Put in a simply and succinctly, Feng Shui gives us direction in a physical way that enables us to resolve issues, confusion and problems in our lives, where we might otherwise spend endless (often painful) time groping around within ourselves for the solution to regain our balance and direction in life.
Although very popular here in the West, our awareness and understanding of Feng Shui is still in its infancy....especially for those who have just come into contact with it, or have only briefly touched upon the subject. For me, the key to teaching and understanding Feng Shui is to be able to simplify it into Western terms, yet retain the ancient power and significance of the art itself.
It is believed that certain aspects of Feng Shui started in China around the time of Noah and the flood. At that time, the most auspicious direction to face was deemed to be East. This was in accordance with the Pre-Heaven Sequence of spiritual directions. However, I suspect that a more modern Chinese people soon realised that in regard to the terrain that they deemed safe, to have one's home facing East was not always prudent. The mountains were to the North, with hills on both East and West sides, so the approach to the homes was from the South. It made sense then for them to face the South, thus enabling the occupants to be able to see who was approaching, and feel secure and protected at the back and sides. This was called "living in the armchair." The Chinese gave all of their locations a name. The mountains to the rear in the North were called the Black Tortoise, representing longevity of existence and the stability of the home. The East was the Green (or azure) Dragon. The Dragon represented the original ancient, auspicious direction to face and was deemed wise and benevolent, guarding the home and it occupants as long as they paid respect to it. It was believed that if the Dragon (God) was upset or harmed, disasters of biblical proportions would be heaped on the people in that area by the Dragon.
To the West was the White Tiger, energetic and dynamic; crouched and ready to leap forth, as if waiting for someone to slip up. I feel as though the Dragon and Tiger represented the duality of life.The Chinese believe that if the Tiger is present in hills, so is the Dragon, even if we cannot see it, and the reverse is true for the Tiger, if only the Dragon can be seen.This was of great import to them when seeking the ideal location in which to live.
The direction of South was regarded as the Phoenix. This was known as the direction of progress and adventure. It was also the area where the land was farmed to grow the food to sustain life. If water flowed across the land from the East to the West, it was regarded as even more auspicious. Doubly so if it were perceived that the water came from the Dragon's mouth.
The centre of the area was regarded as being the Yellow or Golden Snake. The Snake was not considered to be inauspicious, but rather as having the ability to communicate with all the other animals in an effort to maintain harmony. It's understanding of all the animals enabled it to successfully perform this task.
People took these directions seriously, endeavoured to position their homes in such a way as to have a clear sight of all these animals, either facing toward the Dragon and asking for its wisdom, or sitting with a Dragon wall at their backs, asking for support from the Dragon. The same applies for all the Animal directions.
As time passed, I believe that the scholars and sages within the communities noticed that all people did not fair well when facing South...... in fact some did very poorly. Then, as the villages grew into towns and cities, it was not always possible to face the home to the South. Yet many people prospered, even though they did not face the auspicious South. It can be assumed that upon investigating this phenomenon, they began to realise that it was related to the birth dates of the individuals. The direction then became important, and through observation they were able to tell that there were certain effects created on a person whose birth date, say 1982 for instance, with a home facing in the direction of Southwest would be under the same influences as someone born nine years prior, i.e.1973, with a home facing in the direction of Southwest. This seemed to be connected to the 8-sided disc that had been brought with them when they fled the flood. The Pakua, as we know it today, was either evolving or being rediscovered ....which, I am not certain. Although not initially, the 5 Elements also slowly evolved out of this through the studies of the effects of each direction, and the Generative and Destructive Cycles of the 5 Elements are now the cornerstone of Feng Shui today. Each main and sub-direction was assigned an Element, and through the I Ching it was possible to determine the strength of those Elements. Then the Elements were applied to the year of birth, and as there were nine repetitive years, or cycles of nine, each one of those was also assigned an Element, in relation to the accumulated information over a period of time. Thus, it is probable that the 8 Portents (Pillars)of the Home was born, and since that time it has evolved into what it is today.
