Monday, December 20, 2010

Feng Shui Schools of Thought

In its earliest forms, Feng Shui included two principle schools. The form school, whose theory relates chiefly to landform of property, including mountains, waterways, roads etc., and the compass school of thought whose calculations, is based on the I Ching trigrams of the Bagua and the points of compass directions.  Similar in many ways, you will find that in the form school theory, there is more attention upon where and how to place buildings, and in compass school, how and what you do to those buildings comes more into play. Later, a popular form developed in the western world known as the Black Hat Tantric Buddist Sect. It is interesting and used by many outside the Asian influence.  Although many do not consider it authentic feng shui in spite of its relative popularity. It bases the use of feng shui placement rather than direction and the use of cures more than the meaning of land forms.

The two original schools base much of their teachings upon the directionality of compass points.  

The ancient luo pan, the original feng shui compass, is filled with concentric bands of different information. It is used for both forms. However, you will find many consultants within their practice use a regular directional compass to define the spaces and directions for placement within a home or building. These practitioners, familiar with the meanings of the individual trigrams within the bagua, use the degrees contained in this type of compass, although it contains only 16 true directions compared to the luo pans more precise 24 degrees of direction.

Your original compass reading should be taken from inside your home as you look out of your front door. Next, step outside of your front door about ten feet and take another reading.  Once you have accurately discovered the facing direction of you house, place the bagua over your floor plan and begin the process of
creating a home wonderfully suited to your individual need. You can now begin to make plans for the subtle corrections that come about only through the use of feng shui cures. You are beginning one of the most exciting calculations of you life! Much happiness to you.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

East Meets West

Once becoming familiar with the idea that everyone belongs into a specific group (East or West group) we find that each of us owns their own ”magic number”. Determined by using the baqua’s information, provided to it by the “Lo Shu” or the “Magic Square”, you will be able to apply it and find out if you are an East group person or a West group person. The “Magic Square” gets its name because the numbers contained in it add up to the number 15, no matter which column or direction you add them in. One of these numbers is inherently yours, depending on the year of your birth and whether you are male or female. It’s different for each person.

There are a number of charts available for you to discover what your individual number is.  Once you have determined your “magic number” you can then use it to find out your most auspicious direction in which to place your house, or set your desk, or sit in for recreation or even job interviews. You will mentally be able to place yourself in one of these directions for the most favorable possible outcome of nearly any situation you find yourself in. Your most auspicious direction gains you good energy and luck and is most profitable to know and use.

Members of the east group own one of the numbers 1, 3, 4, or 9.  Their directions are north, east, southeast, and south. Members of the west group own one of the numbers 2, 5, 6, 7, or 8.  Their directions are southwest, northwest, west, northeast, or they occupy the center. Remember that your number is decided by your birth year and sex.  Then, the corresponding direction is your best direction for placement.. (i.e.:  born in 1979, a male’s number would be a 3, his most favorable direction would be east) In applying the principle for finding the best direction one should use, take up your compass to find your personal best direction.  It’s amazing to find, that after using a compass for awhile, you can begin to feel which direction is yours, once you know it, without the use of a compass at all.

With that being said, when making a feng shui calculation, it is extremely important to know how to properly read a compass. Good directions can be found on how to use one at many different sites on the Internet. Usually, when purchasing a compass, you will find the directions included, I suggest using a compass with a movable circle to distinguish between north and magnetic north be used, their accuracy is measurably better. Both the Compass Form of feng shui, as well as the Black Hat Form stresses the need of a compass in performing their feng shui calculations. Utilizing your best compass directions is often believed to support your life’s goals. Learn to use your compass well before attempting to discover whether a place is auspicious for itself and the people living there.