dust as well as old and unused things like magazines, accessories and old clothes.

The kitchen should promote a friendly, healthy and prosperous atmosphere. Most buyers consider this room as the important part of the house. Better make yours sparkling clean and organized including your pantry. Be sure that your wastebaskets are out of sight, too.

As for the bathroom, always keep its door shut and the toilet lid down. Remember that potential buyers should never see a bathroom unless they actually go see it for themselves. These two powerful feng shui tips are meant to create positive energy into your home.

In home staging, presentation is key and with the application of feng shui guidelines, there?s a good chance that your home will draw buyers easily.

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Feng Shui For Widows And Divorcees

I am sure some of you may read the title and think, ?OK, this should be good; I will read it for entertainment and if I get more, all the better.?

The practice of feng shui uses the ancient Chinese art of Chi. Chi is energy. It has nothing to do with religion. There are many practitioners out there, all around the world. My purpose in writing this article is to share with you how I benefited from it. Allow me to start at the beginning.

A couple of months before my husband died, I came across an ad in the paper for a feng shui practitioner advertising her services. Interested, I decided to clip the ad out of the paper and put it aside until later. I had never practiced this art myself; however, I like others had read about it in various articles and was intrigued..

As I shared, when I saw the feng shui ad, my husband was dying. We both knew this fact. We had also just moved to a new town a few months earlier and into a new home. When we moved, all I could do was put the furniture in the house. My husband and I were in the fight of our lives?. for his life. (I hear your question: Why would you decide to move if your husband is dying? That answer, will have to come in another article.) So when I saw the ad a few months later, I knew I couldn?t act on it.

After my husband died I pulled the ad out of the drawer and called the practitioner. I needed distraction from my pain and getting the house in better shape was the recipe. Jan, the feng shui practitioner, was very nice on the phone and she asked lots of questions to get to know me. I learned a bit more about what this practice really entailed. I thought it was just about placing furniture in a room, in the best position for chi movement. (I thought I was smart because I knew the word and meaning of chi) I learned that Jan is a traditionalist when it comes to this art. She practices the Black Sect tradition. I had never heard of this or any other tradition. I thought it was all the same; little did I know.

We made an appointment for a consultation at my home. She let me know up front that this would take about 4 hours. WOW, I thought she would just come and make a few suggestions and be gone. Anyway, I can?t tell you everything she did because it would be unethical for me to do so. What I can tell you is that it was a wonderful experience. I implemented all of her suggestions. It took me a while to do so, but I got it all done.

Funny thing though, I started noticing shifts in my energy and what was happening in my life, as I would make the changes. A part of me thought the shifts were flukes, but that wasn?t the case. Being a skeptical person, I really started paying attention to the things that were happening to me. I also noticed that people who visited my home, rarely wanted to leave it. They told me that my home felt welcoming and relaxing. They leave their cares at the door. In fact, at times it is necessary for me to hint to a person that it is past my bed time or that I have to run an errand.

My original intent in having a practitioner use feng shui in my home was to simply receive help in putting my furniture in the best locations. What I got was so much more. I know this sounds strange but having my home in balance has helped me heal from losing my husband. It is my refuge and my place of peace. I travel a lot and I love the places I go. But, I am always happy when I enter my front door. It is as though the house welcomes me home.

If you are someone who has lost your spouse, you have to look at your environment when it comes to healing. There is a direct correlation between your environment and how well you heal. We all want to live vibrant robust lives and one of the best ways to do this is to balance your home. Is your environment safe; is it comfortable? How does your home make you feel? Have you ever thought about enhancing your healing process by enhancing your home?

I am not suggesting you go out and buy a book on feng shui. As I stated earlier, there are a few different schools of feng shui; and most of the books don?t make the distinctions. I have heard people say they get confused because one book tells them something and another says something else, concerning the same subject.

The best way to learn what your home needs is to hire a practitioner. These people have been to school to learn this art. Some have practiced for many years. There is no way you can read a book and know how to apply it?s suggestions to your situation.

I am a stickler for certifications, so make sure who ever you use is certified. Have them tell you the name of the school and do check them out before hiring them. Also make sure they have been in business for a while. Use your judgment and instincts. I have listed the name of the practitioner I used, on my web site. Feel free to contact her. She is available for phone consultations, if you are not in her area. Hiring a feng shui practitioner was one of the best decisions I made for myself.

?2007 White Lotus Life Coaching - Marie A. O'Neill is the founder of White Lotus Life Coaching. Her specialty is Life Renewal for Widows and Divorcees. Click http://www.whitelotuslifecoaching.com for articles written by an expert on Starting Over.

Want More? Click http://www.whitelotuslifecoaching.com for information on the down loadable self paced ?Starting Over ? A Manual for Living after the Loss of a Spouse?. You can also e-mail her at marie@whitelotuslifecoaching.com to comment on this article or schedule your free 20 minute coaching session.