There are different schools of feng shui and different levels of understanding of feng shui. Most of what is being practiced in the West today is not traditional or classical feng shui. Classical feng shui has it roots in the understanding of Forms and Shapes of the land, the I Ching, Yin Yang Theory, and Five Element Theory. Classical feng shui relies heavily on mathematical formula that have developed over thousands of years based on understanding the cycles of time and how they relate to people and their environments.
All schools of feng shui are based on similar universal knowledge, but have developed different approaches and techniques for identifying and balancing chi. The two oldest traditional schools are the Form School and the Compass School.
Form School
This is the oldest form of feng shui. It concerns understanding the energy of land forms and waterways, based on their shape, size and relative positions, as to how they will affect the people living on the land and in the buildings on the land. The orientation of homes and burial sites is a part of form school. This is a more visual approach, relying on analysis of the specific energies of the land, buildings, waterways, and roadways and then recommending proper placement of buildings and burial sites in relation to the physical surroundings.
Compass School - Eight Mansions or East-West School
This school is based on the eight directions of the compass. Every person has four good directions and four bad directions, as does every building. People belong to either the West Group or the East Group. This is determined by the year you are born. Buildings belong to either the West Group or the East Group, depending on its sitting direction. By knowing and using your best directions for sleeping, working, studying, and negotiating, you will be more supported in your life. This school enables you to understand your compatibility or lack of compatibility with other individuals, as well as buildings. There is no time factor in this school in the East-West School.
Compass School - Flying Stars
The the Flying Stars School uses the Eight Trigrams of the I Ching, and the lo shu magic square (used to divide a house, building or room into nine sectors. Each trigram is related to a compass directions, an element, a season of the year, various parts of the body, members in the family, a color and specific shapes.
This school encompasses a thorough understanding of yin yang theory, five element theory, Chinese astrology and numerology. It is very computational, relying more on the use of scientific formulae to understand the energetic qualities of an environment.
A special compass is commonly used, called a lou pan, is used to take a directional reading of the home or building. A person's date of birth and the construction date of the building are also important factors in Flying Stars calculations, as these relate to the unique time factor in this school's mathematical calculations. This school recognizes that everything is energy and that all energy is in a constant state of change and operates according to specific cycles of time. It is based on scientific observations of energetic patterns that are consistently repeatable.
The information that can be gathered and calculated using Flying Stars Compass School can reveal some very personal aspects to the house or building that can not be determined by any other way. This method can't be learned from reading books or taught to an individual in a short period of time. It takes a lot of serious study, and experience.
Feng shui evaluations based on the East/West School, along with the principles behind the Flying Stars calculations and an understanding of Form School, produces the highest form of feng shui analysis.
Life Aspiration School
This school is a very simplified form of feng shui and easy to learn. The pa kua or bagua is used as an energy map and is broken down into eight directions. Each direction is responsible for a specific life aspiration and has an element and color associated with it. The different directions can be activated by different types of cures. When these cures are put into place, they increase the luck associated with the aspiration of the direction. The aspirations are wealth, fame, marriage children, benefactors, career, knowledge and family and health. The pa kua is placed over the home or building based on the direction the front door faces, therefore true directions are being used. Another important aspect of this school is determining a persons best and worst directions. Everyone has four favorable and for unfavorable directions. By knowing and using your best directions for sleeping, studying, working, etc., you will be more supported in your environment.
Black Sect Feng Shui
Black Sect Feng Shui derives, in part, from Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, as taught by Professor Lin Yun of Berkeley, California. He brought his teachings from Taiwan to the United States in 1986.
This approach is multi-disciplined, incorporating Form School, psychology, interior design, color therapy, yin/yang theory, five element theory, the I Ching, common sense and intuition. It is sometimes referred to as Western Feng Shui. In its purest form, it is taught as a spiritual practice. However, one does not need to be a Buddhist, or for that matter of any particular faith to apply the principles of this school of feng shui. It has more to do with working with Spirit or God in a general sense, or how we connect with the Creator.
With this school, rather than using a magnetic compass to determine the directions, each house or room is evaluated from the position of the main door and the interior doors, by using a bagua. Therefore, there is no direct relationship to the cardinal directions. There is no time factor in this school.
