Fengshui Consultants
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Fengshui
Feng Shui (pronounced "fong shway") is a Chinese philosophy. Based on the laws of nature, its theories offer us a way of understanding the relationship between humans and their environment: its about how everything is connected and affects our well-being.
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment. The literal translation is "wind and water". Feng shui is a discrete belief system involving a mix of geographical religious philosophical mathematical aesthetic astrological ideas. It literally means "wind (feng) and water (shui)", and is not simply a decorating style, but a discipline with guidelines compatible with many different decorating styles.
Feng Shui translates to English as Wind and Water. These are the two containers for Qi. Since life exists within either air or water, qi is said to be the life energy that flows within these two environments.
The goal of feng shui guidelines is to locate and orient dwellings, possessions, land and landscaping, etc., so as to be attuned with the flow of qi. Location is considered to be of far greater significance than orientation. This is in line with modern thinking, where the 3 principles of buying a piece of property are location, location and location.
Yin and Yang
Fundamental to feng shui is the idea that two basic principles underly all matter and energy in the universe . These forces are opposite, but are not in opposition. Rather they are complementary and need each other to exist and flourish. The constantly changing interactions of yin and yang give rise to the infinite variety of patterns in life. The following table outlines the basic nature of each principle:
The bagua - Directions and Elements
The bagua (or pa kua) of the Yi Ching (Book of Changes) is an octagonal diagram used in feng shui analysis. Each direction on the octagon (north, northeast, etc.) is associated with certain significant aspects. By mapping the bagua onto a home, village, cemetery, etc., information about correct orientation and placement can allegedly be gleaned.
The eight parts (directions) of the post heaven bagua are associated with the following elements:
The qi coming from each direction has its own quality:
- North - water
- South - fire
- East - wood
- West - metal
- Northwest - metal
- Northeast - earth
- Southwest - earth
- Southeast - wood
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