feng-shui

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese form of geomancy that is believed to date back to the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Translated as "wind" and "water", Feng Shui is used to discover the most auspicious sites for, and the forms of, projected buildings (and also graves), by means of analyzing the ch'i, or the natural life force, of the surrounding landscape. Ch'i is never static, for new geographical features, such as roads, will alter its balance.
     Based on the principals of Taoism, as well as on those of traditional Chinese divination systems, since AD 300 Feng Shui has been divided into two shcools: the first concentrates on the contours of the landscape, while the second employs a cosmic compass and I Ching hexagrams, among other tools. Feng Shui is important because the consequences of the sites and forms of buildings are profound: if a structure is erected on a site not in harmony with the surrouding ch'i, its inhabitants will be doomed to a life of suffering - or at least of bad luck. The importance of Feng Shui even extends to the positioning of furnishings and outdoor plantings, if negative ch'i cannot easily be overcome by altering a building's structure, a strategically sited mirror, plant, light wind chime or garden shrub can be used to balance it.
     According to Feng Shui, the natural features of the landscape, such as rivers and hills, are influenced by wind and water. There are five basic elements: Fire, Earth, Water, Metal and Wood. The polarities of yin and yang are also primary concepts; they make up the ch'i central to Feng Shui. In its simplest application, the feminine yin force (known as the "White Tiger") should be to the left, or rear of the site, and the masculine yang (the "Azure Dragon") to the right, or south. The interaction of the five elements with these two basic natural forces in analyzed, and astrological auspices and the presence of local spirits are further factors to be considered.
     Ideally, all structures should face south (which symbolizes fame) for good Feng Shui. North is associated with commerical success, west with children's fame and east with a happy family life. Certain sites are regarded as inherently possessing good Feng Shui: mountains whose shapes resemble dragons, for example; evenly flowing water (associated with prosperity); or winds that meaner around natural features. Roads or rivers that follow a straight line, however, are believed to posses sha- a destructive force. Occasionally the Feng Shui master will carry out exorcisms of existing buildings, known as Tun Fu.
Feng Shui is taken extremely seriously in most Chinese societies, and no corporate building project is embarked upon without prior consulations with a Feng Shui master. In most cases, too, roads have been diverted to avoid harming the landscape's dragon spirit. Although similar systems of geomancy have been also used in the West, in the late twentieth century New Age sympathy with the importance of natural forces has resulted in a widespread interest in this centuries old Chinese tradition.